Recently, two ordinances have come before the City Council, one having to do with chickens and the other to do with pigeons.

Chickens

An ordinance proposing the ban of chickens in residential buildings has been introduced and was sent back to the Health Committee for hearings.  Keeping a chicken (roosters are already banned) is a common practice among many households that use the chicken as a source of fresh eggs.  Ald. Shiller does not support the ordinance as it is currently written.  She believes that problems  arising from the housing of chickens in residential buildings (e.g., sanitary issues) can be addressed through existing laws and do not require new legislation.  If you would like to be notified of any public hearings on this topic, contact the Committee on Health at 312.744.3066.

Pigeons

Pigeons are another story.  Ald. Shiller is the co-sponsor of an ordinance that would ban the feeding of pigeons on the public way because it is unhealthy.  Pigeon droppings attract rats and contribute to the spread of disease.  Furthermore, bird experts agree that the feeding of any wild birds by people should be discouraged because it is unhealthy for the birds.  The ordinance was referred to the License Committee where it was deferred on January 8, 2008.  If you would like to be notified of any public hearings on this topic, contact the Committee on License and Consumer Protection at 312.744.3180 and ask to be put on their notification list.