By Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News
In a survey on the Let’s Talk Chatham-Kent public information engagement website, citizens will have their say on allowing backyard chickens in urban and rural residential settings.
Chatham-Kent Council voted 17-0 at its Feb. 6 meeting in support of South Kent Councillor Anthony Ceccacci’s motion to conduct a survey on the Let’s Talk CK site to collect feedback and comments on permitting chickens in urban and rural residential areas.
The motion also asks administration to investigate by-laws in other municipalities and consult with Chatham-Kent Pubic Health for recommendations, with a report to come back to Council in May. Pet And Wildlife Rescue, which handles animal by-laws and enforcement, will also be consulted.
Council defeated motions to allow backyard chickens, except in agricultural zone settings, in 2013 and 2020.
The issue was brought back to the Council Chambers by Ceccacci after being contacted by residents in the Shrewsbury area after Mark Wright and Daniel Vaughan received by-law infraction citations in January for having chickens on their residential properties.
A pair of petitions contain over 800 signatures to allow backyard chickens in urban and rural residential settings.
“It’s important for the community to understand, the way this motion is presented is significantly different than the last two motions,” Ceccacci said of Council denying changing the by-law twice in the last 10 years. “All this is doing is instructing administration to consult with the public, get people’s ideas, see what other communities are doing, as well as consulting with pubic health to see the benefits and the disadvantages.”
Ward 3 East Kent Councillor Steve Pinsonneault said he favours public consultation.
“I’ve had a lot of people through my door saying they want this,” Pinsonneault said. “There can’t be any roosters, guaranteed, and that has to be right in the wording of ‘backyard chickens,’ said Pinsonneault. “Nobody wants roosters.”
Pinsonneault added it would be a waste of time conducting a report if roosters were allowed.
John Wright agreed.
“One thing I think we should push is how many chickens – three, five hens?” the East Kent Councillor said. “Maybe we should change the wording from chickens to hens, so we know there won’t be any roosters.”
The wording in the motion wasn’t changed to hens but it still passed 17-0.
Michael Duben, Chief Administrative Officer, said staff would look at policies and by-law enforcement costs in other municipalities where backyard chickens are allowed.
“We don’t have the experience, so rather than just speculating, we’d have some data to look at in terms of what other municipalities saw once they implemented this sort of change,” Duben said.
The backyard chicken is expected to be added to the Let’s Talk CK website – www.letstalkchatham-kent.ca – to collect public feedback to go into the staff report that will come back to Council in May.
