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Approved <br />Task Force. He stated one very bad idea was to have to get formal permission and if an activity was legal it should be <br />legal for everyone. <br />Claire Stephens, 720 Forest Dale Road, stated she has spent her life growing up with chickens and fresh produce and <br />outdoor activities she could take part in. She stated she struggled with mental illness and she found the raising of <br />chickens and fresh produce a positive in her life. She stated if these rights were taken away it made her sad for all of the <br />children who would not understand a sense of community and the outdoors. <br />Delany Norman, stated they should have chickens because they teach people about agriculture and they are fun to be <br />around. She stated they teach you a lot about agriculture and they are really good and you just love them a lot. She stated <br />you should have chidden because they teach you so much and she knew a lot more about chickens because they have them <br />now. Recently one of her roosters died and they were very sad so they should have chickens because they love them a lot. <br />David Knight, 2153 Violet Lane, stated he has called New Brighton home for 41 years of his 44 years. He stated he <br />moved back three years ago and one of the first things he did was put in a raised bed garden and is fortunate to live near <br />another resident who has chickens. He stated he enjoyed hearing the rooster crow in the morning and he asked them not <br />to create any more rules, but go with the existing rules. <br />Rick Moses, 2049 29th Avenue NW, stated 75 to 100 years ago this was a very rural farming area, but starting about 50 <br />years ago it became a bedroom community with light industry and he liked it that way. He stated it was a residential <br />community an allowing chicken farming would affect residential property values. He stated don't take that out of the <br />equation because it does affect property values. He stated he had a daughter in Shakopee that raises chickens and a set of <br />chickens can really tear up a lawn and roosters were a source of noise pollution so she had to get rid of hers. He noted his <br />daughter had 2 acres, but small acreage such as what New Brighton had did not allow appropriate chicken raising. He <br />recommended a limit on the number of chickens and a limit on acreage. He asked them to take into consideration the <br />number of people who wanted a quiet residential community without urban farming. He stated he had never heard anyone <br />object to raising vegetables. <br />Sharon Ziniel, 715 4th Avenue NW, stated she was an advocate for chicken farming. She stated she had six chickens and <br />most of her neighbors did not even know they had them. She stated they did get rid of their rooster right away. She <br />indicated being a compassionate neighbor, they had called to see what the ordinance was as they didn't want to have any <br />issues, so the rooster was given away. She stated this was a growing experience for everybody coming into a community. <br />She stated she also had a small garden. She believed this was an opportunity to give back to children and everyone <br />involved. She stated they lived in a little 1/4 acre lot and her chickens were penned up, except when they were in the yard. <br />She stated her chickens were no nosier than a dog down the street that barked all day. She believed neighbors would work <br />out their issues in a reasonable, compassionate way. <br />Morris Wolf, 2670 14th ST NW, asked the committee to keep in mind that ordinances were actively enforced by the City <br />and not left to enforcement on a complaint basis. He stated the City has an ordinance against keeping large animals, but a <br />resident is allowed to keep a goat because none of the neighbors complained, but if he wanted to keep a goat and one <br />other neighbors complained, then he could not have one. All residents should be treated equally under the law and the <br />City should not create ordinances that it does not actively enforce on its own. He stated what is not proper for the City to <br />regulate things in the realm of personal aesthetics such as how trees should be trimmed, but public factor things should be <br />regulated. He stated it appeared the City already had ordinances regarding to many issues. He stated the committee needs <br />to be cautious about the noise ordinance and getting too specific created ambiguity and loopholes. He stated if they <br />limited the number of chickens, they needed to focus on the real areas of concerns. He stated the committee needed to <br />look at the broad factors, and avoid getting involved in details and aesthetics. <br />Ken MacCaskie, 3331 Pierce NE, stated he was neither for nor against urban farming, but when they came to the point of <br />ordinances and laws; the more ordinances and laws that were not enforced the more trouble you had and it became a <br />matter of choice. A number of years ago, he came down with end stage renal failure and through the aid of some of the <br />urban gardeners, they raised some money which allowed him to stay in his home. He stated the caring community he was <br />