Conversation on bird regulations goes ‘fowl’

by Laura Bednar

Independence City Council members discussed proposed regulations limiting the number of fowl residents can have in their yards. Police Chief Robert Butler said the impetus behind the regulation was a resident with 25 ducks, which is, according to Butler, “unsanitary and upsetting to the area.”

Current regulations only relate to chickens and prohibit roosters, allowing six chickens on a lot up to 20,000 square feet with required minimum setbacks for the side and rear yard lot lines.

The change would make the ordinance applicable to all fowl “including but not limited to chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasants or pigeons.” This includes a language change from “chicken coop” to “an accessory building such as a pen, coop, or other enclosure, with a fixed location secured to the ground, shall be required for the keeping or harboring of fowl.”

A public hearing on the issue was held before the meeting, but no member of the public spoke.

Councilperson Stephanie Rodriguez said she spoke with at least five residents that have fowl, who approved of the change in regulations, as long as the birds could still range free during the day.

Councilperson Sarah Szweda suggested that fowl other than chickens be prohibited altogether, as her research showed they are louder.

The ordinance was originally voted down with council members Szweda, Matt Benkner, Dale Veverka and Vice Mayor Anthony Togliatti voting against. A motion was made and approved to reconsider the legislation and refer it to a council workshop for further discussion.

Police and security

The police department will purchase 15 Glock 45 handguns as part of its three-year duty weapon replacement project, which Butler said allows every officer to have the same weapon. The new guns cost $20,556 and come from Vance’s Law Enforcement, the company that will buy back the department’s old handguns for $8,000.

Council approved an agreement with Cuyahoga Reclamation/West Creek Conservancy, the organization working on returning the former Haydite Mine property to its natural state, to pay for security cameras on the property.

In 2021, a 17-year-old boy trespassed on the property and drowned in the water-filled quarry. Security measures have been added since the incident. The city, as partial owner of the property, according to Economic Development Director Jessica Hyser, will split the cost of cameras for the property with Cuyahoga Reclamation/West Creek Conservancy for three years, extending their existing contract. It will cost the city $16,000 per year.

Financial report

By a 4-3 vote, council eliminated the requirement for the finance director to prepare an annual comprehensive financial report. Council members Szweda, Togliatti and Rebecca Somnitz voted against the measure.

Finance Director Vern Blaze explained that the report is a formality required to earn a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association. He added that there is a small cost associated with submitting the report for award consideration and it requires more employee hours to produce.

Blaze said credit rating agencies base their evaluations on a municipality’s accrual basis financial statement, which recognizes revenue earned and expenditures incurred. The finance department would still convert the city’s cash basis into an accrual basis financial statement, which is a generally accepted accounting principle.

The city’s audit and conversion teams from Zupka and Associates confirmed that eliminating the ACFR would not have negative ramifications, according to Blaze. Councilperson Kevin Day said he researched and found that other municipalities had eliminated the ACFR, including Parma.