10/14/2011

Hearing set on regulating rooster roaming, noise, through miscellaneous offenses ordinance

The Town Council will hold a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, 2011, on proposed changes to the miscellaneous offenses ordinance aimed at regulating roosters.

Town officials have wrestled for months on how to best regulate roosters in residential areas, while respecting the community's desire for rural character.

"We believe this is the right balance," said Jim Walsh, Town councilor in charge of the ordinance subcommittee.

The proposal would add chickens and roosters to the list of animals regulated in the animal control section of the ordinance. It prohibits owners from allowing their animals to go at-large on public property or private property without permission of the property owner. A new proposed paragraph also prohibits owners from allowing their animals to make noises loud enough to disturb neighboring property owners.

The animal control section currently applies to horses, cows, swine, goats or other grazing animals.

Councilors voted 5-1 to set the proposal to public hearing at their meeting Oct. 12, with Caitlin Jordan opposed. Councilor Jessica Sullivan was absent.

Councilors first considered regulating roosters through zoning, but the Planning Board, after four workshops and two public hearings, instead recommended regulation by a nuisance or similar ordinance. "While we don't believe it's the perfect answer, it strikes a balance," Walsh said. "If we have more complaints we may have to address it in another way," he said.