Hoping This Doesn't Pass...

[Lacy Duckwing]

Bear in mind that the meeting that I believe was tonight? Is also somewhat about the leadership gauging public reaction to the code. "Is passing this likely to cost me my seat next time around? Is not passing out likely to cost me my seat? "

How did the meeting go? It isn't too late to contact the leadership individually. And a petition for or against might help them judge how this should play out in the longterm.

Good luck!

It went well. A lot of people spoke against it and only a couple of people (who spoke) were for it. Of the leadership, I've personally known the chair of the Select Board and I've been talking to him about this. He said he's against it and will be standing against it, and that the whole ordinance somehow slipped past him (though on that, I'm not sure if I fully believe). I don't think any of this is going toward them keeping their positions or not.

On this hearing, it was more about allowing people to have their voices heard, though it's already on the ballot. The Select Board strongly recommended everyone vote and encourage other people to vote, as that’s the only thing that could be done now. There was an attendee who did change their vote after going to the meeting as they thought this would only effect the village area (which the original write-up supposedly did say this) but found out it will be effecting our whole town and them.

I did speak up at the meeting, but at that point I was speaking up more to keep people talking than anything else. I was very scared and my mind went blank, so in the moment I brought up the strictness of the coop build and run, which ended up promoting someone else to speak more on the ordinance's strictness.

 

[townchicks]

Good for you to stand up and speak. That can be hard for many of us.

 

[NatJ]

See Section VI. Even though I'm technically on close to two acres, how my lots are set up, I'd be classified as less than an acre (though not by much).

Ah, I missed that part. Very good point!

A lot of people are saying this will not effect me and many others, but in the long term, I think it eventually will because I've seen how it has effected other people who have ordinances. They'll have chickens for years, then suddenly someone decides to have a problem and they now have to get rid of their flock.

I would also be concerned!

It went well. A lot of people spoke against it and only a couple of people (who spoke) were for it. Of the leadership, I've personally known the chair of the Select Board and I've been talking to him about this. He said he's against it and will be standing against it, and that the whole ordinance somehow slipped past him (though on that, I'm not sure if I fully believe). I don't think any of this is going toward them keeping their positions or not.

On this hearing, it was more about allowing people to have their voices heard, though it's already on the ballot. The Select Board strongly recommended everyone vote and encourage other people to vote, as that’s the only thing that could be done now. There was an attendee who did change their vote after going to the meeting as they thought this would only effect the village area (which the original write-up supposedly did say this) but found out it will be effecting our whole town and them.

I did speak up at the meeting, but at that point I was speaking up more to keep people talking than anything else. I was very scared and my mind went blank, so in the moment I brought up the strictness of the coop build and run, which ended up promoting someone else to speak more on the ordinance's strictness.

I'm glad that went well.

Hopefully the final result will be okay too (no ordinance, or one that is enough different that it avoids the many problems this one has.)

 

[HollowOfWisps]

After rereading this, I did see it . A lot of people are saying this will not effect me and many others, but in the long term, I think it eventually will because I've seen how it has effected other people who have ordinances. They'll have chickens for years, then suddenly someone decides to have a problem and they now have to get rid of their flock.

I just wanted to add that their phrasing is used often in politics when they are trying to pass something with as little resistance as possible. They are lying through their teeth hoping people won’t think they are in the crosshairs and won’t speak up.