BLUE EARTH — By a unanimous vote Monday, the Blue Earth City Council passed an ordinance that will allow residents to keep chickens within city limits.

The ordinance will become official in about 30 days.

The council spent some time discussing the matter before approving it. One of the discussion points centered on the requirement that all adjoining property owners must agree to allow a permit to be issued. The owners of the chickens also would have to get a permit every year, and each year the neighbors would have to approve it.

Councilman Glenn Gaylord thought there should be some sort of an appeal process added to the ordinance.

“What if there is one neighbor who doesn’t like the guy with the chickens, and just says no?” Gaylord asked. “I think that kind of issue should be brought to the council.”

However, the council decided not to add an appeal process at this time.

The council also did not set a fee for the permit. City administrator Tim Ibisch said all the city’s fees will be set for 2020 during a January meeting and the chicken permit fee can be set then.

In other business, the council:

o Discussed the proposed 2020 budget. Ibisch noted the changes to the document since work on it began earlier this year. The council will set a final budget in December.

o Held the first reading of a land sale ordinance that would sell several lots in the new housing development to the city’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority and a Mankato company named APX Construction Group. The lots are in the cul-du-sac of the housing development.

o Discussed purchasing versus leasing city-owned vehicles. Mayor Rick Scholtes presented a proposal to lease the vehicles through Enterprise Rent-A-Car. There could be savings to the city, he said. Scholtes, Ibisch and Tim Stoner of Blue Earth Light and Water will meet with a representative of Enterprise later this week to discuss the matter.

o Briefly discussed hemp being dried in a building in Blue Earth. The operation is covered by a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit and City Code does not specifically allow or deny it, the council learned.