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Eldora council asks staff to draft backyard-chicken ordinance after extended debate
Summary
After residents asked for permission to keep backyard chickens, the council directed staff to draft a detailed ordinance addressing flock size, roosters, lot-size or square-foot rules, neighbor sign-off, and enforcement; a public hearing will be set after the draft is prepared.
Residents and council members spent the longest single discussion of the meeting on whether to allow backyard chickens within Eldora city limits.
Kelly and Christine Hodes told the council they wanted permission to keep a small number of chickens and said some neighbors already keep birds. "We're here tonight to ask permission," Kelly said, asking whether a permit or code change would allow a household to keep a few hens for personal use. Council members replied that the issue was on the agenda to be discussed and that a draft ordinance would be prepared for later review.
Council members examined multiple design options for a permissive ordinance: whether roosters should be allowed, whether to set a flat limit on the number of birds or to require a minimum fenced square footage per bird, and how to handle properties of different sizes. One council member said she was “not for this” but could accept a well‑regulated approach; others urged permitting with clear standards and neighbor sign-off as a way to reduce complaints. Staff cited model language used in other Iowa cities (Ankeny was specifically referenced) and recommended including provisions addressing odor, noise, predators, feed storage and chickens at large.
Council member Miley and staff member Bri were asked to draft concrete code language and an administration plan (permits, fees, monitoring and enforcement) and to return the proposed ordinance to council for review. Council members agreed to schedule a public hearing after the draft is completed and publicly posted.
The discussion also touched on legacy situations: a few households apparently have had informal or historic permissions that are not reflected in contemporary written records; staff said those existing cases would need to be clarified when the ordinance is drafted.
What’s next: staff will prepare a draft ordinance laying out permitted flock sizes or square‑foot requirements, restrictions (likely on roosters in many scenarios), permit administration and neighbor-notification/consent options, then present it to council for a public hearing and vote.
