A Flagler Beach resident on Tuesday urged the City Commission to retain the city’s existing ban on backyard chickens, and commissioners agreed to schedule formal consideration of a possible ordinance change for the Sept. 11 meeting.

Lou Pankas told the commission that Flagler Beach’s small lot sizes, proximity to sensitive coastal wetlands and public-health risks make backyard poultry a poor fit for the city. He cited the city code — “chapter 5, section 5 through 9” — that currently prohibits livestock and poultry within city limits and said he had filed a neighbor complaint about birds being kept in apparent violation of that rule.

Pankas said code enforcement had been reluctant to act because the city attorney instructed staff to refrain from prosecution while the commission considered changes to the code. The city manager confirmed the item will be placed on the Sept. 11 agenda for more extensive discussion.

City attorney clarification: Asked how enforcement relates to pending code changes, the city attorney explained staff was following prior direction not to prosecute code violations while the city is actively considering ordinance amendments, noting that prosecuting someone only to have the ordinance changed later could create unfair results.

Commissioner reaction: Commissioners said they wanted more data before deciding and directed staff to place the ordinance review on the Sept. 11 meeting so the commission could have a fuller presentation and public discussion.

Outcomes and next steps: The commission did not change the code at the meeting but scheduled the item for a future meeting. Staff indicated they will provide the commission with a staff report and that formal code changes will be considered at the Sept. 11 meeting.