More chicken permits soon to be available

Last night the Longmont City Council approved the amendment to the backyard chicken ordinance. According to the amendment permits will soon be available for residents who requested to be on the waiting list between the dates of March 24 and May 5. There are 22 of them.

There are an additional eight people who've called asking to be added to the waiting list since May 5, but they aren't eligible to get a permit. The eight individuals on the new waiting list will have to wait until a permit is surrendered or revoked before they will be eligible for one.

In addition, anyone who had chickens prior to Feb. 1, 2009, and can prove it will be eligible to
get a permit. They will be required to provide a written letter from a next door neighbor attesting to their chicken keeping and pictures of their coop and chickens. This group would be required to bring their chicken keeping operation up to the existing code requirements just like everyone else.

The amended ordinance will go to publishing on Friday, and the new permits should be available for purchase 10 days after that which should be June 22.

Council members voting in favor of the amendment were Karen Benker, Brian Hansen, Sean McCoy and Sarah Levison. Voting against it were Mayor Lange, Gabe Santos, and Mary Blue.

For information on obtaining a permit (what to bring and where to go), please see this post.

City Council to vote on amending chicken ordinance June 9

The Longmont City Council will vote on amending the backyard chicken ordinance at the meeting on Tuesday, June 9. The vote could increase the number of permits allowed in the city (currently only 50) and allow residents who own backyard chickens but don’t have the required permit to keep their hens, as well as allow residents who are on the permit waiting list to apply for a permit.

On May 26, council voted 5-2 in favor of amending the ordinance to allow more permits. The second reading and vote are scheduled for tonight. For more information about the last city council meeting and vote re: the chickens, please read the Times-Call article Longmont chicken owners without permits have time to comply.

If you are in favor of backyard hens, please attend tomorrow night's city council meeting and sign up to speak during the Public Invited to be Heard section (at the very beginning). Thank you for your continued support.

Location of Meeting:

CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
June 9, 2009 - 7 p.m.
Civic Center
350 Kimbark St.
Longmont, CO