Resident seeks backyard chicken ordinance

To the Editor,My family is new to Tecumseh. We don’t know everyone we see by name or recognize every face, but what we do know is that wherever we go around town, there is a friendly person, waving or sharing a greeting. When my husband retired, we moved here to be part of small town America and raise our children in a community where neighbors know one another. As a military family, we lived in several different cities and states. In many of them people didn’t even recognize their own next door neighbors, much less know their name and their story. We have found a welcoming community here in Tecumseh, and have never regretted our decision to relocate here, until recently. I had never considered raising chickens, but I assumed living in a farming community made that an option. I was disappointed to learn that having chickens was not allowed in the city limits. Chickens can be wonderful pets and provide an incredible learning opportunity for children in sustainability and responsibility.For my family, it isn’t only about the chickens in town at this point. It’s about being forward thinking and encouraging residents to work together, rather than divide them. It’s about showing Tecumseh’s residents that they will be heard and respected. It’s about trusting people to be independent thinkers and be thoughtful and lawful citizens. Please adopt the chicken ordinance. Let’s move Tecumseh forward together.Kim ZiemerTecumseh