By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Citizen Kathryn Schaffner spoke before the Great Bend City Council
Monday and told the board that a police officer stopped by her house on
Broadway Avenue and told her she needed to get rid of her backyard chickens or
she would receive a Class B misdemeanor. Schaffner said there are areas in the city
ordinance that state how backyard hens can be allowed within city limits.
"Every city official I communicated with, and it was numerous, agreed that the city ordinance is unclear," said Schaffner. "Law-abiding citizens that read the code prior to purchasing their chickens are being threatened with removal of chickens or misdemeanors equivalent to a DUI (driving under the influence)."
Along with Schaffner, five other audience members spoke Monday night in defense
of allowing chickens on the owner’s premises.
Councilmember Jolene Biggs said
she heard from constituents that did not want chickens within city limits and
suggested that the city attorney write an ordinance to ban chickens in town.
"People let their cats and dogs run at large...that's not common sense," said Biggs. "People let all kinds of things happen. Even though many people would do exactly what the rules say, there are many people that do not. I certainly don't want chickens running loose in the house next to me and having to call all the time to get that taken care of."
Schaffner stated the code that law enforcement and animal control cite to say
chickens are illegal within city limits does not clearly deny backyard
chickens. Schaffner also claimed the local Tractor Supply store reported
between 100 and 150 Great Bend residents purchased a minimum of four chickens
this year, meaning a minimum of 400 to 600 chickens bought from Tractor
Supply in Great Bend.
The city council will discuss the ordinance at their next meeting in June.
Listen below to the entire chicken discussion at the Great Bend City Council meeting on May 15, 2023.