Town council considers legalizing chickens

Tuesday night, Thermopolis Town Council heard quite a bit from Darren Butcher regarding an ordinance that would allow for people to have chickens in town.

Butcher explained the motivation for his argument came, in part, when he noticed that the food being given out to people during food giveaways was mostly processed and he and his father-in-law, Lonny Ramsey, started talking about how they could provide better food for people. The pair had previously given out a lot of vegetables and participated in the annual farmers market. Butcher noted he has also planted mangoes in Haiti and is currently developing 2.5 acres in Central America to help the villagers live better.

Butcher said he wasn’t at the meeting to persuade the popular opinion or turn poultry haters into lovers, but intended to show it was not a crime to own a chicken. Though previously past board members have continued a ban on “urban chickens,” Butcher argued that such decisions were not based around facts but bias and prejudice.

The last effort to legalize chickens within town limits was in April of 2015, Butcher said, noting the topic appears to be a potential political hot button. Butcher later pointed out that Thermopolis Middle School students and teacher Becky Martinez presented a request to have chickens at the school and the council approved them. However, council further noted that the request from the school was for a specific area near the edge of town and was for a school project, with requirements that council be updated regularly.

Butcher requested the chickens be allowed in area with boundaries of Amoretti and Arapahoe to the north and south, and the river and train tracks to the east and west.

Also during his presentation, Butcher addressed the concern that chickens might cause a greater burden on the already taxed law enforcement system, suggesting a $50 fine against people the first time they have a chicken at large, a $150 for a second violation and a two-year ban on having the animals for a third. As to them being considered a nuisance, Butcher pointed out there are already people tying up the system and costing time and resources, and asked if the council would ever make a motion to “ban them.”

Council addressed the issue of enforcement, with the point raised about law enforcement already being stretched. It was mentioned that if a chicken were to ever get out of its confined area it would most likely become a meal for some animal or person before it could be captured properly and returned to its owner.

Another concern Butcher addressed was the noise, noting that the sound of a chicken registers at around 60-70 decibels (db), where a dog bark is around 90db and a train passing through town is 140db. He likened the decibels put out by a chicken to a babbling brook or a normal level conversation between people. Butcher also mentioned chickens kept responsibly would not create an overpowering smell and small backyard flocks have been shown to actually reduce the possibility of avian diseases.

Council did present concern that there would be irresponsible owners who get chickens simply because they could but then refuse to take care of them.

As to the pros of allowing urban chickens, Butcher said it would increase activity among the young, those with special needs and the elderly, help foster community gatherings similar to the farmers market and community garden. There are additional benefits as well, he said, such as organic eggs, high nitrogen fertilizer weed control, and low environmental impact.

Though there was indication the council might approve of utilizing the small requested area as something of a “pilot” to determine if there would be an allowance for chickens across town, council also wanted additional information before making a final decision. The matter is expected to be taken up at the council’s second meeting in April.

In action Tuesday night, council approved the third and final reading of Ordinance 850, which allows RT Communications to put telecommunications lines on town property to provide and maintain communications lines, except where they are restricted.

Council also approved three liquor license applications from Shorty’s Liquor. One is for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Banquet on Saturday, April 7 at the fair building, the other two were for the Thermopolis Hot Spot Car Rally, as the event lasts two days – June 16 and 17.

A street closure was approved for the PRCA Cowboy Rendezvous Rodeo parade at 10 a.m. on June 23 and for the street dance on Broadway the same day, following the rodeo.

Also approved was Resolution 451. Mayor’s Assistant Fred Crosby explained the resolution is a shared process with WYDOT, where the town is within the 1,500 to 5,000 range and receives $20 per capita for snow removal along Sixth Street, Shoshoni, Park and Broadway.

Also during the meeting, Town Engineer Anthony Barnett reported the pre-construction meeting for the water line project has been held and Wilson Brothers has begun moving in equipment. Ground breaking on the project is expected in the next week.