| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Alee |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 06:23:17 AM
Congrats TJ! I am so excited at the progress you are making with your passions!
Backyard chicken farmers win round at City Council
Story
Discussion
Chicken fanciers won a partial victory at a meeting of the Billings City Council Monday night.
The council first voted to delay for 30 days a vote on a change to city codes that would have made the ban on backyard chickens more explicit.
Then, the council voted 6-3 (with Denis Pitman and Jani McCall absent) to ask city planning staff to study backyard hen ordinances in Missoula and Bozeman and bring a draft ordinance back to the council at a later date.
A little earlier in the meeting, the president of Magic City Hens, T.J. Wierenga, told the council that it took chicken fanciers in Anchorage, Alaska, eight years to get an ordinance passed that allowed backyard hens.
“We will be here for eight years if that’s what it takes,” she said.
The council considered this issue last fall, but at an informal work session in November asked staff to stop working on a possible ordinance.
Three new council members joined the council since then, however, and all three of them voted with the majority Monday in asking staff to prepare a draft ordinance.
Those three, Becky Bird, Ken Crouch and Brent Cromley, joined Jim Ronquillo, Rich McFadden and Ed Ulledalen.
The three who voted “no” were Mayor Tom Hanel and council members Angela Cimmino and Mark Astle.
The text amendment would have made the code clearer.
Zoning coordinator Nicole Cromwell said the way the code is written now, you have to look at three different sections of it to determine whether raising poultry is allowed in the city.
All along, the chicken proponents have proposed an ordinance that would limit people to six chickens, hens only, with no roosters allowed.
In a public hearing on the change to city code, eight people spoke in favor of backyard hens, with no one opposed.
Council members did not let the subject go without making a few more cracks about chickens.
Astle, the most outspoken opponent, said, “If it ain’t cooked, I don’t like chickens.”
Bird said it was time to OK chickens and move on.
“We’ve got bigger chickens to fry than backyard hens,” she said.
In other action, the council granted a special review that will allow the Vig Alehouse and Casino at 501 Hilltop Rd. to upgrade to a full-beverage liquor license from its current beer and wine license.
Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/government-and-politics/backyard-chicken-farmers-win-round-at-city-council/article_75700ef3-34ec-5985-8688-8d419bdbe292.html#ixzz1qPwfxDXP
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
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| 14 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| smiley |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 7:03:54 PM
Way to go!! |
| beachymom |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 5:24:10 PM
I really wish I could have chickens here in my backyard. None of my neighbors would mind as long as no rooster & no smell. Neither would be a problem. Wishing doesn't work. I can't even get the council to hear me. Seems I'm the only person in my county with this desire,
Boo hoo.
Kathy
Farmgirl Sister #3983
Take care of the land and it will take care of you. |
| FarmDream |
Posted - Mar 29 2012 : 05:40:48 AM
Good for you!
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
| Ninibini |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 9:03:14 PM
Awesome! You GO TJ!!!
(\_/)
(='.'=)
(") (")*
Farmgirl Sister #1974
God gave us two hands... one to help ourselves, and one to help others!
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| laurentany |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 8:45:08 PM
Wahoooooooo! Way to show em TJ! Good for you for standing up for what is right!
~Laurie
"Little Hen House on the Island"
Farmgirl Sister#1403
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.. |
| rough start farmgirl |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 8:03:37 PM
Congratulations!
Marianne |
| sonshine4u |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 6:44:48 PM
How exciting!!! Way to go girl!
Playing in the Sonshine
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| Fiddlehead Farm |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 6:24:25 PM
Woot, woot!
http://studiodiphotosite.shutterfly.com/
farmgirl sister #922
I am trying to be the person my dogs think I am.
I get up every morning determined to both change the world and have one hell of a good time. Sometimes this makes planning my day difficult.
- E. B. White |
| acairnsmom |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 1:57:12 PM
Good going TJ! I thought my old home town of Littleton CO was backwards but they voted the OK for backyard hens in 2010 (I moved in 2009 wouldn't you know it)! I can't believe Billings, with all the farms and ranchs nearby, hasn't jumped on the bandwagon!
Audrey
.jpg) Good boy Hobbs! I love and miss you. |
| Simple Living |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 11:40:44 AM
Congratulations also!
Friends are the Flowers in the Garden of Life
Farmgirl #3842 |
| natesgirl |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 07:30:12 AM
I wish we had someone like her around here!!! Our council has voted them out 4 times that I know of. I'm still there every time it comes up, but no luck so far.
Good for you!!!!
Farmgirl Sister #1438
God - Gardening - Family - Is anything else important? |
| sherrye |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 06:30:17 AM
yipee
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| SpyChicken |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 06:29:13 AM
Yay! |
| GirlwithHook |
Posted - Mar 28 2012 : 06:27:24 AM
Congratulations!
A hook, a book, and a good cup of coffee.... |
