Here it is.... The proposed chicken ordinance....... 505.19 CHICKENS AS PETS AND FOR EGG LAYING PURPOSES (a)Backyard hens are allowed (b) No roosters are allowed in city limits (c) All chicks or hens in city limits must be vaccinated for salmonella. Documentation of this immunization to be available at all times. (d) Coops and chicken runs cannot present a nuisance, noise or odor to neighbors. See 505.06 for specifications. (e) Chickens must be held to the same standards as section 505.04 (f) A maximum of 6 chickens for lots under 1/2 acre and maximum 6 chickens per half acre thereafter. Not to exceed 30 chickens on any property in city limits. (g) Chicken coop registration fee of $15 per year must be submitted to code enforcement or animal control (whichever would be the governing body) along with the specification of your chicken keeping area to include interior coop measurements and exterior fenced yard measurements. This fee is waived for any family receiving government aid such as food stamps (h) Code enforcement, police or animal control reserves the right to inspect the coop at any time with one week notice or immediately upon complaint of extreme nuisance or neglect. (i) Chicken coops currently in town are given 90 days from the date of the announcement of this ordinance change to get their coops and yards up to code standards and register their coops without fear of being fined for having coops out of ordinance currently. If a notice requesting registration is ignored an additional $25 fee will be incurred the first 30 days with final opportunity to register within 10 days. Followed by law enforcement and maximum fine of $500 for code violation per 505.99 and rejection of chicken coop privilege for one year. (j) Chickens found outside of coop area unaccompanied by its owner are considered a stray or wandering animal and subject to the same animal control recovery fees as all other pets. (see 505.04) and penalties (see 505.99). Due to the added responsibility of this pet the following additional rules apply: 1. If intervention by police, sheriff or animal control are required for recovery three times the property that owned the chicken/s in question will lose their chicken coop privileges for one year. 2. If the privilege is requested back after a year a $50 re-instatement fee will be imposed regaurdless of welfare status. A written plan on prevention for previous issues presented to city council prior to new permit being given. 3. If 3 more animal control, sheriff, or police interventions are required after this re-instatement the privilege will be revoked for a period of 5 years with re-instatement after 5 years under the stipulations of a one year re-instatement. (k) Slaughtering of chickens is permitted only inside a area unobservable by neighbors. proposed change 505.06 (b) (b) Chicken Coops and yards are permitted with specifications as followed: 1. coop must allow a minimum of 3 sqft per chicken inside the coop (we have cold winters which will mean the chickens will spend much of their winter time in their coop. the national recommendation is 2-4 sqft per chicken of interior space. I personally have 6 sqft interior space per chicken. For humanitarian purposes it is important that there be a local minimal standard in our ordinance) 2. enclosed chicken outdoor yard must provide a minimum of 10sqft per chicken. 3. Coops cannot be constructed within 100 feet of a neighbors dwelling without their written permission. (It is widely suggested to use measurements based on distance from coop to dwelling because property lines are sometimes unmarked. In areas where property lines are used for the measurement it is generally that the coop be at least 10 feet from property line and yard 5 feet from property line. you can see where it would be easier to measure from the edge of a coop to the closest edge of your neighbors house.) 4. Chicken yards/runs will not be constructed within 100 feet of a neighbors dwelling without their written permission. 5.Code enforcement, police or animal control reserves the right to inspect the coop at any time with one week notice or immediately upon complaint of extreme nuisance.
Posted on: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 20:28:50 +0000
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