Urban Hens Now Acknowledged as Legitimate Residents

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/government-and-politics/billings-city-council-action-aims-to-spruce-up-abandoned-buildings/article_38c4894a-20c3-5464-afeb-4455270b0348.html

Pardon our delay in the Big News; urban henkeeping has become a legitimate occupation for Billings residents. The Council okayed the vote 6-4 with Hanel, Cimmino, Pitman and Astle voting Nay.

Effective 10/10/12, residents can obtain a Chicken Permit from the city at a cost of $25 per year. Specific limitations will apply. The nonprofit “sister” site to this site, http://MagicCityHens.wordpress.com, will soon have a link to print the permit paperwork and a copy of the approved ordinance.

This site will no longer be used for updating on the efforts to obtain a clear urban hen ordinance for Billings as that has now been addressed. Please join the Magic City Hens site for information on classes, chicken adoptions, compost relocations, and the annual Magic City Hen Expo. You can also check out our Facebook pages: Magic City Hens, or Billings Backyard Hen Initiative.

Thanks for all the support, Billings!! (“>

Final Vote Tonight 9/10/12

If you can make it, tonight would be a super time to attend a City Council meeting! The Council will give a final vote on the urban hen ordinances tonight, 9/10/12 at the 6:30PM meeting in Council chambers.

We’re pretty close to the top of the agenda so it shouldn’t be a late night for hen supporters, although the Council has a pretty full agenda themselves.

Want to be In on the Hen Win? Come join us and help us applaud a City Council who has heard their constituents!! (“>

A Note of Thanks

For the past 16 months, we have asked hen supporters to write to the Mayor and City Council regarding your support of urban hens in Billings. Now we’re going to ask something slightly different.

Will you consider writing a brief note of appreciation for this vote? The Council/Mayor have had to wade through months of rhetoric, fears, facts, accusations, documentation, phone calls, emails, citizen testimony and more… from both sides of the coop. They came out of that on the side of urban hens. Would you write them to just say a simple “Thank you!” for the work they have done? Council@ci.billings.mt.us and HanelT@ci.billings.mt.us.

Additionally, we were remiss in not expressing our gratitude to the city staff who have indicated that, while they will proceed with the issue whichever way the Council votes, they were supportive of our efforts. The Planning and Animal Control departments in particular have been gracious, fair, and encouraging during this work. On behalf of the Billings Backyard Hen Initiative, THANK YOU! It has been a struggle for all of us to keep this issue above-board and respectful of persons and job functions during this long process; mis-quotes and misunderstandings will happen at times. The only ones who got ugly about this were the anonymous commenters to the Billings Gazette online articles, and it’s easy to be inflammatory when you’re hiding behind anonymity. This issue did NOT denigrate into mud-slinging and bitterness among those of us with our names and faces out in public (citizens, city staff, City Council), and we very much appreciate that fact!  Sure makes this citizen wonder how often the problem lies with the public and our lack of respect and consideration when making a request, rather than the “government workers and politicians” that it is so easy for that public to bash. Just food for thought… (“>

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/it-s-nearly-official-council-oks-backyard-hens-on-first/article_87a4b9bc-4cdb-5653-a7fe-1641c8b223de.html

Way to go, City Council & Mayor!!

This sixteen-month process is drawing to a successful conclusion! Tonight the City Council voted 6-4 in favor of zoning changes to specifically allow urban hens in Billings. They followed up that win by voting 9-1 in support of a new urban hen ordinance allowing up to 6 hens kept in clean, predator-proof housing, an annual permit, and enforced by nuisance ordinances, among other details. The new ordinance is based on that of Missoula, MT and Fort Collins, CO.

There will be a second public reading of this new ordinance, scheduled in September, then 30 days before the ordinance becomes effective.

More information will post to this website as it becomes available, including the cost and process for obtaining the permit.

Speaking on behalf of this citizen’s Initiative group, Way to go, Billings! We are really proud of our City Council and Mayor for working through this issue with us, especially to a successful conclusion. You guys listened to the information and searched through rhetoric and fears to come to a good conclusion. Thumbs up and kudos from the hen-loving community!

To those hen lovers, we ask that you respect the efforts that Dave Klein with Animal Control has gone to in putting the new ordinance together and researching potential issues. While all along there has been a legal contention on whether or not urban hens were or were not allowed in Billings, the fact that they will definitely be allowed now means that we have an extra duty to implement these new, productive pets into our yards in a responsible, careful manner. Keep in mind your neighbors, keep your coops clean and your hens quiet, and be willing to share some of those great eggs!

(“>

BIG Vote Tonight 8/27/12!

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/government-and-politics/city-council-meeting-could-be-a-long-one/article_cee2ee01-ffb7-5529-b684-39042e2f96fb.html 

Tonight is the first public reading of the new ordinance. We know we have said that before, however, we’re pretty sure this time that it hasn’t derailed. The City Council meeting is at 6:30PM on 8/27/12 at Council chambers, 210 N 27th Street downtown.

We need you there to stand in support of this issue! If the initiative fails, we will potentially have up to a year before we can request it again – and during that year we are planning to:

• continue and expand on our email-the-council campaign,
• picket the meetings with our “live” chicken Sunny (it’s a costume, don’t panic),
• continue to show up to Council meetings to express our support of urban hens (even if they won’t be voted on),
• continue the Letters to the Editor campaign,
• and possibly pursue a legal approach in the event chicken owners are targeted by the City.

Despite the way the vote falls tonight, the nonprofit 501(c)3 Magic City Hens group (http://MagicCityHens.wordpress.com)  will continue to offer regular urban henkeeping classes and maintain a visual presence in parades, city events, Gardeners and Farmers Markets, etc. That group will also continue Chicken Relocation and Compost Relocation projects, as well as the 2013 Hen Expo. Plans are underway for a City-Wide Coop Tour as well.

Please make it out tonight in support if at all possible; if you cannot attend, please email the Council at Council@ci.billings.mt.us and Mayor at HanelT@ci.billings.mt.us! (“>

Monday 8/27/12 – First Reading New Ordinance!

This process has been fraught with delays and frustrations, but… we are now set to have the official first reading of the new urban hen ordinance on Monday night, 8/27/12 at 6:30PM at City Council chambers (210 N 27th Street, Billings).

The council can vote this forward or vote it down. We UTTERLY and ABSOLUTELY need you there!! If you care about urban hens in Billings, please make your voice heard! If you absolutely cannot make the meeting, please at the very least send an email to the council at council@ci.billings.mt.us and let them know you are in support of the urban hen ordinance!

We’ve been working on this issue since April of 11 – sixteen months now – and it’s come down to the wire. The council seems divided – the vote is not yet sure. Can you – will you – help??

Check out our Facebook page: Billings Backyard Hen Initiative, for up-to-the-minute updates. (“>

Monday 8/6/12

Tonight at 5:30PM the City Council will hear the reading of the Urban Hen ordinance from Animal Control, Billings Police Department. There will be 2 readings of the ordinance, tonight is the first. Public may comment for 1 minute. Obviously, the anti-hen folks will be there… this is late notice, but if you can make it tonight in support of urban hens, please do!

The meeting is at City Council chambers downtown, as usual. We’re first on the agenda so it should be a short evening.

If you cannot make it, please email the council at Council@ci.billings.mt.us and let them know you are in support of the urban hen ordinance.

The delay has been between the Zoning Commission (a citizen’s advisory group) who have ignored all the facts and tried to bury this ordinance repeatedly since we first talked to them well over a year ago) and Animal Control Board (also a citizen’s advisory group). Interestingly,  a certain member of the Animal Control Board has publicly denigrated this idea since it’s inception – speaking out of course as a citizen and not as a member of the ACB. However, Dave Klein, Director of Animal Control with Billings PD, has put together what we think will be a good solid urban hen ordinance for Billings, based on preliminary discussions.

We’re close, chicken-lovers! Keep up the energy and enthusiasm!!! (“>

Council Directs Staff to Proceed with Hen Ordinance!

Monday May 14 2012, the City Council voted 7-2 to direct staff to proceed with an urban hen ordinance based on the ordinance already proven and currently in use in both Missoula, Montana and Fort Collins, Colorado. This is GREAT NEWS!! A one-year “sunset” clause will be written into the ordinance so we have the equivalent of a year’s pilot program to make sure that the issue works well in Billings and any tweaking that needs to occur may be easily addressed.

A public comment period will occur twice before the ordinance is adopted (July?). Regular upcoming sessions (which begin at 6:30PM) include May 28 and June 11, it is possible that the ordinance will be read at one or both of those sessions. As the agenda becomes available, we will let you know. It is important that people are ready to come in support of the issue, as we are sure that the opposition will do so :). In respect for the time of the City Council, we will ask very few people to speak, but be willing to stand in support. Respect & consideration should always work both ways.

If you can’t make one of the Monday night meetings, please email the council at Council@ci.billings.mt.us and Mayor at HanelT@ci.billings.mt.us and thank them for their willingness to help Billings make this great stride towards being a sustainable, local-foods city!

Requested Urban Chicken Ordinance

(from Missoula, MT and Ft Collins, CO)

 

The prohibition to keeping chickens in this section does not apply to the keeping of up to 6 female chickens while the animals are kept in such a manner that the following standards are complied with:

1. The chickens must be kept on a single-family parcel(s), and chickens may be kept on a parcel(s) under one ownership with more than one dwelling if all residents and the owner consent in writing to allowing the chickens on the property. When chickens are kept on a multi-dwelling parcel(s) the owner of the chickens shall keep a copy of the signed approval document for inspection upon request by animal control personnel.
2. The owner must obtain an annual permit from the City Treasurer.  The permit shall be $15.
3. The chickens shall be provided with a covered, predator-proof chicken house that is thoroughly ventilated, of sufficient size to admit free movement of the chickens, designed to be easily accessed, cleaned and maintained by the owners and be at least 2 square feet per chicken in size.
4. No chicken house shall be located closer than 20 feet to any residential structure occupied by someone other than the chicken owner, custodian, or keeper.
5. The chickens shall be shut into the chicken house at night, from sunset to sunrise.
6. During daylight hours the adult chickens shall have access to the chicken house and, weather permitting, shall have access to an outdoor enclosure on the subject property, adequately fenced to contain the chickens and to prevent access to the chickens by dogs and other predators.
7. Stored feed must be kept in a rodent- and predator-proof container
8. It is unlawful for the owner, custodian, or keeper of any chicken to allow the animal(s) to be a nuisance to any neighbors, including but not limited to: noxious odors from the animals or their enclosure; and noise of a loud and persistent and habitual nature.  Animal Control will determine whether or not a nuisance exists on a case-by-case basis.
9. Enforcement Upon receiving a complaint of a possible violation Animal Control will investigate, determine if a violation exists and when appropriate leave a notice of violation and order to take corrective action with the owner, custodian, or keeper and provide them with written notice of the violations that require correction.  Animal Control will revisit the owner’s address 10 days or more after the notice of violation is issued.  If the owner, custodian, or keeper has failed to comply with the ordinance, Animal Control may issue a citation to the owner, custodian or keeper for failure to comply with any applicable requirement of this section.

And Still More Cities…

http://www.westport-news.com/news/article/Tour-highlights-why-chickens-are-crossing-the-3549738.php Westport, Connecticut

http://www.pinejournal.com/event/article/id/26577/group/News/ Cloquet, Minnesota

http://wauwatosa.patch.com/articles/chickens-479a4bac Wauwatosa, Wisconsin

http://www.ohio.com/news/local-news/council-oks-chickens-for-smaller-lots-in-green-1.306120 Green, Ohio

http://www.wthr.com/story/18248117/battle-of-chickens-moves-to-neighborhood-backyards Fishers, Indiana

http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2012/05/proposed_ordinance_allows_back.html Fenton, Michigan

http://santamariatimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/guadalupe-council-considering-fowl-ordinance/article_80ea23c6-98cf-11e1-bee0-0019bb2963f4.html Guadalupe, California

http://www2.journalnow.com/news/2012/may/07/smithfield-considers-allowing-backyard-chickens-ar-2252484/ Smithfield, North Carolina

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/front_page/article_04cd3788-d95c-57c6-bf71-4541172cdfa1.html Menomonie, Wisconsin

 

Reinventing Urban Agriculture

http://www.news4jax.com/news/Reinventing-urban-agriculture/-/475880/10542146/-/item/0/-/j77hquz/-/index.html

Interesting article on urban agriculture, from Jacksonville, Florida.

Quoting: “What is urban agriculture? As a national movement, urban agriculture is growing rapidly across the US. According to the USDA, around 15 percent of the world’s food is now grown in urban areas. City and suburban agriculture takes the form of backyard, roof-top and balcony gardening, community gardening in vacant lots and parks, roadside urban fringe agriculture and livestock grazing in open space.” Amid escalating concerns about the environment, pesticides, and food safety, urbanites are turning to community gardens to supply their fruits and vegetables. Cities are also creating gardens to address “urban food deserts,” or areas where access to fresh fruits and vegetables is limited. Animal husbandry, of which urban hen-keeping is the most popular version, forms a significant part of the urban agriculture movement.”

Casper Students Bring Chickens Before City Council

http://trib.com/news/local/casper/casper-students-bring-chickens-back-to-the-city-council-s/article_1ee57318-3954-5add-9739-5b060e197ab5.html

Great article about a group of 5th graders in Casper, Wyoming who educated themselves on urban chickens and approached the Casper City Council with their request.

5th grader Hunter Cole participated in the project. Quoting from the article:

“Cole, who said he has owned chickens before and liked raising them, was tasked with gathering information from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. After speaking to a representative from the Casper office, he learned it was unlikely that wild animals would prey on urban chickens.

“There is not currently a problem with wild animals coming into town to eat domestic animals,” Cole reported to the council members. “So there would not be an issue in the future for chickens.”

Do you suppose we could get these kids to come to speak to Billings City Council for a field trip? 🙂

Healthy Majority or Just Plain Silly Minority?

While, especially as a parent, I would never advocate doing something simply for the fact that “everyone else” is doing it, as a municipality it behooves us to consider that circumstance when we’re looking at the viability of a change in our own city.

Saying “nay”: Last week newspapers reported that East Helena, MT, which has just begun the “discovery and education” process of looking into an urban hen ordinance, voted down the proposed change in City Council. http://helenair.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/east-helena-says-no-to-chickens-in-town/article_f625d354-8ab2-11e1-b39c-001a4bcf887a.html.

East Helena (population 2,134) is not the best comparison to Billings (population 104,934), but it is in Montana, if that makes any difference. Helena itself (population 28,180) does allow urban hens quite successfully.

But along with the report of one township voting it down came three cities voting hen ordinances forward:

http://freshwatercleveland.com/devnews/backyardchickens041912.aspx Cleveland Heights, Ohio (population 46,121) is a suburb of Cleveland, as suburbs begin following the lead of their primary local city in allowing well-constructed hen ordinances. A great quote from the article: Despite the widespread flaps about backyard chickens, Jaime Bouvier, a Visiting Legal Writing Professor at the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law at Cleveland State University, says that genuine problems are actually quite uncommon.

“In cities across the country, backyard chickens are always very contentious,” she says. “Yet the issue causes more concern than warranted. Typically, there aren’t huge amounts of people that do it, and it doesn’t get out of control.” Bouvier has written extensively about the legal issues surrounding backyard chickens and aggregated model practices around the country.

Cary, NC (population 141,019) is joining the widely pro-chicken Raleigh/Research Triangle area in urban hen-keeping: http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/04/19/2012336/cary-council-endorses-backyard.html

And in Upper Dublin, Pennsylvania (population 25,670) http://upperdublin.patch.com/articles/planning-commission-passes-motion-to-allow-backyard-chickens 

Considering that as of 2012, a vast majority of major cities now already allow urban hens, it becomes more of a search to find those cities, townships and suburbs still discussing the issue! But those who already do it successfully are finding ways to do it better: http://www.ktvb.com/home/Boise-city-council-backs-urban-farming-147866495.html. The gist of the article is that Boise (population 198,312) is considering more and better ways to support urban food production, including increasing from 3 to 6 hens in city limits. Interesting to note: the Urban Agriculture program was initiated by city staff, and was voted forward unanimously, 6-0. (“>

City Council “Work” Session – Public Comment

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/government-and-politics/chicken-issue-aired-again-at-city-council-meeting/article_da0624e5-d930-5ead-8b21-6591a940ecf7.html

No votes were taken last night, nothing was officially decided… but we had a great turnout (particularly for very short notice! Thanks you guys!) and quite a few speakers. There were around 24-25 hen supporters in attendance, and 2 opponents.

The (city staff) proposed ordinance was presented to the City Council. They were told to base it off the ordinances forMissoula andBozeman. For the most part it is reasonable, although there are a few things we are concerned about:

1 – An additional 4′ fence around a hen owner’s property line in addition to the enclosed coop, if the owner does not already have a perimeter fence (for a HEN? Is this required for pit bulls and/or other animals known to be aggressive?);

2 – Pre-permit inspections by Animal Control Board (they don’t have the time or budgetary resources to do this – and if the inspection is pre-chicken, what are they going to be inspecting?);

3 – A 20′ property line easement for any part of the coop or enclosure. (Bozeman requires 5′, Missoula NONE);

We recognize that this was their first draft, and compromises must be made on both sides. We’re willing to make concessions in many areas (and are doing so with other aspects of the proposed ordinance), but these we are pointing out seem a little bit much… more punitive and restrictive, designed to limit people from being able to have urban hens, than anything else.

The Council is set to vote during the Monday, 4/23/12 6:30PM meeting. Please help us keep up the discussion with Councilmembers and work this out to be a reasonable ordinance for everyone concerned!!

More Recent CNN Urban Chicken Reports

Whoa, we missed lots more urban chicken reports this week from CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2012/04/11/exp-eatocracy-backyard-chickens.cnn

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/living/2012/04/07/whitfield-urban-chicken.cnn

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/04/11/f-a-q-about-the-backyard-chicken-boom/?hpt=hp_bn10

Older reports:

http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/03/29/chicken.sitter.mnn/index.html?iref=allsearch

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/08/23/backyard-chicken-farmers-say-egg-farming-is-all-its-cracked-up-to-be/?iref=allsearch

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2010/08/23/what-the-cluck-backyard-chickens-make-a-comeback/

Backyard Chickens on CNN

http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-774772?hpt=hp_bn1

Click on the link above for a new report on CNN about the backyard hen movement, this time focusing on Winter Park, Florida.

Funny how the comments go, whether it’s on CNN.com or BillingsGazette.com… naysayers are abusive and anonymous, while the other folks have their photos posted with their account, aren’t cursing to make their point, and sound reasonable. Makes you wonder. 🙂

Williams-Sonoma Line of Urban Food Production Gear

http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/shortorder/2012/04/from_backyard_to_table_william.php

 

And Another…

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2012/04/10-14/City-residents-now-can-own-up-to-5-egg-laying-hens.html

Annapolis, Maryland!

And Another City…

http://www.annarbor.com/news/ypsilanti-township-to-begin-developing-backyard-chicken-ordinacne/

Ypsilanti, Michigan!

Another Progressive, Green Montana City!

http://helenair.com/news/local/east-helena-to-consider-allowing-urban-chickens/article_9c5832be-8075-11e1-b697-001a4bcf887a.html

Great article here about East Helena, MT, where they are currently considering an urban hen ordinance. Council member Kit Johnson said, “I think raising urban chickens is part of this trend to return to our roots and know where our food comes from, kind of an urban green thing.”

New York Times Article on Bounty of Backyard Eggs

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/04/dining/hatching-your-own-batch-of-eggs.html

Click on the above for an interesting article in the New York Times regarding backyard eggs. You know, New York, New York? The epitome of a backwards, backwoods, out-in-the-country, redneck, (animal) predator filled city? Oh wait… maybe not. Hello folks, green is the new black, and urban hens are a sign of progressive times, not a throwback to your granddad’s chock-full-o-chooks chicken house.

We do take note that NYC allows up to 25 hens per household, so thus they may indeed find themselves in a surplus of eggs, around 2 dozen per day with that hen count! Alas, in Billings, we are asking for a max of 6 hens, so more like 5-6 eggs per day. With hungry families eager to eat french toast, eggs over easy, scrambled hen apples, luscious orange-tinted pound cake (from the extra beta carotene and vitamin K in the backyard eggs), Egg Foo Young, frittata, quiche, hard-boiled eggs diced over a salad or just sprinkled with salt and devoured… you get the picture. Not much surplus! (“>

City Council meeting 3/26/12 VICTORY!

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/government-and-politics/backyard-chicken-farmers-win-round-at-city-council/article_75700ef3-34ec-5985-8688-8d419bdbe292.html

SWEET!! First, some of our progressive, personal property rights-oriented, live and let live, “give a chicken a chance, man” city council persons voted to DELAY the text amendment proposed by the Zoning Commission (which is nothing short of an enforcement mechanism for the city’s stand that backyard hens are against code, no matter how they try to spin it)… and then city staff were redirected to study Bozeman and Missoula’s ordinances and come back with an ordinance they believe may work in Billings under a one year trial.

Of course we had our nay-sayers, especially Councilman Astle who apparently despises us, each and every one, for some unfathomable reason that results in his wishing all chickens were dead chickens. 😦 But overall, it was a victory!! Keep the letters coming in to city council at: council@ci.billings.mt.us and HanelT@ci.billings.mt.us as we need to keep supporting this issue to get it through!!

Chick TV!

Chick TV this week! http://www.comm7tv.com/
March 27 6PM
March 28 noon
March 29 4PM
March 30 6:30PM

Carol Braaten and TJ Wierenga join Community 7 Executive Director Lynne Turner Fitzgerald in a 30 minute program about urban hens in Billings.

On Heating Coops

While the actual number of structure fires that may have something to do with the use of a heat lamp or space heater in a chicken coop are very few, those devices do occasionally cause financial loss and sadly, animal deaths every year nationwide.

There are repeated instances of owners keeping dog kennels, rabbitries, chickens, or young livestock with supplemental heat. The problem with this is that owners, while doing this with the absolute of best intentions, are putting an unattended, heat-producing electrical device in the vicinity of dry bedding. Burning down a barn, kennel, or coop is not a common event, especially when compared to cigarette-caused grass fires, faulty electrical wiring in older homes, or here in Billings possibly a naked man with petrochemicals in a neighbor’s garage (http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/man-taken-to-hospital-after-incident-in-south-side-garage/article_6f248fcc-9849-56c6-9722-b7b310428fb3.html)… but it can happen. 

Magic City Hens (http://MagicCityHens.wordpress.com), the Billings non-profit group who seek to educate and support hen owners in the area, recommend against supplemental heat for outdoor animals. The group’s “Chickens 101” class addresses this issue, and the primary instructor is in a former firefighter with a strong background in animal husbandry. Outdoor pets should be protected against drafts, but experts advise against unattended heat sources.

Whether it is dogs, rabbits, chickens, or other outdoor pets, please seriously consider the potential damage that a fire could do, compared to an uncomfortably cool night. Domestic animals rarely freeze to death, but fire can certainly have that effect. Education is critical!

Bozeman Hen Laws

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/backyard-chicken-law-running-smoothly-in-bozeman/article_612f6060-4d2e-5a26-a480-97dc84790018.html?mode=story

Billings Gazette picked up the article regarding Bozeman’s urban hen laws off the Associated Press. Good stuff! Way to go, Gazette staff… fair and impartial reporting! (“>

Bozeman Trouble With Urban Hens

http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/news/city/article_3b68560a-69a5-11e1-9fe5-001871e3ce6c.html

“Two years ago, Bozeman began allowing residents to raise chickens in their backyards. Since then, Kathy Middleton, the city’s animal control officer, said…”

Read the rest of the article at the link above.

Zoning Commission 3/6/12

A recap of tonight: The Zoning Commission was tasked by Nicole Cromwell of the Planning Department to vote Yes or No on an amendment to city code to “clarify ambiguity” as had been advised by the city’s legal department in 2010… that while they considered the code to be clear in prohibiting chickens (as fowl), an argument COULD be made that they are not technically against code in city limits.

One person spoke in support of the amendment, expressing his desire that the Zoning Commission also add wording to prohibit rabbits and other animals, and he had written up a suggested code. The Zoning Commission explained that they were not considering that at this time.

I believe 10 people spoke in opposition to the amendment, including members of the Billings Backyard Hen Initiative. Our concern is that this code amendment will be used as an enforcement mechanism, a question also posed by new Zoning Commission member Bill Ryan. According to Ms Cromwell, the city hasn’t received any complaints of urban hens within city limits “for the past six months or so… other than self-reports.” She stated that Code Enforcement was definitely responding to complaints and enforcing the code, but that they do not “go looking for infractions”… their response is strictly complaint based.

What we do know is that none of the self-reported hen owners have received a citation, to our knowledge. We’ll see what happens from now on!

We presented them with a current list of “Major US Cities Allowing Urban Hens (as of March, 2012)”, over 150 cities (94 of the 100 largest! Up from 65% in 2008)– although some of the list included cities in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, South Dakota, North Dakota, Colorado and Washington that may not be considered by the rest of the country to be “major cities”, but nonetheless seemed appropriate comparisons for Billings.

Chairman Leonard Dailey repeated several times that the Zoning Commission was tasked with the decision of adding the words “and fowl” to the existing code, not discussing or debating the merits of urban hens. Speaker Nathan Blanding pointed out though that they had the opportunity of saying yes, no, or amending the text. Nicole Cromwell replied that the Zoning Commission could not, in this context, add text encompassing more than the published point of the text amendment (ie a new code supporting urban hens).

The Zoning Commission passed their amendment with a unanimous vote, agreeing to add these words to the amendment, and will present this to the City Council on 3/26. This will be the first of two readings of the proposed amendment adding the words “and fowl” to existing city code to prohibit urban chickens. We will need to keep showing up in force to chip away at the city council members who are resistant to this issue… so we need you there! With power in sheer numbers and the passion of those of us who believe in this strongly beneficial issue, we WILL PREVAIL! (“>

Zoning Commission Mtg 3/6/12

Tonight’s the Night! The Zoning Commission of the City of Billings, Montana will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, at 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor City Hall, 210 N 27th Street to PROHIBIT BACKYARD POULTRY in Billings!

If at all possible, please come! Even if you don’t get off work until 5PM – we need as many pro-hen people there as possible to show the Zoning Commission that they are going against the residents of the city of Billings in this recommendation to the City Council (scheduled for 3/26/12). Tonight’s the night they “decide” whether or not to make the recommendation, although every indication shows that their minds are already made up… nothing like honest representation of the CITIZENS (as opposed to personal opinions of staff and commission members). PLEASE SHARE THIS INFORMATION!

 

Hens In Local News

http://billingsgazette.com/news/local/residents-push-to-own-backyard-hens/article_3b66e6d8-f134-58cf-9b25-74b709945ae8.html?mode=story

Several members of the Billings Backyard Hen Initiative, which now numbers well into the hundreds including signed petitions, have gone on record in the past as stating that we did not want to be contentious, nor did we wish to fight with our city.

We do feel that we need to clarify something. Please don’t mistake a gentle, considerate approach and lack of a desire to bring the city a fight with weakness or an inability to fight back. It has been our solid belief that when given the actual FACTS of the issue of urban hens, that our elected officials would realize that their fears are unfounded and sincerely consider this issue. This group is not going to give up and go away. We believe in this issue and have seen it successful in too many other places… Billings citizens deserve to be allowed to produce their own food in the simple, easily managed form of gardens and urban hens. We’re not asking for cattle and pigs or a factory in our backyards. Be reasonable! (“>

 

 

And Another City…

Sorry if we’re wearing everyone out on all the cities who are allowing urban hens… as posted before, 94 of the 100 largest in the USA already do, and many, many smaller cities are updating their ordinances every month.

Here’s one example: http://www.annarbor.com/news/chelsea/ordinance-to-be-drafted-to-permit-backyard-chickens-in-chelsea/

Here’s a quote by Boston mayor Thomas Menino. “I set a goal recently for Bostonians to lose one million pounds this year. One way to accomplish this is to make sure all of our residents have access to fresh, locally grown food,” Menino said in a Feb. 2 news release. “It’s key that our city be rezoned to support Boston’s food revolution and the input of our community is crucial to help our residents now and in the future.”

See more on that at: http://bostinno.com/2012/02/27/boston-redevelopment-authority-hatching-plan-to-let-chickens-fly-in-the-city-jumpstart-urban-farming/

What a smart mayor! 🙂 Putting his actions where his mouth is when it comes to truly pursuing sustainable, healthy, local food practices. Kudos!!

Zoning Commission Upcoming Vote

Looks like the Billings Zoning Commission volunteers are deciding to pick a fight. Recently posted on the city website:

The Zoning Commission of the City of Billings, Montana will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 6, 2012, at 4:30 p.m. in the City Council Chambers, 2nd Floor City Hall, 210 N 27th Street for the purpose of reviewing the following items:

(some others, then:)
Zone Change #885 – Text Amendment – Livestock and Fowl Section 27-607 – A zone change to the Unified Zoning Regulations to clarify that fowl (poultry) as defined by Section 27-201 is not an allowed use within the City of Billings. The City Zoning Commission initiated this amendment on February 7, 2012.

City personnel had acknowledged last year that “there is a problem with current city code” in the lack of verbage specifying “fowl/poultry” as specifically noted as not an allowed use within city limits. Unlike Ragu, it was NOT in there. Thus the viewpoint of Billings Backyard Hen Initiative that it is then, in fact, not against city code to have urban poultry.

All the “i-dotting and t-crossing” aside, the Zoning Commission is quietly trying to go about recommending that the City Council close this “loophole” and turn Billings hen owners into law-breakers… you know the old saying, “If chickens are outlawed, only outlaws will have chickens.” Doesn’t exactly sound like the collapse of western civilization to me, but then again I’m not on the Zoning Commission.

The Planning Department has posted:

The Zoning Commission and City Council will hear all persons wishing to speak relative to the proposed special review and zone changes. Testimony regarding the above mentioned items may also be submitted in writing to the Planning Division, 510 North Broadway, Parmly Library 4^th Floor,Billings,MT59101 or to the Mayor and City Council,P.O. Box 1178,Billings, MT 59103. Presumably, they are also taking email to the entire city council at: council@ci.billings.mt.us and the mayor at HanelT@ci.billings.mt.us. More detailed information on specific council members/the mayor’s email and telephone numbers can be found at http://ci.billings.mt.us/index.aspx?nid=159.

If you are interested in joining Billings Backyard Hen Initiative, please email HensInTheBackyard@hotmail.com. I’m sure the Zoning Commission intended for this to be a civil discussion between the pro-hen and the hen-hating factions, and did not intend to actually just sneak this one in under the radar. Despite appearances. So now is the time for all good citizens to come to the aid of sustainable, green-living, organic and best-practices right to use our own backyards as responsible and considerate hen owners. WE NEED YOU!!!!!!!!!! (“>