Residents ask Lebanon council to loosen chicken limit; council asks staff for report

Two residents urged the Lebanon City Council on Feb. 12 to raise the limit on backyard hens and to add a requirement that owners take "reasonable care" to deter pests, and councilors asked staff to bring a report on the ordinance and permit process within the next month or two.

Proponent Wyatt King of Ward 2 asked the council to change “ordinance o 6 16 o 10, sections a 2 and a 4” to increase the allowance from “1 chicken per 2,000 square foot of lot with a maximum of 6” to “1 chicken per 1,000 with a maximum of 10,” and to add a condition requiring reasonable care to deter pests. King said increasing backyard production would help families with access to affordable, locally sourced food and “increase our community resilience.”

Another resident, Steven Patterson of Ward 3, spoke in support and described how production declines with a flock’s age and across winter months, saying larger flocks or rotation help maintain egg supply.

Council discussion later in the meeting focused on whether the city already has a permit mechanism for larger flocks, enforcement capacity, and neighbor consent. A councilor noted they had checked with the police department and were told there have been no recent complaints. Council members repeatedly emphasized the difference between properly maintained flocks and poorly kept flocks that could attract pests.

City staff told the council that the current code allows a property owner to apply for a permit to exceed the default limit; that permit requires neighbor buy-in within the required distance and allows the city to place conditions. The council asked staff to return with a written staff report that (1) describes the existing ordinance and permit steps, (2) outlines enforcement implications and any fees, and (3) compares neighboring municipalities’ limits and permit approaches.

Several council members cautioned that raising the numeric limit without additional enforcement measures would shift resource needs to code enforcement and the police department. One councilor said, "When you start adding on those additional layers, you are adding on a level of enforcement requirements and resource requirements, and expectation onto that, right?" (attributed to a council speaker during discussion).

The council did not adopt an ordinance at the meeting. Staff said they will prepare a report for a future meeting, and that changes to the ordinance would require a formal ordinance amendment if the council chooses to proceed.

Ending: The council requested the staff report including neighboring-city comparisons and permit details; no ordinance change or formal vote on a numeric limit was taken on Feb. 12.