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Bloomington board delays new chicken ordinance; will handle complaints case‑by‑case
Summary
After reviewing neighboring municipalities' ordinances, the board agreed Bloomington's current noisy‑fowl and odor provisions will be used for now; Chief Small will address complaints and the issue will be revisited in 6–12 months amid pending state legislation.
Chief Small briefed the board on recent complaints and reviewed ordinances from nearby communities that include coop setbacks, rooster bans and waste management rules. He told the board Bloomington’s code currently addresses noisy fowl (Chapter 7) and animals causing odors (Chapter 9), but lacks explicit setback or numeric limits for chickens.
"Most of these ordinances restrict roosters and address issues such as proximity to property lines and waste management," Chief Small said, presenting examples from Montfort, Fenimore, Platteville and Lancaster. After discussion the board reached consensus to continue addressing issues through existing provisions for now and to revisit whether a dedicated chicken ordinance is needed in 6–12 months, especially if state legislation changes.
