No chickens, but why?
But why is the question I asked our Northwood elected city officials. The response, in short, was because we say so and there’s nothing you can realistically do to change our mind. One member told me I need to “conform” and another said “sometimes government needs to intrude.”
Yep you read it correctly: conform and intrude.
As I write this, I looked though one of the documents I try to live by and swore to uphold and protect and I can not find in it anywhere, where it tells me to conform or let government intrude. It pretty much says the opposite: individual liberty and limited government.
Now some may say, oh you’re just one of those anti-government people. No, I believe the government has a very important role, for example, fixing roads, making sure our streets don’t flood every time it rains a quarter of an inch, having a working sewer system, and not putting the community in debt to the tune of $900,000 (that’s without interest).
How does this relate to chickens? For some reason here in Northwood we are unable to feed our families the best way each individual family decides. Many cities across this nation allow chickens to be kept within city limits: Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Dubuque, Sioux City, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Mason City, and those are just a small fraction found right here in the great State of Iowa. For my family, raising our own eggs and meat is a freedom we shouldn’t have to debate. I’m sure there are some who hate the idea of chickens in town and I welcome you to voice your concerns. Come to a council meeting. Write a letter to the editor. Or stop by and talk with me in person.
So here’s my proposed chicken ordinance. No more than 15 chickens per household, no roosters, must be fenced in and can not run at large, must have at least 75% of your neighbors who border your properties consent, and must be maintained and cleaned so as to not cause a nuisance to your neighbors to include noxious odors and noise of a loud and persistent and habitual nature. Now I think that’s a fair and reasonable change. So what do you think?
Thanks to everyone who has shown us support (and there’s a lot of you). If you have thought about getting chickens read up on them, talk with people who have them, and also talk to your neighbors to see if they have any objections or concerns. Then just do it. Because so far the only people who I’ve talked with who don’t want chickens are the six who sit around a table twice a month.
Leo Hendrick
602 1st Ave n
Northwood
