Despite San Juan Bautista’s active measures to control its
growing chicken population, the city could be facing a lawsuit,
based on a letter the city received alleging the chickens are a
nuisance and pose potential health concerns.
Despite San Juan Bautista’s active measures to control its growing chicken population, the city could be facing a lawsuit, based on a letter the city received alleging the chickens are a nuisance and pose potential health concerns.
A letter regarding the animals was recently delivered to the city by resident Jim Pereyra to curb the chicken population on Fourth Street between Franklin and Marshall streets or the Mission City would face a lawsuit.
“The city has about one more week to respond to the letter,” City Manager Larry Cain said.
Pereyra could not be reached for comment.
Because a number of residents had complained earlier about the potential problems stemming for an increase in the chicken population, the San Juan Bautista City Council directed Cain to take measures to thin out the population.
“We have done that and continue to do so,” Cain said.
During the past few months, city employees have gathered eggs to prevent them from hatching and have captured and relocated many of the fowl to areas outside the city limits, including 37 birds made up of hens and chicks recently going to one county resident.
However, not everyone is happy about the decline in the chicken population. The feathery fowl have been part of the Mission City’s quaint atmosphere for decades and are even the city’s official logo, appearing on the Chamber of Commerce’s T-shirts. Cain said the issue has the city divided equally.
It even has tourists and some locals asking, “Where are all the chickens?”
On Mother’s Day, Kathy Stewart, a Morgan Hill resident, said “Where have all the chickens gone,” while waiting in line at Jardines Restaurant. “I brought my mom specifically to this restaurant so she could see the chickens.”
After telling her mother, Erma Watts, about the San Juan chickens, Stewart was disappointed to find they were absent in the downtown area, too.
“The chickens add the charm to this town,” Stewart said. “I find them very enchanting.”
Kim Lingenfelter of San Jose, who was with her two young daughters, Jessica and Laura, also wondered about the absence of the chickens.
“We came here because they wanted to see the chickens in the garden at Jardines,” she said. “They are a great attraction.”
But not everyone agrees. Last month, an officer with the San Benito County Sheriff’s Department responded to a complaint that someone was shooting chickens at Fourth and Muckelemi streets.
Mayor Priscilla Hill said she enjoys the chickens and does not mind having them around because they give the city that “back-in-time atmosphere,” which is part of the San Juan’s cultural charm.
“What I find is many of the new people want to change everything,” Hill said. “They bring their ways with them when they move here and want the whole town to change to their way.”
Donald Rasmussen, a recent resident of the San Juan area, said he was against going after the city’s chickens.
“They are a part of the life that makes this town so unique,” Rasmussen said. “That’s really awful.”
His wife Harriet said it was wonderful to watch the chickens because they are entertaining and part of the city’s attraction.
“Why would you want to take it away?” she said.
