Appointed Committees

ANIMAL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE November 2, 2017 Page 1 Committee Members Present: Shannon Straight, Sara Bloom, Randy McDonald, Marshal Platz, Richard Sabol, Rob White Members Absent None Chairman Straight called the meeting to order at 3:30 pm. Approval of Minutes Richard Sabol moved the committee approve the minutes of the October 18, 2017 committee meeting. Motion seconded by Randy McDonald and carried unanimously. Discussion on Backyard Hens Members of the committee and the public raised many questions relating to hens. Ms. Bloom responded to concerns throughout the meeting. She began by explaining that if there are hens that are no longer wanted by the owner, they can be listed on websites like Facebook or Craigslist, to reduce the impact on the animal shelter. There are also farms who are willing to take in hens and the option is available for owners to butcher hens that have outlived their egg laying ability. She further explained, she is not aware of any butchers in Minot who are licensed to work with poultry. Ms. Bloom said, in her opinion, the quality of eggs produced at home are significantly better than eggs purchased at the store but there are more benefits to raising chickens than just the eggs. She emphasized that raising chickens involves a lot more planning than it takes for cats and dogs. They are also a big responsibility and require a daily commitment to care for. With that understanding, she said, she does not believe someone should be denied the opportunity to have chickens because of the possibility of other people being irresponsible. She addressed the issue of salmonella and disease by saying salmonella is preventable by maintaining clean, healthy birds. It is less prevalent in small groups of birds opposed to large factories. She added, salmonella could also be found on vegetables. When chickens are purchased from a reputable hatchery, they have undergone vaccinations to prevent diseases and the birds stay safe from infectious contact when kept in their coop. Upon questioning about the chickens behavior, supporters of the backyards hens said, there shouldn’t be a problem with hens escaping because the owner can have a wing clipped to prevent flight. The Fargo ordinance also states the chickens are allowed out of their coop only if an adult is present which could be adopted in the Minot ordinance as well. Tanya Mendelsohn, Animal Control Officer, shared her concerns about the additional workload for the two officers in the department. Ms. Bloom said, there should not be much of an impact on Animal Control considering the amount of families who will choose to raise chickens. She estimated there may be five households currently interested in pursuing it. She suggested the Ms. Mendelsohn contact departments in other cities who allow chickens, to confirm the impact it has had on them. After the discussion, Ms. Bloom moved the committee forward the conversation to the City Council to take action on amending the Minot Code of Ordinances to reflect the criteria of the Fargo ordinance. Motion seconded by Mr. Platz. ANIMAL ORDINANCE COMMITTEE November 2, 2017 Page 2 The Committee gave suggestions as to what topics should be outlined in the proposed ordinance including, the permitting process, notification to surrounding properties, coop size requirements and distance from property lines, and slaughtering of chickens. Alderman Straight said, the City Council can discuss the logistics while using Fargo’s ordinance as a guide. Whereupon a vote was taken on the above motion by Ms. Bloom, seconded by Mr. Platz and carried by the following roll call vote: ayes: Straight, White, Bloom, Platz, McDonald; nays: Sabol Other Business Chairman Straight announced, there will be a public meeting on breed specific regulations, focusing on pit bulls. The format of the meeting will have a representative for each side who will present factual information and answer questions. The committee suggested November 9th at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium. [After the meeting, the date of the public input meeting was changed to November 14th at 7:00 pm in the Auditorium.] Adjournment There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 4:43 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Kelly Matalka City Clerk