Georgetown continues review of backyard‑chicken framework and development impact fee; staff seeks stakeholder input

The Georgetown City Council on Monday continued work on two ongoing items — a proposed backyard‑chicken ordinance and a development impact fee study — without taking final votes.

On backyard chickens, staff said the city has gathered feedback from animal control, code enforcement and other departmental stakeholders and will present a final ordinance later. Council members and staff discussed key policy choices including whether to allow roosters (staff said most comparable ordinances disallow roosters), whether slaughter for personal consumption should be permitted (department feedback noted a difference between commercial slaughter and personal consumption), and whether the city should maintain a centralized list of active permits accessible to animal control, code enforcement and dispatch.

A staff memo cited a proposed Section 9 that would prohibit breeding or slaughtering within city limits; staff and council told attendees that departments had suggested personal‑consumption slaughter at the household level could be permitted while commercial slaughter or sale would remain prohibited. Council members asked that a permit registry be made available to enforcement departments so officers can verify active permits quickly.

On the development impact fee, staff reported a stakeholders meeting had been held and a dedicated webpage with the presentation and comment submission process will be created. The staff presentation and subsequent remarks highlighted that the consultant’s contract includes a limited number of in‑person visits and the city will evaluate whether additional in‑person engagement is warranted to reach stakeholders who could not attend virtual meetings.

Council directed staff to continue stakeholder outreach, post presentation materials and open a channel for written feedback. No final ordinance or fee schedule was adopted Monday.