(A) Sanitation for chickens. Any persons who keeps, feeds or maintains chickens in the corporate limits shall provide a bin or a pit which shall be watertight and fly-proof, or a watertight barrel with a close-fitting lid. Manure accumulating shall be placed in the bin, pit or barrel each day, and the manure shall be removed and discarded as household waste at least once a week. Likewise, uneaten feed shall be placed in the bin, pit or barrel each day, and removed at the intervals specified above for manure. The slaughter of chickens for personal use is allowed only on the property where the chickens are kept. The slaughter must be performed in a sanitary manner with the immediate proper disposal of all waste materials. Any dead chickens, not from slaughter, shall be placed and sealed in a plastic bag upon discovery and discarded with other household waste.
(B) Sheltering and limits on the type and number of chickens.
(1) Enclosed run. Chickens shall be kept in an enclosed run and shall not roam free on the property. Said enclosure shall be a minimum of 4 feet in height and must be enclosed on all sides and the top with wire mesh fencing. The enclosed run shall provide at least 10 square feet of run area per chicken. Any access gates or other access openings in the enclosed run shall be self-closing, self-latching and lockable.
(2) Coop. The coop shall be constructed of solid material and shall be located within the enclosed run or constructed and located so as only to provide ingress/egress for the chickens into the enclosed run. The coop shall provide a minimum of 3 square feet of floor area per chicken and shall be a minimum of 2 feet in height per floor or level where chickens are housed.
(3) Number, type and purpose. Chickens may be kept at a single-family residence that is zoned residential. It shall be an accessory use for any property classified in one of the residential zoning districts. The maximum number of chickens that can be kept on any residentially zoned property within the corporate limits of the city shall be 10 if there is enough square footage to meet the above requirements for run and coop space and the setback requirements below. All chickens shall be hens; no roosters are permitted. No other fowl including, but not limited to, ducks, geese or turkeys are permitted. All chickens and by-products shall be used for personal use and not sold commercially.
(4) Enclosed run and coop materials. The enclosed run and coop shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. The chickens shall have constant access to feed, clean water and bedding. All solid materials and fencing used in conjunction with the construction of the coop and enclosed run shall be suitable for exposure to moisture without deterioration and shall be conducive to regular cleaning and sanitation. Without limiting the materials that can be used, examples meeting this requirement are pressure treated wood, painted wood, wood frame with metal or vinyl siding, asphalt shingle roofing and metal roofing for the coop and galvanized or vinyl mesh fencing and fencing supports for the enclosed run. The coop shall be constructed to keep out predators.
(5) Setbacks for the keeping of chickens. The enclosed run or coop keeping the chickens shall be in the rear yard and shall be no closer to the street than the rear yard of the dwelling or principal structure and at no time may be closer than 25 feet from any adjacent property lines.
(6) Permit required for the keeping of chickens. A zoning permit for accessory use issued by the Code Enforcement Officer is necessary prior to constructing and/or erecting the enclosed run and/or coop. Submittal requirements shall include, but not be limited to, a scaled site plan showing all property lines and existing structures, the proposed enclosure, run and/or coop, the distance from the property lines to the proposed enclosure, run and/or coop, as well as a sketch or elevation(s) of the planned enclosure and/or coop design and a materials list indicating what the enclosure, run and/or coop will be constructed of. Any and all state requirements shall be complied with as well.
(7) Permit renewal and revocation. The zoning permit shall automatically renew annually. Should two confirmed/sustained notices of violations (NOVs) concerning violations of the ordinance within a one year period, the permit shall be automatically revoked. Upon permit revocation, the property owner shall be prohibited from keeping or applying for a permit to keep chickens or other fowl for a period of 2 years. Following the 2 year period, the property owner may re-apply for a permit which will include an application fee.
(Ord. 18-04, passed 9-10-2018)