Showing posts with label Manatee CLUCK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Manatee CLUCK. Show all posts
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Manatee County Approves Backyard Hens!
After a long campaign led by Manatee CLUCK, the Manatee County Commission voted on June 4th to allow single family homeowners in the unincorporated county to have up to four backyard hens.
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| Detail of artwork by Old Miakka artist, Jean Blackburn, which may be seen at Bradenton Riverwalk |
The vote was 4-2 with Commissioners Chappie, Gallen, Bustle and Whitmore voting for Whitmore's motion. Commissioners Benac and Baugh voted against. Commissioner Benac conceded chickens could be pets, but voiced concerns about the impact on neighborhoods. Her position evolved more than Commissioner DiSabatino who seemed stuck on her position that chickens can only be farm animals.
Commissioner DiSabatino had a conflicting appointment, but prior to leaving reported she would have voted against the motion -- shattering any illusion that she was open-minded since her announcement preceded the public testimony.
There was some confusion regarding the draft ordinance because staff had submitted CLUCK's preferred limit of 12 chickens and the Board seemed intent on voting on staff's preferred alternative, which was four hens. The motion that passed also increased the side setback from 20 to 25 feet.
There was some confusion regarding the draft ordinance because staff had submitted CLUCK's preferred limit of 12 chickens and the Board seemed intent on voting on staff's preferred alternative, which was four hens. The motion that passed also increased the side setback from 20 to 25 feet.
Much credit is due Rob Kluson who combined professional expertise and volunteer dedication to shepherd the process and keep Manatee CLUCK chicken advocates motivated for several years.
Manatee County joins Hernando and Pinellas counties and the City of Sarasota as governments that have recently voted to relax regulations on keeping backyard hens.
The ordinance wording may be found by clicking on this highlighted text.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Manatee County Staff to Draft Chicken Ordinance
On Tuesday March 26th the Manatee County Commission took one small step towards allowing backyard hens by directing staff to draft an ordinance allowing backyard hens. The vote was 4 to 3 with Commissioners Chappie, Whitmore, Bustle, and Gallen voting in favor and DiSabatino, Benac, and Baugh voting against.
The discussion was delayed by more than an hour and the four or five opponents trotted out a mixture of legitimate concerns (that would be dealt with in any reasonable ordinance) and some "sky-is-falling" worst case fantasies such as assurances there would be "20 to 30" complaint calls a week if an ordinance were adopted.
Most of the arguments against were the predictable objections heard elsewhere: Salmonella, noise, odor and pollution, loose chickens, burdening code enforcement or animal control, and depressed real estate values. None of which have proved to be significant issues in the City of Sarasota.
The "farm animal" argument was also used, despite testimony that these chickens are not part of commercial agriculture operations, but rather pets, not unlike pot-bellied pigs. Applying the farm argument uniformly would require the county to ban dooryard citrus or a grow-box with tomatoes. We're talking about pets that people name and buy treats for, animals they are more likely to bury in a private ceremony than serve for dinner.
Another line of attack was the notion the "minority" of residents that favor chickens were somehow imposing their views on the "majority". This was an argument utilized by Commissioner DiSabatino apparently reflecting actions taken by some neighborhood associations and the Federation of Manatee County Community Associations Inc. It may be worth remembering that a core American value is protecting the rights of minorities. No neighbor should be expected to tolerate an obnoxious next door pet, whether it is a barking or biting dog, a bird-killing, sand-box fouling cat, or a squawking macaw on a lanai. But if a pet is not problematic, what right does one neighbor have to say their neighbor can't have one or more?
Organizations that adopt resolutions opposing chickens before an ordinance has even been drafted are reminiscent of small children that refuse to try a new food before they even know what it is. One would hope they would maintain a non-prejudiced view and base any objections on what was actually being proposed. Its worth noting that there are more provisions in the City of Sarasota's ordinance protecting neighbors than protecting chickens.
Perhaps more to the point, anyone living in a neighborhood with a mandatory HOA (Homeowner's Association) would have rules that would trump any county ordinance. So many of those objecting, who chose to live in such communities, have nothing to worry about.
In addition to chastising the "minority", Commissioner DiSabatino asked Code Enforcement Manager Joe Fenton to come forward and explain the legitimate challenges of enforcing code on fenced properties. CLUCK suspects that vast majority of urban chicken code complaints stem from roosters, and you don't need to be able to see through a fence to tell if there is a rooster present.
Some Commissioners expressed interest in minimum lot size, which could be a reasonable provision. But note should be made that chickens are allowed in Pinellas County (the state's densest county) as well as three quarters of the largest cities in the nation.
Some of the best testimony came from attorney Earl Baden who showed pictures of himself as a kid with his hens and rebutted concerns about odor. His compassionate common sense experience stood in stark contrast to the alarmist testimony of the opponents. Holmes Beach Commissioner Jean Peelen offered refreshing positive testimony that included the fact that their ordinance is based on the City of Sarasota's and included the provision for movable coops. She said the only complaints from neighbors came from people who complained they wanted more eggs. Ronald Sprague of Palma Sola talked about his eight hens and how he had no neighbor complaints in two and a half years. He made the point, repeated by others, that these chickens are pets (just like dogs and cats).
Manatee County has a long way to go before backyard hens are approved with reasonable restrictions. But the ball is rolling, however slowly, and chicken advocates need to step up.
I
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| Commissioners Benac, chappie, DiSabatino, Bustle, Baugh, Gallen, Whitmore |
The discussion was delayed by more than an hour and the four or five opponents trotted out a mixture of legitimate concerns (that would be dealt with in any reasonable ordinance) and some "sky-is-falling" worst case fantasies such as assurances there would be "20 to 30" complaint calls a week if an ordinance were adopted.
Most of the arguments against were the predictable objections heard elsewhere: Salmonella, noise, odor and pollution, loose chickens, burdening code enforcement or animal control, and depressed real estate values. None of which have proved to be significant issues in the City of Sarasota.
The "farm animal" argument was also used, despite testimony that these chickens are not part of commercial agriculture operations, but rather pets, not unlike pot-bellied pigs. Applying the farm argument uniformly would require the county to ban dooryard citrus or a grow-box with tomatoes. We're talking about pets that people name and buy treats for, animals they are more likely to bury in a private ceremony than serve for dinner.
Another line of attack was the notion the "minority" of residents that favor chickens were somehow imposing their views on the "majority". This was an argument utilized by Commissioner DiSabatino apparently reflecting actions taken by some neighborhood associations and the Federation of Manatee County Community Associations Inc. It may be worth remembering that a core American value is protecting the rights of minorities. No neighbor should be expected to tolerate an obnoxious next door pet, whether it is a barking or biting dog, a bird-killing, sand-box fouling cat, or a squawking macaw on a lanai. But if a pet is not problematic, what right does one neighbor have to say their neighbor can't have one or more?
Organizations that adopt resolutions opposing chickens before an ordinance has even been drafted are reminiscent of small children that refuse to try a new food before they even know what it is. One would hope they would maintain a non-prejudiced view and base any objections on what was actually being proposed. Its worth noting that there are more provisions in the City of Sarasota's ordinance protecting neighbors than protecting chickens.
Perhaps more to the point, anyone living in a neighborhood with a mandatory HOA (Homeowner's Association) would have rules that would trump any county ordinance. So many of those objecting, who chose to live in such communities, have nothing to worry about.
In addition to chastising the "minority", Commissioner DiSabatino asked Code Enforcement Manager Joe Fenton to come forward and explain the legitimate challenges of enforcing code on fenced properties. CLUCK suspects that vast majority of urban chicken code complaints stem from roosters, and you don't need to be able to see through a fence to tell if there is a rooster present.
Some Commissioners expressed interest in minimum lot size, which could be a reasonable provision. But note should be made that chickens are allowed in Pinellas County (the state's densest county) as well as three quarters of the largest cities in the nation.
Some of the best testimony came from attorney Earl Baden who showed pictures of himself as a kid with his hens and rebutted concerns about odor. His compassionate common sense experience stood in stark contrast to the alarmist testimony of the opponents. Holmes Beach Commissioner Jean Peelen offered refreshing positive testimony that included the fact that their ordinance is based on the City of Sarasota's and included the provision for movable coops. She said the only complaints from neighbors came from people who complained they wanted more eggs. Ronald Sprague of Palma Sola talked about his eight hens and how he had no neighbor complaints in two and a half years. He made the point, repeated by others, that these chickens are pets (just like dogs and cats).
Manatee County has a long way to go before backyard hens are approved with reasonable restrictions. But the ball is rolling, however slowly, and chicken advocates need to step up.
I
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
CLUCK NEWS: National, Regional, and Local
NATIONAL NEWS
What are chickens doing inside WIRED magazine? Here's their lead paragraph:
"In the past months, there have been several troubling research reports, from different parts of the world, exploring aspects of the same problem: Multi-drug resistant bacteria are present in chicken, apparently because of the use of antibiotics in poultry production, and are passing to people who work with, prepare or eat chicken, at some risk to their health."
The article goes on cite five different sources. Read the article here.
More evidence that crowded factory conditions are dangerous and inferior to backyard hens.
REGIONAL NEWS
As reported earlier, the Hernando County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend allowing chickens in residential areas. The final public hearing will be February 26th.
It's not too late to catch the chickens at the Florida State Fair. Fast forward to the end to see some chick pics from this year's fair.
Tampa is rumored to have considered chickens on February 7th, but we've seen no press on the matter. if you have, please let us know.
LOCAL NEWS
Manatee CLUCK is reporting that Manatee County is scheduling public meeting and work session regarding chickens on March 19th with a tentative starting time of 1:30 pm.
CLUCK is looking for a volunteer to update and organize our email contact list. Please write to sarasotacluck@gmail.com if you might be interested.
What are chickens doing inside WIRED magazine? Here's their lead paragraph:
"In the past months, there have been several troubling research reports, from different parts of the world, exploring aspects of the same problem: Multi-drug resistant bacteria are present in chicken, apparently because of the use of antibiotics in poultry production, and are passing to people who work with, prepare or eat chicken, at some risk to their health."
The article goes on cite five different sources. Read the article here.
More evidence that crowded factory conditions are dangerous and inferior to backyard hens.
REGIONAL NEWS
As reported earlier, the Hernando County Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously to recommend allowing chickens in residential areas. The final public hearing will be February 26th.
It's not too late to catch the chickens at the Florida State Fair. Fast forward to the end to see some chick pics from this year's fair.
Tampa is rumored to have considered chickens on February 7th, but we've seen no press on the matter. if you have, please let us know.
LOCAL NEWS
Manatee CLUCK is reporting that Manatee County is scheduling public meeting and work session regarding chickens on March 19th with a tentative starting time of 1:30 pm.
CLUCK is looking for a volunteer to update and organize our email contact list. Please write to sarasotacluck@gmail.com if you might be interested.
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
TAMPA Rethinks Hens
Manatee County is thinking about it. Pinellas just did it. And now Tampa is rethinking its approach to backyard chickens. On March 2nd the Tampa Bay Times asked: "Has the urban chicken's time finally come?" That news story pointed out that while Tampa (technically) allows urban chickens, there is a 200 foot setback requirement that means virtually all urban and suburban lots don't qualify. And the Tampa Tribune, via Tampa Bay Online, confirms that the City Council will discuss the issue March 15th.
Hillsborough County Citizens for Backyard Poultry have an online petition and will likely get involved, even though their main focus is the unincorporated county. They had 162 signatures on March 6th. Here's a link to their Facebook page.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Pinellas Says Yes to Backyard Poultry
The County Commission of the most densely-populated county in the state okayed backyard chickens last night. Commissioners who govern the unincorporated portions of the County voted 5-2 to allow backyard chickens after a 18 month campaign spearheaded by Lisa McBride, founder of Pinellas Citizens for Backyard Poultry, and many 4-H supporters. The change affects approximately 280,000 people who do not live in one of the two dozen municipalities in Pinellas County. This covers a little more than one third of the land area of the county. Chickens are already allowed in five of the 24 cities (Belleair, Dunedin, Gulfport, Largo and St. Petersburg).
An Email from McBride contained the following paragraph:
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Manatee County Chicken Advocates Meet Tonight- Dec 7th
Manatee CLUCK plans a meeting at 6 p.m. tonight, December 7 at the
Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. W., Bradenton.
The tentative agenda includes a review of current status in Manatee County on backyard chickens, a summary of issues of urban backyard chickens, lessons learned from the successful Sarasota CLUCK campaign in the City of Sarasota, committee tasks assignments for Manatee CLUCK, and scheduling a next meeting.
For more information about keeping urban chickens, call 941-232-3090, or consult the website:
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Manatee Commissioners WIlling to Consider Hens, Citizens Organize
It is fascinating to see the same progression of objections brought up in community after community when the subject of backyard chickens comes up. As Yogi Berra said "It's deja vu all over again." These thoughts came to mind reading the Bradenton Herald's Sara Kennedy article County considers allowing chickens. On Monday the County Commission directed staff to research allowing chickens in residential neighborhoods. The 6 to 1 vote reflects an initial open-mindedness on the part of most commissioners.
One commissioner did bring up the predictable slippery-slope, domino-theory, camels-nose-under-the-tent, small-end-of-the-wedge argument: "If the county allows chickens, why not pigs, goats or cows?" Probably for the same reason that allowing cats doesn't lead to tigers and allowing dogs doesn't lead to wolves.
According to the article Manatee CLUCK plans a meeting at 6 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Central Library, 1301 Barcarrota Blvd. W., Bradenton.
For more information about keeping urban chickens, call 941-232-3090, or consult the website:
Monday, November 21, 2011
Manatee County Backyard Chicken Issue Gaining Traction
On Friday November 18th, the Bradenton Herald carried a Sara Kennedy story "Manatee residents unite: We want chickens". According to the article Commissioner John Chappie may broach the subject with his fellow County Commissioners Monday November 21.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Five More Sarasota CLUCK Milestones
Sarasota CLUCK just keeps on keeping on -- we have five new milestones to announce that involve our blog, Facebook, our supporters, and the support we are providing:
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Manatee CLUCK now on Facebook!
Sarasota CLUCK now has company on Facebook -- friends in Manatee County have started Manatee Cluck and can be found on Facebook. If you know people who support backyard chickens in Manatee County, please direct them there.
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