Wayland resident pulls request for chickens

By KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

WAYLAND ? Not wanting to ruffle any feathers, Wayland resident Bill Huisenga has decided to repeal his request to the city to allow him to have chickens on his property.

Huisenga began meeting with city officials in early April to see what it would take to get chickens on his property. Huisenga?s property is right on the town line. The city currently has a ?no livestock? ordinance for residents within city limits.

Huisenga said out of respect for the turkey farmers he would hold off on his request of changing or removing the livestock ordinance so his children could have chickens.

?I don?t want to cause any bad blood here and I know people?s livelihood is at stake,? he said.

Prior to Huisenga repealing his request, several members of the board agreed now would not be the time to introduce urban chickens due to the avian influenza outbreak and the number of local turkey farmers.

Huisenga did wonder if this would be an item the council would pick back up next spring.

?I would like to see you guys say you can come up with a plan, we?ve got ?til next spring,? he added.

Huisenga said he understood the city not wanting every resident bringing farm animals into town limits, but he thought with a strict list of requirements, including having so many acres and so much space between houses, residents on the outer limits of town, like himself, could have animals like chickens.

?If you?re talking about urban chickens, but if you?re talking livestock in general, that could really flourish,? said City Clerk Beverly Conrad.

Hisenga said he wasn?t trying to be spiteful, but he could go across the creek line on his property, which is outside of city limits, and put a chicken coop there. He added his neighbor; Larry Graber was alright with having chickens next to his property. Huisenga noted he would not add any kind of poultry to his property until after the bird flu epidemic subsided.

?It might give you an out if the city council is not inclined to want to put livestock back into the (town),? said Conrad.

The council agreed they probably wouldn?t change the ordinance, so if Huisenga had a ?plan B? he should go with that.

In other business, the council:

Approved purchasing two $100,000 CDs from People?s State Banks? sister bank, White State Bank.

Approved erecting a sign directing travelers to the City Museum. The sign will cost less than $100.

Approved the notice for a public hearing on June 17, 2015, at 7:30 p.m., at City Hall for the revitalization plan for the Wayland urban revitalization area.

Approved the City Contract Labor and Materials Billing Guidelines update.

Approved the mayor to apply for funding from Walmart Foundation for a fire truck grant.

Authorized the City Clerk to apply to On His Path Foundation for a fire truck grant.

The Wayland City Council will meet next on June 3, at 7:30 p.m., at City Hall.