(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — After some debate at the Mundelein Village Board meeting earlier this week, Village leaders decided to alter a proposed ordinance targeting residents who want to keep chickens on their property.
The debate was over a provision requiring residents to post signs alerting their neighbors of their intention to raise chickens. Here’s how it went.
“More information and transparency is a good thing,” said Mayor Steve Lentz. “A sign in the front yard informing the neighbors about this would really go a long way, I think.”
Village Trustee Tim Wilson said it was, “in all seriousness,” a hot topic. He tried to put himself in the position of someone whose neighbor decided to raise chickens.
“If the kid next door wanted to have chickens, I’d rather know up front so I could have a discussion with him and say, ‘I have no beef with this, but you’re going to have to follow the rules,’” he said.
Among those against the sign provision was Trustee Jenny Berman Ross, who noted that the Village doesn’t require signage for other pets. She added that “it’s not anybody’s business what kind of pets I own.”
Trustee Robin Meier echoed that sentiment.
“I have a cockatoo,” Meier said. “My one cockatoo, alone, is probably louder than six hens together. I don’t have to notify anybody [that] I have a parrot in my house, and a parrot is very, very loud.”
The debate took place at Monday’s meeting because of concerns raised after the board voted to pass the chicken keeping ordinance at its previous meeting. In light of those concerns, Lentz said it was important for the board to discuss and debate the sign requirement publicly and on the record.
Trustee Daniel Juarez spoke in favor of the provision. He called it a “good, neighborly thing.” Meanwhile, Trustee Kara Lambert said she didn’t think the requirement was in line with her idea of what the role of government is.
In the end, it was decided that there would be no signs.
Mundelein residents who want to keep chickens — up to 20 for the start of this — would pay $100, and the number of chickens would be based on lot size.
A final vote will come later this month.
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