City Council Approves Urban Chickens in Cedar Rapids

By Rick Smith, Reporter

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By Aaron Hepker

Story Created: Jul 27, 2010 at 10:29 PM CST

Story Updated: Jul 29, 2010 at 9:41 AM CST

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The City Council’s love of chickens hasn’t changed in a month.

In two different votes Tuesday night, the council amended different sections of the city’s Municipal Code to allow residents to raise up to six hens on their residential property.

Council members Kris Gulick and Chuck Wieneke were the only two of the nine council members to vote no.

Council member Tom Podzimek recused himself from the vote after noting that he had purchased a chicken, named “Sunday Dinner,” that is currently being raised in nearby Palo. Palo has recently implemented an urban chicken ordinance.

Tuesday night’s council votes follows a 6-2 vote a month ago in which the council gave a first approval to the urban chickens.

Council member Chuck Swore said again last night that the council can repeal the ordinance if the things some fear will happen actually happen.

Audrey Rahn, a longtime animal advocate in the city, said raccoons love chickens, and backyard chickens will mean more raccoons. She wondered if the city then would need a bow hunt of raccoons.

Cedar Rapids Citizens for the Legalization of Urban Chickens has pushed for months to win council support to raise chickens within the city.

The new city ordinance states that chickens must be in a fenced area at least 10 feet from property lines and 25 feet from any adjacent home, church, school or business. Odors from the chickens and chicken manure can’t be “perceptible” beyond the boundaries of the yard.

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