NO Okotoks Urban Hen Project - No rights for those objecting or adjacent property owners.

SMELL,NOISE, DISEASE AND INCREASE IN PREDATORS - concerns Okotoks residents included in letters presented to town council. IGNORED! ARE YOUR RIGHTS NOT BEING RESPECTED? PROPERTY, HUMAN, PERSONAL RIGHTS VIOLATED?

*How does a town councillor OBJECTIVELY vote while being a member of a local chicken coop support group? When exposed, she claimed doing "research".Mayor unaware of her affliation with local chicken coop support group.

*Does objecting taxpayers money not pay for bylaw service also? Is bylaw being impartial?

 BOTH adjacent neighbours objections to an urban hen coop ignored by bylaw in Okotoks. Bylaw chose to approve an application with both neighbours strongly objecting in Drake Landing. Other Okotoks residents right to object were ignored at town council meeting when letters stating concerns were presented. The Okotoks Urban Chicken License Adjacent Properties Forms that two adjacent neighbours had to fill out was nothing more than a courtesy notice.

-That is the reason neighbour approval was required.Thanks for your letter. I hope that I didn't ramble on too much.-Mayor Bill Robertson

-Bylaw says first come, first serve bases.
"The applications will be reviewed and approved by Municipal Enforcement on a first- come first-served basis."
Municipal Enforcement Manager Tim Stobbs says many of the municipalities he spoke with had similar concerns with the project. He used Wetaskiwin, who chose not to allow urban chickens, as an example.
-Tim Stobbs, Okotoks Municipal Enforcement (OME) Team leader, said chickens are a nuisance in urban areas.
“Some people may not mind having hens next to them, but if you make it lawful what if the person next door objects to it because they make noise or because they raise stink,”

Mayor Robertson requested a recorded vote. In Favour: Councillors Fischer, Rockley, Sands, and Watrin Opposed: Mayor Robertson, Councillors Heemeryck and Thorn

Some Okotoks residents may not realize that chickens will fall under the LIVESTOCK BYLAW thus opening the barn door for goats, sheep, etc. A B.C. town is having applications for these now.Also the classification of livestock may eliminate chickens from bylaws such as Neighbourhood Nuisances, Safety and Quality of Life Matters (Bylaw 19-10) Nuisance & Unsightly Premises (Bylaw 19-12) and Confinement of Certain Animals (Bylaw 18-08) Please note information release is limited to keep a positive image of the town.

Urban Chicken Coop PILOT project May 1,2015 -September 1,2016 in Okotoks.
Do objecting residents have property, personal and human rights?
-Alberta Ombudsman in Calgary- 403-297-6185
-Alberta Municipal Affairs- 1-780-427-2732
-Canadian Human Rights Commission- 1-888-214-1090


-Law Society of Alberta -403-229-4700
 Suite 500, 919 11th Ave SW
 Calgary, Alberta T2R 1P3

-Office of the Prime Minister
80 Wellington Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A2
http://pm.gc.ca/contactpm
(YES,even objecting citizen's have rights. Know yours)

Many websites have urban chicken coop farmers looking for answer to issues they say DON’T exist.
We had chickens for about a year now. We just haven't been able to figure out how to control the smell
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/376963/smelly-chicken-coop-need-help
We got TONS of rain and now the area that my chickens are in reeks. I can't even stand to be out there with them. I'm afraid people walking past my house can smell it too.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/924011/help-my-coop-run-reek
Noisy chickens-Everyday non stop in the mornings she and the other hen are clucking loudly.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273485/do-hens-cluck-even-if-they-are-not-laying-an-egg
If litter is not kept at an acceptable moisture level, very high bacterial loads and unsanitary growing conditions may result producing odors (including ammonia), insect problems. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_litter

Health issues
https://theseglasswalls.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/the- problem-with-back- yard-chickens/
http://www.health.alberta.ca/health-info/influenza- avian-H7N9.html
http://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/ backyard-chickens- linked-salmonella-outbreaks-cdc- says-n92696
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/phn-asp/2015/ salmonella-eng.php
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/ 61646.php
http://www.hipchickdigs.com/2013/06/battling-flies/
http://fox59.com/2015/05/14/owners-of-backyard- chickens-warned- about-avian-flu/
http://www.okotoks.ca/sites/default/files/pdfs/news/ 4.2%20Attach %202%20Urban%20Hens%20Pilot %20Project.pdf
http://www.cp-rc.ca/2010_Update/ research_programs/fsq036.php
Some evidence suggests that airborne transmission may also contribute to spread of infectious virus.How close is the coop to YOUR home? http://www.cdc.gov/Features/SalmonellaPoultry/ Centre of Disease Control & Prevention

Noise:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhEQ1E8XPp4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVNgFRgffwo
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/273485/do-hens- cluck-even-if-they- are-not-laying-an-egg
http://www.westernwheel.com/article/20150128/ WHE0801/301289966/-1/ whe0801/residents-sound-off- on-hens

Smell:
On their OWN websites, urban chicken coop "farmers" seeking out answers regarding controlling smell of their coops, noise of their hens and diseases.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/924011/help- my-coop-run-reek
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/376963/smelly- chicken-coop- need-help
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/650569/really- smelly-runny-poop http://www.cbc.ca/news/the- backyard-chicken-debate-1.916153
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/648907/please- help-is-this-coc- cidiosis-poop-is-runny-green-watery- and-smelly-with-blood-and-flesh- pics-attatched
If litter is not kept at an acceptable moisture level, very high bacterial loads and unsani- tary growing conditions may result producing odors (including ammonia), insect prob- lems http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poultry_litter

 Attracting predators: 

http://www.okotoks.ca/town-services/pets-wildlife/ wildlife-okotoks
http://globalnews.ca/news/767752/grizzly-cub- caught-near-okotoks- after-officials-issue-warning/
http://www.newstalk770.com/2014/09/30/concern- grows-over-griz- zly-bear-sightings-near-okotoks/
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/cougar-spends-night-in- okotoks-garage-1.1182927
http://globalnews.ca/…/15892…/bears-spotted-near-okotoks-too- close-for-comfort/
http://www.cbc.ca/…/can…/calgary/young-grizzly-bear-captured- near-okotoks-1.1304915 http://www.okotoks.ca/town-services/pets- wildlife/wildlife-okotoks http://okotoksonline.com/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=21639&Itemid=33350 http:// www.cbc.ca/ne…/canada/calgary/cougar-spends-night-in-okotoks- garage-1.1182927
http://www.highriveronline.com/index.php? option=com_content&task=view&id=19030&Itemid=4
http://www.backyardchickens.com/f/13/predators- and-pests

 Other related issues: 

Abandon chickens at humane societies http:// www.compassionatespirit.com/wpblog/2013/07/28/ more-prob-lems-with-abandoned-backyard-chickens/
https://theseglasswalls.wordpress.com/2011/11/28/ the-problem-with- backyard-chickens/
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/hipster-farmers- abandoning-ur- ban-chickens-because-theyre-too- much-work#__federated=1
http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/backyard-fad- can-lead-to-chick- en-abandonment/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/…/07/10/backyard-chickens-aban- don_n_3573698.html

https://www.facebook.com/backyardnotbarnyard

C.Spackman    Contact the author of the petition