GREENFIELD — The city government is poised to discuss whether keeping chickens will continue to be banned within city limits.
Several residents who spoke at the most recent city council meeting, some of whom already own chickens, asked the council to consider changing the rule. They said a small number of chickens do not create more of a disruption than common pets like dogs or cats.
Council president Dan Riley said he thinks the time has come to reexamine the city’s chicken policy and gauge public opinion. He said the council will likely create a committee at its next meeting to study the issue.
That, however, doesn’t necessarily mean that Greenfield’s policy will change.
“I have concerns, personally, about odor and predators that could be attracted,” he said, adding that even if chickens are kept securely, animals like coyotes or foxes might venture into neighborhoods in search of them.
Mayor Chuck Fewell said he would be open to the idea of allowing chickens within city limits, but there are several issues the council needs to make a decision on first, such as how many of the birds would be allowed at a residence.
He added that there are also valid concerns about health risks and about the odor associated with keeping chickens, noting that houses in parts of Greenfield tend to be closer together than they are in most cities.
“I want to make sure we do the right thing for the city,” Fewell said.
Citizens have asked the city government to overturn the ordinance several times in the past, but the idea has never made it to a vote. Last year, a petition asking the city council to change the ordinance garnered almost 1,000 signatures.
Animal management director Amanda Dehoney said the department does not actively look for families that are violating the chicken ordinance, but does respond to complaints about neighbors keeping the birds. Dehoney said the department is currently holding off on removing chickens from a handful of properties pending the council’s decision on how to move forward.
Riley said he hopes citizens will continue to obey the prohibition against owning chickens in the meantime as the city makes a decision on how to move forward.
“It’s unfortunate that we have to deal with it after it’s already happened, and hopefully that won’t happen again,” he said.
Urban and suburban chicken ownership has become increasingly popular, and NPR reported last year that it was increasing during COVID-19 lockdowns.
Many cities in Indiana, including Fishers, Fort Wayne, Carmel and Indianapolis, allow residents to keep chickens. Most have regulations governing how much space is needed per bird, limiting the number of birds, and sometimes banning roosters. New Palestine approved rules in May that provide guidance on keeping chickens within the town limits. That ordinance creates property-line buffers for coops and requires the birds to be inside enclosures. It also bans roosters.
The city council’s next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 22.
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Greenfield’s code of ordinances regulating animal management contains a section on keeping domestic farm animals. Section 90:11 says: “It shall be unlawful for any person to own, keep, or have custody of on his or her property within the city limits any bovine, porcine, equine, gallus gallus, or other domestic farm animal.” (“Gallus gallus” refers to chickens.) Violations carry a fine of $100.
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