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Monte Vista staff announce chicken-license rules, launch new city website and discuss automated speed-enforcement pilot
Summary
City staff outlined requirements for keeping chickens within city limits, unveiled a new ADA-accessible municipal website, and the interim police chief proposed a pilot for automated speed-enforcement cameras; IT reported recent equipment upgrades for the police department.
City staff provided a package of administrative updates at the March 6 Monte Vista City Council meeting, including rules for keeping backyard chickens, the launch of a new city website, a proposed speed-enforcement camera pilot, and recent technology upgrades for public safety staff.
The city clerk said residents may keep up to six chickens within city limits if their zoning allows it, but roosters are prohibited. The clerk described licensing requirements: a chicken license is $40 and the first year includes a $10 fee for each chicken; in subsequent years the license fee is $40 only. The clerk said residents must provide adequate coop and run facilities; violations (including keeping a rooster where prohibited) could result in fines up to $100 per day for 10 days and potential municipal-court action.
The city’s new website is live, staff said. The site includes ADA-accessibility options, department pages, online forms and payments, a calendar of events, links to community partners, and a “how do I” resident-resources section. Staff said the site will add targeted email notifications that can reach specific neighborhoods or utility-account holders when, for example, a water leak or other localized event occurs.
Interim Police Chief (presenting) described a proposal from a company, Emergent Enforcement Solutions, for automated speed-enforcement cameras. The chief said the company offers handheld and stationary systems and will provide units for a trial period at no cost. The proposed model treats violations as civil infractions with a $40 fine; the proposal as described would allocate $26 of each fine to the city and $14 to the vendor. The chief said the system operates like metropolitan red-light or speed-camera programs and that a detailed contract and ordinance changes would require review by the city attorney before any pilot.
The IT director reported replacement of police body cameras (upgrading units), replacement of several laptops and desktops, a planned cell-phone replacement cycle by April, and an update to the city’s managed-printing contract. The city manager reminded the council that many grant programs are in flux at state and federal levels and thanked staff and partners for Crane Festival preparations.
Why it matters: The chicken-license requirements affect homeowners who may be considering backyard poultry; the website launch centralizes forms and payments for residents; and the proposed speed-enforcement pilot could change how traffic enforcement is handled and bring additional revenue to the city if implemented.
