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Council declines to move forward on allowing backyard chickens after lengthy debate
Summary
After an extended discussion about enforcement, neighbor impacts and local tradition, the Kenyon City Council voted 3–2 on May 13 not to direct staff to implement or draft an ordinance to allow backyard chickens in city limits.
Kenyon — The City Council on May 13 debated whether to move forward with allowing backyard chickens inside city limits and ultimately decided not to proceed, voting 3–2 against directing staff to finalize an ordinance.
Council members and staff reviewed the history of prior attempts to change the city code (noting considerations in 2003, 2020 and 2023). Supporters argued that Kenyon’s agricultural character and residents’ interest in self-sufficiency justified allowing a limited number of backyard hens under rules. Opponents stressed the administrative and enforcement burden a new ordinance would create, the risk of nuisance complaints and predator issues, and the potential for neighbors to file repeated complaints that would consume staff and police resources.
The police chief cautioned about enforcement realities, summarized in the meeting as the practical risk that chickens introduce additional complaints for city staff to handle; the chief's remark captured the enforcement tone of the discussion: "Get chickens at your own risk."
Council members also discussed practical regulatory options raised by staff — for example, restricting roosters, specifying enclosure standards, limiting counts, requiring setbacks and considering neighbor-notice provisions — but concerns about staff time and the complaints-driven enforcement model led the council to decline the next step of directing staff to invest more resources in drafting and processing an ordinance.
Vote: the motion to move forward with allowing chickens failed, three nays to two yays. With that outcome, staff will not proceed with ordinance development unless reassigned direction from the council in a future meeting.
