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Mansfield council advances backyard-hens ordinance after hours of public comment
Summary
After more than an hour of public comment—dominated by residents, families and students urging approval—Mansfield City Council voted to waive further readings so the proposed backyard-hens ordinance (Bill 25-178) can be considered for final passage, while several members raised enforcement, renter/landlord and public-health concerns.
MANSFIELD, Ohio — Mansfield City Council advanced a proposed ordinance to allow backyard hens after an extended public-comment period in which scores of residents, including children and local realtors, urged passage.
Supporters said authorized backyard hens would improve food security, provide educational opportunities for children and strengthen neighborhood ties. “Please vote yes to backyard hens,” 8‑year‑old Serena Hughes told council during the public-comment period. Kelsey Canning, a local resident who presented research and a petition, said the ordinance includes biosecurity training and landlord sign-off to reduce risks.
The ordinance (Bill 25‑178) would permit a limited number of hens, require a permit and an inspection at initial registration, ban roosters, and allow code enforcement to inspect compliance. Councilmember Meyer and others emphasized those safeguards while acknowledging enforcement limits: the city currently has two code enforcement officers who are new to the role and the administration added a codes supervisor to oversee enforcement and training.
Not all council members were comfortable moving ahead immediately. Councilmember Robertson repeated concerns raised by several callers about absentee landlords and rental properties, questioning whether permits signed by property owners can be reliably enforced. Another member, citing recent news about avian influenza in another state, urged caution on public-health grounds.
Mayor Perry described implementation details that city staff have been preparing: the program would not take effect until the spring (the mayor said April 1 is the tentative start), landlords must sign off on permits for rentals, and the administration has compiled a list of local adopters willing to take chickens that become homeless or unclaimed. “We will do an inspection out of the gate,” the mayor said, describing the first-year inspection-plus-renewal approach.
Council voted to suspend certain procedural rules and to waive further readings to bring Bill 25‑178 forward for a final vote that evening, a procedural step that moves the ordinance to immediate consideration. The transcript does not record final adoption of Bill 25‑178 during the segment reviewed here; the council action recorded in the transcript was to advance the bill for final consideration.
What’s next: The ordinance will be presented for final passage at the same meeting (procedural votes were recorded to allow that) and, if passed, would take effect on the delayed implementation date described by the administration so staff can complete initial inspections and public outreach.
Provenance: Topic introduction SEG 2340; topic finish SEG 3050.
Speakers quoted/used: Serena Hughes (public commenter), Kelsey Canning (public commenter), Mayor Perry (administration), Councilmember Meyer (sponsor/participant).
