Council agrees on draft chicken ordinance: half-acre minimum, hens only, three birds, enclosed coops

Minnetrista City Council reached consensus on a draft ordinance to allow backyard chickens with conditions: parcels must be at least one-half acre, no roosters are permitted, a maximum of three hens is allowed, and birds must be contained in fully enclosed coops (cage or structure) to prevent free‑ranging.

The proposal grew from resident requests and research the council said it conducted on nearby cities. Councilmember Claudia Lacey urged compromise and suggested starting with conservative limits and reassessing in a year. Councilmember Kathleen Refkin and others debated lot-size thresholds; Refkin expressed concern about changing ordinances to accommodate a single resident and stressed the need to consider HOA rules and broader community impacts.

Staff explained enforcement constraints if the city does not require a permit. City staff recommended a "soft launch" without an initial permitting program to reduce administrative burden; under that approach, the city would handle complaints through its standard code‑enforcement process and potentially require permits only if problems emerged. Councilmembers discussed permitting as a way to track compliance, but staff said permitting would require added staff time and a new process.

Council asked staff to draft an ordinance reflecting the agreed elements — half acre minimum, three hens, all hens (no roosters), fully enclosed coops, coops under 200 square feet would not require building permits but remain subject to existing setback rules — and to return it as a business item at the next council meeting.

The work session did not adopt an ordinance; it produced policy direction and a clear set of drafting instructions for staff.