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Council votes down proposal on backyard chickens for residents

By Staff | Jul 27, 2016

MEL TOADVINE Mary Pasetti talks to Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann about last week’s vote.

One vote on the Lehigh Acres Community Council has ended the controversy over whether residents in Lehigh can keep a limited number of backyard chickens.

The vote was taken on July 18 at the council’s monthly meeting.

But Charles Edwards, a proponent of having backyard chickens, said the issue is not over yet. Lehigh resident Mary Pasetti was not happy with the council’s vote either.

When the issue came up, council took nearly two hours to argue about the structure of the proposal.

Chairman Mohamed Yasin called for a vote and members were not sure how to vote.

Charles Edwards

So Yasin called for another vote, which ended up with two-thirds of the members voting no.

The proposed resolution would have allowed residents to own backyard chickens with restrictions; a positive vote would have forwarded the proposal to the Lee County Commission.

Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann said the vote was a major blowout and wondered what the citizens of Lehigh were to think since there had been more support at June’s meeting.

Edwards, one of the proponents, attended the meeting and waited nearly two hours for a vote. He was not invited to speak before the council before its vote.

Only 11 members of the council were present at the meeting.

Mary Pasetti

Pasetti, who was there to speak in favor of the resolution, said she was furious with the vote. She walked out following the vote.

The meeting was held at the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office substation off Homestead Road.

“I think they were deplorable in the way they handled the situation,” she said.

Edwards said he was not through with the issue.

“We won’t be done with this matter,”?he said. “We have some things and plans and I don’t want to go into it now and let them know what we are planning.”

Frank Mann

“But I repeat, we are not done with this issue yet,”?he said. “We have more than a thousand people sign a petition. It isn’t over yet.”

Council votes down proposal on backyard chickens for residents

By Staff | Jul 27, 2016

MEL TOADVINE Mary Pasetti talks to Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann about last week’s vote.

One vote on the Lehigh Acres Community Council has ended the controversy over whether residents in Lehigh can keep a limited number of backyard chickens.

The vote was taken on July 18 at the council’s monthly meeting.

But Charles Edwards, a proponent of having backyard chickens, said the issue is not over yet. Lehigh resident Mary Pasetti was not happy with the council’s vote either.

When the issue came up, council took nearly two hours to argue about the structure of the proposal.

Chairman Mohamed Yasin called for a vote and members were not sure how to vote.

Charles Edwards

So Yasin called for another vote, which ended up with two-thirds of the members voting no.

The proposed resolution would have allowed residents to own backyard chickens with restrictions; a positive vote would have forwarded the proposal to the Lee County Commission.

Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann said the vote was a major blowout and wondered what the citizens of Lehigh were to think since there had been more support at June’s meeting.

Edwards, one of the proponents, attended the meeting and waited nearly two hours for a vote. He was not invited to speak before the council before its vote.

Only 11 members of the council were present at the meeting.

Mary Pasetti

Pasetti, who was there to speak in favor of the resolution, said she was furious with the vote. She walked out following the vote.

The meeting was held at the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office substation off Homestead Road.

“I think they were deplorable in the way they handled the situation,” she said.

Edwards said he was not through with the issue.

“We won’t be done with this matter,”?he said. “We have some things and plans and I don’t want to go into it now and let them know what we are planning.”

Frank Mann

“But I repeat, we are not done with this issue yet,”?he said. “We have more than a thousand people sign a petition. It isn’t over yet.”