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Council adopts amended chicken ordinance after debate over enforcement and penalties
Summary
After extended debate about enforcement responsibilities and penalties, Council adopted an amended chicken ordinance that includes quail and sets penalties as class three misdemeanors (upgrading to class two for repeat violations); the motion passed 4–2–1, as recorded in the meeting.
Council discussed an amended chicken ordinance incorporating mostly grammatical revisions from the Town Attorney and substantive clarifications such as adding quail to the list of domestic birds. The Town Attorney reviewed edits including permit content (applicant name and address), weather protection for pens, and inspection language. Members pressed on enforcement: whether the town police would enforce bird-related violations, whether county animal control could enforce under interlocal agreements, and whether a town code-enforcement officer should handle compliance instead of police.
The ordinance’s enforcement language states a violation is a class three misdemeanor after a failure to comply following notice, with subsequent violations by the same person escalating to a class two misdemeanor. Council debated grandfathering existing birds versus requiring permits for those already kept, and concerns were raised about burdening police officers. Councilmember Foss moved to adopt the ordinance as amended by the Town Attorney; the motion carried with the vote recorded in the transcript as 4 yes, 2 no, 1 abstention. The ordinance will take effect per normal ordinance-adoption rules unless the Council specifies otherwise and staff will follow up on enforcement arrangements, including whether to pursue a code-enforcement hire or a mutual-aid enforcement agreement with the county.
