Wake Forest, NC - Working for lighter chicken ordinanace

[CatawbaCoops]

Right now in Wake Forest, our chicken ordinances make it nearly impossible for your average layperson (HEH) to have chickens inside the city limits. Currently, my wife and I are the owners of the only permitted chickens inside the limits. My neighbor Emily Cole and I are working to change that. Just today a reporter for NBC-17 news came out to do a piece on our actions to get the permitting process easier.

Here is a link to the article that Emily wrote:
http://wakeforest.mync.com/site/wakeforest/news/story/4989/backyard_chickens_in_wake_forest

And here is a petition that we're trying to get at least 500 signatures from local residences to ease the restrictions.
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/WakeForestChickens/index.html

I just read that Cary on the other side of Raleigh from us is easing their restrictions. I think this is a step in a positive direction.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

I'm not in the area, so I cannot sign the petition. Although, I can send an email or two to the people reviewing your case. So when the time comes that you bring it up to your officials, let us know and give us an email!

At this rate, all of NC will be reconsidering their chicken codes!

-Kim

 

[manfre]

Quote:
It hasn't happened yet, but my wife and I have been pushing for it and it is going to be reviewed by the town council.

 

[CatawbaCoops]

That's excellent news! I don't think our segment was on NBC-17 tonight, so check out the evening news tomorrow night. I won't get to see it. The family and I will be going to Joel Salatin's field day at Polyface Farm in Staunton, VA.

Joel is the posterboy for organic chicken, rabbit, pig and cattle raising. We're going to go learn some of his techniques.

 

[CatawbaCoops]

WE MADE THE NEWS! NBC-17 featured Emily and I on the 6 o'clock news tonight. Here's a link to the article

http://wakeforest.mync.com/site/wak...2/battle_for_backyard_chickens_in_wake_forest

 

[CatawbaCoops]

This past weekend, Emily and I toted one of my Brougham ConvertiCoops down to the farmer's market. We received 137 signatures on our petition as well as a good 1/2 hour of face time with one of our town commissioners. He was very pro-chicken, and if he is then I know that we probably have 3 other commissioners on our side as well. That leaves just one commissioner and the mayor to convince!

I had one person say that she wouldn't sign because chickens are going to be the death of us... and that avian flu will be spread in the US through backyard chickens. She then got into her shiny new Volvo and drove away.

After she left, I thought about what she said and why it makes no sense. Even though I have the only permitted chickens in Wake Forest, I'm not the only one with chickens. Everyone else's birds are illegal. So in the event of an avian flu epidemic, the town is ONLY going to know to contact me.

So there we are: making the permitting process easier is beneficial even for those people without chickens.

 

[CatawbaCoops]

Our coop of licensed and registered birds at the Farmer's Market. Emily took this picture. If you're interested, you can look at her blog at http://wfchickens.blogspot.com

Here's a blow-up of the note left on the coop.

Cities are full of smelly dumpsters...

 

[A Carolina Chick]

Hey! Durham is fighting for the cause also! Gotta love the publicity!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/3320790/

 

[emandmikey]

Hi all! We will be on the agenda for the Wake Forest Board of Commissioner's meeting on August 19th. Tomorrow, I am handing in a packet of information to be distributed to each of the commissioners and the Mayor in advance of the meeting. This packet includes suggested amendments to the current ordinance. I hope this will help them be better informed than the Cary Town Council, and hopefully our outcome will be more positive! Thanks for all of the support!

 

[emandmikey]

Ok everyone - here's an update on the Wake Forest Saga!!! The Wake Weekly has talked with the Mayor and Town Manager, and done another article today! Apparently the Mayor seems intrigued by the idea, and has made some comments which lead me to believe she's open to it. BUT - Since it is an ordianance change, they are required to have a public hearing on the subject, and I have no idea when that will be. The issue is on the agenda for the commissioners meeting on Tuesday, August 19, at 7pm, and I had been told I would have 5 minutes to do a presentation. I have been working on it all week... and practicing with my 'speaking voice'. I still haven't seen the agenda for the meeting - so I called Town Hall today to inquire about it. I spoke with the Town Clerk, who informed me that the issue is item 70? or maybe 17? Yikes! And I will not be speaking on the issue after all... the commissioners will discuss it though, and decide about having a public hearing. The Town Clerk did recomend that I be there (duh) in case they want to ask me any questions. I've already (last night - before learning all of this) sent out an email asking for local supporters to come to the meeting to show their support... I hope they won't be mad if I'm not speaking! ARGGGG!