Village board to rule on the roost

IOLA – Residents may soon be waking up to more than alarm clocks as the Village Board considers an ordinance that would allow backyard chickens in certain residential districts.

If adopted, chickens would be allowed in most single-family and two-family residential neighborhoods. Residents would be able to keep up to six hens per property, while roosters would be prohibited.

Under the proposal, backyard chickens would be allowed for personal use only and not for commercial purposes. Residents would not be permitted to sell or barter eggs, breed chickens for sale, produce fertilizer commercially or slaughter chickens on the premises. The sale of a chicken as part of a 4-H or similar educational project would not be considered a commercial activity.

Chickens would be required to remain in a covered or fenced enclosure at all times. Enclosures would not be allowed in a front or side yard and must be at least 25 feet from any residential structure on an adjacent lot, in addition to meeting zoning setback requirements.

In short: no roosters, no egg sales and no front or side-yard coops.

Residents who want to keep chickens would be required to obtain a permit from the village and register with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Permits would run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31 each year, would be nontransferable and may require inspection for renewal. Applicants would also be subject to a nonrefundable fee.

Before a permit is issued, the village clerk’s office would notify adjacent property owners and occupants, including those across a street or alley. Permits could be revoked for violations of the ordinance, and no permits would be issued to residents with outstanding village ordinance violations.

Residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on the proposed ordinance during a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. March 10 at the Iola Village Hall Community Room, before the board rules on the roost.