At least for now, chickens in Bedford are still not allowed. Bedford Mayor Stan Koci stated during the council meeting on March 20, that the board voted against changing the animal ordinance to allow the egg-laying fowls in resident’s backyards.

There had been an informal poll at the council work session before the meeting to see if any changes to the law would have a chance of passage with the current board, and the vote came back two for chickens, and five against.

At the February 6 meeting, a number of residents had spoken to council during the public forum part of the meeting explaining the benefits of having chickens for a local source of eggs. They also talked about how hens eat bugs and table scraps, and how their waste can be used as fertilizer.

At the council’s March 6 meeting, Ward 1 Representative Sandy Spinks discussed her opposition to having chickens in the city. She said she grew up on a farm, and had chickens herself, and has a (soft) spot in her heart for chickens. Still, she said she feels that farms are where chickens belong, not in the city.

She repeated that it is just her opinion, but she felt that many lots in Bedford are small, and as a farm girl whose family had big chicken yards, she dislikes seeing chickens housed in tiny coops. She said on farms, chickens have the opportunity to have a lot of space and be healthy.

She also mentioned that when she talked to the mayor of Garfield Heights, Matt Burke, whose city allows chickens with permits, he said they were having problems with people just putting chickens in their backyards without those permits. Spinks said she thinks it would be difficult for Bedford to enforce the rules required for people to raise chickens with all of the other issues the city needs to focus on right now.

According to the website omlet.us, some of the other cities in the area that allow chickens are Chardon, Hudson, Strongsville, Brunswick and the city of Cleveland. Ward 2 Representative Walter Genutis has been an outspoken proponent of residents having the ability to produce their own food sources, including having backyard chickens.

“We as elected and appointed officials are caused to be responsible for society and its well-being,” Genutis said at the February 21 meeting. “As we witness empty store shelves and supply line disruptions, local food sources are an imperative going forward, which require our children also learn the means to grow and produce their own food . . .”

In other business, City Manager Mike Mallis said the city has been taking action in relation to the uptick in recent auto thefts in Northeast Ohio. This includes thefts from dealerships as well as private owners. He said patrols have been out at all times of the day and night and on weekends, and they have deterred some incidents from occurring.

Mallis said that while there has been extra policing in the area, residents still need to make sure they do their part by locking their car doors at night especially. He said for those who own Kia or Hyundai-brand vehicles that have been specifically susceptible to theft recently, there are 160 wheel locks available for those types of vehicles at the police department. He credited Sara Lloyd, police chief administrative assistant, for contacting those companies and getting the locks.

Mallis also announced that as of Mar. 27, Bedford will have a new building commissioner, Michael Greer. Greer is currently an assistant building commissioner for Fairview Park, and will be splitting his time with that city and Bedford.

Also, Mallis said the city is on track to double the amount of parking citations that have been handed out this year compared to last year. He said so far there have been more than 320 citations. This includes nighttime street parking violations as well as people parking in their yards.

In other council business:

  • Ward 5 Representative Jeff Asbury reminded residents that there will be an Easter Egg Hunt on April 1, held by the Bedford Parks and Recreation Department, at Bearcat Stadium for Bedford children 12 and under. Gates open at 9:45 a.m. with the hunt starting at 10.
  • Th council approved purchase of a mainline sewer camera. Mallis said the city has contracted the work with others in the past, but with this purchase, it now allows city crews to find problems more quickly and save some money in the long run.