The resident of a home on Gum Street in Bridge City addressed the City Council Tuesday about complaints from neighbors and letters from the city informing her she is in violation of city ordinances by having goats, chickens, and rabbits enclosed by a fence in her front yard. Stephanie Harren said she appreciates the opportunity to voice her rights to handle her property as she believes is best. Harren stated she actually had started a petition and got several of her other neighbors to sign it showing support for her to keep the animals in her yard. She then quoted Benjamin Franklin who said if a person is willing to surrender an essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety, and thus she would not present the city with her petition.
Harren added that the ordinances cited by Bridge City Code Enforcement Officer Clarence Philpott including noise and animal feces accumulation were arbitrary in nature. City Attorney Paul Fukuda spoke for Bridge City’s stance regarding the violation of the ordinances. Fukuda pointed out that the ordinances that Philpott said Harren was violating dated back as far as 1974, adding that a citizen has all the benefits and protections of living in a municipality, but also must follow all the restrictions. He said having livestock in a fenced area in the front yard violated ordinances including a setback ordinance, the distance restriction from a residence, and potentially of noise and of feces accumulation.
The item was only for discussion Tuesday evening. If neither side is willing to change their positions it could be going to litigation.
The City Council did approve the tax rate for next year in Bridge City at its meeting Tuesday evening. The 49.92 cents per 100 dollars value represents a slight increase in order to help increase the city’s reserve fund.
In other business two contracts were awarded by the Council. Simco Enterprises will handle the lift station improvements, and Filtronics Inc. was given the contract for the new water filtration system in Bridge City. The splash pads were supposed to be in Bridge City on Monday of this week, but they are still waiting on some parts. City Manager Jerry Jones indicates the parts should be in later this week and work would start shortly after that at the pavilion off of Roundbunch Road.
-Dan Perrine, KOGT-
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