Minutes - Council - 01/27/2026 - Laserfiche WebLink

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standards were consolidated to ensure uniform application across animal types, and licensing processes were updated to align with current staffing capacity and practices. The update also proposed changes to animal unit calculations, including eliminating the practice of rounding down acreage, which currently limits residents' flexibility, particularly for those keeping poultry. Animal units would be reorganized into clearer categories: large animals, medium animals, and poultry/fowl by weight, with consistent acreage and roaming-area requirements designed to protect animal health and infrastructure such as septic systems. City Planner Martin also noted that horses, which were separated into a distinct table in 2015, would be reintegrated into the general animal unit standards to reduce confusion for staff and residents. He concluded by stating that the recommended action before Council was to introduce the ordinance and invited questions, with staff and the Police Department available to respond. Councilmember Riley questioned whether the proposed ordinance would effectively address rooster-related complaints, noting that roosters would still be allowed under the updated code. He asked whether limiting roosters to properties of at least 2.5 acres would sufficiently mitigate the issue or if allowing roosters at all would continue to pose enforcement challenges. City Planner Martin explained that the issue of allowing roosters was discussed at a prior work session and that staff understood Council’s consensus to continue allowing roosters on properties of 2.5 acres or larger. He stated that the proposed ordinance establishes clear nuisance standards to provide a consistent, objective framework for addressing complaints. The intent is to move away from subjective or isolated complaints and instead apply defined criteria for sustained noise, improving enforcement consistency while still addressing resident concerns and reducing unnecessary calls to Community Service Officers. Councilmember Riley asked staff to confirm whether the proposed ordinance changes would effectively meet the stated goal of addressing rooster-related nuisance concerns and whether staff believe the updated language achieves that objective. He also commented on the clarity of the animal unit standards, noting that the ordinance language was less intuitive than the visual summary presented on the slides. He cited examples such as fractional animal units (e.g., “half a sheep”). He suggested that including plain-language explanations, such as the number of animals allowed per acre, in the ordinance itself would make it easier for residents to understand. He asked whether incorporating that clarifying language into the ordinance would be allowable. City Planner Martin acknowledged that the animal unit table underwent multiple revisions during development as staff balanced technical accuracy with clarity for residents. He explained that the table was designed to support straightforward calculations while still allowing staff to assist residents who have questions about allowable animals when purchasing or using property. He agreed that Councilmember Riley’s suggestion to include clearer per-acre explanations directly in the ordinance would improve readability and understanding. He stated that staff can incorporate those clarifications before the ordinance's second reading. Councilmember Riley reiterated his recommendation that the animal unit table in the ordinance be revised to clearly state the number of animals allowed per acre (e.g., 2, 4, or 25), noting that this City Council /January 27, 2026 Page 5 of 10