Also Last Night

The Common Council voted to approve the chicken law, which would permit people in Hudson to raise chickens in their backyards. Voting in favor of approving the law were Tiffany Garriga (Second Ward), Calvin Lewis (Third Ward), Shershah Mizan (Third Ward), John Rosenthal (Fourth Ward), Dewan Sarowar (Second Ward), Malachi Walker (Fourth Ward), and Rebecca Wolff (First Ward.) Those opposed were Eileen Halloran (Fifth Ward), Dominic Merante (Fifth Ward), Jane Trombley (First Ward), and Council president Tom DePietro.

Photo: The Humane Society of the United States

As she has before, Trombley expressed concerns about animal to human transmission of diseases, noting that the backyards of Hudson were "dense, close quarters." In her comments, Halloran also mentioned density and expressed the opinion that there was not enough specificity in the law about requirements for coops and waste removal, noting that chickens attract rats and other animals. Merante expressed concern about slaughtering chickens. (A previously proposed law had prohibited slaughtering.) Mizan assured him that slaughtering a chicken "is not like slaughtering a cow or a deer."

Rosenthal told Halloran that "the specifics would be handled by the Planning Board," since the law requires a conditional use permit for keeping chickens, and maintained, "The intent of the law is clear that chickens must kept in a way that limits noise, odor, and waste." Jeff Baker, counsel to the Council, offered this reassurance: "If it becomes a nuisance, Craig [that is, code enforcement officer Craig Haigh] could cite them for a violation."

In normal times, the next step for this law would be a public hearing, but in lieu of that, Mayor Kamal Johnson is inviting public comment on the law by phone--518 828-7127--or email--mayor@cityofhudson.org. Comments must be received by July 31, 2020. Click here for more information.
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