A very real struggle documented online today reveals a surprising culture clash between a growing contingent of residents who want to improve Kansas City in non-traditional ways (urban farming, etc.) and old school City Hall interests who are obviously having trouble adapting to change.
An example of the opposite of Chicken Genius in this town . . .
CHECK OUT THIS E-MAIL EXCHANGE IN THE AFTERMATH OF KANSAS CITY ANIMAL CONTROL CHICKEN CONFISCATION!!!
Re: "A Plague on all your houses."
To: Troy Schulte; David Park; Eric Winebrenner
Subject: "A Plague on all your houses."
To you men of today,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOVF-klYiKA
I hate that you did this to me. But worse, your people killed 10 of my baby chickens in their merciful process.
J.W.
To which KCMO replies . . .
The animal control officers saw one of the chickens in the road and that prompted their action.
We will allow you to retrieve your chickens at 4400 Raytown Road, the shelter named Halfway Home, without having to pay redemption fees. You will need to either remove the chickens from the city or keep them penned up. I do not believe you can meet the 100 ft distance requirement, but I advised staff not to push on that code violation at this time. I am considering establishing a process for requesting an exception to that requirement. I advised staff to issue tickets for chickens not penned up instead of impounding them.
Let me know if you have questions.
David Park, Director
Neighborhood and Community Services
THE VICTIM OF KANSAS CITY CHICKEN INTOLERANCE GETS THE LAST WORD . . .
Mr. Park,
I find it surprising that so many officers stood at the ready following sighting a "chicken in the road." Do you have photographs of the chicken in the road? One of your officers said he did - I would like to see those pictures, please. There were 8 at my count (officers, that is). Is it common to swarm into someones property with 8 animal control officers based on a chicken sighting? To reiterate, none of my neighbors called anyone to report me of anything improper. Your duty is to protect Kansas City from dangerous situations, and my chickens were not a dangerous situation.
Additionally, I have not been working outside since I was attacked by pit bulls and those pit bulls are still there. One of my chickens may have escaped from my yard, true. But this only as a direct result of the fact I am now living in fear of pit bulls. Ordinarily I spend the days outside, working in my garden. I have the luxury of such time as a result of owning my own home outright and as a result of purchasing vacant lots in this city.
Factually, this is a direct result of my interacting with your office to begin with. I guess now I will build that 10' tall fence everybody has been suggesting, so I can escape. Not from drug dealers or prostitutes or pit bulls, no. From *you*.
I have less than no respect for what you have allowed to happen. Your animal control office is a joke - I look at this as a clear indication that your leadership has utterly and completely failed. I am not your friend, Mr Park. I will never be reconciled to your failure.
J.W.
#############
Harsh words, but neighborhood beefs have a way of becoming very personal. TKC would like to see this one resolved, maybe over a chicken dinner. In any event, this is just a glimpse into Kansas City local life when it comes to poultry and City Hall.
What this person needs is a chicken tractor. Easy to build or you can find them on CraigsList. A 10ft fence won't contain them.
ReplyDeleteThose are killer, carnivor chickens. Good move Park.
ReplyDeleteWill a chicken tractor be a sufficient deterrent for the "the indolent lardman" animal control officer? (props to Bill Drummond for the the indolent lardman crack).
ReplyDelete7:08-yes, wicked, evil, vicious, man-eating chickens. I feel so safe now knowing those little tiny ones were killed. They're the most dangerous of all!
And the pit bulls remain-we're truly safer now.
What a bunch of buffoons we have for city employees. Honestly, if it took 8 animal control officers to remove some chickens, then its easy to understand just why so many city employees have been layed off.
Tony, you really need to look at the qualifications of Troy Schule. What are his qualifications? Experience?
ReplyDeleteStop this chicken murder!
ReplyDeleteMr. Schulte was budget officer for a about three years, budget analyst for about two years and prior to that, he was the administrator in a town of 1000 people.
ReplyDeleteI hate pit bulls.
ReplyDelete***
Believe me. Me to :-)
DeleteKinda sad to watch a guy in full meltdown mode.
ReplyDeleteMaybe a new cocktail of med's will help pull him out.
Animal control officers can remove(and kill) chickens, but when a pit bull kills a beloved, expensive pet dog, they can't do anything?? What's wrong? Sly! Look into this.
ReplyDeleteSave the chickens.
ReplyDeleteI'll watch your chickens for ya.
ReplyDeleteI say, I say, the boy is crazy. He needs a big red cock to take care of those hens.
ReplyDeleteGotta love KCMO! There can't be many cities around where there are so few serious issues that a story like this gets so much attention and ink.
ReplyDeleteOf course, just on this blog, but still it must be a big deal!
7;28pm..Our "Pretending CITY MANAGER" he was the Maintenance Supervisor doing POT HOLES, MOWING, SNOW REMOVAL in Marengo, Iowa, 1000 if you count all those dangerous loose chickens. NOT the city manager he told his buddy, Mayor FUNCKY or council members during his confirmation hearings. Whow what experience.!.great for KC executives.if you pay them $40,000.check it out TonyKC.?.Sly James will discover rather quickly his great credential...send him home and get another pot hole patcher...
ReplyDeleteWhat a loser.
ReplyDelete9:12 PM- pot hole patcher? Troy Shulte working together with folks like David Park, along with his Funkhouser training, he'll soon be experienced enough to solve all the city's problems-including the awful murder rates on the Eastside. This little tiny chickenshit problem is just a bump in the road. Wait and see, KCMO will prosper with Schulte as city manager.
ReplyDeletesigned,
Happy non KC resident.
Go Chicken Go!
ReplyDeleteLook at the vague ordinance. Just don't keep them in a "coop."
ReplyDeleteSo what is the story of this Helkenberg guy?
ReplyDeleteIs he beat down because of the city? Or is he crazy?
From the videos, either looks possible.
David Park < zero
ReplyDelete7:25 and 9:12, you sound pissed and crazy. Are you Sharon Sanders Brooks?
ReplyDeleteSince pretty much everyone you supported in the election LOST, is this your new cause celebre? It's pretty stupid, this whole affair and you are stupid for keeping on it Tony.
ReplyDelete8:30
ReplyDelete:)
@ 11:00
ReplyDeletePM-9:12 here. No, I'm not SSB. Just one pissed off ex KCMO resident.
My frustration is very simple to understand. The chicken dude was singled out by animal control and city employees simply because he complained about dangerous dogs roaming his neighborhood and more importantly, his yard.
8 animal control officers showed up, ticketed his partner, and destroyed his property. All because he complained about dangerous dogs.
I know from experience that you're doing good if you can get just 1 animal control officer to show up for a dangerous dog complaint-now I know how to get 8 of them to show up-just keep complaining.
They'll soon be on your property searching for violations.
Cops cant respond to anything short of a murder, but animal control will respond to a chicken in the road-in force?
Tell me who is crazy now?
I bet he likes penis.....tastes like chicken.
ReplyDeleteFried chicken. Baked chicken. Hmmm. 8:12 the dick/chicken connection you make sounds like you researched it. Disturbing.
ReplyDeleteWhy no mention of the original chicken head, Nadia Pflaum? She is always looking for a lot of cocks in the inner city. What does she have to say on this?
ReplyDeletewhere's "Chicken Man" when you need him.
ReplyDelete"Super Chicken!" Google that one, and you'll get a great song and dance.
ReplyDeleteI honestly don't understand why those Animal Control Officers didn't leave the property. If they felt it was so important go get a warrant and come back with the police.
ReplyDeleteKilling animals as part of "animal control" is unjust, no matter what the method. There are so many ways to get wildlife out of households. No need to kill them.
ReplyDelete