A hearing on a draft ordinance to allow chickens in the Village of Schoolcraft, originally scheduled for the September 8 council meeting, has been postponed to an October 5 meeting.
The change is due to the absence of two council members, one on vacation, the other who has had a death in the family, according to Village President Mike Rochholz. The Council also has an empty seat due to the resignation of Trustee Kirk Bergland in June.
While the Council had enough members present to conduct business at its September meeting, Rochholz said they wanted to have more members there for the public hearing on the chicken ordinance.
The Council has been considering an ordinance to allow chickens since June of 2025 when resident Errol Matthews requested it.
During the year since that request, trustees talked to residents to get their feedback. Some residents spoke at subsequent meetings in favor of the change.
In October, 2025, the Council approved sending the text amendment request to the Planning Commission to draft the ordinance. It was also reported at that time that the $500 fee for the text amendment process had been paid.
The proposed ordinance to be discussed at the public hearing outlines the standards for keeping chickens. Roosters will not be allowed.
If the ordinance is approved, residents would be allowed to keep up to eight chickens in the back yard, secured within a coop that provides a safe and healthy living space for the chickens. The ordinance spells out the size of the coop and where the chicken feed should be stored to keep out rats and mice.
Residents who want to keep chickens must obtain a permit and pay a permit and inspection fee.
Also postponed at the September meeting was an amendment to the code of ordinances which repealed any references in codes that would be in conflict with the approval of the ordinance allowing chickens.
The Council will vote on that amendment at the October 5 meeting also.
In other discussion, Village Trustees responded to an invitation sent to all candidates for the Village Council. The letter from Kim Parker, president of the Fourth of July Committee, invited candidates to a question and answer forum on Sunday, October 18, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Schoolcraft High School cafeteria.
However, some Council members objected to the Sunday event, mainly because of Sunday being a family day and a day for church services.
In a letter to the Committee, Trustee Kathy Mastenbrook outlined all the commitments she has on Sundays from attending church services to helping her elderly parents with their needs.
She also questioned how the date and time had been determined and if the candidates had been asked to provide times when they would be available.
Mastenbrook also wondered about the questions that would be presented and if they would be available to the candidates prior to the forum.
President Rochholz also said that Sunday is not a good day for him either. Because of all his meetings and commitments during the week, he reserves Sundays for family time.
Trustee Joe Beck said that people could come to the Council meetings to get questions answered.
Parker said that the forum would be more open, noting that at the Council meetings, speakers are limited to three minutes.
“They don’t feel comfortable at the meetings,” she said.
Following the meeting, Parker said that the candidate forum would likely be rescheduled.
Reporting from the South Kalamazoo County Fire Authority (SKCFA), Mastenbrook said the Authority has been looking into buying property for a fire station, discussing longterm goals, and applying for grants.
After looking at each of the four entities in the Authority – Village of Schoolcraft, Schoolcraft Township, Prairie Ronde Township, and the Village of Vicksburg, she feels the Authority is in good shape financially.
