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Proposed St. Clair ordinance to restrict chickens, goats and rabbits fails after residents object to limits
Summary
A proposed ordinance to add new rules for agricultural animals in St. Clair — including grandfathering current animals but banning large animals in residential zones and ordering roosters removed by 2035 — failed after multiple residents said the measure was rushed and would harm small household producers.
A proposed ordinance that would add sections to St. Clair’s animal code to regulate agricultural animals died after public comment and no successful motion to adopt the measure.
The measure, introduced as Bill 20255, would have added ordinances (sections 5-12 through 5-16) setting rules for chickens, goats, rabbits and other small agricultural animals. The sponsor told the board the ordinance would allow current owners to declare and keep their existing animals at their current property even if they did not meet separation requirements, while banning large animals in residential zones and requiring roosters to be disposed of by Jan. 1, 2035.
Local residents urged the board to reject or delay the ordinance. One resident who said she keeps chickens and goats told the board that rising food prices make backyard egg and dairy production important, noting “egg prices... $9 and change a dozen” and that her household relies on eggs to feed children. She said small-scale animal keeping is part of local culture and that enforcement through citations for escaped animals or noise would be a better option than broad bans.
“I'm not trying to run a dairy farm here,” said the resident, adding her family uses a small number of animals for household food and barter. Jackie S., a senior-apartment resident, said the ordinance felt rushed and criticized the city’s notice to residents, saying she would distribute agenda notices on public pages to improve awareness.
Board members opened the ordinance for public comment but did not move successfully to approve it. A member of the public later asked whether the ordinance could be reintroduced; the board responded that, because of how the measure died, it could not be brought back for at least one year.
The proposal’s sponsor had said the ordinance was intended to “draw a line in the sand” by setting forward-looking restrictions and allowing current owners to document and retain their existing animals; the sponsor recommended approval at introduction. The board’s failure to adopt the measure means current animal-keeping practices in St. Clair remain governed by existing code until any new ordinance is properly reintroduced and approved.
The Board of Aldermen will take up other agenda items at its next regular meeting on Monday the 24th at 7 p.m.
