Survey reveals Pickering residents don’t want chickens in city limits

The results of an eight-question survey were revealed at the November 7 Pickering City Council meeting.

The survey resulted from previous meetings focused on the current farm animal ordinance which prohibits all livestock and fowl inside city limits. The survey was distributed to 61 households with 38 questionnaires returned in the two-week period ending November 7.

All 38 respondents answered the first two questions.

The first question asked if the citizen cared if their neighbors had chickens. Seventeen respondents said yes and 21 said no. Of the 17 yes votes, two made stipulations on how close the chickens could be to their residence.

The second question asked if the citizen wanted to be allowed to have chickens. Fourteen people said yes and 24 said no.

Milt Sovereign, city clerk, tabulated the results and gave them to the council. The council, by acclamation, will allow the current ordinance to stand.

Jennifer Wray, past alderperson and ex-resident, said that people were moving out of Pickering because of the ordinance. Sovereign asked her how many. She stated that she could name two or three.

Sovereign urged the council to take action on the Parker residence chickens. Kevin Leedom, alderperson, made a motion to give the resident 30 days to remove the chickens. The motion was not seconded and so failed. No action was taken.

A sheriff’s deputy was in attendance at the meeting.

A street sign post needs to be replaced at Sixth and Wray streets. Sovereign said he needed help placing the post. Kenny Graham, alderperson, said he needs help installing the community building sign posts.

The next meeting will be at 6 pm, Monday, December 5 at the Pickering Community Building.