New Baltimore Chicken Ordinance Flies the Coop

Don't expect to see chicken coops in New Baltimore.

Citing potential for sickness, rats, noise and declining property values, City Council unanimously ruled against chicken-keeping in the community.

"If something were to happen with food-borne illness, the city could be culpable," Councilman Jeffrey Christie said.

When speaking about what constitutes pets under the city ordinance, Councilman Karl Rutledge added, "I don't believe that chickens producing eggs every day are pets."

The decision came after resident Michelle Brejnak requested permission to have her own coop in the city with four to six chickens.

"Backyard chicken keeping has been proven to be successful in many urban settings," she told the council.

Brejnak disagreed with council's assessment that fowl can attract pests. She countered that they actually eat pests and says they're no louder than many dogs.

"Our own neighbors in Chesterfield Township allow them," she said. "I ask you to vote on facts, not opinions."

Longtime resident and former Councilman John Dupray, who raised and slaughtered chickens as a teen, urged the council to vote against chicken-keeping in New Baltimore.

"If you have chickens, you have chicken feed. If you have chicken feed, you have rats. If you have rats, you have diseases. That's a fact," Dupray said.

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