A half dozen residents came forward during the Odessa City Council’s workshop session Tuesday to express their support for a proposed ordinance change that would allow Odessans to own up to four hens.
Geneva Peterson, Bill Cleaver, Caleb York, Tim Harry, Freda Daniels and Lucio Rodriguez all spoke about the advantages of having fowl, including better, fresher eggs and fertilizer, but a few did ask for some minor tweaks to the proposed ordinance.
Under the proposed ordinance, the hens would have to be in an enclosed structure with three or more sides and a cover. It would also have to have a floor and a door that would allow them to move back and forth between the coop and an enclosed yard.
The coop would also have to be located within the rear yard no closer than 50 feet from any property line and at a location not visible from any public street. Hay, grain, feed and all other food sources would have to be stored in secure containers and it couldn’t be fed on the ground, according to the proposed ordinance.
The city would charge $25 for a backyard hen permit and a multiple pet permit and $15 for wing clipping.
Peterson noted that even though she has a one-quarter acre lot, which is one of the larger lots in Odessa, she would not be allowed to have hens given the 50-foot rule. Cleaver said because he’s got two water wells, he’d not be able to keep hens due to restrictions regarding distances from wells.
Harry and Daniels also noted that not all chickens can fly so not all chickens need to be clipped.
Mayor Javier Joven said the original ordinance banning fowls stemmed from illegal cockfighting taking place within the city. He said he believes there are valid arguments for amending the ordinance and not amending it, but asked the council to give it more consideration as it will be appearing on an upcoming agenda soon.
The mayor agreed there are benefits of having chickens, but said there would be an additional strain placed on the city’s animal control division if passed. Odessa Police Chief Michael Gerke said if the ordinance does pass, the city will need to create a space for when “bad” chicken owners have their hens seized.
City Council member Steve Thompson said it would be “logistically impossible” for the city to enforce the 50-feet rule and pointed out the average price of a dozen eggs has dropped 57% over the last month from $5.63 to $2.61.
“This is a knee-jerk reaction to a short-term problem,” Thompson said.
Peterson responded by saying it wasn’t a knee-jerk reaction.
“I have wanted chickens since I moved to Odessa five years ago. It’s not about the price of eggs. It’s about wanting good, quality eggs…it’s about the animal husbandry experience for my sons, it’s about a lifestyle,” she said.
Floyd Gwin
The council also received updates on the Floyd Gwin park restoration and the new animal control shelter.
Parks and Recreation Director Steve Patton told the council that after a few delays for materials, the park is 98% complete and will come in under budget by $68,000 to $72,000. Starting within the next week or so, he said staff will begin working to replace more than 120 trees that have been lost due to drought or freezes.
Gerke said the animal shelter has been given a temporary certificate of occupancy and the punch list will be completed by early next week at the latest. Once finished, the city will destroy the old animal shelter and focus on landscaping, he said.
The city had one person express interest in becoming a full-time veterinarian, but they withdrew, Gerke said. The hunt will continue.
Recycling
During the city’s regular council session later Tuesday night, the council discussed the possibility of eliminating its recycling program or scaling it back. The city currently disposes roughly 100,000 tons of garbage a year and about 700 tons of recyclables.
Public Works Director Tom Kerr noted an unacceptable amount of the city’s recyclables are contaminated and there isn’t much of a market for recyclables nowadays.
Solid Waste Superintendent Jesse Rodriguez told the council his staff has to pick up 336 recycle bins on Saturdays because of a staffing shortage and they’re paid overtime to do so. BRI Recycling Services then sorts through the materials mid-week and his staff take the remaining refuse to the landfill on Fridays.
In other words, the city is picking up the same refuse twice, Joven said.
Joven also noted the building where the sorting is done is in a building that is unstable and “should be condemned.”
“What I want to convey to the council is I don’t want to stop recycling. I know a lot of our school kids want to recycle,” Joven said.
However, the city set aside $350,000 to re-design the building and no one knows how much it will cost to build it, he said.
“I’ve been out there and the trash is sitting on the ground and there are a lot of cats, rats and things of that nature. So right there it’s not sanitary. Now, two, we have the cost of the building,” Joven said.
If the city decides to pull its community collection sites and only make recycling available at the Time Machine, Joven said the city would need assurances the waste would be monitored for contamination.
He asked staff to get with BRI to work up a cost analysis that includes monitoring staff.
Sports Complex
The city also agreed to hire Synergy Sports Global for $15,000 to conduct a sports complex feasibility study.
The company, which also develops and manages multi-sports facilities and recreation centers, helped create a $25 million sports complex in Heath, a $125 million complex in Colorado and a $40 million project in New Jersey.
According to a Power-Point presentation they gave the Parks and Recreation board, Synergy would study the area’s demographics and socioeconomics, sports participation rates, competitors, the size and components of the city’s courts and fields, possible partnerships and construction costs. They’d also determine potential sites and create an operating budget.
Thompson expressed his displeasure the Odessa Development Corporation isn’t picking up the bill for the study as he believes it is allowed to do so. Interim City Attorney Dan Jones informed the ODC board he disagrees.
The city is expected to post a link on the city’s website asking for residents’ hopes and dreams for the complex this week.
In other business, the city council decided they would not be going out to bid again for the food, beverage and concession operations at Ratliff Ranch Golf Course. Staff had recommended they go out to bid for a second time because they only received two bids and one vendor withdrew.
Matthew Christman, deputy parks and recreation director, said Linx Bar and Grill has had the contract for five years so they thought it best to go out to bid. Although they bid again, he said Linx employees haven’t been wearing uniforms that would set them apart from golf course employees and the new superintendent recently received a Philly cheese steak on a hot dog bun.
Council members Denise Swanner and Mark Matta expressed displeasure that Christman did not consult the golf advisory board about the contract and Council member Chris Hanie said he thinks Linx “won the bid fair and square.”
Linx owner Derrick Bush noted he gave a presentation to the golf advisory board when he bid on the contract five years ago, he’s on track to exceed their revenue projections for the year and while his staff may not show up in uniforms, they show up. Most have been with him since April 2018, which is unusual in their line of work, he said.
Linx survived COVID-19 and the “debacle of dying greens,” Bush said.
After meeting in executive session, the council took no action regarding a lawsuit filed against the city in February 2022.
The families of two teens, Kaenan Gage Garms, 19, and Evan James Hill, 18, are suing the city claiming they were killed in a wreck caused by an obstructed stop sign. Two teens critically injured in the crash, D’Morriyon Breaux and Benjamin Mathew Luna are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
