Evanston's Backyard Chickens

COLUMBIA — Mayor Darwin Hindman asked Monday that an ordinance to allow Columbia residents to raise chickens on their property be prepared for consideration by the City Council.

Previously, members of the Columbia/Boone County Board of Health did not send any recommendation regarding the ordinance. During a pre-council meeting Monday, Director of Public Health Stephanie Browning spoke to the council about the urban chicken issue.

Browning explained that the Board of Health was divided about the recommended ordinance because some members thought chickens had no place in the city, while others could not agree about specific stipulations in the ordinance.

Some board members would not pass an ordinance that required chicken owners to obtain permission from neighbors, while others refused to pass an ordinance without this requirement.

Since the Board of Health did not send a recommendation to the Council for consideration, Browning said she will likely be preparing the ordinance because she is familiar with the issue.