Bethany City Council Lifts Rooster Ban Following Public Resistance

The Bethany City Council unanimously moved to rescind an ordinance passed last month that banned roosters inside city limits. 

Several Bethany residents spoke against the ban at a special city council meeting Tuesday night. 

Four council members, Matthew Goodwin, Steve Palmer, Brian Magirowsky, Kathy Larsen, and Mayor Nikki Lloyd reversed course from their August 3 vote to prohibit roosters. 

Before last month’s vote, Goodwin said he heard from residents that supported prohibiting the bird. 

“Feedback I had gotten before the previous meeting was against them,” Goodwin said. 

Lloyd said the ban was proposed last month in response to numerous noise complaints. 

“I think we received 20 or 30 in the span of a month, and it was taking up a lot of staff time just the amount of complaints we were receiving about roosters making kind of incessant noises,” Lloyd told News 9 prior to the special meeting. 

Angel Davenport was one of several Bethany residents opposed to the ban. She said she and others began a petition to undo the ban heading into Tuesday’s meeting and had collected more than 400 signatures. 

Although rooster crows are loud and can be disruptive, Davenport said they are protective of smaller hens and are vital to caring for the animals. 

“Roosters are protectors… Without a rooster, your hens are more susceptible to be killed to wildlife,” Davenport said. “I get it, some people don’t like it. But I mean, I don’t like barking dogs, but I hear that all the time.” 

The issue of roosters is still one of interest to Palmer. He expressed interest in exploring other options to address them. 

“I think we should rescind the ordinance and set up some kind of a legislative body to work through those issues, provide public input and then come to a consensus for a recommendation to the council,” Palmer said. 

Goodwin and Lloyd both praised the public’s involvement in city issues. 

“It was a pretty big shift so I can understand why some people would have been upset about that,” Lloyd said. “I’m glad that they are speaking up and giving us their opinion and reaching out and communicating.”