C.B. Council leaning toward Town allowing (some) livestock

Don’t look for the chicken police

It appears the Crested Butte Town Council is amenable to allowing some livestock in town. They don’t want loud or smelly animals and they don’t want the animals to roam free, but the idea of a household raising a few chickens, rabbits, or potbellied pigs is fine. The council will hold a public hearing on the matter at the Monday, July 18 meeting.

The issue came to the council’s attention early this spring when councilperson Dan Escalante said he was approached by people wanting to know what rules governed having a chicken coop in town.
“The town has been kind of mute on the whole subject,” admitted town building and zoning director Bob Gillie. “But we have heard the chickens have arrived. It seems to be an issue going on all over the state and we probably had a half dozen people call asking about it this spring.”
Before he left his position, town building department administrator Phillip Supino crafted some guidelines and an ordinance covering livestock in town.
The proposed ordinance limits a household to owning no more than six such animals. Large or noisy animals like cows, hogs, goats and geese won’t be permitted. Shelters more than 30 inches tall must meet setback requirements. You can sell the eggs produced by your chickens, but you can’t raise a chicken to sell it for consumption.
The animals cannot become a nuisance to the neighbors and the livestock must be protected from predators.
“The question is, if potbellied pigs are considered pets, why do they fall under a livestock ordinance?” asked councilperson Jim Schmidt.
“People hear the word pig and most people think livestock,” explained Gillie.
“Why six? Why not 10? Where did the number come from?” asked councilperson Dan Escalante.
“We thought it better to start small and grow it if there is a need. If you want to change it, change it,” said Gillie.
“I can see starting with six and adding more if we hear from people and they say they need it,” said councilperson Roland Mason.
Gillie said the issue comes down to the noise and nuisance livestock could produce. “Some people may not like their neighbors having hens,” he said. “But another school of thought is that it is good to grow your own food locally.
“An ordinance like this comes down to having a tool to deal with a situation before it arises,” Gillie continued. “If we end up with a problem, we have a tool to deal with it. But you aren’t going to see the chicken police roaming around town.”
“Or the potbellied pig police,” added mayor Leah Williams.
“I’m still not sure it needs to be regulated at all,” said councilperson Reed Betz. “We’re kicking goats out of town and we don’t even have goats in town. Goats are versatile animals.”
“Goats can’t be confined to a small space,” countered Williams.
“If we get a lot of people coming to town hall in favor of the goat lobby, we can investigate it more,” said Gillie. “And yes, I’m sorry Phillip [Supino, who devised livestock guidelines] is not here anymore to talk about this.
“I see Reed’s point,” said Escalante. “Why would we prohibit someone raising a dozen quail? They’re smaller than a chicken and they’re tasty eating.”
Escalante also said he would find it entertaining to see the town marshals follow the ordinance and have to impound any animals found running at large. Apparently the idea of Tom Martin chasing a chicken brought a smile to Escalante’s face.
The council will evaluate the proposed ordinance at the July 18 meeting and the public will be given a chance to comment.