By Andrea Arens
Jolane Walenga, Amanda Babiarz, and Katherine Mahn made their desire known again to have backyard chickens at the last Building Committee meeting on April 3 – the night before the election.
Trustees Julie Sluis, Nick Strba, and Mike Jones heard the three’s commentary. Jolane Walenga has kept notes from attendance and was armed with financial facts to back her claims. “Allowing 10 chicken permits (along with other permit fees) would increase the building permit fund by almost 27 percent of its current balance.”
Walenga isn’t wrong. Many municipalities charge homeowners to own chickens. Between permits to own, building permits for coops, permits for fences, annual inspection fees and, in some cases, permits for underground electric to coops, one has to be truly invested to own chickens in town.
Walenga, Babiarz, and Mahn agreed to work with the village, all in the interest of having some feathered friends.
Not everyone is in favor of changing the ordinance, though. Resident Elwynne Welsh voiced his opinion, although he was the only one to speak against changing the ordinance. Welsh said, “I’ve lived in the village for 47 years. If you want to have livestock, there’s county, 5 acres. Buy the property. Raise your chickens. Raise your hogs. You start with chickens, what’s going to be next?”
Welsh wanted to know how it would be policed and where the money would come from.
Welsh said, “Use some common sense when it comes to this. Chickens are not pets. They are animals. They are yummy. They produce yummy food. They produce yummy eggs. They are not pets.”
Trustee Julie Sluis, who was up for reelection and lost, did some research and compiled ideas from other municipalities that allow chickens.
Trustee Nick Strba said he was okay with chickens. He had friends with chickens that are pets.
Strba said, “I’ve had people talk to me about a fence for chickens. If we said in order for you to have a dog, you had to have a six-foot fence, would you have a dog? And people said they’d put the fence up.”
Strba suggested not instituting a chicken ordinance until the full time code enforcement position was filled.
Trustee Mike Jones, who did not run for reelection, said he agreed with Welsh. “For a majority of people, their biggest investment is their home. That needs to be protected by the village board and enhanced. Allowing this (chickens), does neither.” Jones continued that he thought the changes were being made for a vocal minority rather than the majority of residents.
Jones added, “I can’t see changing it for a handful of people. As far as the kids, that’s a nice touch. If you want to teach them responsibility, have them clean their room, feed the dog, sweep out the garage, cut the grass, shovel some snow, wash the car. Chickens aren’t going to be the answer to that.”
Jones continued on and, at one point, it was suggested the village put the issue to a referendum, with the next election being two years from now.
With that not being a desirable option, a suggestion was to poll [residents] regarding their opinion on changing the ordinance. Facebook and email surveys were shot down because it was suggested they wouldn’t reach all residents. Then it was suggested by Jones that a flyer be mailed to all residents, and Administrator Aimee Ingalls remarked that it would be the responsibility of those wishing to change the ordinance to pay for the cost of the mailer.
Both Trustees and Strba offered their salary to pay for the cost of mailers on behalf of the village. The discussion ensued, with a suggestion by Strba, to offer a poll on the Village Facebook page and have another building committee meeting in a couple of weeks.
Walenga said, “We were willing to pay to do a village survey. However, if we spent the money to send out postcards with this survey and have it all sent to a P.O. Box, not every single person who gets this survey is going to complete it. And ultimately, it’s up to the board. It’s not up to your neighbors.”
Walenga isn’t wrong. Only about 12 percent of the village population voted in the last election. Strba said he has received emails against, and he’s received more emails in favor of chickens than emails against it.
Amanda Babiarz suggested a limit on licenses as a probationary period. Trustee Jones countered that people won’t take care of them, and that people have money for upkeep but just don’t take care of their property.
Babiarz also pointed out their group is trying to campaign for chickens legally, and they were sure there were plenty who had chickens illegally.
After an hour of discussion, it was decided another building committee meeting would be planned.
The chicken discussion was not placed on the April 10 board meeting agenda.