By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
An ordinance on whether or not chickens will be allowed within city limits of Great Bend will go before the Great Bend City Council on Monday, June 5.
At the last meeting in May, the council heard from residents pleading
their case to allow chickens in town with the current ordinance not abundantly
clear. There were six community members that spoke at the last meeting stating
the benefits of owning chickens.
"Great Bend is not a top-tier economy. Some people are having a really hard time, especially with just putting food on the table. I'm thinking about common sense. If people want to augment their food stores with some chickens, why should we say no? It doesn't sound like it's common sense."
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The city’s legal team has no recommendation on whether to allow chickens, but
did create a proposed clarifying ordinance to continue the ban if that is the
direction the council wants to go. City Attorney Allen Glendenning also stated
if the council chooses to permit the harboring of chickens, he encourages
guidance on regulating the chicken ownership with possible permits, limits,
prohibiting roosters and proper enclosures.
At the May meeting, a citizen informed the council that a police officer
stopped by her house on Broadway Avenue and told her she needed to get rid of
her backyard chickens.
"If we're enforcing this on Broadway, are we going to send the police door-to-door south of 10th Street and east of Main Street and remove everyone's chickens? Are we going to cause this large mess of the great chicken roundup? It just seems like this decision to ban chickens everywhere is going to cause much more problems than just allowing people to have four hens in their backyard."
Prior to 2001, chickens were allowed within city limits with proper
documentation. The city sanitarian at the time requested an ordinance banning
chickens, partly because of health concerns. The Animal Control office in Great
Bend, through the Golden Belt Humane Society, wrote a letter stating their
office is against legalizing chickens within city limits.
The agenda item will be discussed at the Monday meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m.
at City Hall.