Chicken Ownership in Charles City Will Cost a Few “Buck, Buck, Bucks”

Ownership of urban chickens in Charles City is now legal, but it’ll be a pricey start-up proposition.

Earlier this month, the City Council approved the third reading of an ordinance allowing chickens within city limits. Monday (Oct. 19) night, the Council considered a resolution to set fees for chicken ownership, based on the recommendation of city staff, delivered by Development Services Director Chris Miller who helped draft the chicken ordinance..

Mayor Dean Andrews questioned the level of those fees.

Councilman Patrick Lumley, who was opposed to the chicken ownership ordinance, said fees should be set to help cover the City’s associated costs, including inspections of chicken coops and the processing of permits.

Councilwoman Krista Noah, a proponent of urban chickens, proposed a review of the fees in a timely fashion to see if the cost is prohibitive to chicken ownership.

The fees were approved on a 4-0 vote, with Councilwoman Phoebe Pittman absent from the meeting for medical reasons.