On Tuesday, Sept. 2, Northfield residents rallied together at a City Council meeting, where a proposed ban of owning chickens citywide would have its second reading.
The measure, however, failed to gain enough support, with four of the seven council members voting against it, two in favor, and one absent.
The discussion over chickens began in July, when the ordinance was introduced for a first reading. At that time, the debate centered around restricting roosters, which can be noisy, while allowing hens, Jackie Kondrk, a community member who owns chickens, said.
Many residents left that meeting under the impression that chickens would remain permitted with some limitations, but in between the meetings, a document was published stating that the second reading would determine if chickens are banned.
The push for a ban originated from complaints made to the city and discrepancies within existing ordinances. According to Council Member Renee Carfagno, Northfield had two conflicting sets of rules on the books, which led to confusion about whether residents could legally keep chickens.
A committee of fewer than 10 members — consisting of city staff, including the clerk, solicitor, zoning and code enforcement, construction office representatives and two council members, including Carfagno — was formed to review the matter.
Complaints received by the city varied. Some residents reported excessive noise; Others raised concerns about chickens wandering beyond property lines, while some expressed fears about rodents being attracted to chicken coops.
Carfagno said determining whether rodents were linked to chickens falls under the county’s jurisdiction rather than the city’s code enforcement.
The initial draft of the ordinance proposed banning new chickens within city limits moving forward, effectively phasing out backyard flocks. However, during public hearings, residents raised questions and concerns that council members and staff were not prepared to answer. Among them was how many complaints had actually been submitted and from how many households. Without clear answers, several council members were unwilling to move ahead with a permanent ban — including Carfagno, who was originally voting for it.
While the ordinance failed, council members did not rule out future regulations. Officials acknowledged that regulating backyard chickens is complex. Unlike pets such as dogs or cats, it is more difficult to track how many chickens a household owns, whether flocks are expanding, or whether new birds are being brought in.
Carfagno noted that regulating chickens is complicated because, unlike people, who have distinguishing physical traits, chickens are harder to tell apart.
These challenges, combined with unanswered questions from residents, prompted some members to shift away from supporting an outright ban and instead push for further review.
Council typically meets every two weeks throughout most of the year but switches to monthly meetings in July and August. That scheduling contributed to the drawn-out process, as the chicken debate stretched from the summer into September. The city’s chicken committee has not yet put forward a new proposal, but discussions are expected to continue.
For now, chickens remain permitted in Northfield. Officials plan to revisit the issue once more information is available and possible regulations are drafted.
Julia is a recent Rider University graduate, where she studied multiplatform journalism and social media strategies. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, trying new coffee shops, photography and the beach. She can be reached at juliatrainmedia@gmail.com or connect with her on Instagram @juliatrain
