Resident urges Morgan to relax chicken rules; city council takes comment, staff to research

Tracy Perkins, a new Morgan resident, asked the Morgan City Council on March 25 to change the city’s zoning code so residents on smaller lots could keep backyard hens.

Perkins told the council she had moved “last summer, from Layton City,” and said Morgan’s code currently “states that you must have a 20,000 square foot lot … in order to keep chickens,” which she described as “almost half an acre.” She asked the council either to adopt a smaller “sliding scale” model like Layton’s or to allow property-specific exceptions.

The request drew immediate attention from council members and staff. Gary, identified in the meeting as an attorney who recently retired as Layton’s city attorney, described Layton’s ordinance as the result of a lengthy public process and said it “has worked pretty well.” He noted practical rules — poultry must be constrained and typically secured in a coop at night in Layton because of foxes and other predators. Councilmembers raised concerns about enforcement, nuisance complaints and public-safety risks such as predators and disease.

Mayor Gail and other councilmembers did not vote on a change during the meeting. Instead, councilmembers instructed staff to research options and acknowledged Layton’s model as a reference point. Gary and staff said they would begin work on potential drafting and outreach.

Perkins also told the council she had discussed the idea informally with neighbors, who she said supported allowing hens on smaller lots as long as roosters were prohibited. She emphasized benefits including lower grocery costs, reduced food waste and fertilizer for gardens.

The council gave no direction to place a specific ordinance on the next agenda during the meeting; rather, staff said they would return with draft options for council review.