Plan Commission Considers Keeping Chickens

The Monona Plan Commission will consider the proposed ordinance to allow the keeping of chickens at its March 9 meeting:

Monona Public Library Community Media Room

1000 Nichols Road
Monday

March 9, 2009
7:00 p.m.

The item is on the agenda after a couple of other items, but the appearance section is (as always) near the beginning of the meeting. Public input is encouraged. Show up and speak up. Be concise and nice, but remember you are a free citizen in a democracy not a supplicant to the crown.

March 9, 2009 Plan Commission Agenda

You can find the draft ordinance here: Draft Ordinance Amendment for the Keeping of Chickens in Single- and Two-Family Residence Districts

Note: The staff report is not on the web site. I have asked staff to correct this deficiency ASAP.

Here are some excerpts from the staff report:

At the Plan Commission meeting on February 16, 2009 City staff was asked to research the following:

o how many licenses and / or permits the City of Madison issued for chickens and chicken keeping areas in the past year to determine its popularity,
o any complaints and / or objections they have received from adjacent property owners regarding the keeping of chickens, and
o Madison’s Municipal Code for their rules, regulations, and general language allowing the keeping of chickens in residentially zoned areas.

These questions and research are addressed in the attached documents. (MD: Not attached)

Current Policy or Practice
Section 13-1-43 Amendment Procedure contains the process for amendment of the Zoning Ordinance. Copies of the proposed draft ordinance amendment Section 13-1-80 and 13-1-81 are attached. The draft ordinance amendment shows the changes proposed to the following subsections, which are underlined:

o Sec. 13-1-80(g)
o Sec. 13-1-81(h)
o Sec. 13-1-80 (c)(2)g (Fee of $10)
o Sec. 13-1-81 (c)(2)h (Fee of $10)

Recommendation
No action is requested at this prehearing conference.

The following items should be discussed and addressed in addition to any others proposed by the Plan Commission, prior to action or recommendation on an ordinance amendment:

o the information on standards and procedures from the City of Madison;
o the impact keeping chickens on a residential property will have on adjacent property owners and tenants;
o the sanitary impacts on the property, property owners, tenants, and adjacent properties, property owners, and tenants;
o the structural standards for chicken keeping enclosures;
o the slaughtering of chickens outside or inside the property;
o setbacks of the chicken keeping area in relation to adjacent properties; and
o a threshold percentage of complaints from surrounding properties regarding a chicken keeping area in which the chicken keeping area will not be approved [see Sec. 28.08(2)(b)8.j.vii of the Madison Municipal Code in attached summary];
o what methods could be used to heat the chicken coops in the colder months, and do they comply with the Monona Fire Code for fire safety.


FISCAL IMPACT:

Cost of inspections and code enforcement