By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
If you live within Grayson city limits, the city council just made it a lot easier to add farm fresh eggs to your breakfast menu.
Council moved during their regular June meeting to pass their new chicken ordinance on second reading, voting unanimously to do so. The new ordinance requires anyone keeping chickens within city limits to purchase a permit, at a cost of $10, and limits the size of their flock to no more than six chickens at any on time.
The ordinance also sets requirements for housing and fencing, and how far coops and enclosures must be kept from neighboring properties; however it sets no restrictions on how close they can be to the homeowner’s property.
The henhouse or coop, and any associated runs, must be at least 25 feet from the nearest neighboring residence, and chickens must be secured within the backyard only at all times. That backyard must be adequately fenced to contain the chickens at any time they are outside of their coop, run, or other enclosure.
The ordinance directly prohibits any “adult roosters,” as well as prohibiting “turkeys, guineas, ducks, geese, or other domestic fowl,” and limiting approved poultry to “non-crowing chickens.”
The ordinance also prohibits the breeding or slaughtering of backyard chickens.
Owners are responsible for maintaining a clean and hygienic environment, and disposing of manure and other wastes in a proper manner.
Those who violate the terms of the ordinance could be subject to fines of up to $300 – for repeat offenses – after being given seven days from the date of any notice to resolve the situation. Violators are also subject to having their permits revoked.
In other action council continued discussion of their plans to add a K9 unit to the city police force. Though they scheduled time for comments from those in favor and opposition of adding K9 units, having been advised of strong public opinion, no one from the public stepped forward to express any opposition. A few did offer words of support for the plan, noting the communities drug problem. The city said they still plan to use opioid abatement funds to cover the cost of the K9, instead of adding a budget item to the general fund at this time. The city attorney advised council it was his opinion that this was an approved use of those abatement funds.
The chief advised council that his department had adopted a K9 policy that was modeled on that provided by the Kentucky League of Cities.
Council also discussed delinquent tax bills, and the possibility of publicizing the names of those with delinquent taxes, or selling their tax debt. City clerk and treasurer Dawnita Lewis said that delinquent taxes currently total more than $100,000 in uncollected debt.
In department reports Mayor Troy Combs took time to commend code enforcement officer Joe Hammer and the Grayson Police Department for action taken on a derelict property that had been drawing squatters. Emergency management noted that they had worked with the county to issue alerts for the western end of the county during the shooting event in Olive Hill. The fire Department reported on needs with their ladder truck, which is currently out of commission and in need of repairs.
During the street department report councilperson Jennifer McGlone discussed appropriate use of the kennels at the street department, where animals can be held until transported to the county animal shelter. She noted that the purpose of those kennels was for the housing of stray or dangerous animals that were picked up by police or the street department until they could be transported to the
county shelter. They were not, she noted, for surrenders or longer term housing of abandoned animals until a new home could be found.
Before adjourning council also heard a request from the park board for street closures on Pomeroy on July 1, from 1 – 5 p.m. for a farmer’s market event and heard a request from the mayor for a motion to form a seven member Grayson Recreational Economy Board. That board would look at ways tourism and recreation could help build the city’s economic opportunities.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
