TITLE
Recommendation to request City Attorney to bring an ordinance within 30 days to amend Title 6 of the City’s Municipal Code based on previous draft language developed in consultation with members of the community, Department of Parks, Recreation and Marine, Office of Sustainability and City Attorney’s office.
DISCUSSION
In October 2011, City Council’s Environmental Committee began discussing changes to the City’s existing rules governing the keeping of chickens, goats and bees based on a recommendation from the Sustainable City Commission. Over the next two years, the Environmental Committee worked with staff from Parks, Recreation and Marine, Office of Sustainability, City Attorney’s office and the urban agriculture community to develop draft language for City Council consideration. In addition, the Committee directed staff to host community meetings to receive input from residents. Finally, in March 2013, the Committee recommended draft language for City Council consideration.
In July 2013, after much discussion and public testimony mostly in favor of the recommended changes, City Council voted 4-3 against the draft language with 2 members absent.
Long Beach has made strides to become a more livable city thanks in part to policies and initiatives relating to bicycling, pedestrianism, sustainability, conservation, emissions reduction, beach water quality and healthy food choices. Offering more residents the opportunity to be closer to the food sources in their diet is another sustainable, healthy and socially just policy that City Council should reconsider. Along with fruit & vegetable gardens in yards and community plots, urban agricultural options involving animals are an important solution for people who wish to gain access to secure, affordable and nutritious food.
City staff painstakingly researched numerous municipal ordinances and interviewed staff from other cities to learn about the positive and negative impacts of implementation. The E...
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