MONROE - One vote made the difference at the Monroe Common Council meeting on Wednesday night in the passage of an ordinance to allow city residents the choice to keep chickens in their backyards. The seven members of the council who were present divided their decision 4 to 3 in favor of the ordinance, which changes city code to allow homeowners within the city to keep up to six female chickens secured within a coop and run within the rear yard of their property. The chickens can only be kept by a single-family residence.