Council votes ‘pro-chicken,’ approves purchases in busy first meeting of 2024
Chickens finally will be legal in Clinton.
The Clinton City Council was busy at its meeting on Monday evening, Jan. 22, voting to allow the raising chickens in the city, appropriating funds for various purchases, and appointing citizens to various boards.
The council passed on first reading an ordinance amending the zoning code to allow for chickens in certain areas of the city.
The vote was 5-1, with David Queener casting the “no” vote. Councilman Brian Hatmaker was absent.
Queener said he did not feel that chickens should be allowed in the city. He said that if people wanted chickens, they should have moved into the county.
In contrast, Councilwoman Wendy Maness said she was “pro-chicken,” and suggested that raising chickens is a good way to provide healthy food for a family.
In other business, the council:
• Appropriated $109,750 for 25 radios to be used in emergency service. This money comes from the fund balance.
• Authorized the purchase of two new vehicles for building and codes at a cost not to exceed $90,000.
• Agreed to spend $6,000 for striping and signage on city streets.
• Approved $101,500 to repave the tennis courts at Jaycee Park and to convert one tennis court to a pickleball court.
Chris Phillips, the city’s finance director, said that with 50% of the fiscal year over, revenues were at 45%, expenditures were at 55%, and the fund balance was in good shape.
He announced that after a slump, sales tax receipts are up 3.5 per cent from last year.
City Manager Roger Houck noted that on Monday through Saturday of the previous week, all public works employees had worked an average of 85 to 90 hours each due to the snow and extreme cold weather. He also said that from the previous Monday at 6 a.m. to this past Monday at 6 a.m., there were only four accidents reported in Clinton, a fewer number than is usual during good weather.
He said that probably meant most people had stayed home during the bad weather. He noted that the city did not use salt on the streets because it is bad for vehicles and for the environment.
Houck said that under Tennessee’s new municipal election law the procedures for elections in Clinton will not change this year.
He was given authority by the City Council to apply for a number of grants in different categories.
Kelly Johnson, director of Clinton Schools, expressed optimism that the schools would remain closed only one more day and reopen on Wednesday. She said that by that time, the schools would have used up seven of their 10 allocated snow days.
She also said Clinton elementary schools are in the running for a prestigious award to be be given by the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching.
Burton thanked the public works, police and fire departments for the great job they did during the etreme weather.
The mayor reappointed several people to city boards: Ron Shrader to the Clinton Housing Authority; Robert Baird to the Anderson County Industrial Development Association; Shirley Cook, Lela Delmonte, Charlie Lane and Richard Holbrook to the Community Development Citizens Advisory Board; Kenny Clotfelter, John Miller and Joseph Rainey to the Clinton Citizens Advisory Board; and Dudley Bostic, Taylor Huddleston, Katherine Birkbeck, Scott Burton, Mollie Farrar and Sam George to the Beautification Board.
The council picked Alvin Taylor and Jennifer Fletcher to serve on the Clinton Recreation Advisory Board.