It doesn't sound as if raising chickens will fly in Monona. "Just because Madison does something, doesn't mean Monona has to follow suit," says Monona Mayor Rob Kahl. "Often times it means that we won't follow suit"
The idea of allowing Monona residents to keep chickens was hatched at a city council meeting this week, on a night when Kahl had already put in a long day of meetings on taxes and the economy. "I went from eight hours of that directly to a chicken discussion for an our and a half or so," says Kahl. "Which isn't in my opinion, a good use of city time and resources. I was pretty candid with the aldermen about that."
"Chicken waste is the largest producer of phosphorous of any animal waste, and we have a phosphorous ban in our county," says Kahl. The chicken farming idea was referred to committee. "Nothing against chickens," says Kahl. "But people live in the city for a reason . . . and one of those reasons, I think, is they want a more urban setting." Madison allows chickens . A similar proposal is also now being debated by the Baraboo City Council.