HELP us get a chicken ordinance passed in our city by telling us about yours!

[SaberShae]

Hello,

I am working with a group in my city of Beloit, WI to get an ordinance passed by our city council to allow us to have up to 4 backyard hens. We are getting close, but the city staff still strongly opposes the ordinance, and of course they have the ears of the city council members they work with daily. They seem to fear that administrating a backyard chicken ordinance would take too much of city staff's time. The city staff appears to have little faith in our town's citizens to police themselves and follow the setbacks listed in the ordinance. Our city does not have animal control officers or an animal shelter, and the Rock county humane society that services our city is not able to accomodate chickens if the need arose. We have volunteered ourselves to find new homes for lost and/or abandoned chickens & transport them. So we could use your help easing the minds of city staff and council members...

What we need is to talk to some city officials in cities that are similar in demographics to ours that do allow chickens so that we may find out how much time is actually spent by their city staff dealing with issues related to chickens.

By looking at the US Census website, here are some of the demographic statistics of Beloit:

population: 36,966 (as of 2010)
White: 68.9%
Black: 15.1%
Hispanic: 17.1%
High school graduates age 25+: 80.1%
Home ownership: 66.1%
Median value of owner-occupied homes: $89,800
Median household income: $37,102
Persons below poverty level: 21.5%


You can easily look up the quick facts about your city here http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/index.html


Thanks for your help!!

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Forest Grove, Oregon

We are a town of 21,000 with a University. Until the last few years chickens were not allowed in town. The council began to consider allowing chickens when a young girl with chickens began to work to change things so that she could keep hers.

We are allowed four hens, no roosters, in a backyard or side yard. Our ordinance is self enforced as the city does not have the money to administrate it. We are on the honor system, and there hasn't been any big issues that I've heard of.

http://www.forestgrove-or.gov/image...12.210.Domesticated Fowls (Chickens).ExhA.pdf

Good luck!! And,

 

[SeramaFan]

I am not a New Yorker, but it would be nice to share that NYC allows unlimited hens with a permit.

 

[armorfirelady]

In our town, Hamburg,NY< the law was just added so that we could have chickens. Here is what our law includes:
"

B. A permit may be granted by the Town for any person desiring to harbor, house,
keep, maintain or care for poultry of the female gender not to exceed six (6) in
number, provided the following conditions exists:
(1) Such people seeking the required permit must reside on a Town
recognized single-family residence property.
(2) The subject premises/property must fully comply with the minimum area
requirements as specified in Article VIII. R-1 Single-Family Residence
District Minimum lot size. Sections 280-32 A. (1), 280-32 B. (1), 280-32
C., 280-34 A., B. and C.
(3) All pens, runways, coops or any other spaces or areas of confinement for
the poultry cannot be nearer than ten (10) feet from any adjoining property
line or twenty-five (25) feet nearer than any bordering residence. All
coops, confinements or enclosures are prohibited to be located in the front
yard of such property.
Application for permit.
Any person who meets the aforementioned specified conditions and desires to procure a permit
under this article shall make application to the Town Clerk upon a form as furnished by the
Town and grant to the Town, its officers, agents and employees, the right to enter in upon the
premises and property designated in said application for the purpose of making an inspection. In
addition, the applicant must provide to the Code Enforcement Official a current legal survey of
the property and plan which accurately depicts subject premises including any proposed
improvements.
Inspection required.
Upon the filing of the application and the granting of the right of entry for the inspection, it shall
be the duty of the Code Enforcement Official, or whoever the Town Board designates, to make
an inspection of the premises and property and review of survey for which the permit is
requested and file his report and recommendations with the Town Clerk as to the approval or
rejection of said application.
Issuance of permit; fee.
Upon approval of said application by the Code Enforcement Official, the Town Clerk shall, upon
the payment of a fee as established from time to time by the Town Board, issue a permit good
until revoked or otherwise terminated as hereafter provided. No permit shall be assignable or​

transferable."



I was the first person in the town to get the permit. It was an easy process. I dont think anyone has been out to inspect the coop & run yet or if they have they didnt leave a note