[R.O. 2004 § 210.080; Ord. No. 3.04 §§ 1 — 6, no date; Ord.
No. 3.36 §§ 1 — 2, 10-23-2007]
A. It shall be unlawful to permit any animal
to run at large within the corporate limits of the City of Mount Vernon,
Missouri, at any time.
B. If any animals be found at large within
the scope of this Chapter within the corporate limits of the City
of Mount Vernon, Missouri, it shall be the duty of the Chief of Police,
Animal Control Officer or any Police Officer to take immediate charge
of the same and to confine them in some secure place within the corporate
limits of said City. Said officer shall use all reasonable efforts
to determine and contact the owner of said animal. If said animal
is not claimed by the owner within seven (7) days of being impounded,
said officer shall take reasonable steps to have said animal adopted,
placed in service training or taken to an animal shelter. The Animal
Control Officer is authorized to photograph any animal kept at the
pound for more than twenty-four (24) hours and cause that photograph
to be added to the City's website for viewing by the general public.
Reasonable steps to have the animal adopted include advertisements
in newspapers, websites and social media sites and pages. An adoption
fee may be assessed, payable to the City Collector, at the amount
set forth in the fee schedule published by the City of Mount Vernon,
and the adoptive owner is required to reimburse any sterilization
fees incurred by the City for said animal. A copy of adoption papers
shall be provided to the Chief of Police or his/her designee.
[Ord. No. 3.44 § 3, 5-26-2013]
C. Sterilization.
1.
Pursuant to Section 273.403, RSMo.,
the City may not release a dog or cat for purchase or adoption without
provisions being made for the sterilization of the animal. Such provisions
may be made by:
a.
Providing for sterilization by a
licensed veterinarian before relinquishing custody of the animal;
or
b.
Entering into a written agreement
with the adopter or purchaser guaranteeing that sterilization will
be performed by a licensed veterinarian in compliance with a sterilization
agreement which shall contain the following information:
(1) The date of the agreement;
(2) The name, address and
signature of the adopting or purchasing party and name and signature
of the officer signing on behalf of the City;
(3) A description of the
animal to be adopted or purchased;
(4) A statement printed
in conspicuous bold print that sterilization of the animal is required
pursuant to Sections 273.400 to 273.405, RSMo.; and
(5) A sterilization completion
date which shall be either:
(a) The 30th day after the
date of adoption in the case of an adult animal; or
(b) The 30th day after a
specified date estimated to be the date an adopted infant female or
male puppy or kitten becomes six (6) months of age.
2.
An adopter or purchaser that signs
a sterilization agreement shall have the adopted animal sterilized
on or before the sterilization date stated in the agreement. If the
sterilization completion date stated in the agreement falls on a Saturday,
Sunday or legal holiday, the deadline may be extended to the first
day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday. The City may
extend the deadline for thirty (30) days on the presentation of a
letter or telephone report by a licensed veterinarian stating that
the life or health of the adopted animal may be jeopardized by sterilization,
and there shall be no limit on the number of extensions that may be
granted for this reason.
[R.O. 2004 § 210.100; Ord. No. 3.45 § 1, 6-25-2013]
A. No livestock or farm animals, even if considered
pets by the owner, shall be kept in any district not zoned for agricultural
use, except as provided herein.
B. Chickens are allowed in R-1 districts,
subject to the following limitations:
1.
Chickens Allowed When.
a.
Only female chickens are allowed,
with no restriction as to breed.
b.
It shall be unlawful for occupants
to keep more than ten (10) chickens per dwelling.
c.
It shall be unlawful to engage in
chicken breeding or fertilizer production for commercial purposes.
d.
It shall be unlawful to sell chickens
or eggs at the residence.
2.
Enclosures And Fencing.
a.
Chickens shall be kept in a secured
enclosure or fenced area at all times, and shall be secured within
a henhouse, coop, or chicken tractor during non-daylight hours.
b.
A permit shall be required for each
henhouse, coop, or chicken tractor upon application to the Code Enforcement
Officer with payment of the fee specified on the schedule of fees
maintained by the City. The Code Enforcement Officer may require a
drawing of the henhouse, coop or chicken tractor. The secured enclosure
and any fenced area used by chickens shall provide safe and healthy
living conditions for chickens while minimizing adverse impacts to
other residents in the neighborhood.
c.
The secured enclosure shall provide
adequate ventilation, sunlight and shade, and shall be impermeable
to rodents, wild birds and predators, including dogs and cats. It
shall be enclosed on all sides and have a roof and one or more doors.
Doors shall be latched during non-daylight hours. Openings, windows
and vents shall be covered in predatorproof and birdproof wire of
less than one-inch openings. The secured enclosure shall be kept dry
and in a sanitary condition at all times.
d.
Covered, fenced pens shall consist
of sturdy wire and post or wooden fencing.
e.
Enclosures shall be located to the
defined rear of the property. No portion of the enclosure shall be
within three (3) feet of a property line or within twenty-five (25)
feet of any adjacent residential dwelling.
3.
Sanitary Considerations.
a.
Chickens shall have access to feed
and clean water at all times. Feed shall be stored in such a way to
prevent access by rodents, wild birds and/or predators.
b.
The secured enclosure and covered,
fenced pen shall be kept free from trash, garbage, and accumulated
droppings. The chicken owner shall provide for the storage and removal
of chicken manure. All stored manure shall be covered by a fully enclosed
structure with a roof or lid over the entire structure. No more than
ten (10) gallons of manure may be stored, and all other manure not
used for fertilizer or compost shall be removed.
c.
Odors from chickens, chicken manure
or related activities shall not be detectable beyond the property
boundaries.
d.
The chicken owner shall take necessary
action to reduce the attraction of predators, rodents and potential
infestations of insects and parasites. Chickens found to be infested
with insects and parasites that may result in unhealthy conditions
to human habitation may be removed by the Animal Control Officer.
e.
Slaughtering of chickens may occur
for personal use, provided it is conducted in a sanitary manner, does
not generate noise that creates a nuisance, and is not visible from
adjacent properties or any public area or right-of-way.
f.
Dead chickens shall be disposed of
within twenty-four (24) hours in accordance with the provisions of
Chapter 269, RSMo. City employees will not remove dead chickens.
4.
Enforcement.
a.
It shall be unlawful for any person
to keep chickens in violation of any provision of this Section.
b.
It shall be unlawful for any owner,
renter or leaseholder of property to allow chickens to be kept on
property in violation of any provisions of this Section.
c.
It shall be unlawful to erect a henhouse,
coop or chicken tractor in violation of any provisions of this Section.
d.
Any violation of this Section that constitutes a health hazard or interferes with the use or enjoyment of neighboring property is a nuisance. That nuisance may be abated or prosecuted in accordance with Chapter
215 of this Code.
C. Backyard
beekeeping is allowed in "R-1" districts, subject to the following
limitations:
[Ord. No. 3.51, 2-27-2018]
1. Definitions. For the purpose of this Subsection the following words
and phrases shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them
by this Subsection:
APIARY
The keeping or maintenance of bees in a collection of hives
or colonies.
BEE
Any stage of the common domestic honey bee (Apis Mellifera).
FLYWAY BARRIER
A six (6) foot high fence, wall or hedge placed between the
hives and the adjacent lots or hives must be placed at a minimum height
of eight (8) feet off the ground.
HIVES
Any object or container made or prepared for the use of bees,
or taken possession of by bees.
2. Permitted Bee Species. Only docile "Apis Mellifera" species (honey
bees) shall be permitted by this Subsection.
3. Identification Signs. Every person maintaining an apiary on premises
other than that of his or her residence shall identify such apiary
by affixing a sign thereto showing the name of the owner or person
in possession of the apiary, the owner's address, his or her telephone
number. Lettering shall be black one (1) inch in height on a contrasting
background.
4. Beekeeping — Locational Requirements.
a. An apiary shall be located outside of all required setbacks as established in Section
405.130(F), Yard Regulations of this Code, or fifteen (15) feet from the property line and twenty (20) feet from all public right-of-way, whichever is greater.
b. For apiaries located within twenty-five (25) feet of a public or
private property line of the tract upon which the apiary is located,
as measured from the nearest point on the hive to the property line,
the beekeeper shall establish a flyway barrier at least six (6) feet
in height and extending ten (10) feet beyond the hive in each direction
with the entrance being not less than eighteen (18) inches from and
facing the flyway barrier so that all bees are forced to fly at an
elevation of at least six (6) feet above ground level over the property
lines in the vicinity of the apiary.
c. The apiary should not be visible from the public right-of-way.
d. The apiary shall be in a location that is secure from unauthorized
access.
e. The entrance of the beehive shall face away from the entrances and
walkways on the premises to the extent possible.
f. The beehive shall be re-queened at least every two (2) years.
5. Permission Of Landowners. It shall be unlawful for any person to
place or keep an apiary, or cause or allow an apiary to remain on
land not owned or possessed by such person without first obtaining
the permission of the owner or person lawfully in possession of such
land.
6. Water Supply. Every person owning, possessing or controlling an apiary
shall maintain within ten (10) feet of each apiary a supply of water
which assures an adequate accessible and usable supply of water for
the bees so as to prevent as much as possible bees congregating around
pet water dishes, bird baths, swimming pools, or water hydrants.
7. Number Of Hives Allowed. The number of hives allowed on any one (1)
parcel of land shall be as follows: parcels of land consisting of
five thousand (5,000) square feet or less shall be limited to four
(4) hives, parcels of land consisting of more than five thousand (5,000)
square feet can add one (1) additional hive for every two thousand
five hundred (2,500) square feet.
8. Best Management Practices. Beekeepers shall seek to comply with the
Seasonal Apiary Management for Missouri and Beekeeping Tips for Beginners
by the University of Missouri Extension.
9. Enforcement. It shall be unlawful for any person to keep bees or
an apiary in violation of any provision of this Subsection.
[R.O. 2004 § 210.120; Ord. No. 3.01 § 12, no date]
Any person who shall purposely or
willfully frighten any animal causing them to damage or endanger any
person or property shall be deemed guilty of an ordinance violation.