State official backs group’s bid for chickens

State Rep. Rob Brooks is encouraging efforts of the Saukville Chicken Champions to allow chickens in the village.

Brooks said that while it is ultimately up to the Saukville Village Board to decide whether chickens should be allowed in residential areas of the village, he hopes the village is able to find a way to allow residents to raise the fowl.

“That’s always my intention at the state level, if there’s a way to compromise, come together and make something work, I think that’s what government should do rather than just say no,” said Brooks, a Saukville resident who represents the 60th Assembly District.

Tim Schwister, creator of the Saukville Chicken Champions Facebook group, submitted a proposed zoning text amendment to the village that would allow residents to raise a small number of chickens in residential areas.

The amendment would limit chicken ownership to four hens, prohibit roosters and require that chickens be kept in coops.

The proposal, which was refined by the village attorney to require permits for the fowl and imposed other requirements, was rejected by the Plan Commission on July 15, with noise being a major concern cited by commission members.

At the meeting, commission member Chris Lear said he voted against the amendment out of concern the hens would cause a disturbance to neighbors on smaller lots.

“It’s a constant din coming from a chicken coop,” he said.

However, commission member and Village Trustee Jim Nowlen said that dogs, which the village requires to be registered, can produce far more noise than chickens.

Both Nowlen and commission member Richard Belling voted to recommend the Village Board adopt the amendment, with the rest of the commission voting in opposition.

Despite the lack of a recommendation from the commission, Schwister said, he believes he still has enough support to push the amendment through the Village Board, particularly after garnering support from Brooks.

While he did not seek support from the state representative, Schwister said Brooks may have noticed some of the chicken yard signs scattered throughout the village.

 “I’m not too surprised he noticed, but I did not ask for an endorsement,” he said.

Brooks did not issue a formal endorsement of the movement, saying he tries to stay out of local government issues, but submitted a letter to Schwister congratulating him on his efforts to allow residents to raise hens.

 In an interview, Brooks said that while raising hens violates current village ordinances, he is aware of some residents who raise chickens and that the fowl are not a nuisance to neighbors.

 “The neighbors don’t complain. It’s not an issue,” he said.

 Brooks said if an ordinance could be drafted in a way in which the chickens do not pose a nuisance to neighbors and can be raised humanely and safely, that there are far more benefits to allowing them than not.

He added that an argument could be made that the fowl are no worse than dogs or other pets allowed in the village, so long as they are raised responsibly.

“Do I think ordinances could be drafted in such a way to make it feasible and make sure we have responsible owners? Absolutely,” Brooks said.

A public hearing on the text amendment will be held Tuesday, Aug. 17, after which the Village Board may take final action on whether chickens will be allowed in Saukville.