 |
AGENDA RECOMMENDATION |
1.
City Council Work Session
- Meeting Date:
- 05/26/2026
Agenda Item:
Discussion Regarding Chicken Regulations in Minnesota Cities.
Recommendation/Action(s):
As a result of the discussion, City Staff will be looking for direction from the Council on possible next steps.
Summary:
In 2023, the City Council provided work direction that City Staff should complete research regarding Backyard Chicken regulations in other cities. Attached is a document that provides a high-level summary of regulations in select cities. This research does not cover every MN city.
Most cities have the requirement that coops and runs require a building or fence permits for their initial construction and include language regarding rodent-proof food containers, that the City may inspect after a permit or license is issued, and that noise and/or smell from the animals may be considered a nuisance.
In discussion with several communities, there are few complaints and few properties that require follow-up inspections. A few of the cities have shared that they have had a permit or license that needed to be revoked. Very few cities reported situations where a complaint regarding a permit or license could not be addressed through their code enforcement techniques. While rare, the research did identify a few problem situations – this said, it was very limited.
Most cities have the requirement that coops and runs require a building or fence permits for their initial construction and include language regarding rodent-proof food containers, that the City may inspect after a permit or license is issued, and that noise and/or smell from the animals may be considered a nuisance.
In discussion with several communities, there are few complaints and few properties that require follow-up inspections. A few of the cities have shared that they have had a permit or license that needed to be revoked. Very few cities reported situations where a complaint regarding a permit or license could not be addressed through their code enforcement techniques. While rare, the research did identify a few problem situations – this said, it was very limited.