Chickens, rabbits focus of Moses Lake meeting

MOSES LAKE - Moses Lake is holding a study session to discuss allowing chickens and rabbits in city limits.

The session is 6 p.m. on June 28 in the council chambers.

It follows two previous discussions about a planning commission recommendation to allow people to keep four chickens or rabbits on their property.

The city defines "the keeping, permitting or harboring of any fowl, pigeons (or) rabbits" as a nuisance and prohibits it.

Planning Commission Chair Mitch Molitor pointed out at a previous meeting other cities, such as Wenatchee and Spokane Valley, have adopted ordinances allowing chickens and rabbits in the city.

The council delayed action on the proposal to give time for staff members to research how similar ordinances have affected other cities.

City Manager Joe Gavinski said the city can advertise the study session to reach more people, but the council decided to rely on news reports to get the information out.

Community Development Director Gilbert Alvarado said the Grant County Health District remains neutral about the proposal.

"I did contact the City of Spokane, the City of Spokane Valley and the City of Wenatchee, and all of them were very consistent across the board," he said. "(They said,) 'Yes, we do have some code enforcement issues.' That was pretty much the message. It wasn't, 'Oh geez, sure these are good or bad.' It was that they have issues at times with code enforcement like any other rule or regulation."

Alvarado intends to have a report specific to what the cities have encountered, when they have the study session.