Today we went down to the city council chambers for the planning commission’s review of the proposed backyard hen ordinance. Even though I have been through some of these processes to change city code before, this is still such a learning experience to me. What I have learned overall though is that if you give the government ANYTHING to review, you have to go through so many hoops, red tape and bureaucracy that it’s amazing anything gets done.
And when it does get done, I am beginning to see who really runs things. In the case of Greeley I see that it is not the planning commission, nor even the city council, but the city staff. The Community Development Director runs the show in this backyard hens thing. She is considered the expert and therefore a lot of leniency goes to her opinion. Same goes for the city attorney. While ultimately the city council makes the decisions, the specifics of the codes have been worked on behind the scenes long before.
I almost think in the case of this ordinance that we would have been better off leaving it alone and buying more land behind our house than having to deal with all this bureaucracy and pleasing of every different type of person. Of course we had our chickens without approval for over a year and no one said a word until we were on the front page of the paper.
But there were other people who are not as rebellious as we are and went through all the proper channels and were frustrated with the current code. So when we go and try to change it I think, this will be fairly easy. We simply have to change the code in one of two ways: a) call them pets and be done with it, b) go from 1 chicken per 4000 sq ft to maybe 1 per 1000 sq ft. But no…we have to write a whole book on the matter plus multiple meetings, committees, discussions, revisions and bring in all the experts.
No wonder we have so much gridlock at the national level to get things done. I am sure this is not just the case in government, but in corportation boards and other entities, but government is where we, the people, are also privy to the goings-on (if we can stand it without tearing ALL our hair out, not to mention that for people who work or have other less flexible jobs than Britton and I do this would be impossible to be part of).
Why are they picking on us (or is it pecking)?
I guess sometimes I wish we had the more simpler time when corporations and huge government entities didn’t run things with such thumbs-on control. An inspector for your backyard? A fee and permit to raise/grow your own food? What will we think of next? Now I know where science fiction novels get their premises from. When did we get so backward that there is no license in Colorado required to sell tobacco, the deadliest consumer item out there, but we have to have a permit and fee to get our own eggs? Oh yah, big corporations that control the big bureaucratic government. If the business is big enough, the local, state and federal governments see dollar $igns and will forgive any transgressions including killing 1200 Americans DAILY, but if it is an individual trying to make a difference by raising her own food, being environmentally and economically conscious, CHARGE her.
Yah, you could say I’m a little frustrated.
Ex-Pat here I come!
I am just amazed at this whole mess we Americans have created. Land of the free? No, land of the government that tells you what you can and cant do and that they want to charge you $50 for a f****g chicken permit!
I think Cassie and I are ready to move. Its been fun to try and get some positive changes for our city and I am glad our livelihood isn’t on the line. Otherwise we’d be hosed.
We have dozens of chickens roaming our yard and they don’t belong to us. No one told them they needed a permit to be there. 🙂 If you like chickens PR is the place to be!
But everything else you do here requires massive amounts of government interference. And this government doesnt work nearly as well as the government your use to. Were about 30 years behind, no kidding.
I think you are on to something when contrasting Britton and Jeff’s comments and your overall frustration with Greeley government.
Different parts of the country (and world) operate differently for sure. Greeley has a lot of animal factory farms and workers and therefore has more intensity in its scrutiny of animal husbandry(although after seeing Farm, Inc. I wonder who they are protecting).
Some areas of the country are definitely more laissez-faire. Don’t despair. Move. But be aware that wherever you move, things will be “different” and not necessarily completely to your liking. We all get used to our nests. Our philosophy is that change is good and healthy and as long as our core values are in place we will thrive (access to family and friends, good weather, recreation, hands-off government/community, cultural things-to-do like movies and concerts and clean environment).
Your problems with Greeley reflect it’s values and conservatism.
P.S. Who are the 1200 Americans the government is killing daily? Did I miss something?
Annie,
I was referring to the tobacco companies being able to kill 1,200 people daily (that’s approximately how many die per day of tobacco related illnesses). I agree with what you are saying except that I don’t really think they care that much about the animals. They have no limit on the number of dogs, cats and other pets and very few regulations on them. It is just that they are ignorant about chickens and are only used to them being in huge factory farms and feedlots, not in backyards.
We are ready to try something different. I am sure there will be things we like and things we don’t but at least it would be different and we won’t take it quite so much to heart since it is wouldn’t be our “home” town.
Cassie
Another great thing about Puerto Rico – hardly any smokers! Rarely do we see anyone smoke and the statistics show fewer smokers than in Seattle the supposed “healthy” state. I believe PR has fewer than 10% smokers hoorah!
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