Punt!

The ability to own backyard hens has been delayed by careful consideration of the city council. I watched the debate on TV last night where most of the public testimony was in favor of allowing chicken ownership. That did not sway some of the councilors to be in favor of the hens. Several councilors worried that some Salem citizens would not obey the guidlines in the ordinance and would cause complaints throughout the city. A big moment in the meeting was when Mayor Janet Taylor discussed how difficult it was for her to come to a decision on this issue. Even saying moments before a vote that her mind was not made up. She eventually voted yes, indicating she was in favor of allowing hens in people's backyards with restrictions. Another councilor, Bob Cannon in Ward 7 was in favor of allowing hen ownership without restrictions. He viewed this as a land use issue and felt strongly in favor of property rights. Ultimately, the council couldn't come up with a set of rules that they all could agree with. So, the debate has been sent to the planning commission for further review.