A proposal to allow backyard chickens in Butte-Silver Bow drew public input and a staff-led review on July 23, and commissioners voted to place the communication on file while Animal Services rewrites the ordinance language.

Garrity Hyre, the proposal's author, told commissioners, "Butte wants and needs our backyard chickens. They're quiet, sustainable, and my proposal advocates for responsible ownership with standards protecting neighbors and a permit fee offsetting animal services involvement." Hyre said she had since revised parts of her draft to avoid creating extra work for Animal Services and to broaden access for residents.

Animal Services Director Hogarth told the council the Animal Services Board held a special meeting and recommended rejecting Hyre's proposal as written and returning to the drawing board with more public input. "The chicken or foul ordinance will be on our list next," Director Hogarth said, outlining a schedule that included committee reviews in August, a rough board review by Sept. 16 and a planned Judiciary discussion in early October.

At the Committee of the Whole, Commissioner Thatcher moved to place communication number 2025-319 on file; Commissioner Fisher seconded. The clerk recorded the vote as eight ayes and one nay, and the motion passed.

Why it matters: the proposed change would alter zoning and animal-control rules that affect residents' ability to keep backyard poultry, neighborhood character and Animal Services enforcement workload.

Details of the proposal and staff response: Hyre recommended several refinements in her remarks: replacing property-line setbacks with setbacks measured from neighboring residences; removing annual permit renewals and using the same permit process regardless of flock size; shifting inspections from random to scheduled; and allowing enforcement focused on complaints. Director Hogarth said those issues and others will be considered during the ordinance review process. Several commissioners, including Commissioner Callahan and Commissioner Anderson, emphasized the need for public input and legal review. Commissioner Anderson proposed placing the communication in a suspense file to ensure it reappears; that motion lacked a second and died.

Next steps: Animal Services will work with the county attorney and its board to redraft the ordinance language, then forward recommended changes to Judiciary for committee review and possible public hearings. The July 23 vote to place the communication on file does not adopt any ordinance language.