Suzanne Stewart
Staff Writer
At Monday night’s Marlinton Town Council meeting, resident David Bethany returned to request a temporary variance to the animal ordinance so he would be allowed to keep chickens on his property in town.
Bethany reminded council of his visit to the March meeting, where he explained that he called the town office and asked if he could have chickens and was told he could, if he didn’t have a rooster. He then spent countless hours preparing a space for his chickens in the backyard, only to be visited by code enforcement officer Scott Gibb who told him he was in violation of the ordinance.
Bethany requested that council approve the temporary variance until all town residents could weigh in on the issue and give their opinions about individuals having chickens in town.
Council discussed the issue with Bethany and then voted on the variance – two members voted for and four voted against.
Bethany asked what he could do next, and he was told he would be in violation of the ordinance if the chickens remained on the property. He said he planned to start a petition to get opinions from the public about the issue.
In other business, council approved:
• to have the 4th of July celebration on Tuesday, July 4, at the gazebo park. The town will provide $1,500 for activities and prizes.
• a budget revision for 2022-2023.
Marlinton Town Council meets the first Monday of each month, excluding holidays, at 7 p.m., in the town office auditorium. The public is welcome to attend in person or online through a Zoom link.