The village of East Syracuse municipal office has gotten multiple complaints about properties within the village that are housing chickens — and the village board is looking to do something about it.
“It’s a public health issue,” said Mayor Robert Tackman. “Some people may raise poultry to have access to food, but with Wegmans right around the corner and increased accessibility to poultry, there are other options now.”
According to Village Code Enforcement Officer Randy Capriotti, there are a handful of village properties with chickens that citizens have complained about in regards to noise, smell and aesthetic value of the property. Capriotti said the village office gets about six of these complaints a week and, under the current law, there is nothing he can do.
In addition, Village Clerk Pat Derby said the company contracted to pick up garbage in the village has complained about people throwing away chicken droppings in their regular trash.
A proposed amendment to the East Syracuse local law regarding domestic animals was discussed at the July 6 village board meeting.
According to village law, the only types of animals allowed to be housed within the village are domestic animals. Tackman said this amendment to the village law would be necessary to rid the village of chickens because domestic animals were not defined in the law.
The changes to the local law would include providing a definition of domestic animals, which states, “Domestic animals includes dogs and cats, as well as other common household pets, such as fish, hamsters, gerbils, and birds, which are commonly maintained indoors. This term shall exclude all farm animals (horses, mules, donkeys, sheep, goats, pigs, cattle, livestock, geese, fowl, and poultry, etc.) and wild or other dangerous animals.”
Not all of the village trustees were on board with the proposed amendment. Trustee Daniel Wagner said he believed some people are able to have chickens and maintain them properly, and shouldn’t have to stop because some residences were getting complaints from neighbors.
“I honestly don’t have anything against people having chickens,” added Trustee Janet Mattox.
Tackman said if the amendment to the law was passed, current chicken owners would have a grace period to rid their property of chickens.
The village board voted to schedule a public hearing on the proposed local law amendment for the next village board meeting at 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 3, at the Village Office, 204 N. Center Street, East Syracuse.
Hayleigh Gowans is a reporter for the Eagle Bulletin. She can be reached at [email protected].
