Corinne council agrees to rewrite animal-limits ordinance and set public hearing in August

Corinne — City council members discussed proposed changes to local rules that allow farm animals on residential lots and agreed to send a revised draft to a public hearing in August.

The discussion was prompted by Council Member Greg Harris, who described a neighborhood conflict: “This goat situation that we're dealing with now has made the lives of, like, 6 surrounding families miserable,” Harris said, urging the council to reconsider whether livestock such as goats should be allowed on small building lots.

Council members and residents focused on two core fixes: clarifying the ordinance language so “small animals” cannot be interpreted to permit livestock, and adjusting the minimum lot size required to keep larger animals. One suggestion that received repeated support was increasing the acreage threshold for horses, cattle, sheep and goats from roughly a half-acre to a full acre. A separate proposal discussed was an explicit prohibition on pigs in town limits.

Supporters of change argued the current phrasing leaves loopholes. “Small animals is the way it reads, it starts out fine, but it says, and other small animals are allowed. Okay. That opens the door,” a participant said during debate. Several council members noted that properties currently used for animals that no longer meet a revised standard would remain noncompliant but could be handled through standard nonconforming-property rules.

Opponents or cautioning voices urged precision rather than sweeping bans, and asked how many existing homes would be affected; one council member estimated “5, 6, 10, if that” properties might qualify under a stricter rule. Speakers also raised public-safety and nuisance concerns — complaints about odor, rats and animals roaming off property — as reasons for reform.

Council members asked staff to (a) tighten the ordinance definitions to clearly distinguish permitted small domestic animals (chickens, ducks, rabbits as specified) from agricultural animals and (b) add a line explicitly prohibiting pigs in the agricultural bracket. The council agreed to make the edits and schedule a public hearing for the ordinance change at the first meeting in August, with required public-notice steps (two weeks in the local paper) to follow.

The council did not take a final vote on a replacement ordinance at the meeting; the item was referred to staff for revision and formal public hearing placement.

What happens next: staff will produce a revised draft reflecting the clarified definitions (including “no pigs” language and an increased acreage threshold as discussed) and the council will hold a public hearing at the first August meeting before any change becomes final.