Colfax city council bans chicken ownership

Garth Meyer, Whitman County Gazette | May 06, 20210

COLFAX — Colfax city council went against citizens wishes and voted 4-3 to ban chicken ownership in the city.

Statistics from a public poll showed a 4-1 margin in support, but city councilman Jim Kackman made a motion to pass the ordinance, which dealt with dog licenses and chicken ownership, and strike the section allowing chickens to be kept in the city.

Representative Crystn Guenthner seconded it.

It went to a vote.

• Crystal Christofferson – Yes

• Crystn Guenthner – Yes

• Tom Huntwork – Yes

• Jim Kackman – Yes

• Mark Mackleit – No

• Blaine Golden – No

• Ben Miller – No

The motion passed 4-3 and chickens cannot be kept in the city

It is an issue that had been discussed at length in the previous mayor’s administration, studied by a group of Eastern Washington University (EWU) students, deciphered by the Colfax city planning commission, and brought back in front of the council this spring by a member of the commission.

The Facebook poll set up by city hall took in 88 responses for 81.8% in favor of chickens and 15.8% against, along with a group of people saying they want to allow chickens, but with more limits.

During Monday’s meeting, the council heard two people call in with more feedback.

“We had chickens in Spokane for six years before we moved to Colfax,” said Hillary Hoffman of North Riverside Lane. “It was a great experience ... If they’re allowed here, we’ll take care of them and most people will.”

The first comment from the council came from Golden.

“I will vote in favor,” he said. “My reasons are more an overarching belief that property owners should be able to enjoy their property as they wish, as long as it doesn’t prevent other property owners to enjoy their property.”

Kackman said there were three different roads he knew of you could take out of town to “get your farm-fresh eggs.”

He noted the ordinance did not require clipped wings on the chickens nor a minimum lot size.

“In my view, I just think chickens are farm animals,” said Kackman. “I’m hoping my neighbors don’t want chickens if this passes ... The chicken genie is in the bottle now. If it gets out, it’s going to be hard to get it back in.”

Huntwork said enforcement would fall to the Colfax Police Department, and that he did not want to have to make complaints against his neighbors.

“An easy solution would be, what if before you got chickens, you get a signed agreement from your neighbors that they approve,” he said. “I would vote for that.”

Guenthner asked about if a neighbor’s property sells, would the agreement be grandfathered in.

Then Kackman made his motion.

The mayor pro-tem now expects the issue to be settled.

“I think it’s a done deal,” said Kackman on Tuesday. “The chicken thing is laid to rest for at least a year or two. If it was brought back as a separate chicken vote, it would not be allowed, 4-3 again.”

He didn’t put weight in the public feedback.

“Is that a statistically valid poll of the citizens of Colfax? From the people that spoke to me about it, I’m not sure,” Kackman said. “I consider it anecdotal.”

The approved animal ordinance will change the city code for dogs, making for lifetime licenses instead of yearly.