April 2021

The Borough of Clayton
225 N Delsea Drive
Clayton NJ 08312

Dear Mayor and Council,

As you may be aware, Keeping of Fowl 116-5 has been in The Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance files since prior to it's last amendment on May of 1979. Recently, Amended #4-2020, a new amendment was posted 'deleting it in it's entirety from The Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance 116-5'. This amendment was passed at a time when Covid locked everything down and meetings were not open to the public. A time when eggs couldn't even be found in a grocery store. Many community members not aware of the amendment until recently when receiving violation notices from The Borough of Clayton Zoning Official. Letters containing violation citing and parameters that were never even part of 116-5 or 116.4 Sanitation Ordinances.

116-5 Borough of Clayton Sanitation Ordinance below for your review:

§ 116-5 Keeping of fowl. [Amended 5-10-1979 by Ord. No. 79-4] All houses, buildings or enclosures wherein chickens or fowl are confined within the limits of the Borough of Clayton must be kept clean and free from all foul odors, and all such houses or enclosures must not be situate within 50 feet of a dwelling house, living quarters or residence of any neighbor or neighbors. Any person or persons offending against the provisions of this section shall forfeit and pay a penalty not exceeding $50.

You may or may not be aware; many families, within The Borough of Clayton, have relied on domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/landfowl for the purpose of providing food, insect control, garden compost, food waste management and support as a domesticated pet or support animal.

If Mayor and Council had been aware of the information regarding "keeping of fowl", specifically domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/fowl, we believe they would have voted differently in April 2020 amending to delete Sanitation Ordinance 116-5. Allow us to present some additional information as to why domesticated chicken keeping is a benefit to The Borough of Clayton, NJ community:

1) Chickens are inherently an organic form of pest control. They especially love to eat ticks.

2) Chickens provide rich organic manure to use in your own garden and flower beds.

3) Chickens provide entertainment to watch and are soothing to listen to.

4) Chickens provide your family with food. 3 hens can provide 2 dozen eggs a week for years and most chicken keepers love to share.

5) Chickens provide bonding, much like gardening, within a community that keeps them.

6) Chickens provide education, hobby, mental exercise and emotional support.

7) Chickens require as little as 1 sq foot of space inside a coop per bird.

8) Chickens require as little as 4 sq foot of space enclosed outdoor run per bird.

Did you also know:

1) Chickens are no longer considered solely "farm" animals.

2) Chickens are considered domesticated poultry, pets and even support animals.

3) Chickens can be trained to take commands much like one would a family dog, in fact moreso.

4) Chickens are allowed in cities like NYC. In fact, it was a selling point for a 900 sq foot apartment. whom had a coop on their patio. The apartment sold for 1.3 million, coop included.

5) Chickens can be a new form of income for the community by way of permit.

6) Chicken complaints are lower than that of other allowable domesticated pets.

7) Chicken keepers take pride in their coop which is usually a show point not a deficit.

As a supporter for residents of the Borough of Clayton, New Jersey. I am applying my signature to this petition letter asking the Mayor and Council to develop a new Ordinance for chickens, also known as Domesticated Poultry, Landfowl, Fowl or Gallus gallus domesticus, to be allowed , maintained and kept responsibly within the Borough of Clayton, NJ. This would be a request applied to all zoned sections, more specifically within Residential zones, regardless of the zone definition. Specifically allowing, domesticated backyard poultry/chickens/landfowl within the community for the purpose of providing food, insect control, garden compost, food waste management and support to the resident as a domesticated pet.

In a garden state and suburban country town like Clayton, NJ it would be "fowl" not to allow.

Give your peeps a chance,