A. Permit Required. No person shall raise, harbor or keep urban fowl within the City of Oxford without a valid permit obtained from the Permitting Officer under the provisions of this Chapter. The permit fee will be established by resolution of the City Council.
B. Application. In order to obtain a permit, an applicant must file a completed application with the City Clerk and pay all fees required by this Chapter.
C. Requirements. The requirements to the receipt of a permit include:
1. All requirements of this Chapter are met;
2. All fees, as may be provided for from time to time by City Council resolution, for the permit are paid in full;
3. All judgments in the City's favor and against the applicant have been paid in full;
4. The tract of land to be permitted shall contain only one Single Family Dwelling occupied and used as such by the permittee.
5. The applicant has obtained permission by way of a signature from the residents of all immediately adjacent dwellings of the applicant's property.
6. The applicant has successfully completed an approved class in raising urban fowl in an urban setting. The City shall maintain a current list of such approved classes.
7. The Permitting Officer has inspected the tract of land and found it to be suitable for urban fowl.
D. Issuance of Permit. If the Permitting Officer concludes as a result of the information contained in the application that the requirements for a permit have been met, then the Permitting Officer shall issue the permit.
E. Denial, suspension, revocation, non renewal. The Permitting Officer may deny, suspend, revoke, or decline to renew any permit issued for any of the following grounds:
1. False statements on any application or other information or report required by this section to be given by the applicant;
2. Failure to pay any application, penalty, re inspection or reinstatement fee required by this section or city council resolution;
3. Failure to correct deficiencies noted in notices of violation in the time specified in the notice;
4. Failure to comply with the provisions of an approved mitigation/remediation plan by the Permitting Officer, or designee.
5. Failure to comply with any provision of this Chapter.
F. Notification. A decision to revoke, suspend, deny or not renew a permit shall be in writing, delivered by certified mail or in person to the address indicated on the application. The notification shall specify reasons for the action.
G. Effect of revocation/denial. When an application for a permit is denied, or when a permit is revoked, the applicant may not reapply for a new permit for a period of one (1) year from the date of the denial or revocation.
H. Appeals. No permit may be denied, suspended, revoked, or not renewed without notice and an opportunity to be heard is given the applicant or holder of the permit. In any instance where the Permitting Officer has denied, revoked, suspended, or not renewed a permit, the applicant or holder of urban fowl may appeal the decision to the City Council, within seven (7) days of receipt by the applicant or holder of the permit of the notice of the decision. Written notice of appeal must be filed with the City Clerk in the time required. The applicant or holder of the permit will be given an opportunity for a hearing in front of the City Council. The decision of the City Council, or any decision by the Permitting Officer which is not appealed in accordance to this Chapter shall be deemed final action. (Ord. 2022-1, 2-8-2022)