HELP! Need help with ordinace change!

[Go Eggs Go]

Well I have an update... I appeared before the city Planning and Zoning Commission on Monday. I had all my facts and gave a short present on backyard chicken keeping. It went well and they have asked that the city staff come up with a chicken ordinace. Then they will have a public hearing on it, they vote on it. The city admin asked that I fu with her in a couple of weeks to see what she has come up with (she is using resources avail to her from the legaue of MN cities). I am happy that things are moving in the right direction, bu I still have to move the girls out until the ordinace changes. I have a place that we can take them too, but what a bunch of work!

To all the people that have gotten laws changed, is there anything that we should make sure is or is not in the new ordinace? Suggestions would be great!

Everyone cross your fingers and toes that this works. We really enjoy our girls and would hate to have to move them our permentley.

 

[huntercf]

Quote:
I am keeping my fingers crossed for you

, I haven't changed any laws but you might be careful on how they set limits on where the coops can be and how far from residences, alot of times the min. distance also includes your house. Try to have it 20' (or less if possible). Also, be careful on limits for property size, you could probably recommend against min. lot sizes and go for a sliding scale of how many square feet per animal (you can look up space needs for chickens). Lastly, be careful about them putting in a restriction on free ranging your birds, sometimes they put in the ordinance that they have to be kept in an enclosure. I have a coop and run for my girls but when I am home I let them free range in the back yard. Back to crossing my fingers for you. Good Luck.

 

[palochknldy]

Keep it simple! I had our city council change our ordinance the end of May. It took a over a month because like most councils, it goes on the agenda, then has a 1st, 2nd and 3rd reading. Ours states 4 hens, no roosters, 25' from lot line, 4 sqft per bird, must have enclosed run/coop, and poop must be picked up daily. Also states that if you want to slaughter them, it has to out of sight of neighbors. They took a couple of different cities ordinances and combined them together and then I asked for some of the changes. I have never had anyone from the city come check. As for the poop, make sure you tell them it will be used for fertilizer. Go for the whole "green" thing with substainable living, educational for children, local food supply, etc. Good luck and hope you get your girls back soon!

 

[Go Eggs Go]

Well.. I have a little update... I spoke with the city admin today, apparently she is going to write up some language for the new ordinance and present it to the planning commish on the 13th of Sept. She also told me today that since I was at the planning commish meeting they have gotten several calls and an anonymous letter from someone stating that they are against backyard chickens. What the heck! I just want to keep a few hens on my acre of property for which I pay the taxes on. She said that anytime that anything changes they get a ton of calls and emails, I would like to be more involved in the process but feel like I am getting pushed out. She is going to let me read what she comes up with, apparently she is going to use language from other cities in Minnesota.

Funny thing is this hasn't even hit the papers or anything, this is all from people who watch the planning commish meeting on tv (people actually do that sort of thing... wow I don't have time for that...

The girls are leaving in the am for there new digs (old fish house that we retroed into a coop) actually is pretty nice. Not the most secrue thing, but should hold for now, sounds like this could take months to get changed. Hopefully if it does get put trough it is before winter.

 

[thecityman]

You've already got some great advice and links here. I hate to hear that someone(s) are apparently working against you, because that will absolutely make it less likely for them to pass a new ordinance to help you. I happen to be a City Admin myself (we're called City Managers here) so I know what she is facing. Let me offer you a bit of very simple advice, and some you and others won't love but may make the key difference....be willing to make sacrafices right up front to show that you are very reasonable and that you are, in fact, empathetic to those who might be oppossed to backyard chickens. Many times in these situation a person comes in thinking their point of view is 100% right and others who disagree or just mean spirited or crack pots, and so on. (In many cases they are! but still) So think about the things that others are most likely to bring up, and concede some of those. Its harder for them to say no if it appears that you are being fair and reasonable and considerate of others and willing to make SOME sacrifices in order to get SOME concessions. One very specific example of this (and one I know some on here will hate) is to acknowledge that not everyone loves to hear a rooster crow at 5 am, know that people are going to fight the ordinance because of this fear, and suggest that they allow only hens inside the City Limits. Besides the effect this will have on the committee and the City Admin, it will also cut back a LOT on the number of people who might otherwise e-mail, call, or appear at a meeting to object the passage of a chicken ordinance. Once you say that "in the interest of not wanting to disturb my neighbors, as much as I hate to conceed the ability to have roosters, I'm willing to give that up if you will at least let me have hens, which make far less noise". It gets rid of a lot of opposition, and makes it harder for the committee to say "even though you are willing to meet us 1/2 way, we're still not going to do ANYTHING for you, but do everything to apease your opposition". Politicians love compromise!!! SO give them the ability to do that. Another good one is to set limits on numbers. If you're willing to limit the number of byc's to 5-10 (as an example, though you could start with a higher number and "let" them reduce the number so it looks like you've once again been "defeated" and had to take less than you wanted) it would help. This will also alleviate the (unrealistic) fears that some people might have that if chickens are legalized then their neighbors might open egg-laying operations with scores or chickens making noise and odors.

Anyway, just some thoughts from someone who's often on the other side. (Though I personally have made sure that my city council has almost NO rules whatsoever governing the raising of chickens! haha.)

Kevin

 

[palochknldy]

The one and only complainer at my council meeting brought up these points...
-chicken poop going into the waterways
-injesting fine particles of dried chicken poop
-noise

Chicken poop into the composter is great and then very benifical for the garden. Studies have been done that very little goes into waterways verus mounds of dog poo. Several chickens poop less then a 13lb dog, and chicken poop dissolves into the ground whereas dog doo doesn't. Inhaling dried chicken poop is no worse than lawn chemicals thrown on the ground that most people don't even give a 2nd thought to as to what it is doing to the environment.

Just a few things to think about and be armed to answer. Be polite and like the other post, everyone has their own opinion that they think are right. After our city passed our new ordinance, the comments made on line were outrageous. The stupidity of some people is amazing to me. Stay calm and be prepared!

 

[Go Eggs Go]

Well I got the girls to there new digs today. I am going to start some work on getting the word out about BYC in our town.