Overland Park residents who hope to keep backyard chickens may finally have cause to rejoice. After coming to a deadlock last November, city councilmembers have come up with a compromise they hope will make it easier for people on smaller lots to keep chickens on their property. A proposed ordinance change is working its way through city government that would allow people on lots as small as a quarter acre to have up to three hens, provided they meet the rules for enclosures and setbacks and pass inspections. The change would not require prospective chicken owners to make a presentation at the city planning commission and the full city council. That council presentation and vote process has typically been the downfall of previous chicken requests for owners of small lots.
Source: Prairie Village Post

Merriam became the latest Johnson County city to consider imposing a citywide mask mandate in the face of rising cases of COVID-19 this summer.  Ultimately, however, the city council this week rejected the idea, in favor of focusing more on encouraging residents to get vaccinated. On Monday, the Merriam City Council revisited the topic of a potential city mask order in a discussion prompted by Councilmember Whitney Yadrich, who brought forward the item while also making clear she didn’t necessarily think the city should impose its own mandate.  She noted that neighboring Prairie Village has also begun exploring the possibility of its own mask order. The city council there is expected to discuss a mask ordinance at its next meeting later this month.
Source: Prairie Village Post