Chickens, dogs, cats, whatever; To the pet lovers of Coulee Dam

The Coulee Dam council meeting on July 8, which had the keeping of chickens on its agenda, was a very well-attended meeting with a very lively audience participation.

The group seemed to split into three categories. There were those who loved the birds and being able to use their property as they saw fit. There was the opposition group who believed chickens have no place in the townsite. The largest group seemed to be concerned with our present ordinances regarding pets for two reasons.

Their wording is unclear in some cases and even contradicts, at times.

The biggest concern seemed to be that our present rules regarding pets cover only dogs and cats and are not being enforced. The general feeling of this group seemed to be that our police officers seemed to have all the problems they could handle with the present staffing, and animal control should not be one of their enforcement concerns.

After a very lively discussion, it was decided to table the matter until the community could give more input.

The evening was a great example of an opportunity for the public to express its views, for the council to listen, and for the mayor to exercise leadership for the whole discussion.

We need more meetings like this where the public takes part in its own governing by expressing their feelings. If we discuss together, and listen to each other, we can arrive at solutions that satisfy most of us. So at the next “chicken” meeting, if you have an opinion, please be a part of the discussion group. This is your town; it needs your input to guide our council members and our mayor to arrive at solutions.

Carol Netzel