Smiths Falls council is awaiting a clearer picture on staff’s proposed changes to the backyard chicken by-law before deciding on its fate.
Staff recommended council permit hens in town on a permanent basis but to include several items not contained in the year-long pilot program.
Among them, staff reccomended a licensing and registration system be established, and add enforcement and fines.
Councillor Chris McGuire was ready to approve the by-law, with those additions.
If it were up to Councillor Jay Brennan, there’d be no future by-law at all.
Fire Chief Rick Chesebrough said over the course of the pilot, bylaw officers received seven calls. Two of the calls for hens running at large, 1 complaint for odour and 4 complaints for individuals having roosters.
The complaints inspected also found unsanitary conditions, hens kept inside the house and
lack of a proper shelter and available food and water.
15 total staff hours were committed to these inspections, with a financial cost of $465.
In the end, council asked staff to return with an updated bylaw that includes six of their nine proposed additions.
Story by Grant Deme
