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Lee's Summit council asks staff to draft ordinance to allow eight backyard hens on half‑acre lots
Summary
After reviewing the city's 2013 chicken ordinance and state guidance, council members agreed to direct staff to draft a revision permitting up to eight hens on properties of 0.5 acre or larger; staff will return with a drafted ordinance for formal consideration.
Lee's Summit City Council instructed staff on Nov. 17 to draft a revised backyard‑poultry ordinance that would allow more hens on larger lots.
Deputy Chief Bunker and Animal Control Manager Rodney Wagner reviewed the existing ordinance (adopted 2013) and current practice: the city permits up to six hens (no roosters), requires setbacks, coop standards, limits on manure storage, and restricts slaughter to enclosed, out‑of‑public‑view locations. Staff said Missouri law enacted in 2024 limits HOAs’ ability to override municipal ordinances and that six hens per ~0.2 acre is a commonly used guideline in nearby jurisdictions.
Council members debated options. Several members proposed a modest expansion — eight hens on parcels of 0.5 acre or more — to allow staggered replacements (local sellers commonly sell in groups of four) and to avoid forcing residents into repeated purchases or illegal supplementation. Animal Control cautioned that ducks were messier and carry different maintenance implications; members deferred any change about ducks.
Council’s direction was procedural: staff should draft an ordinance that raises the hen allowance to eight for properties meeting a half‑acre minimum and return the draft to council for formal consideration. Staff noted animal‑control call volume related to poultry is modest (roughly two dozen calls per year) but that a small number of enforcement cases are active.
Next steps: Staff will prepare draft language reflecting the eight‑hen / half‑acre approach, including required coop setbacks, waste management rules, and permitting or registration options, and will return the draft for council review.
