Still need to hide chickens here?

[MillenniumMan]

Ok, as some of you may or may not know, the Lake County Council keeps delaying the vote to make owning backyard chickens legal without an AG exemption unless you're in a town or city limits that allows chickens.

Currently, if you have chickens in the non-incorporated areas of the county (IE, farming or rural) there are hefty penalties and your chickens may be confiscated. I haven't heard anything for a month on the vote, and the pending "permissions" of said law still suck goats nuts.

Sean Parks, who is pandering for votes this coming election (2014) said he wants an ordinance drawn up to "define back yard chicken coops"

Here's how retarded our county council is. These are some of the act proposal guidelines. Read their quotes word for word and you'll see:

“Whereas Lake County recognizes the role chickens play in developing a more viable urban environment” Them city slickin' chickins and their chemical additives have no place in the county!

“Slaughtering of chickens is prohibited” And tasty

“Whereas, chickens are social, can make good pets, and findings indicate that three to four chickens are sufficient to meet the needs of the average family’s egg consumption…” Yes, because we're 56 pound Ethiopians instead of Human beings...


The maximum allowed hens per property would be FIVE! And no roosters. So....... Dumbasses...... Three to four hens that COULD lay three eggs between them daily can sustain a family of four?

And to think, they all have degrees in business management and mathematics of one form or another.


Once I get some Amerucana (Easter Eggers) and some brown shirt bitch comes around and wants to fine me, I'll request a jury trial, and remind the jury of two things before casting their decision:

1. The Florida Right to Farm law of 2013 and
2. Jury Nullification so they can kick the thing to the curb.

There's more to the story and more cheeky crap, but since we're in the thick of it and not part of a fluff piece:

http://webworks.typepad.com/lakecountyfiscalrangers/2013/11/lake-county-might-soon-be-invaded-not-just-by-aliens-but-backyard-chickens.html

[Tex]

I'm with you MM. If they want to make an issue of something that isn't right, let's take it all the way to a jury. The bastards don't want to do that though. They would rather settle and plea long before a court date so they can get credit for a win without actually doing a damned thing.

I wish you luck.

Tex

[W.Lynn]

Hmm, so one farmer that owns a rooster, and makes a circuitous route to the vet for a "well rooster" checkup, could stop and visit quite a few owners of hens. The rooster would probably be very tired when he got home ... all that driving around and visiting.

[southernmom]

I'm in Sumter, MillenniumMan-and I hadn't heard of this ridiculousness. I don't know what part of Lake County you are in, but there are plenty of chickens out there, this is nuts. Is this some of that nonsense Villages horseshit making the political rounds out there? If I were you I'd raise a bunch of chickens. But I'm often a troublemaker so you probably shouldn't listen to me.

BTW I have a couple extra roosters (I know, I should cook them, but they are entertaining little mini t-rex's so I haven't put them in a pot yet) and I am incubating some australorps and americauna eggs-if they hatch and survive I'll let you know.

[MillenniumMan]

Just west of Mascotte three miles before the Lake/Sumter border, mostly rural but the older black farmers let their urban kids and grandkids stay out here. They had that stuckeyfest like they do every year a month ago and it got out of hand. VERY.... out of hand. Hope it's the last one they have.

As for troublemaking, I'm an equal opportunity offender. There's this building code inspector that makes it a point of driving through the loop once every two weeks looking for things to report. Tried to give me hell about using the monster truck tires I found for a raised garden bed. I retorted with making it a court case if she wanted to press the matter simply on principle. This one's obviously never had anyone stand up to her before, what with her being part of the government and trying to help us. Then about mowing the "overgrowth" in my back yard. THEY'RE FRICKIN WOODS! The next time I'll simply mention harassment suit and see what she does.

Just need to get a few things together in a couple of months, and I'll gladly take those Amers off your hands

[Mr.]

It's sad to see that there are people out there so miserable that they stoop to the level of causing problems with people who would have simply continued minding their own business. What one man (errm...person, excuse me) does with their own property is their own business. Unless of course you've opted to live in an area with some type of Home Owners Association, and in that case, I feel as though you have made your own bed.

That seemingly mindless "Just do what we tell you and you won't have any problems" attitude associated with city/town governments drives me nuts. It's exactly why people end up being pigeonholed as some time of right wing extremist or other useless $5 word.

I'm rambling. I'll go get more coffee and gripe in private.

[southernmom]

Insult to injury out here is that it is VERY rural and between lake and sumter counties there are tons of little farms and lots of pasture. Hell, even the more populated areas tend to be tolerable in terms of little gardens and the occasional critters ('cept for the eternal assholes you find everywhere you go.)
The only exception is 'the villages' which is all of Dante's circles of hell piled into one if you ask me.

[MillenniumMan]

Ok, here's the proposed law as of the 17th. This shit is dickrickulous.

No more than five chickens? No slaughtering? Poop must be in tupperware or a "fly-tight" bin?
I like section four which invalidates the whole damned thing, they apparently never heard of Florida's right to farm law.

1 BACKYARD CHICKEN ORDINANCE 2 This ordinance proposes to amend the Lake County Land Development Regulations (LDR), Chapter X, entitled, 3 “Accessory and Temporary Structures and Uses “, Section 10.01.00, entitled, “Residential Accessory and 4 Temporary Structures and Uses”, to create subsection 10.01.06, entitled, “Backyard Chickens” to allow a 5 maximum of five (5) chickens as an accessory use and placement of chicken coops as accessory structures 6 within specific residential districts, meeting conditions. 7 8 This ordinance also proposes to amend Chapter II, entitled “Definitions” to create a definition for Chicken 9 Coop. 10 11 Changes are shown as follows: Underline for additions to existing Code sections. Renumbering and/or 12 relettering were added as needed. 13
14
15
ORDINANCE NO. 2013-____ 16
17
AN ORDINANCE OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF LAKE COUNTY, FLORIDA; AMENDING THE 18 FOLLOWING SECTIONS OF THE LAKE COUNTY CODE, APPENDIX E, LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS; 19 AMENDING CHAPTER II, ENTITLED “DEFINITIONS” TO CREATE A DEFINITION FOR CHICKEN COOP; 20 AMENDING CHAPTER X, ENTITLED “ACCESSORY AND TEMPORARY STRUCTURES AND USES”, SECTION 21 10.01.00, ENTITLED “RESIDENTIAL ACCESSORY AND TEMPORARY STRUCTURES AND USES”, CREATING 22 SUBSECTION 10.01.06, ENTITLED “BACKYARD CHICKENS” TO ALLOW CHICKENS AS AN ACCESSORY USE AND 23 CHICKEN COOPS AS AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE WITHIN SPECIFIC RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS, WITH 24 CONDITIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE CODE; PROVIDING FOR 25 FILING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. 26
27
WHEREAS, the Lake County Land Development Regulations contains regulations that allows the 28 keeping of farm animals and poultry in agricultural and low density rural residential zoning districts, but not 29 in other zoning districts; 30
WHEREAS, many communities around Lake Country have explored how to compatibly integrate 31 chickens into the urban residential setting; 32
WHEREAS, chickens are social, can make good pets, and findings indicate that three (3) to four (4) 33 chickens are sufficient to meet the needs of the average family’s egg consumption; 34
WHEREAS, Lake County recognizes the role chickens play in developing a more viable urban 35 environment; 36
WHEREAS, on the 30th day of October, 2013, the Planning & Zoning Board, in its capacity as the 37 Local Planning Agency, considered this ordinance and recommended approval at a properly advertised public 38 hearing; 39
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners (the “Board”) desires to amend Chapter X, Land 40 Development Regulations, to create regulations pertaining to the keeping of chickens in specific residential 41 districts, with conditions. 42
WHEREAS, on the 17th day of December, 2013, this Ordinance was heard at a public hearing before 43 the Lake County Board of County Commissioners; and 44
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED, by the Board of County Commissioners of Lake County, Florida 45 as follows: 46
Land Development Regulations – Chapter X – Backyard Chicken Ordinance
Page 2 of 3 7-15-2013 awg
1
Section 1. Recitals. The foregoing recitals are true and correct and incorporated herein by 2 reference. 3
4
Section 2. Amendment. Chapter II, Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development 5 Regulations, entitled “Definitions”, is hereby amended as follows (additions are indicated by underline, and 6 the notation “***” indicates that all preceding or subsequent text remains unchanged): 7
8
*** 9
Chicken Coop. A structure where hens are kept. 10
11
*** 12
13
Section 3. Amendment. Section 10.01.00, Lake County Code, Appendix E, Land Development 14 Regulations, entitled “Residential Accessory and Temporary Structures and Uses”, is hereby amended to 15 create subsection 10.01.06, entitled “Backyard Chickens” (additions are indicated by underline, and the 16 notation “***” indicates that all preceding or subsequent text remains unchanged): 17
18
10.01.00 Residential Accessory and Temporary Structures and Uses 19
20
*** 21
10.01.06 Backyard Chickens. 22
General Requirements. Chickens, other than roosters, shall be allowed for personal use as an accessory use 23 within the Estate Residential (R-2), Medium Residential (R-3), Medium Suburban Residential (R-4), Urban 24 Residential (R-6), Mixed Residential (R-7), and Mixed Home Residential (RM) Districts. 25
A. Any person keeping, harboring, raising or maintaining chickens as an accessory to an occupied 26 dwelling unit shall be subject to the following restrictions: 27
1. No more than five (5) chickens may be kept; 28
2. Slaughtering of chickens is prohibited; 29
3. Chickens must be secured within the chicken coop or fenced enclosure at all times; 30
4. All feed and other items associated with the keeping of chickens that are likely to attract or to 31 become infested with rodents or other pests shall be kept in a rodent and pest-proof container; 32
5. No manure shall be allowed to accumulate on the floor of the coop or ground. A fly-tight bin for 33 storage of manure shall be utilized; the size shall be sufficient to contain all accumulations of 34 manure. The fly-tight bin shall be kept at least twenty (20) feet away from all property; and 35
6. Composting of chicken manure shall be allowed in an enclosed bin. The composting bin shall be 36 kept at least twenty (20) feet away from all property lines. 37
B. Chicken coop or fenced enclosure used to house chickens. Any chicken coop or fenced enclosure 38 used to house chickens shall: 39
1. Not be located in the front or side yards; and 40
2. Be set back a minimum of twenty (20) feet from all property lines. 41
*** 42
43
Land Development Regulations – Chapter X – Backyard Chicken Ordinance
Page 3 of 3 7-15-2013 awg
Section 4. Severability. If any section, sentence, clause or phrase or the Ordinance is held to 1 be invalid or unconstitutional by any court of competent jurisdiction, then said holding shall in no way effect 2 the validity of the remaining portion of this Ordinance. 3
4
Section 5. Inclusion in the Code. It is the intent of the Board of County Commissioners that 5 the provisions of this Ordinance shall become and be made a part of the Lake County Code and that the 6 sections of this Ordinance may be renumbered or relettered and the word “ordinance” may be changed to 7 “section”, “article” or such other appropriate word or phrase in order to accomplish such intentions. 8
9
Section 6. Filing with the Department of State. The clerk shall be and is hereby directed 10 forthwith to send a certified copy of this Ordinance to the Secretary of State for the State of Florida. 11
12
Section 7. Effective. This Ordinance shall become effective upon filing with the Secretary of 13 State.

[southernmom]

Things are just getting more aggravating overall. It's like they are trying to prevent a normal person from raising or hunting or fishing for their own food. Self sufficiency is just too much of a threat I guess.