Following public comment, the Edmonds City Council on Oct. 20 amended a 2001 ordinance to allow residents to keep poultry as pets.
The amendment passed 6-0. Councilman D.J. Wilson was absent. The ordinance will go into effect Nov. 15 in accordance with state requirements.
Championing the move was Councilman Steve Bernheim, who brought the issue before the council Aug. 4, moving the item to the planning board.
“I thought restricting ownership (of hens) as the city did a few years ago registers as overkill and unnecessary intrusion of government,” he told the Enterprise. Focusing on the hens specifically, he said that the issue is important so that we “not get too far removed from an understanding of what food is and where it comes from.”
“Chickens are so alien to most modern children,” Bernheim said. “Chickens are a good symbol of the source of our food. The egg itself is a symbol of life.”
Bernheim himself is considering getting two Buff Orpingtons, a popular breed for small flocks.
“I am grateful to the planning board for their thorough review and recommendation,” Bernheim said. “It is interesting to note that there was not a single word of public objection to this.”
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