By Judy Clabes
NKyTribune editor
The City of Erlanger voted to reduce the number of its council members from 12 to nine and to allow residents to have backyard chickens.
Both issues passed by votes of 7-4. One council member, Tom Cahill, was absent.
A large crowd attended the meeting and there were comments in open discussion on both issues, pro and con, from Erlanger citizens.
Twelve is the maximum number of council members allowed — but not required — by the state for a city the size of Erlanger which now has about 20,000 residents.
Council members Diana Niceley and Rebecca Reckers offered different proposals on reducing the council. Niceley proposed 7 members and Reckers proposed 9 members. Both proposals had passed first readings, but Niceley asked to table her proposal at the start of Tuesday’s council meeting. She said she still preferred the smaller number but decided not to risk the turmoil if both proposals passed.
The four who voted no were Vicki Kyle, Renee Skidmore, Don Skidmore, and Hermes. Hermes has been a proponent of a smaller council and was in favor of the seven-person proposal though he preferred six. The other three opposed any reduction in council.
The new nine-member council will go into effect with the November 2022 election, so voters will be electing nine candidates at that time.
Backyard chickens
The chicken ordinance allows up to six chickens kept in a coop or cage 50 feet from any adjacent structure. No roosters and no commercial operations. Erlanger follows eight NKY cities that allow chickens.
Comments were made in the public comments period about cleanliness, appropriate distances, barking dogs, costs of food, the broken supply chain (related to shortages of food), and noise.
After discussion, the council voted 7-4 to allow chickens with Kyle, R. Skidmore, D. Skidmore and Jennifer Jasper-Lucas dissenting.
See the NKyTribune’s Keven Moore column about backyard chickens.
See the NKyTribune’s story about chickens in Erlanger.
See NKyTribune’s earlier story about the council.
