[Adopted 4-28-2022 by Ord. No. 2022-5]
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
CHICKEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The committee described in § 5-67.
LICENSE
The license issued by the Borough Clerk pursuant to this Article VI.
LICENSED HOUSEHOLD
Any person that has duly registered and received a license from the Borough Clerk's office for any permissible purpose hereunder.
PERMITTED PURPOSE
Any of the following purposes: owning, leasing, storing, keeping, stabling, quartering, raising, and/or exercising of a chicken hen.
Subject to the rules and regulations specified in this Article VI, the ownership of chicken hens for any permitted purpose is hereby authorized in the Borough.
A. 
There shall be no slaughter of chickens in the Borough.
B. 
Engagement of any permitted purpose shall be limited to Borough residential zones.
C. 
A residence in the Borough shall only be eligible for one license per year.
D. 
Only a licensed household shall be authorized to engage in a permitted purpose.
E. 
A licensed household shall only be authorized to engage in a permitted purpose for noncommercial purposes.
F. 
A licensed household shall handle and dispose of all waste 1) to prevent offensive odors; and 2) in an environmentally friendly manner. Chicken waste shall not be disposed of as yard waste and/or mixed with yard waste.
G. 
A licensed household's chicken hens shall be permitted outside of their coop only 1) when under the direct supervision and control of the licensed household; and 2) in areas that are suitably fenced to keep all chicken hens contained.
H. 
A licensed household shall be prohibited from engaging in any permitted purpose with any rooster or male chicken.
I. 
A licensed household shall be prohibited from engaging in any permissible purpose with more than six chicken hens.
A licensed household shall, at all times, comply with the following requirements for the keeping and housing of chicken hens:
A. 
The coop and run shall be at least five feet from the habitable portion of any neighboring dwelling. A minimum five-foot side and rear yard setback shall be maintained as a buffer with maintained lawn or landscape vegetation. Runoff waste to adjacent properties shall not be permitted. Garages, attached or otherwise, and accessory buildings shall not be considered a residential dwelling for purposes of calculating the required distance.
B. 
Except with respect to corner lots, a coop shall be located in the licensed household's rear yard. A licensed household residing in a corner lot shall be permitted to locate a chicken coop in any location that otherwise satisfies § 5-65A.
C. 
The coop shall be the appropriate size for the number of chickens and shall consist of a minimum of three square feet per chicken.
D. 
The coop shall be dry and well ventilated with windows to admit sunlight and shall not be heated.
E. 
The housing of chickens must be the primary purpose of the coop.
F. 
The coop must be kept clean and the utilization of a tarp as a portion of the roof structure is not permitted.
G. 
The coop and enclosed run must be made predator-proof and must be surrounded by a six-foot-high fence.
H. 
Clean water must be provided, and food must be kept in a tightly sealed rodent- and predator-proof container.
I. 
The yard in the area where the coop is located shall be clean, free from odors, and dust abatement techniques must be utilized.
J. 
The coop must meet all of the size limitations of an accessory building as may be otherwise provided for in the Code.
A. 
No person shall keep chickens on their property without first obtaining a license from the Borough Clerk's office and paying the required fee. No license shall be issued unless the applicant is able to demonstrate compliance with all criteria set forth in this Article VI, as determined by the Borough Clerk.
B. 
In addition to any proofs required by the Borough Clerk to establish an applicant's compliance and continuing ability to comply with §§ 5-64 and 5-65, an applicant shall be required to take a class approved by the Chicken Advisory Board on the basics of raising backyard chicken hens. Proof of attendance must be presented with the completed application. A member of the Chicken Advisory Board will review the application with the applicant prior to final submission.
C. 
The fee for each license shall be $50.
D. 
Every license shall expire annually on the first day of March.
E. 
Grant of a license in any previous year shall not be grounds for approval of a license in any year thereafter.
A. 
A Chicken Advisory Committee consisting of five residents of the Borough shall be formed.
B. 
The Mayor shall appoint all members and designate the Chair, all of whom shall serve for a one-year term.
C. 
The five members shall elect a Vice Chair and Secretary from the remaining members who shall also serve for a one-year term.
D. 
All terms are on a calendar-year basis.
E. 
The Committee shall meet on a regular basis and keep minutes which shall be submitted along with quarterly reports to the governing body via a Borough Council-selected liaison to the Chicken Advisory Committee.
F. 
These reports will include any activities of the Chicken Advisory Committee, as well as any complaints from residents concerning backyard chicken hens and the resolution, if any, of those complaints.
Borough residents directly affected by any issue arising from Article VI may submit a complaint to the Chicken Advisory Committee. When a complaint is received by the Chicken Advisory Committee, it will be investigated by at least two members of the Chicken Advisory Committee. If the Chicken Advisory Committee finds a violation of Article VI, a notice of violation will be issued by the Borough Code Enforcement Officer. If, after 30 days, the violation has not been remedied, the Borough Code Enforcement Officer shall be notified, so that enforcement proceedings may be implemented. The Chicken Advisory Committee will assist anyone desiring to no longer keep backyard chicken hens to relocate their chickens.
If an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Article VI shall be construed as if to prohibit any purpose not expressly granted herein, as determined by the Borough Clerk. Words used in this Article VI in the singular, where the context so permits, shall be deemed to include the plural and vice versa.