by Dennis Dalman
The Siemens family returned to the Sartell City Council at its Sept. 9 meeting to ask the council again to allow chickens in the city – or at least to make an exception for the Siemens’ three pet chickens.
According to Sartell City Administrator Mary Degiovanni, there has never been a specific chicken ordinance or amendment in Sartell; it’s just that chickens have never been allowed in the city. The Siemens family would like the city to amend its animal ordinance to allow, specifically, for pet chickens or to grant an exception for their three chickens.
The Siemenses informed the council of the results of a petition drive they undertook in Sartell neighborhoods.
The Siemens family has kept three pet chickens that are now being taken care of by someone not in the city. A neighbor of the Siemens has a sister who lives in Grove City, and that sister and her husband both raise chickens in that city. The Siemens learned the couple would be happy to care for the three birds. So, recently, the family and birds traveled to Grove City, with the pets sitting on their laps for the entire hour-plus ride. Last weekend, the Siemens returned to Grove City to visit their pets.
This time, at her council appearance, the mother, Molly Siemens, backed up her argument with a petition she, her family and supporters conducted in six Sartell neighborhoods. They visited at random between 12 and 16 households in each neighborhood. All told, they met with 96 residents, and only six of them were opposed to chickens in the city and even among them, some said they are not sure or need more information, Molly Siemens told the council. Only one resident, Siemens said, was definitely against allowing pet chickens.
About half of the respondents, she added, know people who have chickens as pets or who raise them for eggs and/or food in other places, other cities.
Siemens said she and her supporters learned one thing loud and clear during their petition drive: “Sartell people are animal-lovers,” she said.
Siemens, as she did at the Aug. 12 meeting, made her comments during the Open Forum section of the meeting, during which people are allowed up to three minutes to share their concerns with the council. Under the rules, the council is not able to discuss at that particular meeting any issues or questions raised by Open Forum speakers.
At the Aug. 12 meeting, the Siemens children (Lia, 12; and Adam, 9) also spoke and pleaded with the council to let them keep their pet chickens. The husband, Ryan, called their request reasonable, as he did also at the Sept. 9 meeting.
The names of their pet chickens are Clara, A.J. and Ivy. The family bought them 18 months ago via Mimbach Fleet Supply in Sauk Rapids when the birds were only two days old. The purchase was shortly after the family’s beloved dog died.
Molly is a registered dietician. Ryan is a facilities maintenance supervisor at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System. They live on an acre of land near the pond just south of Second Street S. in Sartell, not far from the current police station. They moved to the city eight years ago from Portland, Ore.
Mollie Siemens said the trouble began when someone reported to the city the family was raising chickens. The animals, she said, are “pets – pet birds, not poultry.” They are, she emphasized, not dirty, not troublesome, not noisy and completely tame and friendly.
She said the reason her family started the petition drive was because there was “hearsay” that people would not want to move to Sartell if they knew the raising of chickens was allowed in the city limits. She suspected that was simply not true because she and her husband know many people who live in other cities where chickens in yards are allowed and are not a problem, including many cities in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
The Siemenses told the city council they would be willing to adhere to the terms of any kind of “exception” permit and to work closely with rules and restrictions recommended by an animal-control official.
Molly said she, her husband and children are disappointed because they have not received any definitive answers or decisions from the city.
At the Sept. 9 meeting, after the presentation by the Siemenses, Sartell Mayor Ryan Fitzthum noted the family and the city have been in contact via emails, and he said it’s to be hoped there can be more follow-ups about the issue in the future.
Background
The Sartell Animal Control Ordinance, under the rubric of “Non-Domestic Animals,” does mention “poultry” under Number 6 among animals not allowed to be raised or kept in the city limits, along with goats, pigs (including pot-bellied pigs), horses, cattle, llamas and bison. Poultry, at least as defined in dictionary terms, includes chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese.
At a planning commission meeting Feb. 3, 2014, members discussed a request by a resident to allow people to keep chickens and bees in city neighborhoods. Some members at that time were somewhat open to the idea, including then-member Ryan Fitzthum, who was elected as city mayor four years later.
The official notes from that planning meeting state Fitzthum at that meeting said he was willing to consider allowing chickens on lots that are 1 acre or more in size. Planning-commission member Robin Oehrlein suggested the possibility for allowing a restricted number of chickens on a size of a lot to be determined. Member Glenn Persen said he was concerned about impact on neighbors and cleanliness issues.
Member Gary Orman said he was not in favor because he believes a majority of residents would not be in favor of the request.
After further discussion about permits, inspections and chicken coops, member Orman made a motion not to allow urban agriculture in a residential district, at least not until there is more demand from the public. Voting for that ordinance were Orman, Fitzthum, Oehrlein and Persen. Voting against it was member Lori Ellering. That motion against urban agriculture was then recommended to the City Council, which accepted the planning commission’s recommendation.
Lia and Adam Siemens of Sartell hold two of their three pet chickens. The birds, they say, are very affectionate, cuddly, cute and sweet. Now, however, the birds have to be cared for in Grove City because Sartell does not allow chickens in city neighborhoods.
