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Residents ask New Germany council to review ban on backyard chickens
Summary
During public comment residents urged the council to reconsider the city's ordinance prohibiting chickens in the Black Forest area; Council agreed to review neighboring ordinances and asked residents to submit information by month's end.
Kevin Johnson and Joe Yant asked the City of New Germany council on Sept. 17 to reconsider the city's ordinance that prohibits backyard chickens, saying residents in the Black Forest area would like the option to keep them. The request came during the meeting's public comment period.
Councilmember Kevin Grove said the city's ban is intended to prevent attracting predators to residential areas, and Council discussed differences between wild-cat presence and keeping chickens. Council agreed to review ordinances from neighboring cities that allow chickens and asked residents to provide supporting information to the Council by the end of the month.
If Council decides to entertain allowing chickens, staff advised that any ordinance and zoning changes would need to be posted for two consecutive weeks before Council can take action; the change would be brought back to the Council with a public hearing, the Council would hear from attendees, close the public hearing, and then decide. If Council adopts a new ordinance it must be published in the newspaper before it becomes effective; if Council does not change the ordinance, residents would be required to remove chickens and coops to comply with existing rules.
No formal motion or vote to change the ordinance was taken at this meeting. The item remains a direction for Council review; residents who spoke said they will submit examples from neighboring cities for the Council to consider.
