Kootenai shrugs shoulders at chickens in city limits

KOOTENAI — Kootenai City Council members gave a yellow light to people who want to raise a few laying hens in backyard coops, but specifics at Tuesday’s council meeting were as scarce as hen’s teeth.

Raising city hens is not unlike planting urban carrots, one council member said.

Although Kootenai has no ordinance against raising chickens specifically, it does prohibit agriculture in city limits.

Chickens are farm animals, alluding to agricultural endeavors just as gardening, council member Erik Brubaker said.

“It is no different than planting a carrot,” he said.

Council members did not agree on how to interpret the city’s ordinance, but one member wanted to let the issue take care of itself.

A 1969 ordinance, council member David Sundquist said, specifically prohibited chickens from ranging through town. The word “chicken” was dropped in a 1991 revision that addressed agriculture.

The ambiguity seems to open the hatch for hens to peck bugs in Kootenai backyards.

They already are, he surmised. Although he had no first-hand knowledge.

“If there are chickens, I have not noticed it,” he said. “I don’t think they are a problem.”

He preferred the council not get mired in messing with chickens while issues such as completing the city’s comprehensive plan and upgrading zoning ordinances needed to be addressed.

“Spending time and energy and staff on a chicken ordinance,” he said. “I would just as soon not get into it.”

He urged the city not run afoul of more pressing obligations.

“A couple of chickens is not going to change the character of the town a whole lot,” he said. “I would like to see this end right here.”

Crystal Clossun disagreed.

“I see our little city growing, getting subdivisions, quality homes and great people,” the council member said.

“I can’t see having chickens in our little city, breathing chicken fumes and hearing clucking all day long, bringing in raccoons, skunks and coyotes.”

She does not buy into the notion of hen raising for eggs.

“I buy my eggs at North Kootenai, just over the tracks,” she said. “I want to see the city staying clean and move forward.”

Because the present ordinance is vague, Brubaker said the council may decipher it as they see fit.

“If it is not clear, or leaves room for interpretation, it’s an easy solution to this situation,” he said.

When she brought the question to city council a while back, Kootenai resident Chrissi Vergoglini, just wanted to raise a few hens — no roosters — and asked the city for input.

Vergoglini, who is known as the town’s chicken lady since raising the issue of backyard coops earlier this year, is no longer sure if hens fly in the face of the law or with it.

“I’m sorry I brought it up,” she said. “I’m not going to bring it up again.”

The council did not clarify city code, nor did it give her direction, she said.

She is unsure how to proceed.

She does agree however that more pressing city issues should take top seed.

“There are more important things for them to deal with than chickens,” she said.