Newton goats get evicted by city

NEWTON, Kan. (KSNW) — Goats that were brought in by Newton city maintenance t o help cleanup overgrown city-owned land have been evicted.

Around 190 yearling goats owned by Restoration Grazing from Beaumont in Butler County were hired to clear up around 24 acres of land in the Kansas Logistics Park. However, shortly after, the city’s legal department notified maintenance that the goats are a violation of city code .

Originally, the city used prescribed burning to remove brush and saplings, but thought goats might be a more eco-friendly and less costly solution to control overgrowth. The goats had been hired through the end of April, but now must be removed as soon as possible.

“We tried this with the best intentions on a property in a non-residential setting,” says City Manager Daniela Rivas in a news release. “We wanted to get the job done in a better way and save some taxpayer dollars. We’re so sorry we put the cart before the goat.”

The city says they may, in the future, consider modifying the city ordinance to allow for grazing on certain types of property to control overgrowth of vegetation.

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