City Council Planning Sessions

1. City Council Planning Agenda Documents: 2016-10-24 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING AGENDA.PDF 2. City Council Planning Urban Chickens Ps05 Documents: 2016-10-24 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING URBAN CHICKENS PS05.PDF 3. City Council Planning Minutes Documents: 2016-10-24 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING MINUTES.PDF 4. City Council Planning Draft Minutes 11-14-2016 Ps02 Documents: 2016-10-24 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING DRAFT MINUTES 11-14-2016 PS02.PDF 5. City Council Planning Downtown Employee Parking Ps04 Documents: 2016-10-24 CITY COUNCIL PLANNING DOWNTOWN EMPLOYEE PARKING PS04.PDF  WHEATON CITY COUNCIL PLANNING SESSION WHEATON CITY HALL – COUNCIL CHAMBERS 303 W. WESLEY STREET, WHEATON, ILLINOIS MONDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2016 - 7:00 P.M. AGENDA I. Call to Order II. Approval of Minutes – September 26, 2016 III. Public Comment IV. Downtown Employee Parking V. Urban Chickens VI. City Council/Staff Comments VII. Adjournment During the Public Comment portion of the agenda, the presiding officer shall recognize any person requesting to be heard on any of the planning session agenda items only. Persons speaking during Public Comment shall not speak longer than three (3) minutes and shall be permitted to speak only once. Visitors must remain quiet and not engage in behavior that interferes with the Planning Session. The presiding officer may, or upon a majority vote of the council, request any visitor who violates any provision of this paragraph to leave the council chambers, and such visitor shall thereupon leave. Any person providing public comment shall address the presiding officer only and shall not proceed with remarks until recognized. When recognized, the person shall state his or her name and address. Cross floor discussions are prohibited. If a member of the City Council has questions of any person who has provided public comment, that person may address the specific question.  - - John M. Duguay Assistant City Manage To: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Date: October 21, 2016 Subject: Consideration of Urban Chickens Background According to Wheaton City Code, Chapter 14-99, it is currently unlawful to keep any livestock or similar animals anywhere within the City of Wheaton limits, except for a 4-H or similar educational project, and only for a maximum of 90 days. At the July 18, 2016 City Council meeting, residents addressed the Council requesting an amendment to the current City Code in order to allow raising chickens in backyards. Based on comments from the family petitioning the City Council, and other sources in support of allowing chickens (hens), the following points are provided in favor of urban chickens: • Chickens provide an excellent learning experience either in conjunction with 4-H type organizations or teaching children at home. • Chickens provide fresh and healthy eggs for families. • Hens are not noisy and are loving pets that may alleviate stress for owners. • Several chickens produce less waste than large dogs. • If properly treated, chicken waste may be used as an effective fertilizer. • With proper care, small flocks of chickens do not spread disease. • A well-constructed coop will provide sufficient protection from predators. Staff researched meeting minutes from other communities who have considered, but not allowed, urban chickens, and articles not in support of urban chickens. In general, those against keeping urban chickens argue that: • Egg production typically wanes after 3-5 years, while a hen may live over a decade; this could lead to abandoned chickens. Policies typically limit the number of chickens allowed. • Coops must be properly constructed and maintained or chickens will be subject to predators. In Elgin’s pilot program, the average cost of coop construction was $940. • Some worry that allowing urban chickens might create a “slippery slope” leading to allowing other livestock such as sheep, goats, ducks, etc. • Chickens are messy and dirty with the coop bedding needing to be totally replaced minimally once every 3-4 weeks; depending on the number of chickens kept. • Chickens could transmit salmonella. These bacteria may linger in the chicken waste and on their bodies, as they often come into contact with their droppings. • Chickens “cluck” and may create a noise nuisance. Depending on the breed, hens may make noises after laying an egg and may “goose” other chickens causing them to squawk. • Communities like Wheaton are comprised of mostly residential lots with neighbors in close proximity; some expect a negative effect on neighbor’s home values.  • While a barking dog may be noisier than squawking chickens, neighbors have a recourse with çjg (Police visit = dogs go in the house = quiet). Chickens are not brought inside. Other Communities Staff reviewed meeting minutes and information from surrounding communities who allow urban chickens to determine how they have handled this issue. The gamut of restrictions vary significantly, with some communities having few restrictions and others, like Oak Brook, allow chickens only on parcels greater than ten (10) acres. In order to provide examples of restrictions, a few communities were selected and a summary of that research is attached as Exhibit A. Exhibit B lists suburban communities who allow (or do not allow) urban chickens (data from 2015/2016). Of thirty-eight (38) communities listed, eleven (11) communities allow chickens. Twenty-five (27) do not allow chickens for many of the reasons provided above. Recommendation There is much conflicting information regarding the benefits and challenges of allowing chickens in a residential setting. It is difficult to weigh these conflicting viewpoints, and on an issue such as this, staff recognizes that most people seem to come into the decision-making process for this issue with their mind already made up. Those who want urban chickens see them as an educational tool, a pet and a better way towards sustainable life. Those not in favor of urban chickens typically feel that they are an unwelcomed “farm animal” and should not be allowed in a residential setting where neighbors are often in close proximity to each other. That being said, staff recommends no change to the current policy based on the following: • Additional staff time for code enforcement related to permitting and proper enforcement • Residential nature and character of our community • Legitimate health concerns to consider (see Exhibit C) • Other arguments “against” listed above However, if the City Council is so inclined to allow urban chickens in Wheaton, staff recommends that there be a permitting process and specified requirements such as: • 4 hens maximum (Roosters prohibited) • Allowed at residential single-family homes only and must be contained at all times • Coop must be a considerable distance (30+ feet) from adjacent neighbor’s principle dwelling • Coop is allowed only in the back yard (no side or front yard). The Coop wall closest to the house (principle dwelling) must be between 4 and 10 feet from the house’s back outer wall • The Coop/run together must be no greater than 100 sq. ft.; (Coop no greater than 15 sq. ft.) • The Coop/run must not be greater than 6 feet high • Coop must not be able to be viewed from the street • Coop must be cleaned regularly (daily) & sanitary • Coop must be impermeable to rodents & wildlife Attachments • Exhibit A — Urban Chicken Policy Summary • Exhibit B — Urban Chicken Community Listing • Exhibit C — CDC Articles (2) • Exhibit D — Resident Emails in Support  Exhibit A Urban Chicken Policies City of Batavia: Ordinance passed May 16, 2011 and amended November 2, 2015 • no registration fee • residential single family dwelling properties only with the exception of Schools • restrictions: o 8 chickens max (Roosters prohibited) o Slaughtering of chickens is prohibited (except for humane reasons) o Chickens must be contained within a fenced area at all times • coop/henhouse requirements: o Permit required (same as shed) o only located in rear of yard within 150 feet from the street & 30 feet from adjacent dwellings o must be kept clean and sanitary at all times and impermeable to rodents o coop and run must be covered and the run cannot be less than 32 square feet in area City of Elgin: Ordinance passed February 24, 2016 • just completed a 1-year pilot program w/15 residents o 15 applicants/I 1 permits issued/9 coops constructed o 4 people didn’t move forward w/coop for various reasons (including HOA denial) o Average cost = $940 ($730 coop/$4 per chickenl$ 100 supplies/$95 permit) o Once laying begins, yields from 1-24 eggs per week • allow up to 25 chicken licenses • permit application fee and one-time license fee = $95 (due at time of license issuance) • baby chickens may be kept indoors until they are fully-feathered (up to 8 weeks) • restrictions: o 4 chickens max (Roosters prohibited) o Slaughtering of chickens is prohibited o Chickens must be contained in coop at all times • coop/henhouse requirements: o must submit plans for coop, build and obtain final inspection prior to license being issued o must be at least 25 feet from neighbors & not visible from the street o can be up to 50 square feet and chicken runs/enclosures can be up to 100 square feet o must be clean (at least once every 24 hours), sanitary and free of refuse and waste City of Naperville: Ordinance passed February 4, 2014 • no permit required • restrictions: o 8 chickens max o Roosters prohibited o Must be at least 200 feet from any occupied residence other then the owner. • coop/henhouse restrictions: o must be kept clean and sanitary at all times o doesn’t have to be fully enclosed o Landscaped with 75% opacity, such as plantings or equivalent screening  Exhibit A City of St. Charles: Has permitted chickens for 20+ years but amended their city code on July 21, 2014 • restrictions: o 6chickensmax o Roosters are prohibited • coop/henhouse restrictions: o Must be kept in an enclosed and/or fenced area at all times o only located in rear of yard within 5 feet from property line o must be screened with year round landscaping, walls and/or fencing so not visible from street or adjoining lot when viewed from 5 feet above grade o must be maintained in a neat and clean manner Cedar Rapids, IA: Ordinance passed July 27, 2010 (one of the first communities with a detailed policy) • residential single family dwelling properties only (commercial properties are not allowed) • permit fee of $25 (valid 1 year) • applicant required to provide notice to immediately adjacent neighbors of intent to obtain a permit. • required to take an approved class about raising chickens in an urban setting restrictions: o 6 chickens per tract of land, regardless of the number of dwellings on tract of land o only female chickens (hens) are allowed, no roosters o chickens must be tagged at all times for ID purposes (tags provided by the City) • coop/heithouse requirements: o 4 square feet per chicken o must be kept clean, dry, odor free, neat and sanitary at all times o must have adequate ventilation, sun and shade o must be impermeable to rodents, wild birds and predators (including cats and dogs) o only located in rear of yard within 10 feet from property line & 25 feet from adjacent dwellings  Exhibit B Municipalities Allowing Chickens Municipality Area/Set-back Restrictions of note Batavia >> 30 ft from residential structures Bensenville >> 10 ft from all property lines Burr Ridge >> 50 ft from any property line Downers Grove >> 50 ft from property line Naperville >> 30 ft from any occupied resident Oak Brook >> 10 acres & 100 ft from lot line St. Charles >> 5 ft from any property line Warrenville >> 10,000 sq ft lot Wayne >> 2 acres or more Westrnont >> 20 ft from property line Wood Dale >> 450 ft from any adjacent resident Municipalities NOT Allowing Chickens Addison Libertyville Arlington Hts Lisle Aurora Lombard Bartlett North Aurora Bloomingdale Oakbrook Terrace Bolingbrook Palatine Carol Stream Schaumburg Elmhurst Streamwood Geneva Villa Park Glen Ellyn West Chicago Glendale Heights Willowbrook Hanover Park Winfield Hinsdale Woodridge Itasca Keeping Backyard Poultry I Features CDC Page 1 EXHIBIT C Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC 24/7: Saving Lives, Protecting PeopleTM Keeping Backyard Poultry ALERT: Outbreaks Linked to Backyard Poultry Eight Multistate Outbreaks of Human Salmonella Infections Linked to Live Poultry in Backyard Flocks (http:/Iwww.cdc.gov/sa Imonel la/live-goultry-05-16/index.html) Live poultry, such as chickens, ducks, geese, and turkeys, often carry harmful germs such as Salmonella. After you touch a bird, or anything in the area where they live and roam, wash your hands so you don’t get sick! More people are choosing to keep live poultry, such as chickens or ducks, as part of a greener, healthier lifestyle. Owning backyard chickens and other poultry can be a great experience. However, it’s important to consider the risk of illness, especially for children, from handling live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Can live poultry make you sick from Salmonella? It’s common for chickens, ducks, and other poultry to carry Salmonella, a type of germ that naturally lives in the intestines of poultry and many other animals. Even organically fed poultry can have Salmonella. While it usually doesn’t make the birds sick, Salmonella can cause serious illness when it is passed to people. Each year, outbreaks of Salmonella (httrj://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/live-ooultry-05-16/index.html) in people result from contact with live poultry and their environment. How do people get Salmonella infections from live poultry? Animals and Health Live poultry may have Salmonella germs in their droppings and on their bodies (feathers, Check out two CDC feet, and beaks) even when they appear healthy and clean. The germs can get on cages, websites with helpful coops, feed and water dishes, hay, plants, and soil in the area where the birds live and resources. roam. And germs also can get on the hands, shoes, and clothes of people who handle the birds or work or play where they live and roam. Gastrointestinal (Enteric) Diseases from Animals People become infected with Salmonella when they put their hands or other things that (htto://www.cdc.gov/zoono have been in contact with live poultry in or around their mouth.Young children are more Information about likely to get sick because their immune systems are still developing and they are more zoonotic outbreaks, likely to put their fingers or other items into their mouths. Some people who have contact prevention messages, with items in the area where poultry live can become ill without actually touching one of and helpful resources 1 1! IC I 1 11 1 F Keeping Backyard Poultry Features I CDC Page 2 the birds. Germs on your hands can spread easily to other people or surfaces, which is Healthy Pets Healthy why it’s important to wash hands immediately after touching poultry or anything in the People: area where they live and roam. (http://www.cdc.gov/health Information on health How do I reduce the chance of Salmonella benefits of pets and infection? disease risks • A/wayswash your hands with soap and water right after touching live poultry or anything in the area where they live and roam. Adults should supervise hand washing for young children. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not readily available. • Do not let live poultry inside the house, in bathrooms, or especially in areas where food or drink is prepared, served, or stored. • Don’t let children younger than 5 years, adults older than 65, and people with weakened immune systems handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other live poultry. View these and • If you collect eggs from the hens, thoroughly cook them. additional posters. • Don’t eat or drink in the area where the birds live or roam. (http://www.cdc.gov/zoonotic/gi/education.html) • Avoid kissing your birds or snuggling them, then touching your mouth. • Stay outdoors when cleaning any equipment or materials used to raise or care for live poultry, such as cages or feed or water containers. • Buy birds from hatcheries that participate in the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Poultry Improvement Plan (USDA-N P1 P) U.S. voluntary Salmonella Monitoring Program [279 KB] (http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2014-07- 09/pdf/2014-16037.pdf) . This program is intended to reduce the incidence of Salmonella in baby poultry in the hatchery. What are the signs, symptoms, and treatment for Salmonella infection? Salmonellacan make peo pie sick with • Diarrhea • Vomiting • Fever • Abdominal cramps Sometimes, people can become so sick from a Salmonella infection that they have to go to the hospital. Children younger than 5 years, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems, including pregnant women, are more likely to have a serious illness. When severe infection occurs, Salmonella may spread from the intestines to the bloodstream and then to other body sites, and can cause death unless the person is treated promptly with antibiotics. CDC’s Salmonellawebsite (http://www.cdc.gov/salmonelia) has more information about Salmonella infection. If you suspect you or your child has Sa/mone/Iainfection, please contact your health care provider immediately. What are the rules for owning live poultry? lit+n. //nninir nj-in nn r/fan+1 ,rcc. /rnl ,nnaI 1 nnniiI+rr / fl/fl/)fl_ ‘ CDC report crushes your dreams of kissing a chicken CNN.com - Page 1 of2 Heafth + CDC report crushes your chicken-kissing dreams By AJ Whlingham, CNN ® Updated 1:07 PM ET, Fri September 16, 2016 (CNN) — Cancel your weekend plans, because Story highlights kissing chickens is off the table. Getting close to your poultry can lead to A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows an uptick in salmonella cases salmonella due to more and more people keeping and raising chickens. How do you get salmonella from a Patients studied said they snuggled with their chicken, you ask? Take a wild guess. chickens and even kept them in the house An alarming number of people have apparently contracted it from kissing their fine fowl companions. rrll, i-n/)fll 1/flO/1 lfli/r_ n.c1mri,11trnd/ridpv html Q/7fl17fl1 I; CDC report crushes your dreams of kissing a chicken CNN.com - Page 2 of 2 According to the CDC’s research, 13% of the chicken-related salmonella cases they studied from 1990 to 2014 1tbein part, to some human-on-chicken smooching. Live TV Of the cases they studied, the CDC says, “Most contact occurred at the patients’ home, and high-risk behaviors included keeping poultry inside the house and having close contact, such as holding, snuggling, or kissing poultry.” Yes, our affinity for our chicken friends doesn’t stop at kissing 49% of patients studied said they had -- snuggled baby chicks, and 46% of the CDC’s respondents kept chickens in the house. Wait, that’s not all. A whole 10% of respondents said they kept chickens in their BEDROOM. What the cluck? Divisions run deep over how to regulate stem cell clinics Syria: UN suspends aid delivery after convoy, warehouse attacked Eggo waffles recalled amid listeria fears Rapper Nelly reportedly in financial hot water httn ://www.cnn.comI2O 16/09/1 6/health/cdc-chicken-salmonella-tmdlindex.html 9/20/2016 RESIDENT EMAILS EXHIBIT D July 18, 2016 Brandon and Mary Fantozzi 1’21 Nelson Circle \Vheaton. IL 60189 Phone: 630-665-7915 Mayor Michael J. Gresk 303 W. Wesley St. Wheaton. IL 60187 Phone: 630-260-2014 Dear Mayor Gresk, We come before you tonight to ask that Wheaton Ordinance WCC 4-99 be amended to allow chickens (female only) in the city limits. We have lived in Wheaton for 14 years and our family made an incorrect assumption 2 V1 years ago that chickens were permitted in Wheaton. We knew that many area communities allowed them and did not do the appropriate homework to look at Wheaton specifically prior to getting 5 chickens of our own. For that, we are sincerely sorry. It has come to our attention that, at this time, Wheaton does not permit chickens other than those being raised for 4-H or other similar educational projects for no more than 90 days per year. Our chickens are all hens (females), kept in a well constructed coop and cared for by our family for the purposes of providing a hands on learning experience for our children and having fresh eggs for our family to eat. We take great pride in the care of our chickens and have included a 6 page packet detailing how we care for them. Our chickens are not noisy; in fact, our next door neighbor says they have ‘never been a nuisance”. They are hens, not roosters; therefore they are not capable of making much noise and are much quieter than our neighbor’s dogs. The coop that we purchased and constructed is predator proof and we have not seen any increased wild life prowling around our yard since getting the chickens. We regularly clean the coop nd recycle the waste by using it as fertilizer in our garden; therefore there is no odor in our yard as a result of our chickens. Chickens produce far less waste than most dogs. Our chickens were raised by us since they were days old and therefore are friendly and able to be handled. As a family we practice good hand washing hygiene whenever handling the chickens and have never had any illnesses related to handling our chickens. On the flip side of that we reap countless health benefits from being provided eggs that are freshly laid, from chickens that we personally feed (a wholesome and hormone free diet) and are not processed in any way. Many area communities have ordinances allowing chickens in the city limits including, but not limited to, Batavia, St. Charles, Warrenville, Downers Grove and Naperville. We have personally been in contact with the City Manager in Batavia who reports that since passing their ordinance to allow chickens they have “not had any issues whatsoever”. Through our research we have found that these communities, demographically, are very similar to Wheaton and when considering allowing chickens had residents, like us, who desired to raise chickens in their backyard for educational purposes and for healthy eggs. I have included a chart of key points in each of these cities ordinances to make comparing them easier. As you can see they all have parameters around allowing chickens which are reasonable and sensible. Our chickens would meet the criteria for all of these cities ordinances. As the ordinance is written in Wheaton, chickens are allowed for 90 days per year. Any issues or concerns that you or other residents may have would be issues or concerns that would be evident in the 90 days that are already allowed, ask that you consider lifting the 90 day restriction and allow chickens year round with reasonable parameters similar to other area communities. In conclusion, we thank you for your time and welcome any questions you may have about allowing chickens in Wheaton. Respectfully, Brandon and Mary Fantozzi Page 2  Some Area Communities that Allow Chickens July 15, 2016 Town Setbacks # Of Chickens Enclosure Roosters? Allowed Requirements Batavia 30 ft of any occupied 8 Covered inside No residence other than enclosure and that of the owner adjacent covered outside fenced area. The outside area shall not be less than 32 square feet in area. St. Charles No closer than five 6 Must be kept in No (5) feet to any enclosure and/or property line fenced area in the rear yard Warrenville Only on lots 10,000 10 Must be kept in a No square feet or more. coop and run at all Must be outdoors times Naperville 30 ft of any occupied 8 Building or other No residence other than enclosure sufficient that of the owner in size and strength to confine such animals to the owner’s property Downers Grove 50 ft of any property 4 Confined to a pen, No line coop or run at all times This is a short packet of information about how we care for our chickens every day. In addition to the daily chores detailed here, we clean the coop regularly (the waste makes great fertilizer). We have a coop that we purchased from The Smart Chicken Coop (https://thesmartchickencoop.com/), and a confined run attached to the coop. It is predator proof and we have not seen any increased wildlife activity in the 2 14 years that we have had the chickens. We take great pride in how well our chickens are cared for and how it is a family effort. Everyone has a job and every chicken has a name! These chickens are our pets. Our neighbors have never complained about our chickens and our immediate next door neighbor says she never hears them and hardly knows they are there. We have found that raising chickens has been a very rewarding and priceless educational opportunity for our family. Additionally, we are provided with the freshest and healthiest eggs to eat every day. We thank you for considering allowing chickens in Wheaton, IL. The coop is behind the garage in the back yard. Food Their feeder is the PVC pipe inside the coop on the left. They typically need to be fed every 3 days. The food is kept in the room to the right of the garage. A - you walk in, you will see garbage cans to your right. The food is in the large round garbage can (White with a black lid). The shells are in a bucket to the left of the food. rThe grit is in the bucket to the left of the food can inside of the shell bucket. You need to give them a small amount of grit and shells with their food (see pics). Fill the feeder up to the top and replace the white cap. Water Their water is the 5 gallon bucket inside the coop. Use the spigot by where the patio meets the driveway to fill a watering can and then fill the bucket. ( -‘ - Please make sure the bucket is on the wooden bar attached to the nesting box. This weighs the nesting box down nicely and prevents them from knocking the nesting box full of eggs on the ground. Scratch This is a treat they get every day. The scratch is kept in the garage by the food in the white narrow garbage can with the tie dyed duct tape on top. Fill the black scooper with 2 white scoops of scratch each day and sprinkle it in the run. Eggs (the best part!) Collect the eggs every day! I, Dear City Council Members, My name is Lori Jimenez and I am the Fantozzi’s next door neighbor. Our houses are about 20-30 feet apart, which makes me the closest neighbor to their house. During the time that the Mary and Brandon Fantozzi have had the chickens, I have forgotten that the chickens were even there. The chickens are kept in a well-constructed chicken coop and have never been a nuisance. We live in an older neighborhood and there are a lot of trees and bushes that surround our houses. The only reason I know that there are chickens is because the Fantozzi’s told me that they have chickens; otherwise, I would have never known. There have been many benefits to having the chickens. These chickens have been a great educational experience for their children and both of their children have bonded with these chickens. This has been a hands on learning activity for the entire family and something that they can do together. It has been a wonderful experience and something that should not be taken away from them. These chickens do provide fresh eggs for their family but it also provides them an amazing experience that they can share. Other towns have recently allowed chickens inside the city limits and Wheaton should change the way the ordinance is written and allow chickens as well. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Lori Jimenez 1323 Nelson Circle Wheaton, Illinois 60189  July 18, 2016 Dear Wheaton City Council Members, I am writing this letter to respectfully ask that Wheaton City Residents be permitted to have female chickens as pets. I understand that the current code in the city limits allows chickens for a 90 day period, for 4-H and/or other educational purposes. I am requesting that the Council amends this to allow chickens for an indefinite time period. I would like to begin by sharing why chickens as pets are beneficial. *Chickens provide an educational value for children. Children are able to see first hand where food like eggs comes from. This aligns directly with the current District 200 educational curriculum. *Chickens provide a healthy food source for families. The fresh eggs from backyard chickens are healthier than store-bought eggs. *Their waste, provides high-quality fertilizer for gardens Our four children have had the opportunity to “chicken sit” for friends in a nearby community. This hands on experience was highly educational for my children. The chickens were well maintained in a secure and quiet coop. They were of no nuisance to surrounding neighbors in their city neighborhood. Chickens are rather quiet pets. Their quiet clucking is significantly quieter than the dogs barking in our neighborhood. Also, the chickens are contained to a coop, therefore, their waste is not messy for neighbors. We unfortunately have had multiple instances of dog waste on our community sidewalks and yards. As Wheaton Residents, we enjoy the opportunities that this community provides for healthy living. As healthy living movements encourage sustainable food sources, the opportunity to raise chickens on our properties would compliment this movement. The ability to obtain fresh produce from our gardens and gather fresh eggs as well would be a prime example of healthy living and an excellent way for Wheaton Residents to participate in sustainability. I appreciate each one of you taking thoughtful consideration to allow chickens as pets within the Wheaton city limits. Sincerely, Jill Baer July 17, 2016 Dear Mayor Gresk & the Wheaton City Council, As a health-conscious mom who is interested in providiig farm to the table food for her family, I would like to ask you to reconsider your stance on backyard chickens. I love our community and how a healthy lifestyle is encouraged with the many bike/running! walking paths, parks and lakes. Wheaton excels in this and has attracted people who are committed to living a healthy lifestyle. But, it doesn’t stop with just exercise. I think we can see by the massive success of Wheaton’s French Market that our community is very interested in healthy, farm-fresh foods, and, we are willing to pay a premium for it. In fact, green living has become so fashionable that Wheaton would stand out as a green-friendly community. By allowing our residents to keep backyard chickens, you would not only make our community one that doesn’t just say we value healthy lifestyles, we actually live it. Keeping ehickens will be a benefit to our community because of these reasons: Chickens are fun, friendly pets with educational value for children about where food like eggs comes from They can provide food security for families • They lay ilthir eggs compared to store-bought eggs o They give gardeners high-quality fertilizer (unlike dog & cat waste, chickens waste mixes with your compost pile to enrich the soil of plant/garden beds) o They control flies and other pests, not add to them, and dispose of weeds and kitchen scraps that otherwise might end up in the landfill Backyard chicken-keeping has become very acceptable in many of our neighboring cities: Napervifie allows upto 8 chickens (I have included a copy of their ordinance for your perusal.) Evanston allows 2 6 hens - - The city of Chicago always has allowed chickens they allow an unlimited - number of hens, but they restrict due to humane and adequate size for animals. • Pkinfield allows 10 hens - • Downers Grove allows 4 laying hens - • As well as; Oak Park, Deerfield, Claredon Hills, Western Springs, Westmont, St. Charles (not an exhaustive list) o In Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Madison, which are communities that are forward- thinking in regards to green living, residents can keep hens. Some common myths about backyard chicken-keeping: Too much noise: If you don’t have roosters, chickens aren’t noisy. Hens cluck and peep softly all day long, and then go to bed at dusk and remain quiet all night. The Smell: A small flock of four or five chickens will poop about as much as an average dog, and their coop won’t smell if it is kept clean. This is where crafting a good chicken law comes into play. If the law only allows chickens in a “well-maintained coop,” then a chicken owner with a messy, filthy, smelly coop is out of compliance and can be cited under the law. Predators: It should be the responsibility of the chicken owner to keep his or her chickens safe from predators just like it is for cat owners, say , and there is ample — — advice available on how to do so. Even though a careless owner may lose chickens to predators, I fail to see how this is a municipal problem, as it is not something that causes a nuisance to anyone except for the chicken owner. Backyard chicken keeping isn’t something that is going away but rather growing in popularity. This is a grea:t opportunity for the city of Wheaton. It is something that can attract home buyers that are interested in living a healthy lifestyle. As you can see below, this is an attractive Chicken Coop, sold by Williams-Sonoma, which is meeting the needs of many suburbanites who want farm fresh foods yet who also want their home to be a welcoming place of beauty. Thank you for your consideration, Kristen Stone Long-time Wheaton resident Chickens Barrett-Hagen. Sharon - Page 1 of I Chickens Mary Fantozzi <mary.fantozzi@gmail.com> i i2 2016920 AM Gresk ivlcnael J <MGresk55iwheatDn.Il.us> S3line Thor <TSaline@wheaton.il.us>: Mayo Gresk. hank you for allowing my family and Ito address the city council on July12. Since that time we have been doing a br of work and in short, have lear ned that there is a great deal of community interest in backyard chickens in Wheaton We hae a petition that has garnered over 500 signatures. I would like to come back to a city council meeting to present the petition in hopes that the conversation to allow backyard chickens in Wheaton could be taken to the next level. I would greatiy appreciate the opportunty to speak with you directly about this. Could you call me at your earliest conven,ence, please? I can be reac:hed at 630 4300870 (cell) or 630-665-7915 (honiek Thank you For your time and I look forward to speaking with you directly’ Sincerel’,, Mary Fantozz, 1321 Nelson Circle Chickens in Wheaton Barrett-Hagen. Sharon - Page 1 of 1 Chickens in Wheaton Mark Tarnowski <tarno_inz@yahoo.com> Th, 8Ii.2O16 9:25 PM Gresk, Mchael J. <MGresk@wheatoniLus>; Fitch Suzanne ‘SFitchwheaton.iLus>: Prendiville, John <JPiendiviNe@wheaton.il us>; Rutledge John <JRutledge(wheaton.il.us>; Saline, Thor <TSaline@wheatonil.us .: Scaizo Todd <TScalzo@wheaton.il us>: Suess, Phil <PSuess@wheaton.il.us>; Mayor and Council Members: I recently read the article in Wheaton Suburban Life about the Fantozzi family and their backyard chickens. I do not know this family, nor do I want to have my own chickens in my back yard. However, I do support the keeping of chickens by my Wheaton neighbors. I urge you to amend the city code to allow keeping of chickens by Wheaton residents at their property, and encourage you to reference the regulations that Naperville uses. One common restriction is no roosters. I do want to emphasize one item from above: “their property” meaning that I would like only the property owners to be allowed to keep chickens but not renters. I hope this helps to ensure common interest with their neighbors. Full disclosure: my sister and her husband own a home in Naperville and have had chickens for at least 4 years now all without incident. ... I am including my contact information should you desire to contact me. Thank you for reading this far H — Best Regards, — Mark J. Tarnowski — EMAIL: tarno_inz@yahoo.com VOX: 630/ 871-8159 — PHY: 815 W. Parkside Dr.; Wheaton, Illinois 60187-4877 WORKNQX: 630/ 466-2184 Allow chickens in Wheaton! Barrett-Hagen, Sharon - Page 1 of I Allow chickens in Wheaton! Thomas Dymit <Dahinda@aol.com> Mon Sf5! 2016 9:07 AM _City Council <_CityCouncil@wheaton ilus’; Wheaton City Counc, have just siqned a petition to aflow chickens to stay in the backyard of the Fantozzis on Nelson Circle. live nearby on Underwood Terrace and have considered the possibility of owning chickens for eggs myself until I read the City ordinance. There are dogs and cats that are more of a nuisance to neighborhoods than hens have ever been Please write an ordinance that allows families like the Fantozzis to responsibly raise chickens within city limits. Sincerely, Thomas Dymit 1303 Underwood Terrace Wheaton, IL Dahinda@aol.com 8/8/16 Sent from my iPad  MEMORANDUM TO: Record FROM: Susan Bishel, Public Relations Coordinator SUBJECT: Oct. 24, 2016 City Council Planning Session Minutes DATE: Oct. 25, 2016 CC: Mayor and City Council, City Manager, City Clerk, Department Heads The Planning Session took place in the Council Chambers, Wheaton City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St., Wheaton, Illinois. Those attending the Planning Session included: Mayor Gresk, Councilwoman Fitch, Councilman Prendiville, Councilman Rutledge, Councilman Scalzo and Councilman Suess. Councilman Saline was absent. Also in attendance were City Manager Dzugan, Assistant City Manager Duguay, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik and Public Relations Coordinator Bishel. The session began at 7:00 p.m. and concluded at 7:37 p.m. The following items were discussed: I. Call to Order The Wheaton City Council Planning Session was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Gresk. II. Approval of Sept. 26, 2016 Planning Session Minutes The Council approved the Sept. 26, 2016 Planning Session Minutes. III. Public Comment Richard O’Gorman spoke to the Council about employee parking, as he is a downtown business owner. He stated in talking with City staff to find a better parking solution for downtown employees, he has learned that there are more than 100 open parking spots on the top level of the Wesley Street parking garage on any given day. However, employees are parking in the best spots on the lower level and then moving their cars throughout the day to abide by the parking time limits. He wants to help get employees to not use parking spaces intended for customers of downtown businesses. In response to a Council question, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated the downtown parking enforcement officers have a system to track vehicles to see how long they are parked in one spot and how frequently the same cars are using these spots. IV. Downtown Employee Parking Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated to deal with parking issues for downtown employees, City staff is proposing that downtown employees be encouraged to use the leased parking spaces on the top floor of the Wesley Street parking garage in order to free up prime lower-level spots. The lower-level spots are currently public parking and not restricted to just customers, so downtown employees frequently use these spots. The City staff has been working with the Downtown Wheaton Association to find parking for employees, and the City would like to start an outreach campaign letting employers and employees know where they should park. Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated there are 343 spaces in the Wesley Street garage. Of these spaces, 193 are leased spaces, and the City currently oversells the leases by 40%, for a total of 270 leases. However, the top level is almost always empty. In response to a Council question, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated the City has not experienced a situation in which a permit holder has not been able to park in the garage, as it is under-used. Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik suggested the Council consider making the lower levels “customer-only” parking, like the system the Willow Avenue garage currently uses. City staff is also suggesting making 20 spots on the top level of the Wesley Street garage daily fee spaces, where people who do not have a permit can park for $1 per day. This would be an ideal option for part-time employees who do not want to pay for monthly leased spaces. City staff also suggests changing 94 2-hour and 4-hour on-street parking spaces that are currently underutilized into 6-hour spaces. Employees could use these spaces in addition to customers. The Wheaton Police Department studied parking patterns over a given time and found that currently about 60% of the lower-level spaces in the Wesley Street garage are used by downtown employees. With the suggested changes, City staff believes many more lower-level spaces will be available for customers to use. City Manager Dzugan stated that staff believes downtown employees are equally important to customers, so this plan looks to find a solution that works for both employees and customers. In response to Council comments about the leased parking pricing, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated City staff could look at increasing the price for leased parking if the suggested changes are not helpful. Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik also stated one of the long-term projects the City would like to implement in the downtown strategic plan would include electronic signs outside of the parking garage showing how many spaces are currently available. Other upcoming projects include replacing downtown parking meters and looking at areas where parking meters are inconsistent. In response to a Council question about leased parking sales, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated the two City parking garages serve different groups of people – with the Willow Avenue garage being mostly used by First Trust and DuPage Medical Group employees and customers/patients. The Council expressed interest in implementing the suggested changes and directed City staff to create ordinances for the City Council’s formal consideration at a future meeting. V. Urban Chickens 10/24/16 Planning Session 2 Assistant City Manager Duguay stated the City has received a request from residents who want to raise chickens in their yard. City staff did extensive research about the arguments in favor of and against allowing chickens in residential areas. Some of the arguments for allowing chickens include the educational benefits, ability to have fresh eggs, little waste produced by chickens, and minimal noise (assuming the City would have a provision that residents could only have hens, not roosters). Some of the arguments against allowing chickens include concerns about the protection of chickens from predators, possibility for chickens to transmit salmonella to people, noise concerns, need for frequent cleaning to maintain chicken coops, the possibility of people abandoning chickens once they no longer produce eggs, and a possible negative effect on nearby home values. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed a list of 38 nearby communities that have ordinances related to chickens, and 11 of the 38 allow chickens, though some have significant limitations such as setbacks for a chicken coop or minimum lot size. City staff recommended keeping the City ordinances unchanged and not allowing urban chickens, as this could create an additional workload on the Code Enforcement Officer. If the Council wants to allow chickens in residential yards, City staff strongly recommended placing restrictions to minimize the effect on neighbors. Some Council members stated they would support changing the ordinance to allow for chickens with a number of restrictions in place, as they did not think many residents would want to use this option. Other Council members expressed concern for the noise chickens create and how it would affect neighbors. If neighbors have an issue with a barking dog, the dog can be brought indoors, but Council members expressed concern that chickens would be living in a coop outside and would not be able to be moved if there are noise issues. The majority of the Council expressed interest in keeping the ordinance unchanged. VI. City Council/Staff Comments There were no City Council/Staff comments. VII. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:37 p.m. 10/24/16 Planning Session 3  MEMORANDUM TO: Record FROM: Susan Bishel, Public Relations Coordinator SUBJECT: Oct. 24, 2016 City Council Planning Session Minutes DATE: Oct. 25, 2016 CC: Mayor and City Council, City Manager, City Clerk, Department Heads The Planning Session took place in the Council Chambers, Wheaton City Hall, 303 W. Wesley St., Wheaton, Illinois. Those attending the Planning Session included: Mayor Gresk, Councilwoman Fitch, Councilman Prendiville, Councilman Rutledge, Councilman Scaizo and Councilman Suess. Councilman Saline was absent. Also in attendance were City Manager Dzugan, Assistant City Manager Duguay, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik and Public Relations Coordinator Bishel. The session began at 7:00 p.m. and concluded at 7:37 p.m. The following items were discussed: I. Call to Order The Wheaton City Council Planning Session was called to order at 7:00 p.m. by Mayor Gresk. II. Approval of Sept. 26, 2016 Planning Session Minutes The Council approved the Sept. 26, 2016 Planning Session Minutes. Ill. Public Comment Richard O’Gorman spoke to the Council about employee parking, as he is a downtown business owner. He stated in talking with City staff to find a better parking solution for downtown employees, he has learned that there are more than 100 open parking spots on the top level of the Wesley Street parking garage on any given day. However, employees are parking in the best spots on the lower level and then moving their cars throughout the day to abide by the parking time limits. He wants to help get employees to not use parking spaces intended for customers of downtown businesses. In response to a Council questi Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated the downtown parking enforcement officers have a system to track vehicles to see how long they are parked in one spot atid hàw frequently the same cars are using these spots. IV. Downtown Employee Parking Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated to deal with parking issues for downtown employees, City staff is proposing that downtown employees be encouraged to use the leased parking spaces on the top floor of the Wesley Street parking garage in order to free up prime lower-level spots. The lower-level spots are currently public parking and not restricted to just customers, so downtown employees frequently use these spots. The City staff has been working with the Downtown Wheaton Association to find parking for employees, and the City would like to start an outreach campaign letting employers and employees know where they should park. Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated there are 343 spaces in the Wesley Street garage. Of these spaces, 193 are leased spaces, and the City currently oversells the leases by 40%, for a total of 270 leases. However, the top level is almost always empty. In response to a Council question, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated the City has not experienced a situation in which a permit holder has not been able to park in the garage, as it is under-used. Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik suggested the Council consider making the lower levels “customer-only” parking, like the system the Willow Avenue garage currently uses. City staff is also suggesting making 20 spots on the top level of the Wesley Street garage daily fee spaces, where people who do not have a per can park for $1 per day. This would be an ideal option for part-time employees who do not w pay for monthly leased spaces. City staff also suggests changing 94 2-hour and 4-hour on-street parking spaces that are currently underutilized into 6-hour spaces. Employees could use these spaces in addition to customers. The Wheaton Police Department studied parking patterns over a given time and found that currently about 60% of the lower-level spaces in the Wesle treet garage are used by downtown employees. With the suggested changes, City st lieves many more lower-level spaces will be available for customers to use. City Manager Dzugan stated that staff believes down own employees are equally important to customers so this plan looks to find a solution that works for both employees and customers In response to Council comments abo leased, parking pricing, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated City staff could look at increasing the price for leased parking if the suggested changes are not helpful Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik also stated one of the long-term projects the City would like to implement in the downtown strategic plan would include electronic signs outside of the parking garage showing how many spaces are currently available. Other upcoming projects include replacing downtown parking meters and looking at areas where parking meters are inconsistent In response to a Council question about leased parking sales, Director of Planning & Economic Development Kozik stated the two City parking garages serve different groups of people with — the Willow Avenue garage being mostly used by First Trust and DuPage Medical Group employees and customers/patients. The Council expressed interest in implementing the suggested changes and directed City staff to create ordinances for the City Council’s formal consideration at a future meeting. V. Urban Chickens 10/24/16 Planning Session 2 Assistant City Manager Duguay stated the City has received a request from residents who want to raise chickens in their yard. City staff did extensive research about the arguments in favor of and against allowing chickens in residential areas. Some of the arguments for allowing chickens include the educational benefits, ability to have fresh eggs, little waste produced by chickens, and minimal noise (assuming the City would have a provision that residents could only have hens, not roosters). Some of the arguments against allowing chickens include concerns about the protection of chickens from predators, possibility for chickens to transmit salmonella to people, noise concerns, need for frequent cleaning to maintain chicken coops, the possibility of people abandoning chickens once they no longer produce eggs, and a possible negative effect on nearby home values. Assistant City Manager Duguay reviewed a list of 38 nearby communities that have ordinances related to chickens and 11 of the 38 allow chickens though some have significant limitations such as setbacks for a chicken coop or minimum lot size. City staff recommended keeping the City ordinances unchanged and not allowing urban chickens, as this could create an additional workload on the Code Enforcement Officer. If the Council wants to allow chickens in residential yards City staff strongly recommended placing restrictions to minimize the effect on neighbors. Some Council members stated they would support changing the ordinance to allow for chickens with a number of restrictions in place, as they did not think many r idents would want to use this option. Other Council members expressed concern for the noise chickens create and how it would affect neighbors. If neighbors have an issue with a barking dog, the dog can be brought indoors, but Council members expressed concern that chickens would be living in a coop outside and would not be able to be moved if there are noise issues The majority of the Council expressed interest in keeping the ordinance unchanged VI. City CouncillStaff Comments There were no City Cou il/S comments. - VII. Adjournment The meeting was adjourned at 7:37 p.m. 10/24/16 Planning Session 3  MEMORANDUM To: The Honorable Mayor and City Council From: James P. Kozik, AICP, Director of Planning and Economic Development Date: October 17, 2016 Subj ect: Downtown Parking Changes OBJECTIVE In an on-going effort to effectively manage available Downtown parking for the benefit of customers, employers and employees, staff has been working with a committee consisting of representatives of the Parking Enforcement Division of the Police Department and members of the Downtown Wheaton Association to develop strategies that would accomplish the following objectives: • Encourage employee use of leased spaces in the garage • Free-up parking spaces in the lower level of the garage for customer use • Provide longer term free parking in convenient areas for employees • Provide outreach to employers to have their employees leave the best spaces for customers BACKGROUND DATA The Wesley Street Garage contains 344 parking spaces; 193 leased spaces located on the upper floors; 98 three-hour spaces on the ground and lower floors, and 53 four-hour spaces on the second floor. The City cun-ently sells 270 leases for the 193 leased spaces that are available; 40% over capacity, yet the upper floor of the garage is always nearly empty. Wesley Street Garage Existing # of Spaces Number of Leases Sold Oversell % Leased (Upper Floors) 193 270 40% 3 Hour(lsI Floor) 98 4 Hour (2nd Floor) 53 Subtotal of Timed Spaces 151 Total of Spaces 344  In a review of the occupancy of the Wesley Street garage, the City’s Parking Enforcement personnel estimate that 60% (90 spaces) of the 98 three and 53 four-hour spaces located on the lower floors of the garage are being used by employees. While employees can legally park in these spaces, they are required to move their vehicles to another location prior to the expiration of the time limitation under which they parked. Employees who park in the three and four hour spaces, occupy spaces that could be used for customers and require time away from their employer to move their vehicle. SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS Following a review of the background data, the committee is suggesting replacing the three and four-hour parking in the Wesley Street garage with Customer Only Parking. This action would free-up prime, lower floor garage spaces that are used by some employees for customers. To accommodate those employees that do not need, or cannot afford a full quarter lease on the upper level of the garage, the committee is recommending the following: • Provide 20 Daily Fee ($1.00) spaces on top floor of Wesley Street garage (see attachment). These spaces can easily be numbered and an inexpensive pay-box can be attached to the wall of the elevator/stair vestibule. The fee associated with this rate is the work week daily equivalent of the quarterly lease rate. • Provide 94 six-hour parking spaces in convenient areas for employees by changing parking restrictions (see map). The areas selected are currently under-utilized two and four-hour parking. The committee feels that a six-hour time restriction would allow part-time employees enough time to park their vehicle for their work day without the need to move it during their time at work, yet would discourage use by commuters. The committee did discuss the possibility of on-street permits and/or hanger tags to allow longer tenn parking in these areas, but felt a time restriction would achieve the sane results with 110 permit/tags to manage. Staff will perform occupancy counts of these areas both before and after the changes to evaluate their effectiveness. • Change the Customer-Only and two-hour metered spaces on Hale Street between Liberty Street and Willow to three-hour spaces. This section of Hale Street is the divide between the SSA#2 and non-S SA#2 parking enforcement area. As a result, it is a confusing mix of Customer-Only and two-hour metered spaces. Area merchants have explained that the two-hour time limit is insufficient for those customers who wish to both dine in the area and shop. • Work with DWA in a Communications Department led Employer/Employee outreach campaign. Both the City and Downtown Wheaton Association have parking information presented in various fonnats and on various platforms to both customers and employer/employees. The committee is suggesting that a single communications  piece be developed which would present a clear and uniform descriptions of the various parking options that are available. • Provide a digital sign on Wesley and Front Streets which indicates available number of customer spaces in garage. It is suggested that this type of signage and technology be incorporated into the Downtown Streetscape plans that are currently under way. RECOMMEDATION The s1lggested solutions were discussed by the Board of the Downtown Wheaton Association at their October meeting and were given their ftill support. 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