Menasha joins flock of communities that allow residents to keep backyard chickens
MENASHA - City residents will be able to keep backyard chickens starting April 1.
The Common Council recently voted 5-4 to allow residents to have as many as six chickens with a permit and an annual fee. No roosters will be permitted.
The chicken debate deadlocked the council. Members Ted Grade, Tom Grade, Austin Hammond and Rebecca Nichols supported the ordinance change to accommodate chickens, and members Rosita Eisenach, Randy Ropella, Ann Schmidt and Stan Sevenich opposed it.
Mayor Don Merkes broke the tie in favor of chickens.
"Being that Appleton, Fox Crossing, Harrison and Neenah — all of our surrounding neighbors — have determined and shown that their residents can be responsible and own chickens, I also believe that our residents can be responsible," he said.
The mayor's vote drew applause and cheers from the audience. An online petition supporting chickens in Menasha drew 223 signatures.
Menasha's move was in contrast to Little Chute, which earlier in the month upheld its ban on urban chickens.
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During a public forum before the vote, Menasha resident Dick Sturm encouraged the council to pass the ordinance. He said it contains protections to ensure the majority of residents aren't negatively affected.
"It's workable in our neighboring communities, and it goes far beyond our neighboring communities," he said. "You can have urban hens in Oshkosh. You can have them in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and New York City. Why are we so far behind?"
Rachael Dowling, organizer of the petition, touted the benefits of keeping chickens. In addition to providing eggs and fertilizer, chickens eat insects, weeds and table scraps, thereby reducing landfill waste.
"Local food systems are better for our environment and better for our health," she said.
The call for chickens wasn't universal. Resident Greg Omachinski said chickens are noisy.
"They're clucking goes up to about 70 decibels, which is, like someone said, about a talking voice," Omachinski said. "But let's say somebody's got five or six chickens in their backyard, and in the summer you're sitting in your porch or something. Do you really want to listen to chickens? I don't. I mean, we have enough noise in our city already. We don't need more."
Resident Sandra Dabill Taylor said the enforcement of the ordinance could cause friction among neighbors.
"Everything is on a complaint basis," she said. "You're putting neighbor against neighbor. The staff is not driving around checking on things."
Residents who keep chickens must comply with certain regulations. The ordinance includes the following statements.
No person may slaughter any chickens within the city.
No person may offer to sell eggs or chicks.
The breeding of any chickens is strictly prohibited.
No chicken coop shall be located in the front yard of a property.
Tom Grade said Menasha recorded about 400 animal complaints and 32 animal bites last year. Most concerned dogs and cats.
"I don't think we'll have that big of an issue with the chickens," he said.
The council previously opposed backyard chickens in 2011 and 2019.
"Each time this has come (before us), I believe the ordinance has been strengthened," Nichols said.
Schmidt didn't buy the argument that because surrounding communities allow chickens, Menasha should, too.
"The city of Menasha prides itself on being the city of Menasha, not an extension of the city of Neenah or Appleton," Schmidt said.
Contact Duke Behnke at 920-993-7176 or dbehnke@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @DukeBehnke.
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Menasha joins communities allowing residents to keep backyard chickens
