East Dundee trustees raise more concerns over backyard chickens

East Dundee residents will have to wait a while longer before the village board decides whether to allow urban chickens within village limits.

For weeks, trustees have debated the regulations listed in an ordinance that would grant single-family homeowners permission to raise up to four hens - not roosters - in their back yards.

Upon raising several additional concerns Tuesday, trustees postponed their decision to a later date.

"My biggest concern over this whole thing is going to be the neighbors," said Village President Lael Miller. "I want to be fair to the neighbors that think (backyard hens) are an issue."

If passed, the ordinance would require residents to first pay a fee and obtain a valid "coop permit," which must be renewed annually, before hens are allowed on their properties. The residents' chicken coop and run - the house and enclosed outdoor area where the hens are kept - must be inspected by the village before issuing a permit.

The village will limit the number of permits issued to 10 at a time, trustees decided Tuesday.

Residents would also have to notify all neighbors of their intent to raise hens, the proposed ordinance says. But Miller said notifying neighbors won't stop them from complaining if problems arise regarding noise or smell.

He said he'd like to have a set policy in place for the village to handle chicken-related disturbances if they become an issue.

"If a neighbor complains and it's a valid complaint and it's disturbing the neighbor, is that something where we pull a permit?" he asked the board.

Because potential disturbances can often be subjective, Police Chief Terry Mee said, the ordinance would need proper verbiage detailing the process of handling complaints.

Though the proposal provides details of the size and placement of a henhouse on any given property, Trustee Rob Gorman also noted that it does not regulate its distance from a neighboring structure or property.

It also doesn't require residents to have a barrier or fence, which could potentially block any disturbance, surrounding their property, he added.

"I don't think we've thought this through properly," he said. "You need to be a significant distance from somebody else's property."

Trustees will resume discussion at next week's committee of the whole meeting and may reconsider the ordinance at a village board meeting later this month.