Help preparing to face the town council

[HeatherHillary]

Quote:
Wow, that is really good advice, that I wouldn't have thought of. I'll pass it on, and keep it in mind when it is my turn to go before our council.

 

[Constable Chicken]

Thanks for all your advice! The Town Council meeting is tonight. I'm worried about questions like, "Have you owned chickens before?" (No.) That sort of thing. Still not quite sure how to answer that one.

Wish me luck!

 

[Constable Chicken]

Well, I'm back from the meeting. The council has five members, and the mayor was present. Two members were pretty favorable to it, including the council president, who mentioned having friends in other towns with chickens and they're not being a problem for noise or smell. Two other members were pretty stolidly against it; both basically objected that, "rules are rules and chickens aren't pets." One was pretty quiet. The mayor first pointed out that folks keep pigeons, but then said something about not wanting to set a precedent.

The secretary, who had no standing to vote, spoke up and suggested that rabbits (which I mentioned in my letter) are nothing like chickens because people do keep them in the house. She then stated that the council that passed the ordinance (of which no members were present today) would definitely not have been in favor of chickens. She then got pigs into it somehow, I couldn't quite see how.

And in the end they decided to table it till next month, so they can ask the town's solicitor.

 

[old97s]

Hi,
I'm one of the chicken-owners (Joanna Hohman) from that Tribune Review article. If your town says no to you getting chickens, just move into the city! A few weeks ago a heat lamp started a fire in the coop and I guess someone called 911 and the fire department came and put out the fire. This happened while I slept and they didn't even knock on my door. When I woke up I found the coop doors open and the tarp and other insulation strew about the yard. My neighbor told me that a fire truck put out the fire around 5 am. They must have caught the fire early because there was no real damage. I took some eggs up to the local fire station the next night to thank them.
I haven't had any complaints, rather so many compliments. I've been getting at least 3 eggs/day from my 5 chickens.
Let me know how it goes though.
Joanna

 

[Suellyn]

I am reviving this thread to see if there is an update; I live in the Southern Suburbs of Pittsburgh and am interested to know how it turned out...

Constable Chicken; I am also interested in where you got the info on ordinances in the surrounding Pittsburgh communities/townships... did you call them individually, or is there a way to get the info online?

To be honest, I am fortunate enough to have a couple of private acres, and very friendly neighbors, so I am kinda flying "under the radar" with my handful of hens & I doubt I will have any issues, BUT I suppose I should find out for sure what local ordinances are... "just in case" !!

You didn't happen to run into info on "Jefferson Hills", did you?

Updates?

PS: Hi, Joanna!!!

 

[roadrunnerred]

ya i'm curious as to the outcome myself...where did she go? or is a Constable only a male.....(don't feel like looking it up right now...eyes are tired from reading)