The Blue Earth City Council whisked through its agenda at a short meeting held on Monday, Sept. 19.

The council addressed three pending resolutions at the beginning of the meeting, the last of which concerns an issue which has many Blue Earth residents ‘clucking,’ so to speak.

Following much back-and-forth on the matter, the council directed city attorney David Frundt to draft an ordinance allowing, and governing, the keeping of urban chickens in Blue Earth at a meeting held on Sept. 6.

On Sept. 19, the council conducted a first reading of the ordinance. First and foremost, it redefines chickens as separate from the city’s definition of farm animals, which are otherwise not permitted to be kept on city property.

The ordinance also specifies requirements for urban chicken keeping. The chicken coop and run, for example, must be located in the residence’s rear or side yard, and must meet specific size and construction qualifications.

Other requirements govern the number of chickens permitted per residential lot – no more than five, and no roosters – and the permit application process.

Additionally, the ordinance draft requires leg banding of all urban chickens. The leg bands must identify the owner and the owner’s address and telephone number.

The council voted unanimously to approve the draft of the ordinance as written, and scheduled its second reading for the next City Council meeting on Monday, Oct. 3.

A second reading of a franchise agreement with Bevcomm also passed unanimously. The routine agreement grants Bevcomm permission to erect and maintain transmission lines or cable.

The council also conducted a first reading of an ordinance for the sale of city-owned property to G&S Drainage and Excavation for $3,000. They set the public hearing for the sale on Oct. 3.

Under old business, the council received an update regarding vacant officer positions at the Blue Earth Fire Department.

The positions have been open since Aug. 22, when assistant fire chief Ashley Bleess, captain Jim Wirkus and lieutenant Nick Bleess, Jr. officially resigned as officers following a disagreement with Blue Earth Fire Chief Steve Brown.

“We did have people apply for all three positions,” mayor Rick Scholtes shared, adding interviews for the vacant positions will be conducted by a personnel committee over the next few weeks.

The committee will recommend candidates to the City Council on Oct. 17.

The council noted that as the terms for the current assistant chief and lieutenant positions are set to expire at the end of 2022, the applicants selected to fill those positions will also be hired to fill the term starting in 2023.

At the end of the meeting, the council set the proposed 2022 property tax levy, payable in 2023, at $2,064,288. The amount represents a 15 percent increase over last year’s levy.

The council will conduct its budgetary meeting and public hearing on Dec. 5, at 6 p.m.

“This is where we set it every year,”  Scholtes explained. “We work really hard to get it down to 3.5 percent. I don’t see any reason we can’t this year.”  

In other business, the Blue Earth City Council: 

• Received an update regarding this fall’s Blue Earth City Deer Hunt from police officer and archery hunt coordinator Tharen Haugh.

Haugh shared 19 permits have already been issued to deer hunters.

He also reported a site at the Leland Parkway area has been reserved as an accessible site for a disabled participant.

• Received clarification from Faribault County Humane Society (FCHS) president Debby Johnson regarding why the impound building being used by the FCHS was shut down for several weeks last summer.

“We had a dog in the pound with parvo (canine parvovirus); it’s extremely serious,”  Johnson said.

Council member John Huisman, in turn, urged the FCHS to reach out to the council regarding their needs as they prepare to relocate to a new facility.

• Heard an update from city engineer Wes Brown regarding the summer’s street improvement projects.

He shared crews have two to three days left of pipework on Gorman Street and Ninth Street.

He estimates the project will be completed by the end of October.

• Approved the hire of part-time liquor store employee Missy Huber.

• Reviewed a report from Blue Earth Community Library and Fossil Discovery Center director Heidi Schutt.

Schutt said the library’s hours will be increasing. It will now be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m on Saturday.

• Approved a $40.35 sewer forgiveness request from resident Michael Spencer.

“It is an exciting time of year. The energy level seems to be better than it has been for a couple of ...

The Blue Earth City Council whisked through its agenda at a short meeting held on Monday, Sept. 19. The council ...

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