Too much time to enforce

[Chuck2u32]

I live in Muskegon township, in Michigan. Last year the township leaders drafted an ordinance to allow backyard chickens, but it was defeated because the township feared a lack of manpower to enforce the ordinance.

Does anyone have any data on enforcement labor demands to look into complaints for a given population?

Thanks!

Chuck

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Here's a link with some nationwide data.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/737328/how-to-change-laws#post_10293170

My city charges a one time $50 fee to cover the initial inspection and permit. I believe only 4 or 5 of us got a permit.
That was 2 or more years ago. There have been no complaints and no more permit requests so there has been no cost.
There's about 7,000 in the city limits and that is one of 92 cities in my county. Close to half of those allow chickens. The largest city occasionally has complaints but that's because there are about 1,000 or more people with them with a total population of over 300,000.

 

[wayner123]

I live in Muskegon township, in Michigan. Last year the township leaders drafted an ordinance to allow backyard chickens, but it was defeated because the township feared a lack of manpower to enforce the ordinance.

Does anyone have any data on enforcement labor demands to look into complaints for a given population?

Thanks!

Chuck

What we did is emailed surrounding cities in FL that have allowed backyard flocks and asked for their animal control division or person(s) in charge of code enforcement to reply in regards to complaints directly associated with keeping backyard hens. This gave us a huge advantage going in as it shows that the cost to the city is very minimal. I would suggest you do the same, because if I give you my data, they will most likely say that has no bearing on what goes on in MI.

I will give you our results. In 18 of the cities surveyed, we had zero or less than 5 complaints over a few years period.

Also, what does your ordinance say? Does it have restrictions, inspections, etc that would increase the frequency that the code enforcement needs to come out? If so, it may be better to remove those restrictions, before trying to prove they won't be a problem.

 

[WYNot]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something but if they currently don't allow them then when they change the regs to allow them, there will be less time involved to enforce the regs. Right now they have to investigate and deal with anyone who breaks the regs. Once passed they won't have to do that. It will be one less thing they get to harass people over.

 

[tcstoehr]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding something but if they currently don't allow them then when they change the regs to allow them, there will be less time involved to enforce the regs. Right now they have to investigate and deal with anyone who breaks the regs. Once passed they won't have to do that. It will be one less thing they get to harass people over.

You don't understand how governments work. They're not just going to legalize chickens, they're also going to establish a thousand regulations on how many, how close, how fed, how contained, how noisy, how sheltered, how this that and the other thing. All of these need more inspectors and enforcers to come out and make sure everything is up to code. But instead of that they just decided "screw you guys".

 

[WYNot]

I thought that might be the case but the OP simply said they were looking at legislation to allow chickens. No mention that the legislation included all the additional details that they use to justify their miserable existence as leeches.

I'm fully aware of how government works. Liars, thieves, and thugs. Hence why I choose to live outside of town and their intrusiveness.

 

[HeatherKB]

This is exactly where I am right now with my town. I brought it up at our town meeting last night. The idea went over pretty well but here was the hang up..... with a town of less than 2000 and only 1 officer on duty at a time, "how will we enforce the rules and who will take care of complaints?" Our officer wasn't too helpful, stating that he already had enough on his plate to deal with.

So whats the answer? Need some direction for ideas to give them! Thanks!

 

[GeoKan]

HeatherKB I am in the same exact situation. I live in a small rural community and have spoken with city officials. The biggest hangup is enforcing any ordinance. They kept bringing up dog tags and how very few purchase them. She told me they don't have the manpower of 1 officer to go around and hand out citations or seek out offenders. Even if they do give out a citation seldom are they paid. It would cost the city more to try to collect. So, I am working an uphill battle.

I have a year to evacuate my chickens. They told me I was a model example of how one should keep chickens. They have told me they wished those who have them would keep them the way I do. I even have a friend on the city council who is an advocate for them and has proposed many solutions, but they want to revert back to the old ordinance, which antiquated and vague at best.

I have just begun my fight to keep them. I do have a lot going for me and there is a good chance I can succeed as my heritage runs back many generations in this small town. I plan on attending their meetings and ask question until I can find some resolution to keep them.

If I find out a way, I will be sure to pass it along.

 

[HeatherKB]

Here is another thread I started about this too...
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...nforce-their-chicken-keeping-rules-ordinances

My thoughts are to put it on a one year trail before they write the official ordinance, so they can see its not an issue like they think it will be.

Require a paid permit to be able to have them, this keeps "anyone" from picking up chicks on a whim at the feed store and not taking care of them

And I just read on another cities ordinance that if a resident has has any citations against them in the last 5 years, noise, messy yard, owe the town money, etc, they will not be able to buy a permit for chicken keeping (pretty good idea I think, I mean if they are already not following rules, it weeds them out!)

Good luck to you too! I hope it works out!

 

[jperri79]

Please do not give up. start a Facebook group and get others on yours side

its legal in GR no reason why not muskegon township

http://www.neighbornewspapers.com/v...eeks-changes-to-allow-chickens-in-back-yards?

http://journaltimes.com/news/local/...cle_34656bf6-5b1d-11df-8ed8-001cc4c03286.html

http://www.lenconnect.com/article/20150407/NEWS/150409349