Following City Council direction, an ordinance to allow residents to raise backyard chickens is being drafted. An interdepartmental team including representatives from Police, Legal, Neighborhood Services, and Planning and Development Departments is working on the effort. The ordinance language will be part of Champaign Municipal Code, Chapter 7-Animals. The team is reviewing ordinances and procedures from other communities, including Evanston, IL, Carbondale, IL, Madison, WI and more. City Council comments from the July 9, 2013 Study Session are also being incorporated.
In addition to crafting ordinance language, the team is also developing the process of administering the ordinance. Administering the ordinance includes permitting and enforcement. Team members are working to anticipate potential conflicts while also balancing impacts on staff time. A draft ordinance, application forms, permitting and enforcement process is currently under review. The team is working towards adoption late fall, with a goal of having the program underway in advance of the 2014 chicken hatching season.