(A) License required. Any property owner wishing to harbor fowl on his or her residential property must first acquire a license from the City Clerk or his or her designee.
(1) The fee for this license shall be a one-time fee of $25.
(2) Prior to the issuance of each license, the City Clerk shall notify each abutting property owner in writing that the license applicant has applied to harbor fowl on his or her property. The abutting property owners shall have ten days to file a written objection to the application.
(3) The City Clerk may deny the license application if the applicant cannot meet the criteria set forth in the Code of Ordinances, or if an abutting property owner objects to the application.
(B) Appeal. A denial of a license application may be appealed to City Council within 30 calendar days.
(C) Any property owner licensed to harbor fowl shall adhere to the following requirements:
(1) The fowl enclosure shall be maintained in a safe and humane fashion and in a sanitary condition, free from offensive odors and accumulation of excrement and feed. All outside feed must be stored in a secured container so as not to attract vermin or predators.
(2) The fowl enclosure shall be a covered and secured pen or enclosure so that the fowl cannot escape and predators cannot access the pen or enclosure. Such pen or enclosure must have secure sides and a secure top. If the pen or structure has no bottom secured to the sides, then the sides must be embedded two feet in the ground and secured by concrete anchors to a depth of three feet at each corner.
(3) The fowl enclosure must be at least 25 feet from the nearest neighbor's property line and no closer than four feet to the owner's residential structure.
(4) No roosters, cockerels, pheasants, ducks, turkeys or other gallinaceous birds (other than provided in division (B)(5) below) shall be harbored, maintained, or kept on any property in the city.
(5) Only female chickens, female chicks or hens are permitted, and no more than six female chickens or hens shall be allowed per residential property parcel.
(6) Fowl permitted by the license shall not be harbored for a commercial purpose.
(7) Any enclosure or pen housing the fowl shall be located in the rear of the owner's residential structure, and shall not be within view of the public right of way.
(8) Any deceased fowl must be immediately removed and properly disposed of by the owner within 24 hours of discovery. Animal remains shall not be deposited in the trash for regular garbage pick-up.
(D) The City Clerk shall create or cause to be created an application for a license and a form license to be used in furtherance of this section.
(E) The City Clerk or his or her designee may revoke any license issued under this section upon finding that:
(1) The license holder is not in compliance with the provisions of division (C); or
(2) The harboring of fowl substantially interferes with the neighbors' enjoyment of their property through the emission of foul odors, noise, or attraction of predators or vermin onto neighboring properties or public rights of ways; or
(3) The license holder's harboring of fowl endangers the safety of neighboring properties; or
(4) The license holder's harboring of fowl has caused property damage or personal injury to other persons or properties.
(F) The revocation of a license may be appealed to the City Council within 30 calendar days of the service of the revocation decision.
(G) The property owner shall upon revocation of the license immediately remove the fowl and any related structures or appurtenances within seven calendar days.
(Ord. 22-04, passed 8-3-2022)