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Council discusses fowl ordinance, city hall security measures

The Ishpeming City Council approved security measures for city hall employees during its regular council meeting on Jan. 9. The improvements include duress buttons that will contact Marquette County Central Dispatch in an emergency and an electronic lock for the door leading to back office areas. (Journal photo by Lisa Bowers)

ISHPEMING — Chickens are one step closer to being able to legally call residential areas of Ishpeming home.

The Ishpeming City Council on Jan. 9 unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance that will allow residents to keep up to six hens within city limits.

City Attorney Bonnie Hoff said the new ordinance is consistent with zoning ordinance provisions concerning fowl.

“This was drafted in conjunction with Al Pierce, the zoning administrator, in response to a recent court decision” Hoff said.

No roosters will be allowed within the city, the proposed ordinance states, and chickens are not permitted to “run at large.” All fowl must be kept in a secure enclosure situated at least 2 feet above the ground that is at least 20 feet away from the nearest neighbor’s residence.

Ordinance language specifically states that “fowl currently existing in the city shall not be ‘grandfathered’ or permitted to remain after the effective date of the ordinance; however, owners of the poultry will have 90 days to comply with the ordinance.”

Noncompliance with the ordinance will be enforced as a civil infraction, Hoff said.

City council members asked that the ordinance presented at the second reading be amended to contain language specifying that it applies only to those areas zoned as residential, in order to eliminate confusion.

In other business, council members also approved a $600 to $1,500 expenditure for enhanced security for city hall employees, along with a $15 monthly monitoring charge.

Councilor Pat Scanlon introduced a motion that would provide for a duress alarm as well as a keyless entry switch for the door leading from the main city hall lobby to interior offices.

“I think it should have control inside the office behind the window for a person that comes in and says I need to see the city manager,” Scanlon said. “They have to sign in, talk to one of the people in the front and a call would be made to Cathy (Smith, assistant to the city manager,) to say that so-and-so is here to see Mark (Slown, city manager), and at that time they would be able to press a button and let the person in. I don’t see where we can’t scrape up $1,500 for the security of our employees. I think it’s long overdue.”

Councilor Mike Tonkin said he had already ordered an electronic lock for the door leading from the main city hall lobby to the back offices.

“This is an experimental lock that I will install at no charge to the city,” Tonkin said.

The duress alarm would come with six buttons, which would communicate wirelessly with an alarm keypad, Scanlon said. Each city hall office would have a button that would call Marquette County Central Dispatch in case of an emergency.

Stu Skauge, who cast the lone nay vote on the motion, said the increased security could give residents the impression that city hall is inaccessible.

“I don’t think we should make city hall into a fortress. I would be very hesitant to approve money that would in any way leave city hall inaccessible to the public,” Skauge said. “You’re locking the door to the elevator, you are locking the door to the manager’s office. I think a regular citizen should be able to walk in and go right to the manager’s office and say I want to see the manager without having to be buzzed in. I just don’t think we need to be that secure.”

Slown said, while he is not concerned about his own safety, anyone who might be working alone in certain portions of the building may need to be protected.

He added that any added security functions at city hall would not impede resident’s access to him or city hall.

“I am accessible to the public, not at certain hours, all the time,” Slown said. “The front office staff has been informed that if people come to see me, they are to let me know and I will come down to the front and talk to them; they can come back to my office and talk with me.

Lisa Bowers can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 242.

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