Warrenton residents can now keep chickens; Mayor breaks tie vote

By Kate Miller, Record Staff Writer
Posted 11/7/19

After several discussions and a public hearing in Warrenton, the board of aldermen narrowly voted to allow residents within city limits to keep chickens.Mayor Eric Schleuter cast the deciding vote in …

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Warrenton residents can now keep chickens; Mayor breaks tie vote

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After several discussions and a public hearing in Warrenton, the board of aldermen narrowly voted to allow residents within city limits to keep chickens.Mayor Eric Schleuter cast the deciding vote in favor of passing the bill into ordinance.Aldermen Karen Casserly, Ward 1, Bob Delaloye, Ward 3, and Mike Shilharvey, Ward 1, all voted against the bill to allow chickens. Gary Auch, Ward 2, John Miller, Ward 3, and Scott Schulze, Ward 2, all voted in favor of the bill.The new ordinance allows for up to six chickens, no roosters, to be kept as domestic pets and egg producers at a home.It states a permit is required by first-time chicken applicants through the city’s animal control department. An application fee is $30. Inspections are $15.After completing two years of a permit process with no violations, annual fees will be dropped and the permit would remain in effect as long as violations are absent.The ordinance includes a dozen conditions that must be satisfied before a permit will be issued. Most of those aim to quash out odors, predators, noise and filth.City officials spent several weeks studying the issue and researching codes and ordinances in other towns that allow chickens.Casserly spoke at previous board of aldermen meetings in opposition to allowing chickens. She said Warrenton was challenged to get some residents to clean up their properties. She was concerned that chicken ownership would add to those problems and also add to the workload of city staff because they would have to enforce more codes.Several residents spoke at the public hearing in favor of allowing chickens.Chickens


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