Cluck Control: Village considers chicken ordinance

By Matt Freeze —

The Village of Owego may be moving toward adopting a chicken ordinance.

Village trustees were recently presented with a petition calling for a ban on livestock— including chickens— within village limits, citing public health concerns and the potential for property damage.

“This is a petition that these residents want us to do something about,” Mayor Mike Baratta said.

Trustee Terry VanHall said she contacted the Tioga County Health Department to gather guidance on what the board should consider in drafting a potential ordinance.

“If you have chickens, there should not be more than five,” she said. “They cannot be on the lot line — you’d have to have a little bit of distance from other homes. You’d also definitely want to make sure the neighbors wouldn’t be able to smell the chickens.”

Concerns raised over pool safety

In other business, Deputy Mayor Charles Plater raised concerns about continued safety issues at the village pool.

Plater asked Public Works Superintendent Fred Ulrich if he was aware that “the naked man” was still approaching minors at the public pool.

“I was there when he was all up in the lifeguards’ faces,” Plater said, adding that he believed the man should be arrested in the future. Ulrich agreed.

“The lifeguards take way too much for what we pay them,” Ulrich said. “There are people coming here from out of the village and harassing them — it’s a bunch of bull. It’s every day. It’s every blessed day.”

Ulrich noted that lifeguards have threatened to quit in the past due to ongoing incidents.

Pelton said that if the village cannot protect its lifeguards and the children who use the pool, the facility should be shut down.

Board member Rusty Fuller said lifeguards need to call the police immediately when there’s a problem.

“They are,” Ulrich replied, “but the response time isn’t fast enough.”

The board agreed that the Owego Police Department should increase patrols around the pool.

Separately, the Tioga County Legislature was expected to vote soon on accepting $21,270 in funding from the state to help cover lifeguard compensation.