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Aldermen ask staff to revisit backyard chicken rules; ordinance status unclear
Summary
Alderman brought renewed interest in allowing backyard chickens in Kearney and asked staff to prepare ordinance language for board consideration; council members noted a prior vote had rejected an ordinance and that any new proposal would need to be substantively different to be reconsidered without a motion to reconsider.
An alderman asked the Board of Aldermen Monday to direct staff to prepare ordinance language to revisit rules on backyard chickens in the city.
Alderman Keane said the matter "has been brought to my attention about chickens again" and asked staff to draft ordinance language so the board could consider whether to allow backyard chickens. City legal counsel and other aldermen discussed the procedural path for reconsideration: counsel explained that a motion to reconsider must typically be made at the same or the subsequent meeting but that a substantially different ordinance could be introduced later without a formal motion to reconsider.
Board comments: Several aldermen noted they had received public inquiries about backyard chickens and that the board previously declined to adopt an ordinance allowing them. Alderman Keane said if the four aldermen who previously opposed the change remain unchanged, procedural rules determine how/when the matter can return; he suggested staff could prepare a new ordinance for future consideration.
Action and next steps: No ordinance was introduced or adopted at the March 3 meeting. The mayor invited staff to draft proposed language if the board desired; one alderman explicitly asked staff to proceed. The transcript records no timeline or specific regulatory changes to be drafted.
Context: The city attorney referenced recent state-level changes affecting homeowners association authority but said specific local impacts depend on ordinance language. The board scheduled no vote and set an expectation that staff will prepare a proposed ordinance for future consideration if directed.
