A resident asked the City of Sydney City Council on Sept. 9 to revise the city ordinance to allow residents to keep backyard chickens inside city limits, prompting a lengthy discussion about permit rules, setbacks and enforcement capacity. Council members did not move to change the code and took no action.

The request came from Megan Donardo, who described moving back inside the city and wanting hens for household egg supply and children’s education. “I propose 10,” Donardo said, citing ordinances in other Nebraska cities and her review of sample rules from Columbus, Denver and Grand Island.

The proposal prompted questions from council members and city staff about practical limits, public-health and nuisance risks, and how the city would enforce new rules. Sierra, the city’s code enforcement officer, warned that enforcement would be difficult with current staffing, saying the department has “1 code officer” handling grass, parking, animals and many other complaints and that adding poultry oversight “is just not gonna be feasible.”

Council members and staff discussed a range of rule options raised during the public comment: limiting poultry to hens (no roosters), capping numbers, requiring enclosed runs and coops, setback distances from neighboring structures and property lines, minimum space per bird, neighbor consent or a permitting process, and small annual fees to fund enforcement. Donardo suggested a minimum of 2 square feet per bird and proposed setbacks and permit options; she also said some cities require neighbor signatures or a permit application that documents yard and coop dimensions.

Staff and several council members said zoning already allows poultry in agricultural or agricultural-residential zones and that some residents currently keep birds in those areas; the question is whether to expand allowances inside other residential zones. Enforcement and cost were recurring concerns: staff noted comparable Nebraska cities that allow backyard poultry have larger code-enforcement divisions, while Sydney has one code officer. Council members suggested options including a limited pilot or an explicit cap on permits, but they worried that limited permits could be easily ignored without effective enforcement.

No motion was made to change the ordinance. Donardo offered to provide a draft set of guidelines for council consideration, and councilmembers asked staff to gather more public input and sample ordinances. “I think there’s room to find a solution or find something in the middle,” one councilmember said.

The council recorded no formal vote or ordinance amendment at the meeting; the subject will return to the council for further discussion if staff or council requests formal drafting or a public hearing.