Hillsborough County, Florida: Legalize Backyard Chickens!

[afirehawk1]

having trouble finding the petition. sorry

 

[afirehawk1]

per Joe Moreda in zoning, the assistant county attorney couldn't see any wiggle room.

therefore, we need to push BOCC into a corner on this.

perhaps calling the Channel 8 on Your Side would help.

 

[farrart09]

The petition isn't showing up on change.org. I've messaged to get help but haven't heard back yet. In the meantime I've created a hard paper petition that I'm gaining signatures. I went to Harolds feed store off MLB in Brandon and Alice, the manager was very gracious. She printed a copy and is keeping it there to gain signatures. If you find yourself at Harolds and are interested/willing, the petition is there to sign. Many thanks

 

[Hmwstar2]

I am so glad I found this site. I was considering chickens but couldn't find wether or not it was legal. I would never have thought it would be such a big deal!

 

[Hmwstar2]

There is an old petition link on a Facebook group I just joined. Don't know if could use

http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/hillsborough-county-citizens-for-backyard-poultry.html

Group is called Hillsborough County citizens for backyard chickens.

 

[farrart09]

Welcome!! It's a big deal for those of us who have either had to deal with the consequences of giving away our hens or for those who are considering getting them with the knowledge that at this time, our commissioners don't see the"need" for pet chickens. For me, it's not a need, it's a great desire. People don't "need" dogs, cats, etc. It's about love, compassion, companionship and all the other benefits that come with owning, what people define as, a pet. I only wish our commissioners saw it that way. Give it time. They will soon have to deal with the fight.

 

[Hmwstar2]

Here is a link to a petition I found on Facebook. Don't know if it would be helpful to you or not. Has over 700 signatures. The group might be helpful.

https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/hillsborough-county-citizens-for-backyard-poultry.html

 

[FloridaBasser]

if you want to drum up support, have a place to talk poultry or get help with a chicken problem come join these 2 groups, we have lots of people all of Florida.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/338088539714898/


https://www.facebook.com/groups/FloridaUrbanAgriculture/

 

[Chicks on DL]

I am a member of Hillsborough County Citizens for Backyard Chickens and back in 2012 I had tried to assist Bonnie in getting the Hillsborough County code changed. I sent the following proposal to Sandra Murman and the response I received was that the code was not enforced so they didn't see a need. I was told that we would need at least 1,000 signatures for a commissioner to be willing to bring it up at a meeting. I had Code enforcement visit me in 2015 because a new neighbor reporter me. Since my neighbors denied knowing anything about them they found no violation.


Jeffrey,

I greatly appreciate you forwarding the following letter to Commissioner Murman.

Ms. Murman,
I am writing this email on behalf a group of individuals that forms Hillsborough County Citizens for Backyard Chickens (HCCBC). We would like your assistance with asking the Board of County Commissioners to amend the current ordinance which prohibits backyard chickens. The Facebook group for HCCBC has 83 members and the petition has over 200 signatures.

Current law: The current ordinance does not permit poultry keeping on residential zoned properties in unincorporated Hillsborough County.
Proposal: We would like to propose that the ordinance be amended to provide an exception for the keeping of female chickens (hens) for non-commercial purposes so long as they are confined in a securely enclosed yard or pen at all times and are kept no closer than 10 feet to neighboring dwellings. Further, we would like the ordinance to allow the keeping of 1 hen per 1000 sqr feet of land and a single rooster in conjunction with said hens for the purpose of flock sustainability. The roosters would be subject to the same nuisance laws as a dog.

Rationale: As more people are interested in being more self-sustainable; they are beginning to garden, compost, and want healthier sources of food. The keeping of chickens supports this green way of living that is becoming more popular. Chickens are excellent pets, quieter than dogs, and help us teach our children where food comes from. The CDC only lists 3 public issues with birds but 14 for cats and 15 for dogs. There are many other benefits of keeping chickens that I would be happy to discuss with you. Further, many cities and counties in Florida allow for the keeping the chickens including Tallahassee. Tallahassee's ordinance states that residential areas can keep "female chickens (hens) for non-commercial purposes so long as they are confined in a securely enclosed yard or pen at all times and are kept no closer than 20 feet to neighboring dwellings. In addition, a single rooster may be kept in conjunction with said hens for the purpose of flock sustainability."

Impact: The keeping of chickens has a positive impact on the environment including reducing the landfill (chickens eat food scraps) and providing gardeners with compost. With proper care, chickens have little impact on public health, safety, and welfare. We address these issues in our petition on Gopetition.com.

Cost: We believe that the cost of the amendment will be negligible and the benefits to the county and the environment to be significant.

Thank you for your consideration. Please feel free to contact me, as I am a member of this group.

[name removed],
Hillsborough County resident and registered voter; on behalf of Hillsborough County Citizens for Backyard Chickens.

 

[Chicks on DL]

Here is the link for anyone having trouble finding it. https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/hillsborough-county-citizens-for-backyard-poultry.html

I am trying to pick this up again. We have 764 signatures so if you post on facebook and other social media maybe we can get more signatures.