Story originally printed in the Vernon Broadcaster or online at www.vernonbroadcaster.com
Published - Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Viroqua to hold hearing on raising animals in city
Don't tear down that chicken coop just yet.
The Viroqua City Council held off passing a new ordinance that would ban raising chickens and other animals in the city and dealt with restricting use of boulevards and terraces to grow vegetables last week.
About 25 people spoke to the city council on Tuesday, Feb. 12. In order to facilitate more discussion, the council has decided to hold a public hearing on the matter in the community room at Western Technical College in Viroqua on March 5 at 7 p.m..
Resident Drew Shonka, who said he is one of the residents who raises chickens in the city, presented a petition with 72 signatures.
“It requests that the city and its residents support residents to have the freedom to do with their property as they wish,” said Shonka.
Shonka said he recognized there are issues related to health and safety of others and property values, but hoped the city could work the issue out and come to a solution that allows those who have animals like chickens to continue in their lifestyle. Shonka asked that the city clearly define and set acceptable limits on “nondangerous and nonpolluting animals such as chickens.”
Shonka asked for the same for an ordinance regarding front-yard gardens or planting. Shonka said such an ordinance should also take into account the “safety, health and enjoyment of others.”
The council approved the first reading of the ordinance that bans raising some animals and planting on boulevards earlier in the month. The council could have finalized the ordinance on Feb. 12.
Alderman Gail Frie said a garden group asked to discuss ordinances regarding gardens. He said the March 5 date would be a good time for a hearing to include all of the issues regarding property, so that residents could comment on the issues at the same meeting.
“Hopefully we can get a good community building discussion going and get some concerns and responsibilities discussed and agree on some limits,” said Frie. “I think all of these issues are related, they are property issues and neighborhood relations.”
City resident Lynn Chakoian suggested the council look at a restorative justice or mediation program to deal with neighbor issues.
“It seems all of these issues relate to neighbors not being able to talk to each other,” said Chakoian.
Chakoian read a letter she had received from the Crawford County restorative justice program that said their county has programs in place to handle those issues.
“And that might make it so we don’t need so many ordinances and it really does help to keep neighbors on good terms,” said Chakoian.
Shonka gave the council some handouts and referred them to websites about “raising chickens in cities” and “urban chickens.”
“I would ask anyone on the council to call us and come see what we are doing with our coop,” said Shonka.
Shonka said his kids have used the animals as a learning experience and as 4-H animal projects for the Vernon County Fair.
Leigh Anders asked if there was a particular incident that caused the council to look at the issue of animals in the city. Anders said she got a list of animal complaints for 2007 from the Viroqua Police Department and of 40 calls total, 29 were related to dogs, eight were about cats, one was about a woodchuck, one was about an opossum and one about a chicken.
City attorney David Jenkins said he did not necessarily get a specific compliant but someone had asked a question about the ordinance which caused city officials to ask “What does the ordinance say and does it say what we want it to say?”
“I really advocate responsible pet ownership,” said Anders. “We have had a dog issue on my block for quite sometime now..., but my stream of logic isn’t…, well there is a dog problem we need to get rid of all dogs in Viroqua.”
Frie said the council will be at the meeting as a committee of the whole and depending on the outcome of that meeting could refer the issue back to the public safety committee or send it back to the city council for adoption.
In other business the council gave city administrator Jeff Gohlke the go ahead to make an offer to purchase two of the former Howard Johnson’s warehouses on Railroad Avenue. Gohlke said during the budget process the council directed him to pursue the buildings for sale to see if would be possible to lease or buy them. The council had discussed the possibility of constructing a pole building at a cost of around $70,000.
Gohlke said the two buildings, a large pole building and a smaller shop, total about 14,500 square feet. Gohlke said he has been negotiating on the property and got approval on a tentative offer of $120,000 which amounts to about $8.33 a square foot.
A number of city departments have requested more storage space including the public works department, the fire department and parks and recreation department. The city would also like to move the material out of the old Swanson Lumber building so it can decide whether or not to tear it down. The council approved a motion to send the issue to the plan commission as required by law and allow Gohlke to complete the purchase.
All stories copyright 2006 Vernon Broadcaster and other attributed sources.