License fees could make backyard chickens a win/win for city

To the Editor,I have been following the chicken controversy in your paper and have come to the conclusion that someone laid an egg when they went to a city council meeting to promote owning chickens within the city limits. If, as stated by the mayor, the chickens already existed in the city, why stir the pot? I’ve heard cracks that the chicken supporters come to the meeting just to banty back and forth with our council people. To hear their comments you would think that the sky was falling. The anti-chicken folks do have a point that if some of the chickens were to fly the coop, the coyotes, mink and raccoons that now spend most of their time out of town could move in for an easy chicken dinner.There are some possibilities to make this problem become a win/win situation. The city could permit chickens and their owner could pay a license fee of say $20 per bird annually, just like a dog license. The city could rent out coop space on the old Products property, which is already contaminated anyway. Then the Tecumseh Police Department could do a one-stop daily spot check to insure the chickens are well fed and their cages clean.If you really have to have chickens, you can move out of the city, but be careful how much land you have to have to keep livestock. For example, in Tecumseh Township you need 10 acres. Finally, Raisin Township should give Tecumseh a big thank you for keeping their commissioners off the front page… at least for one week.R.M. ToomanTecumseh