Marvene Noel
It's fine for chickens to be elsewhere in the city, "but we don't want them in District 8," City Councilwoman Marvene Noel said Tuesday.
She said she had heard from about six residents in favor of allowing up to eight laying hens at a residential location, but over 60 opposed.
Councilwoman Noel said, "I am making a plea of my council family that my constituents be honored and respected."
The council is to vote next Tuesday on the measure by Lookout Valley Councilman Chip Henderson, who raises chickens on his land that is zoned for agriculture.
Councilman Henderson said the measure, if approved by a majority of the council, should apply to the city as a whole.
He said there were legal issues with carving out one district from the ordinance, including the fact that in the next reapportionment that some people with chickens might wind up being placed in District 8.
He noted that HOAs can still have rules forbidding chickens.
Councilwoman Raquetta Dotley said officials at McKamey Animal Center had been expressing doubt about adding chicken control to their plates.
She said, "It's more like they don't want to do it. But, we pay McKamey a great deal to do this work."
Chair Jenny Hill said she would prefer having the ordinance cover all of the city, saying that was "more of democracy."
Several council members said they had heard little opposition to the ordinance, which does exclude roosters.