Officials say legislation does not target chickens
LAKEMORE — Lakemore Village officials are putting nuisance animal owners on alert, but Village Council members stressed at the Aug. 3 Council meeting that a new nuisance ordinance in the village is not targeting specific animals.
“To clarify, this is not an ordinance to take away chickens,” said Councilman Joe Hogya. “It’s only about noise and sanitary [issues]. It is animal neutral and is not going after your chickens, unless your chickens are really gross and loud.”
The ordinance, approved unanimously by Council, prohibits housing animals in conditions that create offensive odors or unsanitary conditions; frequent or habitual barking, howling or other audible nuisances; and animals interfering with rights of way, scattering refuse from trash receptacles or damaging private property that does not belong to the animal’s owner. For residential areas, the ordinance defines excessive noise as continuing uninterrupted for 10 minutes between 8 p.m. and 7 a.m. or for 20 continuous minutes between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m…