Majority support backyard chickens
Majority support backyard chickens
Council to debate allowing urban and residential chickens this week.
This week, council will discuss backyard chickens once again. Ahead of the meeting, staff have prepared a memo outlining the results of the public consultation conducted in April.
In this week’s agenda, they note that 442 respondents completed the survey that was open from April 10th to 24th.* 79% of respondents support chickens on urban residential properties, while 92% support chickens on rural residential properties.
*The response rate for this survey highlights the obvious flaws that were present in the public consultation that occured for the AirBnB bylaw last year. During that consultation, only 57 people completed the survey because staff did not share the survey until the last day it was open.
The chicken survey drew criticism from many when it was shown to only solicit negative feedback. Originally, one question in survey forced respondents to pick at least one negative concern (while giving no option to state that they had no concerns). The only request for feedback in the survey was with respect to these negative concerns.
Despite this, over 100 comments were submitted and staff noted that “the majority were in support of introducing backyard chickens”.
Next Steps
Now, council will have a discussion on how to proceed with this information. Although the public supports the idea of allowing backyard chickens, staff seem weary. Their 17-page report on the subject speaks mostly of the risks of allowing more chickens.
When proposing options for council, they suggest either keeping the status quo (no chickens in urban or rural residential areas) or implementing a licencing system to allow some lucky urban homeowners to have chickens.
In their recommendations for a licencing system they propose charging $20 per chicken to obtain a licence and that such a licence be renewed annually. Before getting a licence a homeowner would have to submit to a city inspection.
They also propose very strict rules on housing these hens. These include a minimum size coop and chicken run on top of a fenced-in yard. The requirements would also require chicken owners to heat and insulate their coop which is not a standard practice in the chicken raising community. Another rule states that manure must be cleaned on a daily basis. Staff are also proposing that chickens be banned on any waterfront properties because of pollution concerns.
Council meets on Tuesday (July 9th) at 6:30PM to discuss these matters. The meeting can be watched live on Youtube.
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Here is where this is going: www.gov.uk/government/news/new-measures-to-help-protect-poultry-industry-from-bird-flu
Under the changes announced there will be new requirements for all bird keepers - regardless of the size of their flock - to officially register their birds. Currently only those who keep 50 or more poultry must do so, limiting the effectiveness of our national disease control measures.
It is nonsense. The intent is to control the food supply.
The foundation appears to be being laid for another “pandemic” psy op (“avian flu”). See Dr William Makis substack.com/home/post/p-145899883
Re: restrictive land use bylaws, see ‘Recent events in Thorhild County inspire an apparent groundswell of opposition to rural municipalities’ planning reviews’ (Feb 9 2023) (quoted at end). www.producer.com/news/debate-over-land-use-planning-heats-up-in-alta/
Obviously urban areas require more attention to managing some things. However, the local population clearly wants this. The extent of silly rules proposed is reminiscent of the infamous “no singing in short-term rentals” rule. Not to mention the fees.
Note the references to bylaws of other municipalities in the Staff Report of July 9. Patronizing (and largely misleading) “safety” verbiage (once again) provides cover for hidden agendas from above.
They will come for the rural zone next.
Please see: kiclei.substack.com/p/reclaiming-local-sovereignty
re: pushback against (bogus) international agendas.
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From (Alberta): Recent events in Thorhild County inspire an apparent groundswell of opposition to rural municipalities’ planning reviews (Feb 9 2023) www.producer.com/news/debate-over-land-use-planning-heats-up-in-alta/
What was written on the topic of fences in the Thorhild County draft land-use bylaw left little open for interpretation: “Agricultural District: razor or barbed wire shall not be permitted without a development permit.”
Other issues covered in the draft bylaw such as deck placement and regulations governing hens were also irksome to residents, who held a meeting to organize a campaign against the draft bylaw, attracting nearly 200 residents. ... ...
But in the face of the growing opposition, Thorhild County council held a special meeting on Feb. 2 to rescind the draft bylaw.
However, the issues surrounding land-use bylaws in rural parts of the province appear far from over as an apparent groundswell of support garnered by the actions of Thorhild County residents has sparked interest across Alberta.
“People are frustrated because they are losing control over their own decision making on their land and also, some other counties have posted some really stringent bylaws,” said Mitchell.
Opposition to what was happening in Thorhild has also connected municipal land- use planning to federal initiatives such as Smart Cities, which the government bills as, “empowering communities to address the most pressing needs of their residents through data and connected technology.”
It has also attracted detractors who link changes to municipal land-use bylaws to goals and objectives espoused by organizations such as the World Economic Forum (WEF).
They wanna tax us for chickens , and tell us to fence the yard it cost about 3,000 dollars to get a survey for your property on top of the money to pay for the fencing on top of the Tax for the chickens, what money are residents saving at this point you don’t pay the taxes we do so until you start paying our taxes we don’t owe you anything for our chickens point blank period sounds like a dictatorship 🙄