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Votes at a glance: Policy & Finance Committee approves chicken ordinance, land-bank conveyance, building code adoption and fee changes
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Summary
The committee approved a rooster ban and limits on chickens, authorized staff to market one surplus parcel and to convey another to the land bank, adopted the 2024 International Building Code with amendments, and approved fee-schedule and permit-deadline changes; a motion to repeal a company-issued Class B license failed for lack of a second.
The Topeka City Policy and Finance Committee voted on multiple ordinances and resolutions during the meeting. Key outcomes follow.
• Chicken and rooster ordinance — Approved (3–0). City staff proposed banning roosters on properties smaller than 3 acres and allowing up to eight female chickens on residential lots under 3 acres, while creating a permitting structure and associated fees. The committee moved and approved the ordinance.
• Surplus property: 1121 Southeast Quincy Street — Approved (3–0). Staff recommended marketing the larger parcel (including a water tower site) through the city’s contracted real-estate broker for sale and repurposing; the committee approved proceeding.
• Surplus property: 307 Southeast 12th Street — Approved (3–0) to convey to the Land Bank (option B). Staff presented two resolutions (broker sale or land-bank conveyance) and described the parcel as about 30x76 feet with required setbacks; the committee directed staff to proceed with land-bank conveyance.
• 2024 International Building Code (commercial) — Approved (3–0). Building-code staff recommended adopting the 2024 code with local amendments (for example, continued sprinkler exemptions for two-family dwellings and increased fire-resistance and alarm requirements for mixed-use units); the committee recommended moving the ordinance forward.
• Resolution amending the city fee schedule — Approved (3–0). The committee approved reducing the commercial burn permit fee from $110 to $100 and restoring the animal-control late permit fee to $2 per month (not to exceed $24 per year); staff also asked to add application/renewal/late fees for chicken permits tied to the poultry ordinance.
• Ordinance amending code language for obtaining permits after the deadline (animal-control permits) — Approved (3–0). Legal staff said this would return the late fee language to its prior code form ($2/month, not to exceed $24/year).
• Class B trades-license repeal — No action (motion failed for lack of second). Staff proposed repealing a company-issued license and requiring individual tradespeople to be licensed; council members asked for comparative research before changing the code.
Votes and motions recorded in the transcript were unanimous among the three committee members present (3–0) for the items the committee approved. Several items were advanced to the governing body for the next formal readings or implementation steps.
