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MINUTES <br />PLANNING COMMISSION <br />AUGUST 10, 2023 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />5 <br />Mark Pederson, 969 Beam Avenue, thanked the City for putting together this information noting <br />that he is excited that this is coming forward to Little Canada. He stated that they moved from <br />Minneapolis where it is common to have chickens. He noted that he also had neighbors that kept <br />chickens and they never experienced any issues. He stated that he is excited to introduce this <br />experience to his children and have this experience as a family. He stated that perhaps pictures <br />could be added to the presentation with pictures of chicken coops, noting that many kits look <br />great and are smaller than you would think. He noted that chickens eat ticks, which is beneficial <br />to everyone. He commented that there are wild turkey and geese that run through yards, and <br />they would be more of a nuisance than kept chickens that remain in someone’s yard. <br /> <br />Kristen Simon, 2545 __ Street, commented that she supports the keeping of chickens as it is <br />sustainable and nutritious. She noted that chickens will also kill mice. She commented that four <br />chickens would have a hard time staying warm in the winter. She reviewed elements that can be <br />used to mitigate different factors of chicken keeping. She noted that kitchen scraps can go to <br />chickens, which decreases the amount of waste going to the landfill. She stated that the chain <br />link fence would keep the chickens in their yard, but different fencing would be needed to <br />protect from predators. She did not believe that coops should be considered accessory structures <br />as you can get smaller coops that are movable. She noted that the larger coops that people can <br />walk inside could fall under that type of permitting. <br /> <br />The Community Development Director asked where people purchase their chickens. <br /> <br />Ms. Simon commented that you can purchase chickens online through different hatcheries. She <br />stated that six chickens would be the minimum she would suggest as chickens do not lay eggs <br />every day and decrease production in the winter months. She provided additional details on egg <br />production, noting that most chickens lay eggs for two to three years and then production slows <br />down which is why some people may choose to stop after that time. <br /> <br />Chair Johnson asked what people do if they have to cull or if they have a rooster. <br /> <br />Ms. Simon provided details on that process. She noted that some people rehome the chickens as <br />others keep them as pets because of other benefits such as pest control. She did not believe that <br />neighbor approval should be needed as the only time they make noise is a short noise when the <br />egg is laid. She commented on the nutritional value of eggs, noting that most store-bought eggs <br />are already a month or two old. She noted that it also provides a great educational experience for <br />those with children. <br /> <br />Ms. Martin commented that she has been following discussions on social media and there are <br />groups devoted to rehoming chickens to be kept as pets. <br /> <br />Mayor Fischer thanked the residents for providing input, noting that he is the only member of the <br />current Council that was present for the discussions in 2017. He stated that he is pleased with <br />the feedback and information gathered. He stated that this is draft language and the first concept