Marshfield (OnFocus) – At their August 11 meeting, the City of Marshfield Common Council was presented with the possibility of an ordinance to allow chickens within the City of Marshfield.
At the end of the July 28 Common Council meeting, Alderman Tom Buttke requested the agenda item be scheduled to allow for discussion of a possible ordinance to allow chickens within city limits.
“I had a couple of residents ask if they could have chickens,” said Buttke.
This is not the first time a “Chicken Ordinance” has been discussed by City leadership. In 2011, the Council discussed and ultimately rejected Ordinance No 1188 by a vote of 6-3.
In March 2019, the agenda item was requested but ultimately pulled.
“This topic has been discussed in many other cities and villages across Wisconsin in recent years, and my understanding is that some municipalities have been favorable while others have not,” City Administrator Steve Barg stated in a City of Marshfield Memorandum.
The Council was presented with other area chicken policies, including those in Eau Claire, Neenah, Wisconsin Rapids, Stevens Point, and Wausau.
Ordinance Officer Bob Larsen spoke about the topic.
“To tell you it’s a bad thing, I don’t think I could do that. But I think it deserves more attention and more research. There are a lot of good things that other municipalities have done,” said Larsen. “It would be worth bringing up if we would actually allow it.”
Larsen noted the importance of an application process and researching more information on procedures to protect both animal and human health.
Buttke proposed that the subject be researched more fully and brought back at a future meeting.
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Author: News Desk
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