Changing the Township Ordinance
We attended the commissioners meeting on May 17th to discuss the chicken ordinance. We spent a couple days preparing information and going over points on the following topics:
Butler City has no ordinance against chickens. (There is actually nothing I could find that says they aren't allowed any type of farm animal.)
Many other townships in Butler County have no rules against chickens, including nicer areas such as Hampton, and Cranberry Township.
The size of your lot does not have to be as large as their current guidelines of having 5 or more acres.
Chickens are not a health and safety hazard, in fact we listed just a few things that are beneficial, such as they eat ticks, and give me fertilizer for my yard and garden to grow plants. They also provide food and companionship for my family. So much more could be said!
I also expressed my belief that during a world crisis when people are told not to provide for their families we are all trying to find ways to provide and to be self sustainable on our property. People have the right to use their property and to have property. It's called "free use" of property. If you are not violating anyone else's constitutional rights, than you should be able to use your property the way you see fit. Whoever chooses to live this lifestyle should not be harassed by anyone or sent threatening letters. I also told them that to threaten to fine someone for this type of violation $500 a day is absolutely excessive.
The Response:
Well, unfortunately we received absolutely no feedback from the commissioners. They let the solicitor talk for them. If you don't know who the solicitor is, they are lawyers, who pledge their conduct to the BAR Association, so she basically had nothing good to say to us, except that to change an ordinance it is "a very long process."Which I get. But at the same time, this needs to be done. This may seem like something small and unimportant, but what is going to happen next, are they going to keep dictating peoples lives? No gardens? No privacy? There needs to be a line drawn in the sand, and this is where I'm drawing it!
The next step is going to be a push for the zoning commissioner, Fred Vero, and also the rest of the zoning office, and all of the other Commissioners, to Abolish the current backyard chicken ordinance!
There will need to be a proposal written up, collecting much information, and getting lots of local support, and being put on their actual agenda for a meeting in the future.
I will be asking people in this area to write letters of support with any personal experience, or factual information that you would like to express.
You can send me your letters, please include your
Name, Address, Date, and Signature (If you can), at my email
Thanks for your support, let's save our chickens!!!
Also if you want to call the Commissioners office here is their phone number
Commissioners
724-283-3430
Dave Zarnick
President
Ext. 221
dzarnick@butlertwp.org
Sam Zurzolo
Vice President
Ext. 222
Joseph A. Wiest
Ext. 219
James Lokhaiser, Jr.
Ext. 315
Fred Vero -
Ext. 314
fvero@butlertwp.org