Last Updated on July 6, 2022, 11:19 PM | Published: July 6, 2022
MOORE, OKLA (Free Press) — The Moore City Council voted Tuesday against an ordinance to allow backyard chickens, returning to the issue months after its initial tabling and extensive study by city staff.
The City continues to move forward on establishing Moore’s first QuikTrip location, sorting out some safety concerns associated with increased traffic.
The second round American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) funds were utilized to purchase three additional Ford police vehicles, similar to a 36 vehicle purchase using the same funds in May.
Newly appointed vice-mayor Adam Webb led the Moore City Council meeting, in absence of Mayor Glenn Lewis.
Backyard Chickens
A few months ago, a citizen came to the Moore City Council to request the City look into a backyard chicken ordinance, using Oklahoma City’s recent ordinance as an example.
The City took their request seriously and had Community Development staff look into the viability of such an ordinance. Moore’s early May meeting heard Community Development Assistant Director Chad Denson and the City’s Animal Shelter Director John Fryrear explain how roosters may be a problem the City cannot handle.
The Council chose to table the item for review in July, hoping City staff could find solutions to unwanted roosters and then-current city staffing issues.
This July 5th meeting was the final review for this proposed ordinance, and the Council seemed to only reinforce concerns shared throughout the May meeting.
Mark Hamm of Ward 2 was the first to speak, saying that “I have actually changed my mind on this…based on the research that the City has provided to us, this is my own opinion, but I don’t know that we’re ready to administrate and deal with some of the issues that might arise from having this ordinance.”
Council member Hamm then moved to deny the ordinance. Jason Blair of Ward 3 then responded, asking the audience if anyone would like to speak on the issue.
The room’s silence sealed the fate of Moore’s backyard chicken initiative, although council member Melissa Hunt of Ward 2 clarified that, if the council decides, the backyard chickens could be reconsidered at a later time.
The Council voted unanimously to deny the backyard chicken ordinance.
QuikTrip
The City of Moore’s first QuikTrip is still in the works, and construction should start late this year.
City staff did have issues with safety at the Shields and N. Moore Avenue intersection, considering increased traffic to and from the convenience store.
They seek to solve the problem with signalization, adding stoplights to organize congestion.
City Manager Brooks Mitchell said that signalization will be paid for through “a cost sharing arrangement with QuikTrip,” notably without any ODOT funding.
A person representing the engineering and surveying team working on the QuikTrip project told the Council that “these are about six months,” referencing estimated completion.
American Rescue Plan Act
Moore City council approved the purchase of three Ford police vehicles, utilizing more of the second round American Rescue Plan Act funds.
City Manager Brooks Mitchell explained that two of these vehicles are for detectives, which should have been added to the 36 purchased in the early May meeting.
The last vehicle is for the newly made agreement with the schools, supplying the additional school resource officer vehicle the contract called for.
The vehicles in total cost the city $159,360, all of which is paid for with ARPA funds.
Moore has used second round ARPA funds for 39 police vehicles and a fire truck so far, totaling $3,054,360.
The next Moore City council meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 18th at 6:30 PM.
Damian Powell is our government reporter for the smaller municipalities in the OKC metro such as Moore, Norman, Bethany, and Warr Acres. Damian is studying Political Science at the University of Oklahoma.
