Centerville allows chickens, rabbits in certain zones

CENTERVILLE — The Centerville City Council has voted to approve an ordinance allowing some residents to keep chickens and rabbits for food production.

Tuesday's vote means that residents living in agricultural zones or in the city's low-density residential zone will be allowed to have the animals.

The vote follows a 5-2 recommendation from the city's Planning Commission in March.

The ordinance allows up to a combined total of six chickens or rabbits to be kept and requires a permit costing $10.

The city will also distribute some information about disease control related to fowls to residents who apply for a permit, said Blaine Lutz, assistant city manager.

Residents wanting the animals must fence their backyards or have a contained chicken run in the backyard.

Roosters will not be allowed, and any roosters hatched must be removed from the property within five months.

The ordinance gives direction for size of coop construction and states that coops must be kept clean so no smell can be detected from neighboring property lines.

The ordinance permits slaughtering of animals for food and states remains must be discarded properly.

— Joseph M. Dougherty