By Aimee Hancock
COVINGTON — Covington Village Council held a first reading on an ordinance to regulate animals within the village corporation limits during its regular meeting Monday.
The ordinance is a modified version of a similar ordinance that was voted on during council’s May 3 meeting. The ordinance failed to gain enough votes to pass.
As presented during Monday’s meeting, the ordinance now has six sections and states the regulation would pertain to farm animals, wild animals, fowl, and domesticated animals.
Section one states no person shall keep, harbor, store, maintain or allow to graze any farm animals, wild animals or fowl within corporation limits. However, the exception is that farm animals and fowl are permitted on residentially-zoned parcels larger than 10 acres.
Section two states no person shall keep, harbor, store, maintain or allow to graze more than six domesticated animals, other than a vicious dog, which are regulated in a separate ordinance.
Section three states any person keeping farm animals, fowl or more than six domesticated animals will have 30 days after receipt of a Notice of Violation to remove the animals from the property or the village will remove them at the expense of the owner. For the keeping of wild animals, the owner will have seven days after receipt of the Notice of Violation to remove the animals.
As for chickens, which will be allowed under this ordinance, any person who keeps chickens within the village will have to obtain a permit prior to acquiring them. This will include an annual fee to renew the permit, as well as an inspection of the permit holder’s property, as the village sees fit, to assure all standards are met.
As per the list of standards, owners would be limited to six chickens, would not be allowed to own roosters, may not slaughter any chickens nor sell eggs from chickens at their residence, and may not use waste associated with the chickens as open compost. The standards also include requirements for the housing of chickens and the storage of feed and associated items.
This ordinance will have a second reading during council’s June 7 meeting, with a final reading and vote to be held June 21.
Also during Monday’s meeting:
• Council approved an ordinance regulating trucks on village streets. This ordinance designates Broadway Street, Troy Pike, High Street, Main Street, Mote Drive, Bridge Street, Dick Minnich Drive and Industrial Court as roads that are permitted to have truck traffic, prohibiting truck traffic on all other roadways within the village.
• Council approved a resolution adopting a strategic plan for the village. According to Administrator Kyle Hinkelman, this allows the village to have clear goals and bench marks to be able to work towards and through.
• Council held a first reading on the adoption of a consolidated fee schedule.
