Someone who recently moved to town put chickens in their backyard. This is against the rules in this authoritarian little town-- although others have chickens, too, and have for as long as I've lived here. I would have chickens if my yard weren't so ridiculously unsuited for ... literally everything.
Anyway, this new resident decided to ask permission from the town rulers to have his chickens. That was months ago, and they finally squeezed out a juicy decision after months of delays and indecision: "Yes, but".
The rules make me believe none of these petty tyrants have ever had chickens. Maybe they've never even seen one. They definitely must hate chickens and anyone who keeps them. And they obviously want to make it as burdensome as possible so as to convince people to not have them. (While right across the imaginary line that runs through town to divide "New Mexico" from "Texas", the residents of the NM side are "allowed" to have chickens. Because, states.)
First, no roosters are allowed. I have to put up with hearing dogs barking day and night, but Heaven forbid I hear a rooster crow! Just petty and stupid. Actually, I can hear roosters crowing because 2 blocks east of me is the "city limit" and homes across that road have roosters-- and guineas, horses, and cattle. (The town has tried to assert the "authority" to tell people within several hundred yards of the town limits what they are allowed to do and have, but this hasn't gotten anywhere yet.) So this arbitrary rule is pointless.
Then, the rules say you have to clean the chicken pen daily. And you aren't allowed to dispose of the bedding (or whatever) in the dumpsters the town provides for trash and garbage. They didn't suggest an approved alternative, and in cases like that, people usually just dump stuff along the road somewhere. Yeah, that's helpful.
There are more dumb little rules, but those are the main ones. Makes me want to get rheas.
It's surprising to read this about a small community. The silly regulations you wrote about are associated with big city government and suburban neighborhood associations.
ReplyDeleteThis town has always had very authoritarian rulers. They went on a mission against carports a few years ago. Another time it was "code enforcement" of all types that they focused on. The town cop is a puppet and just focuses on whatever the Big Deals tell him to target this week-- along with his main "job" of robbing drivers, of course. The previous mayor would actually go around town and flip out on residents who were doing things with/on their property that he didn't like. He usually had the cop standing behind him. I haven't heard much about the current mayor, but apparently his lust for control is the same as the last guy.
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