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Council requires resident to reduce backyard ducks and chickens, sets Nov. 7 deadline
Summary
After a complaint and photo inspection, the Chesterton Town Council voted to require a resident to reduce his ducks and chickens to four, remove male fowl and clean the property by Nov. 7; the council said state DNR paperwork will be reviewed and asked for a property‑owner permission letter.
The Chesterton Town Council voted at its Oct. 31 meeting to require a resident who keeps ducks and chickens to reduce the number of birds to four, remove any male ducks or roosters and clean his property by Nov. 7 after a complaint prompted a recent inspection.
The council took up public comment from a resident identified in the record as Scott PA, who said he runs a nonprofit program that brings birds to schools and has previously worked with the Indiana DNR. "I'm trying to keep my birds and keep my nonprofit rolling," Scott told the council, adding he had recently been hospitalized and was still recovering when staff inspected the yard.
Council members said they appreciated Scott's volunteer work but stressed local regulations must be met even if state DNR inspections were up to date. A council member (motion recorded during the meeting) cited local limits and moved that the resident bring his poultry into compliance, specifying no more than four birds, no male ducks or roosters, and that the property be cleaned by Nov. 7. The motion passed by voice vote.
Council staff asked Scott to provide copies of any DNR paperwork and a letter from the property owner indicating permission for the activity; they said those materials would be reviewed. The council also said it would ‘‘take other items under advisement’’ and look at any flexible parts of the local code in follow‑up discussions.
The action was procedural: the council set a compliance deadline and requested supporting documents rather than imposing a fine or criminal sanction at the meeting. If the resident submits the DNR paperwork and the requested owner permission letter, staff indicated they would use that information in any further administrative review.
Next steps: the council directed staff to review the submitted documents and monitor compliance with the Nov. 7 deadline. No additional enforcement action was announced at the meeting.
