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HARTINGTON — The city's updated law fining people if they don't follow regulations banning fowl and other animals from homes inside the city limits was once again the subject of debate at Monday's City Council meeting.
Mayor Mark Becker said he wanted to make sure people had a little background before discussion on the issue began.
'There is some misconception that we passed an ordinance recently to keep out chickens, fowl and other animals. This ordinance has been in effect for quite some time,' Becker said, adding the Council recently decided to put some teeth into the law to help enforce it.
The Casey and Susan Nieman family appeared at Monday's meeting to see if Council members would consider modifying the statute, which has been in place for several years, but was just recently updated by the Council to include fines for anyone not abiding by the law.
The Niemans' 14-year-old daughter, Sylvie, told the Council the chickens at their home actually belong to her and she is the one responsible for their care and upkeep.
The Cedar Catholic eighth grader then addressed the Council with a prepared speech, telling them how owning and caring for the chickens has taught her a great deal, and how chickens and their farm fresh eggs are good for people.
She then proposed the Council reconsider its law banning fowl and other animals such as horses and donkeys from city limits, and instead put in place a law that requires a permit be obtained in order to house any of these animals in the city limits.
Mayor Becker thanked Nieman for her input. If such a system were used, he said, it would give the Council more control over the situation.
'As a board, we've discussed the chicken issue,' he said. 'In some communities where this is allowed, they've got some good chicken ranchers, and some that are not. We do not want in our city a bad situation like that.'
He said Council members have discussed the possibility of putting in a permitting process.
'If people are respectful with their animals and aren't causing problems with their neighbors, then they would be permitted to have a few,' Becker said. 'Then along with that, the people that have horses, if they are respectful and don't cause a nuisance with their neighbors, they could get a permit.'
With a permitting process the city could identify where 'poultry, horses, donkeys and ducks and everything else are,' Becker said.
'If people are going to have these things, they are going to have to follow some rules and do a good job.' No action was taken on the issue, but the Council said they would look into the possibility of putting in a permitting process.
In other action Monday, the Council approved a building permit for a storage shed at the Matt and Billie Wortmann residence.
The Council also held a public hearing to consider a plat request for Calvin Christensen, who owns property at 101 South Madison Avenue in Hartington.
Christensen purchased the Madison Street property from his uncle, Carly Christensen.
That property has both a house and an unattached garage with living quarters above it. He would like to have the lot replatted into two lots so he can sell one of the properties to a relative.
After a lengthy question and answer period, the Council decided to table the request so they could get more information on the legality of splitting the lot and to research if the property was indeed split into two properties at one time.
Also Monday, Baylor Bestgen of JEO Engineering was on hand to talk about the city's One and Six Year Road Improvement Plan, which has to be submitted to the state.
Brett Klug and his neighbor, Sheila Grindvold, appeared to talk about letters they had recently received stating they needed to install sidewalk in front of their houses. Klug said he would do so, if he must, but he wanted his opinion known that the sidewalk would go nowhere since he lives on a dead-end street.
A lengthy discussion followed and Council members said there have been lots of variances granted about installing sidewalks over the years. No decision on Klug's question was made, however.
