The Great Chicken Chase...

[TyrannosaurusChix]

I understand that, I was just quoting what the woman was saying on TV in reference to chickens. Livestock, unfortunately is a pretty loose term.. even though it normally excludes chickens.


I hope everything works out for you though

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

CHECK OUT THESE LINKS - JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP - THANKS TO URBANFARMERS!!!

http://savebellevuechickens.weebly.com/index.html

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=114462871939881

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

WOW.....
things progressively getting worse, but hopefully, we have an Ace in our pocket!!!!

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

So, several Bellevue families attended the City Planning meeting, armed with several Zoning Codes that clearly support chickens in residential zones, but the planning committee IGNORED every one of them!!! The planning meetings along with city council meetings are recorded and televised, and they still ignored the LAW!!!!

After the meeting when cameras were off, Mr. Ackley, speaker of the panel did mention that the city has hired a firm to re-write several of their zoning codes and they should be complete and ready for public comment by December or January. How convenient!!! No wonder they didn't acknowledge that Code Enforcement was illegally citing people, it's because they are going to CHANGE the laws to support their stupidity! Well, guess what? That won't fly! On 8/26/10, Planning made a motion to pass to the City Council an ordinance allowing chickens (ignoring the ones we have), and these are a few of the proposed guidelines.

1. NO MORE than 5 hens (regardless of lot size)
2. AG zones and RE zones of at LEAST 1 acre in size (that eliminates everyone in the room that night)
3. Coop to be 20 feet from any property line.

And I can't remember the rest.

What a joke.

So, UCFB - Urban Chicken Farmers of Bellevue shall be at the 9/27 council meeting, and they had better acknowledge the laws on the books or there will be a LAWSUIT against the City. The groundwork is currently be laid.

OUR HEADLINES:

JULY http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=12850196

JULY http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=12862977

8/26/10 http://www.ketv.com/newsarchive/24775897/detail.html

8/26/10 http://www.kptm.com/Global/story.asp?S=13053108

OUR WEBSITE: http://savebellevuechickens.weebly.com/

 

[moondog425]

I hope you guys win the good fight !!!!

 

[theFox]

Quote:
DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS:
live·stock   /ˈlaɪvˌstɒk/ Show Spelled[lahyv-stok] Show IPA
–noun ( used with a singular or plural verb )
the horses, cattle, sheep, and other useful animals kept or raised on a farm or ranch.

According to the definition of the word "livestock" it can also include cats (useful for killing mice), dogs (useful for rounding up cattle), etc, etc.....so again I say "We are not breaking any laws"

pet    /pɛt/ Show Spelled [pet] Show IPA noun, adjective, verb, pet·ted, pet·ting.
–noun
1. any domesticated or tamed animal that is kept as a companion and cared for affectionately.


My chickens are NOT "livestock" BECAUSE they don't live on a farm........my chickens are pets, no different than my cat - pets that just happen to give me a free egg once in a while.

That definition of livestock is not the controlling definition.

The Nebraska State Statues in at least one part defines livestock to be several animals such as equines, cattle , etc and doesn't include poultry or fowl, they also reference the USDA definition to be controlling for other sections, your local town is likely going to be barking up the wrong tree.

You need to see the local ordinances definition and that really shouldn't be different than the states.

ETA: Take a look at: http://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/statutes.php?statute=54-183

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

You also need to check zoning ordinances and city code to see if any stated rules of constructions disallow anything that is not specifically allowed; that is a common practice.

Also, there has been a lot of mention of an ordinance that specifically disallows poultry from running at large, and that that therefore means they are allowed. You need to verify whether or not that ordinance actually was passed, and also that it has not been repealed.

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

Thank you "thefox" and "sonoran silkies" but if you look at my last post yesterday you will see that we have since found an ordinance the VERY SPECIFICALLY allows "Chickens" in our city limits and does NOT specify lot definitions. Therefore, the definitions of chicken, livestock or any other has no relevance any longer! YEAH for us! Now, if we can only get the city to acknowledge their laws.......

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Actually, just because planning passed a proposed ordinance to the city council does not mean it is law. The city council still has to vote on it, and and either pass or defeat the proposal. As for previous ordinances, I stand by my statement of making sure to research to verify that the original ordinance found that allows and refers to backyard poultry did indeed pass and was never altered or recinded.

 

[LittleMamaBigPapa]

Quote:
Actually, just because planning passed a proposed ordinance to the city council does not mean it is law. The city council still has to vote on it, and and either pass or defeat the proposal. As for previous ordinances, I stand by my statement of making sure to research to verify that the original ordinance found that allows and refers to backyard poultry did indeed pass and was never altered or recinded.

The ordinance DID pass, it was adopted by City Council June 10, 2002. You should have seen the look in the Planning Commission's eyes when our President of the group quoted all the laws that allow chickens. They did not attempt to deny any of them.....it was AFTER the meeting when the cameras were off that they said they recently hired a firm to re-write our ordinances. See, they KNOW we are right, which is why Code Enforcement never came to take the chickens from the families that were cited. Because they are in the WRONG.

Trust me...we have hundreds of hours invested at the Library pouring over the Codes. We have found all the proof we need. Now, we need to stop new Codes from being adopted to rescind the ones we have now allowing chickens, and that is where we stand now.

This all started as political retaliation when a family with chickens posted signs during an election to NOT vote for someone who was running for the Planning Board. After this candidate tried his best to get the signs removed (he couldnt cuz they were legal thanks to the 1st Amendment) he then had the family cited for the chickens.....and here we are today!!