During tonight's city council meeting there was one public comment made in support of backyard hens. Thank you Michelle for "getting the egg rolling" on our next attempt to respectfully work with our city to amend the R1 ordinance to allow for backyard hens.
Michelle's story is an import one for those of you that are current hen owners in the R1 zone. She had hens and was respectful about it. All of her neighbors appreciated her hens (especially the free fresh eggs) except for one. This one didn't even realize she had backyard hens for some time. A city complaint was filed for no legitimate nuisance. This one neighbor just didn't want her to have them because they were against the ordinance.
Remember this - it only takes one disagreement with a neighbor or someone new moving in next door for your situation to changed. Could you imagine having to give up your loved pets like Michelle was forced to do?
This is another reason why our efforts are so important. There have been public figures that have made statements like, "Why change the ordinance. Just have hens unlawfully." They know that the practice and culture of Bakersfield is "backyard hen friendly", yet, they refuse to align the practice with the ordinance. We need to be seen and heard to rectify this.
Why make criminals of people for using their property in a safe, productive, and healthy manner when backyard hens enrich the quality of life for families and communities?
Well done Michelle. Others will follow your lead. What a wonderful display of courage, respect, and truth. You should be proud of yourself.
Backyard hen supporters, I will keep you posted of the next upcoming city council meetings. We live in a democracy where the elected official represent us, or, we vote them out. The work we do over the next several months by being seen and heard at city council meetings and sharing our viewpoints with the paper's printed and online editorials is important. If we can regain the majority vote of the council come November we will be positioned to move forward with working with the city in a manner of respect and compromise to amend the ordinance to allow for the legal ownership of backyard hens. We will establish a reasonable ordinance with safeguards and protections that respect all citizens of Bakersfield.
Thank you Michelle for "getting the egg rolling!" Everyone else, keep the conversation alive and recruit additional supporters. Even though backyard hens are quiet, you need to be heard!