Someone Complained, Chickens Must Go -- Joliet, IL

[ladyrsanti]

He said they kept them a few days then put them in his grandmas chicken pin then ate them once they were big. so he considers them food not pets.

I missed this bit. But here's the thing. If he'd gotten mauled by a dog as a child, would he outlaw dogs in the city as mayor? It is not his place, as mayor, to subject the citizens to his personal issues. If he became a vegetarian or vegan (which it almost sounds like he has), that's not for the city to suffer. If he sees them simply as food, I reminded him in that letter too, that every person should have the right to grow their own food - especially in this day and age where Walmart is considered healthy and local, which it most certainly is not. The residents need options.

 

[codechicken1]

It does not matter what the Mayor thinks, feels or has a personal opinon about. It depends what the Ordinance says. If they are saying you have "farm animals", read the definition and see if "chickens" are in the definition located in the Ordinance.
Also, they cannot pass a "new" ordinance and make it retroactive. Prove you have had the chickens prior to the Ord and you will be fine.

 

[agrippina]

I missed this bit. But here's the thing. If he'd gotten mauled by a dog as a child, would he outlaw dogs in the city as mayor? It is not his place, as mayor, to subject the citizens to his personal issues. If he became a vegetarian or vegan (which it almost sounds like he has), that's not for the city to suffer. If he sees them simply as food, I reminded him in that letter too, that every person should have the right to grow their own food - especially in this day and age where Walmart is considered healthy and local, which it most certainly is not. The residents need options.

I told him that, too. He told me to start gardening. He's exceptionally patronizing. I thought he was going to start barking at me to "Get a job, hippy!"

 

[agrippina]

It does not matter what the Mayor thinks, feels or has a personal opinon about. It depends what the Ordinance says. If they are saying you have "farm animals", read the definition and see if "chickens" are in the definition located in the Ordinance.
Also, they cannot pass a "new" ordinance and make it retroactive. Prove you have had the chickens prior to the Ord and you will be fine.

I've asked the zoning inspector for a definition of farm animals and literally get met with blank stares and one sentence emails that just quote the same ordinance back at me, which says nothing.

How would I prove I had chickens prior to the ordinance? It's been in place since 1968 and I'm not even that old!

 

[sandmbaker]

Well, in some cases, they are food! He can't see them as layers in addition? Does he not eat eggs?

he said he dont eat eggs. to much cholesterol

 

[sandmbaker]

I've asked the zoning inspector for a definition of farm animals and literally get met with blank stares and one sentence emails that just quote the same ordinance back at me, which says nothing.

How would I prove I had chickens prior to the ordinance? It's been in place since 1968 and I'm not even that old!

My city ordinance is no livestock and the definition is an animal used for slaughter or profit and my chickens are neither so I got to keep them. They are now considered pets . I would think it would be the same for a farm animal, unless your eating them or selling their eggs then they are not a farm animal

 

[ladyrsanti]

I've found that ordinances are laughable at best. Here in Michigan it will happen that people will keep chickens peacefully until a neighbor complains. It goes to the township and they look up the ordinances and find that there are none for chickens and so they'll dig for a loophole and when they don't find one, they'll try to write one in. Very sad. I fully support anyone, ANYWHERE, fighting this.

 

[sandmbaker]

well the mayor has officially stopped emailing me back now that he found out I do not live in joliet. he said the laws there dont apply to me.

 

[agrippina]

Actually, that may be a good sign. It may mean that he's being inundated with chicken related emails, and some of those are most likely from residents of Joliet. Or at least I hope so.

He doesn't always write back to me either, though, and I do unfortunately live here.

 

[chitown chicks]

The new modern image for a twenty-first century community is to be green and sustainable.Therefore backyard chickens won't make the town look old, poor or backwards; quite the contrary, it will show the town is on the leading edge of the digital age.

If the mayor and decision makers feel it does then there won't be chickens. Just my two cents.