Consideration and Adoption of Ordinance No. 2015-17:  An ordinance of the City Council of the City of Flagstaff, amending the Flagstaff City Code, by deleting Title 6, Police Regulations, Chapter 6-03, Animals, in its entirety and adopting revised Chapter 6-03, Animal Keeping; providing for severability, authority for clerical corrections, and establishing an effective date. 

For many city residents, raising animals for food, fiber, and labor is the most affordable way to obtain nutritious, locally grown food. The recession has highlighted the need for policies that reduce pressures on residents, especially those who may supplement grocery bills by raising or growing their own food supply.  Urban agriculture is an effective way to achieve this goal. The proposed changes to the City's livestock animal keeping regulations diminish obstacles to self-sufficiency while strengthening restrictions on noise, runoff, and smells associated with keeping livestock animals. The purpose of these changes is to clarify the existing code and modify it to meet the community's needs. 

There are no financial implications to adopting ordinance 2015-17.

COUNCIL GOALS:
10) Decrease the number of working poor.

REGIONAL PLAN:
Goal E&C.2. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Goal E&C.3. Strengthen community and natural environment resiliency efforts through climate adaptation efforts. 
Goal WR.6. Protect, preserve, and improve the quality of surface water, groundwater, and reclaimed water in the region. 
Goal LU.3. Continue to enhance the region's unique sense of place within the urban, suburban, and rural context.
Policy LU.3.5. Allow and encourage urban agriculture.

No.

Option A: Adopt Ordinance 2015-17 as submitted and authorize changes to the City of Flagstaff's livestock animal keeping regulations.
Option B: Recommend changes to Ordinance 2015-17.
Option C: Not adopt Ordinance 2015-17 and leave the existing code as is.

Throughout the Regional Plan and Zoning Code revision processes, City staff received feedback that residents feel the existing animal keeping regulations are unclear and too restrictive. The current code does not provide clear guidance about the number or type of animals allowed in the city. Additionally, it requires that individuals keeping livestock animals obtain approval from the Chief of Police. In response to these issues, staff drafted proposed edits to the animal keeping regulations. 

The purpose of these changes is to clarify the existing code and modify it to meet the community's needs. 

There are no financial implications to adopting ordinance 2015-17.

Many city residents, raising animals for food, fiber, and labor is the most affordable way to obtain nutritious, locally grown food. Keeping livestock animals and bees can provide a host of benefits to the individual and community. For example, five laying hens, each of which will lay 250 to 280 eggs per year, can provide enough eggs to satisfy a family of five’s annual egg consumption. In addition, five chickens can eat the kitchen waste of a family of four, decreasing 1,900 pounds of waste sent to the landfill annually.  Beekeeping has an even broader impact on our local environment. Over the past 50 years, domesticated bee populations have decreased by 50%, yet these insects are invaluable in our food production due to the pollination activities they provide where one beehive can produce enough honey for 54 residents all year.

The recession has highlighted the need for policies that reduce economic pressures, especially for lower income families, and urban agriculture is an effective tool to support this goal. The proposed changes to the City's livestock animal keeping regulations diminish obstacles to self-sufficiency while strengthening restrictions on noise, runoff, and smells associated with keeping livestock animals. Additionally, the proposed changes affirm that residential bees benefit our community in a variety of ways while providing a healthy source of food. 
 

 

Involve: Throughout this process, the community was consulted in shaping the changes proposed in this ordinance. Staff sought direction from neighborhood associations, realtors, HOAs, and various community groups, such as Flagstaff Foodlink, Flagstaff Liberty Alliance, Southside Neighborhood Association, and the City of Flagstaff Sustainability Commission. Additionally, expert guidance was provided by individuals from the Arizona Farm Bureau, Arizona State Department of Agriculture, Northern Arizona Organic Beekeepers Association, and Arizona State Beekeepers Association, as well as local backyard farmers. Public input was sought through an open house at the downtown library on July 20, 2015, which was publicized through social media, radio interviews, community calendars, and the Arizona Daily Sun, and was attended by 26 members of the public. 

Option A: Adopt Ordinance 2015-17 as submitted and authorize changes to the City of Flagstaff's livestock animal keeping regulations.
Option B: Recommend changes to Ordinance 2015-17.
Option C: Not adopt Ordinance 2015-17 and leave the existing code as is.