The Dorr Township Board Thur
sday evening accepted the low bid for two dust control applications, agreed to two miles of gravel work this summer and promised to look into rules prohibiting keeping chickens.
The board unanimously voted to have SWB Enterprises, formerly known as Bruce Allan of Byron Center, to apply dust control twice over the summer at $10,125 per application. It was noted that Dorr has 37½ miles of gravel roads in the township.
The other higher bids came in from Michigan Chloride Sales and Southwest Michigan Dust Control.
About two miles of gravel improvements will be done this summer by the Allegan County Road Commission.
The board was asked by resident Kevin Maurer, “I want to know why people can’t keep chickens in Dorr?”
Supervisor Jeff Miling said the regulations were included in an ordinance adopted in bygone years, but he’d be willing to have them examined and perhaps even changed, if necessary.
Maurer told the board chickens are allowed in cities such as Grand Rapids and East Grand Rapids and he couldn’t see the wisdom in forbidding them in a rural township such as Dorr. Urban farming is becoming more popular lately as well.
“It’s a statement about who we are and what needs to be addressed.”
The old ordinance was not readily available, but it is more than likely chickens are permitted in land zoned agricultural only.
