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Board advances rules to allow up to four hens on residential lots under new ordinance
Summary
After public comment and debate over enforcement, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen advanced Ordinance 25-02 to allow up to four hens on residential properties under specified conditions including secure, setback coops and odor-free requirements; the item passed its first reading and was scheduled for follow-up.
Kimberly Ellsworth told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen she sought permission to keep four hens on a lot just under 1 acre, saying the animals would be kept in a secure coop "at all times" and would teach her son responsibility and animal care. "Having fresh eggs would contribute to our household sustainability," Ellsworth said.
At a first reading of Ordinance 25-02, staff and the planning commission representative described the measure as replacing the current one-acre special-exception requirement with more detailed standards: a limit of four hens, requirements for an enclosed, secured coop, a minimum setback (coops not to be within 10 feet of property lines) and an explicit odor-free provision. The planning commission approved the ordinance before it came to the board.
Councilors spent most of the discussion on enforcement and neighborhood impacts. One council member said enforcement will be complaint-driven and asked whether the code includes repeat-offender consequences; the planning commission representative said the ordinance would allow nuisance citations and that repeat violations could lead to loss of the privilege. Another councilor asked how the city will judge whether odors are acceptable and whether fences should be required on lots without enclosed yards.
Supporters and some council members noted the city has had relatively few formal complaints about chickens. "This gives us some teeth to enforce," a council member said, noting the proposed rules provide clearer standards than the existing code.
The board completed the first reading of Ordinance 25-02 and later voted to approve the motion presented that evening to advance the ordinance; the record shows the motion carried. Councilors said staff will follow up on enforcement procedures and that future amendments or clarifications could be considered after implementation.
The ordinance language on enforcement, nuisance thresholds and any repeat-violation sanctions will be available in the finalized draft before a subsequent reading and final vote.
