City of Princeton, IL pulls a FAST one.. . want opinions and ideas!

[urban escapee]

its my understanding is that if something is not expressly PROHIBITED then you are allowed...not the other way around.

 

[Chemguy]

Having read through this thread, it sounds as thought there's a lot of conversation with officials in the Princeton area, but nothing has been in writing until the notices were sent. I hope that you all can get this issue resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

 

[Freedom Fighter]

That's very true and has legal standing if you know the law, your rights, and you stand up and fight rather than just complying with the corrupt municipal, local government and court systems.

 

[Freedom Fighter]

Having read through this thread, it sounds as thought there's a lot of conversation with officials in the Princeton area, but nothing has been in writing until the notices were sent. I hope that you all can get this issue resolved to everyone's satisfaction.

I'm not really familiar with Princeton's ordinances however I believe chickens are allowed there. I know for a fact that some people even have horses within the city limits and they've been keeping those horses in public view for several years. From my personal experience in the smaller rural village I live in just outside of Princeton, the village board members here seem to "think" that chickens are not allowed in town, but they can not confirm it, they do not know for sure. So when the next village meeting is held, I'm going to attend that meeting and request a complete and up to date copy of the ordinances.

If the ordinances do not specify any references to keeping chickens in town, they will not be able to legally make me or anyone else in town who may have chickens surrender any of them since there would currently be no such ordinance in writing at the current time and any future ban would not include those who already have them because we would be "grandfathered" in allowing us to keep what we have until we get rid of them, or they die.

After I get a copy of the villages current ordinances and I review them, whether or not chickens are allowed or disallowed, I will go to the following monthly meeting and I will be handing the board members some very informative articles, brochures etc. referencing the importance and neccesity for people to have the right to keep chickens and how having chickens is actually safe, a source of healthy non gmo food, and good for the enviroment, etc.. That way if the village board does have a legal standing ban, or they have any ideas of putting such an ordinance in writing to disallow chickens, they may hopefully choose to allow people in town to keep chickens rather than banning them. Hopefully this will also be a sign to them that if chickens are not currently legally disallowed, they will be challenged if they do proceed with a chicken ban. If the ordinances already include a chicken ban, then I will have to go around town with a petition to allow the keeping of chickens as well as organize supporters to form a group to assist in having the chicken ban removed.

 

[Mattemma]

Hope things worked out for you and you did not get fined(if you kept the hens). If they now change the law to prohibit hens then I think you would be able to keep what you now have. I would want to move from there.Best wishes!

 

[DuckMama2019]

Three years ago I checked the ordinance for my town, Princeton IL, and NOTHING in the city codes prohibited having chickens in town. At the time the planning & zoning administrator said that since it wasn't expressly prohibited we could have are hens. Great, thought ok, and have had my hens every since. Most of our immediate neighbors enjoy our hens and get eggs from us on a regular basis! Less noise that the local kids and dogs make, and our hen house and yard is clean and does not smell.

So yesterday we got a letter from the planning & zoning administrator saying that the city attorney said that because the raising of chickens is NOT EXPRESSLY PERMITTED than it is not legal! We have been told to get rid of our hens by April 1st!

I have been reading the ciyt ordinances and have found the following. It is NOT EXPRESSLY PERMITTED to have a mailbox, to have lawn ornaments, to smoke in city streets, to have a fountain, or a garden in your yard! Are these things than PROHIBITED!!

I am moving forward and fighting this, and have spoken to a lawyer, and will also be contacting the ACLU on Monday for guidance, because I believe this is a violation of peoples freedom to say that anything not prohibited can be determined to be illegal.

If anyone has an ideas or opinions I would love to hear them.

Chicken Lil

Hi, curious if you are still on here. I am now having the same issue with the city. I received a letter telling me I have 10 days to get rid of my 2 ducks. How did your case turn out?

 

[My Little Flock]

Hello! I'm also curious about the laws in Princeton, IL and how this all turned out???
I am looking for a place to move with our little flock...but now I'm wondering if we need to avoid Princeton, IL? Our girls are part of our family and we are NOT leaving them behind!!!

(Why do big cities like Chicago, as well as surrounding suburbs (like Naperville, Plainfield, etc.) allow chickens while small rural towns do not? This makes no sense!)