PIERCETON — The Pierceton Town Council has opted to not recommend Pierceton Woods Academy having chickens to the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals.
At its meeting on Tuesday, the Pierceton Town Council unanimously chose to not recommend allowing chickens at PWA. The meeting took place on the second Tuesday of the month instead of the second Monday due to ensuring all three council members were present for providing input on the measure.
The council doesn’t technically have the final say on the measure as Pierceton falls under the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission. Thus, the Academy would have to receive a variance from its current zoned agricultural with no farm animals state from the Kosciusko County Board of Zoning Appeals to get the birds.
The council’s recommendation to deny the measure does matter though as County Area Plan Director Matt Sandy said the BZA would go with what the town wants.
The private boys’ school had sought to keep chickens to teach its students about raising them.
Both Town Council President Matt Brubaker and Town Council Vice President Janet Castle shared their votes on not recommending the birds at the Academy were based on town residents either outright being against it or citizens suggesting that anyone in Pierceton be allowed to keep chickens if the Academy was granted that privilege.
In other business, the council:
• Approved renewing two personal property tax abatements for Aludyne that dated from 2014 and 2016.
• Heard from Stephanie Campbell, who helps run the town’s Christmas decorations committee, that the committee would be selling slices of pie for $3 apiece during the Pierceton Fire Department’s fish fry from 4 to 7 p.m. Saturday as a fundraiser.
• Approved purchasing a 2023 Ford Explorer for $46,755 for the Pierceton Police Department to replace another vehicle.
• Heard from Pierceton Police Department Town Marshal Jim Bumbaugh that he had identified about 10 properties that needed letters sent to their owners to order cleanup of them. Bumbaugh noted there were more that needed addressed, but those in particular fell under the worst violations.
The council’s next meeting is 6:30 p.m. June 13 at the Pierceton Community Building.
