By Katee Underwood, Staff Writer
A recent Facebook discussion about Coldwater’s chicken ordinance has led to a broader conversation among residents about city priorities, ordinance enforcement and the challenges of balancing day-to-day issues with long-term community needs.
The discussion began with a Facebook post from a Coldwater resident questioning why attention was being given to chicken regulations while other concerns, including aging water lines, road conditions and maintenance at Coldwater Lake, remain topics of discussion among residents.
The post stated that the concern was not with having ordinances or enforcing them, but with how enforcement is handled.
“Rules should be applied consistently,” the post stated. “Equal enforcement builds trust; selective enforcement erodes it.”
Several residents responded to the post, with comments reflecting concerns about consistency in enforcement and whether city resources were focused on the community’s most pressing needs.
One commenter said city ordinances are important but questioned whether they are being applied equally to all residents.
“I’m with you, city ordinances are important and we should be held to a certain level of accountability, but I also wish that this was subject to all residents, not just some,” the commenter wrote.
Another resident said they had experienced more issues with dogs than chickens.
“I deal with more trouble from dogs than I do the chickens in town,” the post said. “I’ve never had a problem with chickens at all.”
Other comments supported the idea that residents should be able to keep chickens responsibly.
“I fully agree,” one commenter said. “Focus on the larger problems in Coldwater. Not chickens that are in a fence.”
Some residents also encouraged people to address concerns directly with elected officials rather than only through social media.
“Don’t waste time on Facebook. Let your representatives serve your needs,” one commenter said.
Coldwater Councilman Gary Haulmark said the chicken ordinance is not a major focus of the city council and does not represent the issues taking up most of the council’s time.
“The chicken ordinance is not a huge thing for this council,” Haulmark said. “It’s not why I ran.”
Haulmark said the council’s primary focus has been on larger issues, including the city budget, infrastructure needs and sewer line improvements.
He said the council has also been working on securing funding, improving city policies and procedures, and making changes designed to improve efficiency and save time and money for future councils.
Haulmark pointed to several recent efforts by the city, including expanding pool hours for residents, implementing criminal background checks for new city employees and addressing financial concerns involving Prairie Plaza Apartments.
The council spent significant time working to improve Prairie Plaza’s financial situation after the apartments faced deficits and operational challenges. Haulmark said the property is now in a better financial position.
“We’re working on much more important issues,” Haulmark said.
Regarding the chicken ordinance, Haulmark said the regulation has been in place for more than 10 years. The previous ordinance allowed residents to have up to six chickens but did not allow roosters.
The city councilman said a complaint involving a resident with chickens led code enforcement to review compliance. Approximately 20 residents with chickens were reviewed as part of that process.
After reviewing the existing ordinance, the council made changes to provide more flexibility for residents. The updated ordinance allows residents to keep unlimited chickens but continues to prohibit roosters.
The ordinance requires a one-time $5 registration fee.
Haulmark said the goal is not to create problems for residents who responsibly care for their animals.
“As long as people keep their animals up and are good stewards to their animals, there is not going to be a problem,” Haulmark said.
The discussion has highlighted a larger conversation facing many communities – how to balance enforcement of local ordinances with addressing larger infrastructure and financial challenges.
The Star-Press tried to reach out to the Coldwater mayor for comments, but he was not able to be reached prior to the press deadline on Tuesday.
