Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Urban Chickens topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Washington Terrace council tables urban chicken ordinance after wide-ranging debate
Summary
After a lengthy discussion on enforcement, fees, sales prohibition, setbacks and application requirements, the council voted Dec. 3 to table Ordinance 24-07 (urban chickens) until the first meeting in January to allow staff to complete a fee analysis and make agreed edits.
Councilmembers spent the bulk of the Dec. 3 meeting debating Ordinance 24-07, a proposed urban-chicken code that would license backyard chickens, set maintenance standards and establish enforcement procedures.
Staff and council wrestled with enforcement language, including a provision that violations would be treated as infractions with fines "not to exceed $750 per violation," and whether the ordinance should include a specific 30-day compliance window. Councilmembers agreed the ordinance would reference the citys infraction schedule and that judges typically set fine amounts in court. Staff committed to preparing a fee analysis showing administrative costs (application, reinspections and enforcement) so the council could set specific license and reinspection fees in the citys fee schedule rather than embedding fixed fees in the ordinance.
Members also discussed several substantive edits: remove a redundant maintenance subsection, clarify that chicken manure/compost is for personal use only ("off-site disposal or personal home use, no sales permitted"), and explicitly prohibit egg or meat sales from permitted chickens. The council debated lot-size thresholds and coop sizing and whether listing lot-size cutoffs in the ordinance would create enforcement complexity; the application and site-plan process were proposed as key checks to ensure compliance.
Setbacks from property lines drew extended debate: councilmembers preferred a 10-foot setback for practical resident use while noting a 15-foot requirement is mandated by fire code for heating elements and cannot be reduced if heat sources are present. Councilmembers expressed concern about enforcement burden on small lots and that a robust application/inspection process would be necessary to prevent noncompliance.
Given outstanding questions about the fee analysis and a few remaining language edits, one councilmember moved to table the ordinance until the first meeting in January. The motion carried by voice vote; staff will return with the fee analysis and revised language reflecting the agreed edits.
