Cheyenne Mayor Against Chicken Proposal For Now

Cheyenne Mayor Rick Kaysen says there are too many unanswered questions about a proposal to allow city residents to keep chickens.

And while the mayor says there is still a chance those questions will be answered before the city council takes a decisive vote on April 25, for right now he is against the proposal.

The mayor says some of the questions that need to be answered include enforcement issues and what the role of Cheyenne Animal Control will be in regulating chickens. He says similar include the impact on the City-County Health Department and city nuisance enforcement personal.

Kaysen says he's also heard concerns from city residents that the chicken ordinance will help turn the city into "hillbilly U.S.A."  and similar concerns. While Kaysen admits he has also heard positive comments that the proposal will be good for education and organic food production, he says the proposal as it is written needs work.

The mayor recently voted against the ordinance in council, and says at this point he is likely to vote no as well on the third and final reading.