Home Update: Waynesboro City Council tabling animal ordinance until next year
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Update: Waynesboro City Council tabling animal ordinance until next year

Chris Graham
backyard chickens
(© davidchukalexey – stock.adobe.com)

Update: Monday, 3:41 p.m. Waynesboro City Council has moved to delay consideration of a proposed animal ordinance until early 2022.

In a note posted to the city’s Facebook page Monday afternoon, it was noted that the ordinance was being pulled from the agenda for tonight’s scheduled City Council meeting “for further consideration in January.”

No reason was given for the decision to delay consideration of the ordinance.

It is the second delay in the process since the proposed ordinance was first presented to City Council in August.

 

First report: Friday, Oct. 22, 3:48 p.m. Waynesboro leaders will get a look over the weekend at a revised animal ordinance that could be introduced by City Council as early as Monday night.

The first stab at the animal ordinance, initiated in August, included proposed limits on dogs, cats and backyard chickens, with a ban on roosters.

Mayor Bobby Henderson announced at a September City Council meeting that the proposed limits on dogs and cats would be dropped from the ordinance, with direction from Council members to city staff to review the proposals involving chickens, roosters and other animals kept as pets in the city.

The new document maintains the ban on roosters, providing for a period of delayed enforcement one to three years according to Council’s determination.

The ordinance as written does not address a limit on the number of chickens, leaving that decision to City Council.

It does spell out prohibitions on free-range chickens and establishes setback requirements related to residences, certain water features and poultry processing plants.

The possession of sheep, goats and pigs is limited to agricultural purposes, with owners of pet pigs being given time – one, two or three years, depending on City Council’s discretion – to come into compliance.

Monday’s City Council meeting will be held at the Waynesboro High School Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Story by Chris Graham

 

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019, and Team of Destiny: Inside Virginia Basketball’s Run to the 2019 National Championship, and The Worst Wrestling Pay-Per-View Ever, published in 2018. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].