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ARDEN HILLS CITY COUNCIL — SEPTEMBER 22, 2025 6 Councilmember Holden commented on the cleanliness language and asked if residents would be able to clean their coops and place the waste in a compost pile. Senior Planner Fransen reported the language requires residents to maintain a nuisance free environment. She indicated the language did not speak to compost piles or where waste from the coops shall be placed. She stated it would be up to the licensee to manage the waste odors. Councilmember Holden explained she was concerned with how coop waste could be added to compost piles and the odor that would be created from this. She commented on how the Council discussed and supported having neighbor consent versus neighbor notification. She expressed concern with how coops may be placed closer to a neighbor's home than a licensee's home, which could be worked through if neighbor approval remained in place. She questioned why the Planning Commission recommended seven chickens instead of six. Senior Planner Fransen stated that the Planning Commission discussed that chickens could be ordered three at a time. She also noted the Planning Commission discussed requiring neighbor consent at the initial licensing period. She reported the Planning Commission recommended the same requirements be followed, when it comes to neighbor notification, for chickens as was done for bees. Councilmember Holden commented on the differences between the keeping of bees versus the keeping of chickens and stated the two were not the same and therefore she did not believe the neighbor consent process should be the same. She explained she wanted to protect both the people who were keeping chickens as well as the neighbors. Councilmember Monson thanked Senior Planner Fransen for her detailed presentation. She requested further information regarding the 25-foot setback. Senior Planner Fransen reported the proposed 25-foot setback would make the coop placement more standard. She indicated other communities have similar language in place. Councilmember Monson stated she generally supported the recommendations from the Planning Commission and she appreciated their efforts to be consistent when it comes to the keeping of chickens. She inquired if a licensee were to have a fully fenced back yard would this resident be allowed to let the chickens roam free. Senior Planner Fransen explained a fully fenced in backyard would meet the definition and could serve as an exercise yard for chickens to roam when supervised. Councilmember Monson suggested the language read "and other allowed breeds" to address the potential for another loud bird type and in the event a resident were to bring in such a type that was not allowed in ordinance. She reported she supported the ordinance moving forward but suggested the setback requirement go back to the calculation in order to require a coop to be closer to a licensee's home than a neighboring home or expanding the setback from a neighboring structure. Mayor Grant asked if there was a minimum pen size for six hens.