Council weighs draft to allow hens in residential zones; staff flagged enforcement and impoundment challenges

City staff presented a draft revision of ordinance 6-18.04 on Oct. 28 that would expand where backyard hens are allowed and how they would be regulated. The draft would permit up to six hens in R1, R2 and C2 zones (hens only; roosters prohibited), require rear-yard coops enclosed by a privacy fence up to 6 feet, require an annual animal permit per the city fee schedule, and prohibit outdoor butchering.

Staff said existing animal-control language covers many related issues but that a specific section (impoundment and destruction of dogs) is dog-centric and would need broader revision to address chickens. The presenter noted the city currently has no facility or clear process to impound or store chickens and that costs for containment, veterinary services or contracts to rehome or euthanize birds are "not well positioned right now" and "we really have no reliable estimate of what those costs actually would be."

Marshall Hall, the city's chief building official, urged practical setback rules: "You cannot go off of another existing property to match something up on your property," he said, supporting the draft's 10-foot offsets from side and rear property lines to make cooperative enforcement feasible.

Officer Lovato of the police department urged the council to give enforcement clear standards, including winter provisions (heat lamps), a graduated system of fines and revocations, and explicit direction on what the police should do with birds that are impounded, rehomed or euthanized. "I just want to know what is expected of us," Lovato said, asking for clarity on duties and consequences so officers are not making ad hoc decisions.

Residents at the meeting urged lower permit fees and larger bird limits for families. One resident, Jeremy, said a $50 annual fee ("dollars 50 was what was stated") would be high for some households and that six hens produces about 18 24 eggs per week, which for some families may not meet all needs. Council discussed alternatives including reducing the limit to three hens to match dog limits, keeping chickens defined as domestic animals under state statute, or allowing the six-hen proposal to help household food security.

Staff recommended that if council finds the draft acceptable, staff should prepare a final ordinance for the three-reading adoption process; council did not take a final vote on the draft at this meeting and requested additional detail on enforcement, permit fees, and winter care before formal readings.