A Shawano man is hoping to get the city to pluck chickens and ducks out of its ordinance banning urban poultry.
Scott Krueger went before the Plan Commission on Wednesday with a proposed rewrite of the ordinance that would allow up to four chickens and/or ducks, as long as they are kept in a secure enclosure. The ban would still apply to roosters.
The item was not on the agenda, so no action was taken.
However, the commission was open to the idea and hopes to get some community feedback, said Mayor Lorna Marquardt, who chairs the commission.
Krueger modeled his proposed ordinance on rules covering city poultry already on the books in more than a dozen other municipalities in the state, ranging from the village of River Hills (population 1,641) to Oshkosh (population 65,000). A number of other communities, including several in Brown County, are also looking at similar ordinances.
Krueger, a dietitian who has lived in the city for 18 years, said the idea interested him as a way of promoting more sustainable food sources.
“I also have children, and I think it would be a good learning experience for kids to see where their food comes from,” he said.
Krueger said he has 20 letters of support from other Shawano residents, some of whom, he said, were surprised that keeping live poultry is banned within city limits. The ban exempts the Shawano County Fairgrounds.
“It seems a lot of people would like to see this ordinance,” he said.
The ordinance as offered by Krueger would forbid the slaughter of chickens anywhere other than a licensed facility.
It also recommends chickens be kept on single-family parcels in predator-proof chicken houses no closer than 15 feet from any residential structure.
The proposed ordinance would make it unlawful for poultry-keepers to allow the animals to be a nuisance to the neighbors, whether through noxious odors or noise.
Krueger said the limit on the number of chickens or ducks would also limit noise and odors from waste.
“We want to be good stewards for the poultry and for the neighbors,” he said.
City Attorney Tim Schmid said he would review the proposed ordinance and draft something similar to bring back to the Plan Commission at its meeting in June.