HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/2/2020 Item Public Comment, Pires
Wilbanks, Megan
From:cristina correia <
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Poultry Ordinance
Attachments:Poultry Ordinence Proposed Revisions.pdf
Hi. I am submitting this email as public comment to ask that the animal ordinance be added as an
agenda item at the next meeting. I would like to amend item 1.a. of municipal code 6.28.060. This is the
section that pertains to poultry. You may remember that I emailed the council last year on this
item. Because I had other city issues to tackle, and I was trying to be sensitive to the city's budget, I
stopped pursuing this. However, in the midst of the pandemic, I was sent another code letter threatening
to have a lien put on my property for chickens. I want to first thank you all for suspending code
enforcement fees at this time. Although I was willing to put this issue aside before, I am no longer willing
to do that. In an increasingly uncertain world, these family pets produce a reliable source of
protein. They are companions to our kids that play with them everyday and collecting the eggs is the
primary goal of my 3 and 4 year old every day. The thought that a neglected piece of outdated code can
simultaneously take away our family pets, cost us money, and food at this time at the whims of a
disgruntled old white man is extremely defeating. Currently we require 50 ft to any dwelling and that is
double the distance being used by surrounding cities. That means 50 ft from one house, plus the
enclosure, plus another 50 ft in the other direction (a large distance). Even at 25 ft to any structure, most
properties in SLO would not have the required space to keep chickens. Double that distance seems
overly excessive. On my property, I am able to provide 50 ft to all neighbors but I am not able to provide
50 ft from my own residences. I’m being asked to remove my chickens based on the proximity of my own
residences. This is also something that conflicts with surrounding cities. As the densest city in our
county, we should have the smallest distances and our own homes should not be included in that. We
have the smaller yard spaces than most of the other cities. SLO know for it’s healthy lifestyle and
connection to the outdoors and this code seems contrary to that idea. Please add our issue to the next
agenda. I've attached the revisions that I would like to see happen. I am also compiling a list of the rules
in surrounding cities for comparison that I will include in my letter once we are on the agenda. With the
amount of work I am doing, this should be a very quick and easy revision with limited staff hours. I have a
number of supporters waiting for a meeting date so that they can write their letters as well.
Cristina Pires
(805)710-9111
1
6.28.060Keeping of animals—Limitations and regulations.
A. Poultry and Rabbits.
1. No person shall keep upon any premises in the city any poultry or rabbits:
a. Within fifty twenty feet of any dwelling on an adjacent property; or
b. If more than five six in all of any such rabbits or poultry are kept, within seventy-five fifty feet of any
dwelling on an adjacent property.
2. No person shall keep upon any premises in the city more than twenty -five such rabbits or poultry,
except by special permit of the council first had and obtained, or keep any rooster of crowing age within
one hundred feet of any dwelling. This provision limiting the maximum number of rabbits or poultry shall
not be retroactive or effective as to rabbit or poultry ranches or processing plants actually in operation on
the effective date of the ordinance codified herein.
3. The owners or persons in charge of such rabbits or poultry kept in the city shall provide suitable
houses or cotes with board or cement floors in each and every house and cote, and the houses, cotes or
pens shall at all times be kept clean.