Services Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Services Committee met on September 1, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., with V. Steele presiding. The committee addressed three agenda items during the session, taking three votes and hearing nine public comments.

The committee approved two measures: a proposal on Slaughtering Livestock presented by Henson, and a Sign Ordinance presented by Lane. A third agenda item regarding Items in Committee was deferred. Overall, the meeting resulted in two approvals and one deferral of business before the committee.

Attendance

The following individuals were present at the meeting on September 1, 2009:

• Henson
• Lane
• Lawless
• Beard
• Feigel
• Crosbie
• McChord
• Martin
• Myers
• Ellinger

No absences or late arrivals were recorded.

Votes and Decisions

Livestock Slaughter Ordinance Amendment 33:29

A motion was made by Henson and seconded by Feigel to direct the law department to draft an amendment to the ordinance disallowing slaughter of livestock, not including fowl, within the urban service boundary without a permit. The motion passed by voice vote.

Temporary Neighborhood Signs Amendment 1:14:16

A motion was made by Martin and seconded by Lane to direct the law department to draft an amendment to Article 17-6: Permitted Signs in all Zones. The proposed amendment would change wording to allow temporary neighborhood signs with specific size, duration, and removal requirements. The motion passed by voice vote.

Friendly Amendment to Neighborhood Signs Motion 1:34:57

A friendly amendment to Martin's motion was made by Feigel and seconded by Lane. The amendment would limit neighborhood signs to 10 per event, require display no more than 7 days prior to the event, and require removal within 2 business days. The amendment passed by voice vote.

Public Comment

The meeting included public comment on two primary topics: backyard livestock slaughter and commercial real estate signage.

Backyard Livestock Slaughter

William Smith [0:03:50] described a traumatic experience in which his children witnessed a goat being slaughtered in a residential backyard. He expressed concern about public visibility of such activity and the lack of legal restrictions.

Will Sampson [0:05:53] argued for the right to raise and slaughter animals in residential areas for personal consumption, emphasizing local food sovereignty and urging regulation over prohibition.

Jeremy Porter [0:07:32] shared his family's experience raising hens for eggs and planning to harvest them humanely. He requested that any new ordinance respect responsible personal food production.

Ryan Koch [0:09:15] supported backyard slaughter as a humane alternative to industrial meat production and urged the committee to regulate rather than ban the practice.

Commercial Real Estate Signage

Tandy Patrick [0:52:07] advocated for increasing real estate sign size from 6 to 64 square feet, citing industry standards and the need for consistency with other major cities.

Crystal Blackburn [0:58:12] emphasized that real estate signs are critical for home sales, affordable, and non-discriminatory, and highlighted their economic importance to Fayette County.

Don Sebastian [1:00:52] stressed that current signage rules are not followed in practice and would severely harm the commercial real estate market if enforced.

Todd Johnson [1:04:38] reported that developers have no major issues with current signage rules but emphasized the importance of directional signs for new subdivisions.

Emma Tibbs [1:14:47] supported temporary signs for neighborhood events but expressed concern about signs remaining up for extended periods, often over a year.

Contested Items

### Regulation of Backyard Livestock Slaughter

The meeting featured a heated discussion regarding the regulation of backyard livestock slaughter. The debate centered on balancing multiple competing concerns: property rights, public safety, cultural practices, and humane treatment of animals. Some members expressed concern about the potential trauma to children and public nuisance issues associated with backyard slaughter operations. Other members emphasized personal food sovereignty and advocated for humane alternatives to industrial meat production as a rationale for allowing such practices on private property.

### Commercial Real Estate Signage Enforcement

A second contested item involved commercial real estate signage enforcement. Business groups and real estate professionals strongly opposed the current 6 square foot sign limit. These industry representatives argued that the existing regulation is unenforceable, outdated, and harmful to economic development. They contended that enforcement of the current signage restrictions would be detrimental to the business and real estate industries.

Slaughtering Livestock - Henson

The committee discussed a complaint regarding the slaughtering of a goat in a residential backyard. 1:00

Legal Status and Findings

The law department confirmed that no existing ordinance currently prohibits personal consumption slaughter of livestock. However, they noted the potential for the committee to develop new regulations on this matter.

Concerns Raised

Public testimony and committee discussion highlighted several concerns:

• Public visibility of slaughtering activities in residential areas
• Potential trauma to children who witness such activities
• Questions regarding cultural and personal food sovereignty

Committee Discussion

Key speakers in the discussion included Henson, Lawless, Beard, Feigel, Martin, Lane, Rick Curtis, and Luke Mathis, though specific positions and arguments from individual speakers were not detailed in the available information.

Outcome

The committee approved a motion to draft an ordinance that would restrict livestock slaughter without a permit. This action moves toward establishing regulatory requirements for such activities in residential areas.

Sign Ordinance - Lane

34:04

The committee reviewed proposed amendments to the current sign ordinance, which had generated concerns from multiple stakeholder groups. The discussion centered on three main issues: the existing 6 square foot limit for commercial real estate signs, regulations for neighborhood signs, and challenges with enforcement of sign regulations.

Issues Presented

The current ordinance's 6 square foot limit for commercial real estate signs was identified as problematic. Real estate and homebuilder associations, represented by speakers including Tandy Patrick, Crystal Blackburn, Don Sebastian, Todd Johnson, and Emma Tibbs, urged the committee to allow larger signs to better serve their industries' needs.

Proposed Amendment

A draft amendment was introduced to address neighborhood sign regulations. The proposal would permit temporary neighborhood signs while establishing specific rules governing their size, duration, and removal requirements. This approach aimed to balance community needs with aesthetic and practical concerns.

Committee Action

The committee passed motions to advance amendments on two fronts: one addressing commercial sign regulations and another addressing neighborhood sign regulations. Both amendments moved forward for further consideration, indicating the committee's support for modifying the existing ordinance.

Key Participants

The discussion involved committee members Lane, Martin, Myers, and Beard, along with stakeholder representatives Tandy Patrick, Crystal Blackburn, Don Sebastian, Todd Johnson, and Emma Tibbs.

Outcome

The agenda item was approved, with the committee advancing both the commercial and neighborhood sign amendments for continued development.

Items in Committee

Council staff reviewed a range of pending items during this portion of the meeting. Paul Schoninger presented updates on multiple matters awaiting further action or information.

The items under committee review included:

• Taxi cabs
• Special permits
• Golf carts
• Underground utilities
• Ice storm response
• Solid Waste updates
• Horse cruelty
• Glendover petition
• Curb replacement

Most of the items discussed were deferred, with several awaiting additional information before the council could take further action. The review allowed staff to provide status updates on these various matters and identify which items required further development or clarification before returning to the full council for decision.

1:37:37