Dunbar City Council members and officials discussed an existing ordinance prohibiting duck and other fowl ownership Sept. 4.Photo byJaviera ArgandoñaonUnsplash

DUNBAR, W.Va. -- Members of the Dunbar city council were served a discussion on locally-raised poultry at their Sept. 3 regularly scheduled meeting.

Hugh Leishman, Dunbar’s Building Inspector and Zoning Officer brought up the topic of chickens and other fowl being kept at residences along Kanawha Avenue.

“I drove by there and saw ducks swimming around in a little blue pool,” Leishman told council members Tuesday.

Section 505.6 of the Dunbar city code currently has language that forbids certain fowl from being kept within city limits. “No person shall keep or harbor any chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys or pigeons within the City,” the ordinance reads.

However, the statute does allow the keeping of these animals if owners “have first obtained from the Board of Health a permit to keep or harbor such bird or fowl.”

The problem, Leishman noted, is within the ordinance's language. He said the text was previously updated, but the way it’s written makes enforcing the ordinance a challenge.

“It didn’t get altered properly,” Leishman told council members. “You listed four different species of fowl. So if [a resident] wanted guinea fowl, it’s [permitted].”

Leishman advised the panel that in addition to chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and pigeons, the ordinance should be updated to include “any other fowl.”

Council member Doug Fleshman, a Ward 2 representative, said the problem isn’t necessarily with the statute’s wording, but rather with enforcement.

“We have an ordinance,” Fleshman said. “We’ve got to start enforcing the ordinance.”

Leishman maintains that he’s tried to reinforce the city’s policy, but said that the council previously advised him to “hold off on it.”

“I’m all for what’s good for the geese is good for the gander,” Leishman said. “You can’t tell one person they can do it, and another they can’t.”

“Exactly,” Fleshman retorted. “That’s what’s going on with garbage cans here and everything else...We’re not enforcing it for everybody.”

Council members advised Leishman to keep enforcing the policy as it is currently written in the city code.

“Go for it,” one council member said.

Sixth Street recovery facility

During the public comment period Tuesday, one Dunbar resident raised concerns about a new nonprofit that recently opened on Sixth Street.

The Anchor Project Center home, a residential facility for people in recovery, is owned by St. Albans-based Ten Up Ministries, council members said. The nonprofit is staffed by state-certified personnel 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It will provide boarding for a dozen individuals in recovery, zoning officer Leishman noted, and will offer on-site education and counseling services.

“I talked to a lot of citizens in that area. No one really knew anything about it,” the resident, whose name was not provided, said.”It’s like a big secret place being put up.”

“Unfortunately on those things, there’s not a lot I can do,” Leishman said. “You can’t zone [sober living homes] out of your city.”

The resident said he and others were worried about “foot traffic at night” and other potential nuisance problems that could arise from the new neighbors.

Most recovery facilities, including the one on Sixth Street, have nighttime curfews, city officials said Tuesday.

“They’re very strict,” Ward 3 councilman Greg Wolfe said, noting that the city has had no problems with other recovery facilities run by the same organization within town limits.

Dunbar mayor Scott Elliott said facility residents often help elderly neighbors with tasks like yard work.

“If any of you all have anybody that needs their grass cut, etc., get us a list and we’ll get it to them and they’ll come,” Elliott told council members.

Dunbar City Council members attend the Sept. 3 council meeting at City Hall.Photo byCity of Dunbar

Other council business

Also on Tuesday, Dunbar city council:

• Reviewed the annual police and fire pension fund report;
• Approved the payment of invoices totaling $36,614;
• Approved a payment of up to $38,990.49 to the Kanawha County Clerk Offices for primary election expenses;
• Approved $107,750 in payments from American Rescue Plan monies for a drain project on Ohio Avenue;
• Accepted a $94,500 bid from Asphalt Contractors for a paving project on Ohio Avenue; and
• Approved a $1,500 donation to the Dunbar Beautification League.

The council went into a 40-minute executive session to discuss “things we need to talk about” before returning and concluding the meeting.

Dunbar City Council’s next regularly scheduled meeting is scheduled for Monday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at Dunbar City Hall, 210 12th St.

Michael Ramsburg is a Kanawha County communities reporter. He can be reached at ramsburgreports@gmail.com or by calling 304-370-3067.