COZAD — A proposal to allow backyard chickens in Cozad was denied after a failed motion at the Cozad City Council meeting Monday night.
The council also tabled discussion on reintroducing a roll-off dumpster service and approved the continuation of mosquito spraying.
The chicken discussion dominated Monday’s meeting, drawing strong opinions on both sides.
Community member Rose Mapel asked the council to permit four to eight chickens per household under strict guidelines. She has advocated for backyard chickens through her Facebook group “Cozad Chicken Tenders.”
Mapel argued that allowing chickens could reduce food waste, provide fresh eggs and strengthen community ties. Her plan included no roosters, enclosed coops, a $10–$15 annual permit and a ban on backyard butchering.
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Mapel told the council that responsible chicken ownership could be ensured through a detailed permit application and resident education.
“I think it’s just like anything else: you need to have a level of trust with your citizens that are paying everybody’s wage up here,” she said.
Mayor Marcus Kloepping, however, remained unconvinced. He cited numerous complaints from residents opposing chickens and raised concerns about enforcement.
“How would we regulate who is a good owner of chickens and who is bad?” Kloepping said. “Cozad already has issues with cats and dogs running loose. I worry about bringing in other animals that’s just going to aggravate the whole thing.”
Council member David Hernandez made a motion to approve the proposal, but without a second, the motion died.
Despite the council’s rejection, several residents pushed back. Holly Beaslin questioned the council’s process and suggested organizing a petition to demonstrate neighborhood support.
Mapel expressed disappointment during public comment, accusing Kloepping of approaching the matter with a “closed mind” and a “negative attitude.” She said the council had made up its mind before hearing public testimony.
Other residents criticized the council’s eight-minute time limit for public comments, saying it restricted meaningful discussion. Kloepping defended the time cap as necessary to “be more effective with all of our time.”
Kloepping said he had received numerous complaints from residents opposing backyard chickens, saying he had heard from “at least double” the number of voices against the proposal in the weeks leading up to the meeting.
Kloepping encouraged chicken supporters to continue organizing and expanding the Facebook group, so it could show stronger community support that would make the council more receptive to the idea.
Going into the other items on the agenda before the hour-long meeting concluded, Kloepping cited past issues with dumpster misuse, including illegal dumping by out-of-town residents, as reasons for caution.
Mapel argued that citizens have a right to waste disposal services, saying the current system leaves residents with limited options to dispose of large items. She suggested the city could use community service workers to monitor the dumpster and proposed a monthly service window.
Kloepping pointed out previous problems with people dumping items outside camera surveillance areas and the city’s challenges in tracking and preventing unauthorized waste disposal.
The council voted to table the dumpster discussion until the next budget cycle after a motion by council member Jordan Curtice.
On mosquito control, the council voted unanimously to continue the city’s spraying program.
Mapel and Beaslin raised concerns about chemical exposure and called for alternative solutions.
Beaslin drew parallels to historical instances of other things once considered safe, such as X-rays during pregnancy in the 1980s. She also referenced recent claims from the U.S. Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about COVID-19 vaccine ingredients’ potential links to autism and ADHD.
Mapel cited potential environmental impacts, including toxicity to fish, bees and other beneficial insects. She proposed alternative methods such as using “dunks” in standing water and encouraging natural predators like dragonflies and bats.
Kloepping defended the city’s mosquito mitigation strategy, emphasizing support from local health professionals.
“The Cozad Board of Health, which includes a local doctor and veterinarian, approved the current spraying plan as safe and necessary to prevent diseases like Zika and West Nile virus,” Kloepping said.
