How do I go about this? (Challenging the city to change codes)

I spent some time on the phone with the city development office today. They do NOT permit chickens on properties of less than 10 acres. However, the lady encouraged me to put together a presentation for the city board or whoever, because she gets calls fairly regularly asking about chickens.

So... I know some here have done it. Who, and how?

 

Thank you!

Let me share what I wrote so far, and maybe you guys can help me in any weak spots?


Dear Mr. Ericson,

Portage does not currently allow chickens on residential lots of less than ten acres. I would like to ask you to consider changing that policy. More and more people are considering raising their own food, for many reasons. The concerns are economic - Michigan’s skyrocketing unemployment rate and ever-rising fuel costs. They are health concerns, about hormones and chemicals in our food. The concerns are also for humane treatment -- cruel practices such as beak-clipping, hobbling, and miniscule cages are common in commercial eggerys.

Chickens as agriculture, or pets?

There are a couple of ways to look at urban chickens. One is that they are an “agricultural” product. Agricultural use implies that the chickens are being raised in volume, and in order to bring them to market. Raising them for home consumption should not be treated any differently than the watermelons in my back yard, as they are not a market product.

Another way to look at them is as a pet. Why is it okay to have a pit bull or python, but not a chicken? How is any creature less of a pet because it happens to lay eggs?

It also seems strange that horses are allowed in Portage on properties of more than two acres, but chickens are not allowed on properties of less than ten acres. This is quite disproportionate to the physical demands of each species. Horses create far more noise and waste than chickens, and they are permitted on 1/5 the land, although they are hundreds of times larger. Does this make sense to you?

Why Chickens?

Home-raised chickens have many benefits. They are small, easy to care for, and provide protein rich food. You are able to control how the chickens eat and how they are treated. Chicken waste is a wonderful nitrogen-rich fertilizer. They are natural pest control, eating grubs, aphids, and other garden pests. Producing food in your own back yard helps to minimize your carbon footprint, as it not only eliminates the gas you use to go to the store, but the gas that it took to ship the food to the store from its source.

Concerns

The three concerns that arise when you think of having chickens in a residential environment are noise, sanitation and appearance. Noise can be handled by banning roosters. An average hen only clucks a few times a day, which is far less noise than your average dog. It’s certainly less noise than any dog in my neighborhood!

Sanitation is also an issue that is easily dealt with, and it is not any more challenging than dealing with dog waste. Appearance may be the biggest concern in an image conscious community. However, most people put their coops in the backyard, and they are not very noticeable. You can see by the attached images that it is very simple to make a coop and run that is attractive and inconspicuous.

Chicken coops – they aren’t huge, or ugly!

(Here I have pics of 3 lovely chicken coops w/attached runs.)


Chicken ordinance elements

Several large cities are chicken-friendly: Salem Massachusetts; Portland, Oregon; Ann Arbor, Michigan and Madison, Wisconsin. Although some cities, such as New York City, do not have any limits on chicken-raising, many cities have ordinances that are more restrictive.

Elements you may want to consider for a Portage chicken ordinance:

Permits – some cities require a chicken permit and fee.
Qualifying properties – most are limited to single family homes and duplexes.
Quantity – many cities limit the number of chickens to 4. It would be nice to have separate limits for bantam breeds, as they are only ¼ the size of standard breeds (about the size of a parrot).
Roosters – generally forbidden, as they are the loud ones, and they are not necessary to stimulate egg production by hens. Hens are normally quiet.
Sanitation requirements - similar to those of any other pet.
Dwelling – chicken coops must be a certain size. A 3x4 coop with a 3x8 run is more than adequate for 4 chickens.
Containment – chickens must be in a fenced area, not free-range, in order to avoid causing accidents or injury.
Proximity – chickens must be no closer than 25 feet from neighbor’s dwelling, and no closer than 10 feet to a property line.
Butchering – may or may not be allowed, depending on the city.


Thank you for your time. Please contact me to discuss the issue further! My number is xxxxxxxxx.

Sincerely,


Rev. Marion Koleski





Whatcha think?

 

Of course, Connie, take whatever you like! I'll post the final version when I'm done with it.

Thanks for any/all help everyone! I appreciate it!