(a) Permit Required. Any person who keeps chicken within the City shall obtain a permit from the City prior to acquiring the chickens and pay a permit fee set by City Council. Applications shall be made to the City of Howell Community Development Department. Permits are nontransferable.
(b) Neighbor Consent. No permit shall be issued and no chickens shall be allowed to be kept unless the owners of all adjacent properties (as defined below) consent in writing to the permit and this consent is presented along with an application for a permit.
(c) Term of Permit. Permits are issued on an annual basis and are then renewable annually.
(d) Adjacent Property. For the purposes of this chapter, "adjacent property" is defined as any property sharing any part of a property line or corner with the parcel proposed for the keeping of chickens.
(e) Requirements. Each person holding a permit to keep chickens within the City shall comply with the following:
(1) The principle use of the property where the chickens are to be kept must be a single family dwelling as defined by the City of Howell Zoning Ordinance;
(2) No more than six hens per parcel;
(3) No keeping of roosters;
(4) No slaughter of any chickens;
(5) Chickens shall not be kept in any location on the property other than the backyard as defined by the City of Howell Zoning Ordinance;
(6) Chickens shall be provided with a covered enclosure and must be kept in the covered enclosure or in a fenced enclosure at all times. Fenced enclosures are subject to the requirements of Section 5.11 of the City of Howell Zoning Ordinance;
(7) Chickens shall be provided with a secure, well-ventilated, roofed and lockable enclosure. The floors and walls of the structure shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition;
(8) No covered enclosure or fenced enclosure shall be located closer than ten feet to any property line;
(9) No covered enclosure or fenced enclosure shall be located closer than forty feet from any residential structure on an adjacent property;
(10) All enclosures for the keeping of chickens shall be so constructed as to prevent rats, mice, or other rodents from being harbored underneath, within, or within the walls of the enclosure;
(11) Chicken feed must be stored within a tightly lidded container in a shed, garage, or similar storage area; and
(12) Waste materials (feed, manure, litter) shall be disposed of in a sanitary manner (which may include bagging or composting) and not piled or otherwise stored on the property.
(f) Application for Permit. An application for a permit for keeping chickens shall be made on a form provided by the City, shall be accompanied by a payment of a non-refundable annual permit fee in an amount set by resolution of City Council and shall include, but not be limited to, the following information:
(1) Number of chickens;
(2) Description of all pens, coops, cages and enclosures constructed for housing and confining chickens;
(3) The distance and location of all pens, coops, cages and enclosures from all adjacent property lines and residential structures; and
(4) Documentation of consent from all adjacent property owners.
(g) Amendment. No additional fee shall be required for an amendment to a permit.
(h) Violation of Section and Revocation of Permits. If any of the above requirements are not complied with, the City may revoke any permit granted under this section and/or initiate a civil infraction violation pursuant to Section 606.99. The City may also revoke a permit if a person's chickens become a nuisance as defined in Section 652.01 or the permit holder receives two verified violations pertaining to the keeping of chickens within a six month period.
(Ord. 883. Passed 10-28-13.)