EWU grad trio returns chickens to city agenda

A proposal for a chickens-in-town ordinance was presented to the Colfax city council Tuesday night by Jeremiah Roberts and two other graduate students from Eastern Washington University. The students researched the potential for the ordinance and developed it as part of an assignment for a policy class at Cheney.

Roberts said they looked at prior proposals at Colfax and looked at other ordinances in preparing their proposal.

Also working on the project and participating in the presentation were Theron Nystrom and Elsa Grey.

The presentation began with discounting a list of "myths" about chickens.

They proposed a $35 licensing fee for residents which could be revoked in the event chicken raisers violated the conditions of the ordinance.

Roberts said the proposal includes specifics for housing and keeping chickens.

Council member Crystn Guenthner, noting 23 cases of salmonella caused by human contact with chickens in the state, questioned the trio's report that chickens do not carry disease.

Councilman Tom Huntwork, an avowed opponent of a Colfax chicken ordinance, asked the trio if they had determined a way to identify the owner of a loose chicken in the event the city was called out to apprehend one.

The council approved a motion by Councilman Al Vorderbrueggen that the proposal be sent to the city planning commission for additional study and then be brought back to the council.