Polk County News
Polk County Itemizer-Observer • March 23, 2016 9A
Tax: 10 percent Council reconsiders collective chickens
may go to cities
By Emily Mentzer
The Itemizer-Observer
Tax distribution
The revenue from the
sales tax on marijuana will
be split up by:
• Common School
Fund: 40 percent.
• Mental Health Alco-
holism and Drug Services:
20 percent.
• State Police: 15 percent.
• Cities that have not
opted out: 10 percent.
• Counties that have
not opted out, for law en-
forcement: 10 percent.
• Oregon Health Au-
thority: 5 percent.
Continued from Page 8A
Pettinger said cities
have to go through the for-
mal process of opting out,
including sending an opt-
out waiver to the OLCC
and putting it on the ballot
during a general election.
For those cities and
counties where 55 percent
or more voted no on
Measure 91, an ordinance
may have been passed by
Dec. 27, 2015, opting out
of allowing marijuana li-
censes. Polk County voters
did not fall into that cate-
gory.
First Presbyterian Church
Where to believe is to think…
and to live out our trust in God
Maundy Thursday March 24
5 pm Communion Worship
All welcome at the table
Easter Sunday
10:30 Celebration of the Resurrection
879 SW Levens Street, Dallas
Dallas First Christian Church
March 24 6:00 pm Maundy Thursday potluck
and worship. Includes a Tenebrae service where
we will walk with Jesus through the events
of His last day on earth.
March 25 7:00 am to 7:00 pm Prayer Vigil.
Can be done at home or at the church.
March 27 Easter Sunday
8:30 am Live Wire Contemporary Service
9:30 am Continental Breakfast
10:30 am Easter Sunday
Worship Service
1079 SE Jeferson St.
MONMOUTH — After
months of discussion in the
Monmouth Planning Com-
mission, the city council
took another look at allow-
ing collective chickens.
At the March 15 council
work session, Community
Development Director Mark
Fancey said the suggestions
from the planning commis-
sion were to limit the num-
ber of poultry fowl — ducks
or chickens — to 25 with
108-square feet per bird.
The fowl would have to
have an established coop set
back 50 feet from any prop-
erty line, and would be al-
lowed in an urban garden in
a planned unit develop-
ment.
The original request for
collective chickens came
from the residents of Mon-
mouth’s Edwards Addition.
The regulations established
by their homeowner’s asso-
ciation prohibits chickens at
most addresses in the neigh-
borhood, but the area has
established a community
garden.
That community garden
would be redefined as an
urban garden under the new
rules, if adopted.
Councilors had concerns
about the proposals, ranging
from the intent of having so
many birds to whether or
not the rules would meet the
needs of the people who
would use it.
Councilor Steve Milligan
said that when the council
was first asked to allow resi-
dents to have backyard
chickens, it was as pets first,
egg-producers second.
“So we’ve made a huge
leap — five poultry fowl for
residents to now we’re going
into a complete urban
farm,” he said. “I guess I’m
challenged to make that
leap. ... You don’t want chick-
ens for pets, you want chick-
ens for maximum produc-
tion.”
Representatives of the Ed-
wards Addition said that 25
birds would not be enough,
and they would prefer 36 to
50 so that they could keep
rotating in a younger flock
as hens stopped laying eggs.
Councilor Marshall
Guthrie said if limiting the
number of birds to 25 meant
the new rules would never
be used, he would vote no.
“If this proposal is accept-
able to the planning com-
mission, but it’s not viable to
these folks, there’s no point
in passing it,” Guthrie said.
“It’s just going to be a regula-
tion that is cluttering the
books.”
The proposal still needs to
undergo public hearings in
front of both the planning
commission and the city
council.