City Council vote 'no' on chickens, bridge update

The City Council got straight down to business at the first City Council meeting in October. City Manager provided an update on the Public Works department, relaying that work continues as the crews prepare for the oncoming winter season.

As the meeting was opened to the public, the council heard from citizens on both sides of the pro-posed ordinance 154, which sought to allow families and individuals to keep up to 6 female chickens within city limits. The proposed ordinance would only allow up to 15 permits to be held, and citizens from both sides had strong feelings. Those against the amendment sited to the risk of inviting more predators into the town's backyards, the associated smell, and the risk of falling property values as reasons

On the other side of the aisle, proponents cited the value of teaching their children how to care for animals and the experience of raising your own healthy food source, of increased income to local businesses, and the success of similar ordinances in larger Montana towns as reasons to allow chickens inside city limits.

As the meeting began, most citizens believed that this was just the first of two meetings to hear public comment before the council would decide the issue with a final vote. As the rules were reread, it was discovered that the council was to vote on the issue at the first meeting of the proposed ordinance, and it would only proceed with the issue council members voted for it to proceed. In a 3 to 1 vote, the motion failed, and hopes were dashed for those who hoped to own backyard chickens in Malta.

Mayor John Demarais moved quickly to the next subject on the docket, the project to purchase and restore the bridge at Trafton Park and as an addition to the Malta Trails System. Mayor Demarais re-ported that he had met with the County Commissioners and that they had to agree to pass ownership of the city for the high price of just one dollar. "When else can you buy a bridge for a buck? I have al-ways wanted to say that!"

After some discussion, it was agreed that the city would purchase and proceed with the Trafton Park Bridge project. Mayor Demarais grinned widely as he reported different ideas for funding the renovation of the bridge and its future use.