Belle Plaine City Council Debating the Merits of Urban Chickens

It has been three months since the Iowa City City Council approved an ordinance that allow the people of this community to raise chickens within the city limits. After all of the hoopla about whether or not this will be a good thing, I've heard nothing -- good or bad -- that has resulted from this new "urban chicken" ordinance. On the other hand, it has been very cold and snowy recently, so I would imagine that hardly anyone in this community has started the process of becoming urban chicken farmers yet.

This evening I read an article in the Gazette that indicates a new community is exploring the idea of joining Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Mount Vernon, Hills, and other in becoming an urban chicken community. Apparently, a resident of Belle Plaine, IA, recently approached the Belle Plaine City Council with the idea of allowing chickens within city limits, leading to a lengthy discussion at the Council's meeting last night.

The Gazette reported that the council  is divided and needs time to explore this issue more. Apparently, it was legal to raise urban chickens in Belle Plaine up until 1977. The Belle Plaine City Council wants to research what prompted the city to ban urban chickens back in the late 70s before they move forward with this discussion. They will likely discuss the topic at their next work session, which is scheduled for April 15th.

Belle Plaine is a relatively small community in nearby Benton County.