Bountiful Citizens For Chickens Platform and Position
Bountiful Citizens for chickens believes that the protection of property is paramount to the American way a life. We believe that it is the Governments responsibility to protect private property from all unwanted intrusions including the intrusion of laws limiting the ability of a property owner from prudently and reasonably using of their property for their pursuit of happiness. Bountiful Citizens understands that the use of one property can sometimes adversly affect neighboring properties and therefore believes that Governement should play a limited roll in legislating common sense regulations that allows neighbors the ability to enjoy their property without interference from ajoining properties.POSITION ON ISSUES:
Q: Should the city issue permits to those desiring to raise chickens?
A: No. The issuance of permits by the city would be for several reasons. First and foremost permits are always associated with a fee to "Cover the administrative costs"of allowing residents to raise chickens. Bountiful Citizens for Chickens believes in personal responsibility which includes property owners covering all costs associated with the keeping of chickens. As there are no costs to the city for a landowner to have chickens there should be no fee regulated by the city to keep them.
In most cities, Administrators impose fees and require paperwork to be filed in order to bestow the right to have chickens. In Davis County fees range from $10 for a lifetime permit to $100 for a year permit. Costs to the city incured by chicken owners relate to the enforcement of specific codes. Since no cost is incured until there is a reason to enforce infractions of the code, prudent fees should be assessed only to the violator once it has been determined that an infraction actually occured. Rights should not be granted based on ability to pay a permit fee.
Centerville's Code enforecement officer states that they need permits to know who has chickens so when they get complaints they can look it up to see if the property is allowed to have chickens. Sounds like a case of chasing your own tail. They need a permit to determine if you have a permit? Common sense legislation would assume all citizens have chickens and investigate violations as reasonable suspicion arises.
Q: Should there be a limit to the number of chickens a property owner has?
A: Yes. Bountiful Citizens for Chickens endorses the limiting of the number of chickens on residential properties. Due to varying lot sizes it would not be prudent to dictate a specific number of chickens across the board for all residents. A point based system similar to that already in place reasonably limits the number of chickens a property owner can have. Keeping in mind that chickens require much less space than a dog or cat. Bountiful Citizens for Chickens supports NSL's designation of three points per chicken as apposed to Bountifuls five points currently inplace.
Q: Is there any properties that shouldn't allow chickens?
A: Yes. Although it is conceivable that chickens could be successufully raised on the balcony of an apartment, Bountiful Citizens for Chickens believes that only a very small number of residential areas should be excluded from being able to own chickens. Such areas would be densly populated zones with appartments or condo/townhomes containing less than 200sq/ft of backyard.
Q: How woud you deal with noisy chickens?
A: Bountiful Citizens for Chickens supports an ordinance that prohibits roosters. It is the nature of raising chickens that sexing chicks is not always possible or accurate. As a result, even the most careful chicken farmer may unwittingly harbor a rooster. In these cases a grace period should be provided to the property owner to remove the rooster. If a citizens does not comply with removing the rooster within a reasonable period of time the property owner would be referred to the City Prosecuter for fines and enforcement costs relating to the infraction.
