SOAP LAKE - The Soap Lake City Council voted 5-2 to consider an ordinance allowing chicken rearing within city limits.

Council members JoAnne Rushton and John Hillman were the sole opponents of a measure directing city staff to prepare a draft ordinance for council vote following a public hearing sometime in the next few weeks.

The city followed a similar route toward chicken rearing in 2007, drafting an ordinance to allow up to four hens per residence before council voted 5-2 to scrap the issue, citing potential problems with enforcement and attraction of wild animals.

No chickens can be raised within the city limits, although as many as 15 of the birds are allowed on property zoned Residential 4, a transitional zone that includes bordering property being brought into the city through annexation.

Soap Lake resident Jennifer Peterson brought the council a copy of her own draft chicken ordinance last week, a proposal she fashioned from language used by other cities.

Of Washington's 207 cities, Peterson said she found 137 allowing some form of chicken rearing.

"There are a lot of variations out there. We just have to pick one that fits us," she said. "If 137 other cities can do this, I'm quite optimistic that we can as well. We have many, many people here today who want chickens and are willing to jump through the hoops to get them."

Peterson ran down a list of common complaints against urban chickens.

Excessive noise can be averted through a no roosters rule, she said, and strong odors shouldn't be a problem if just one hen is allowed per 1,500 square feet, with no more than six chickens per parcel. She suggested fines or penalties for owners that neglect to keep a hygienic brood.

City Attorney Katherine Kenison highlighted another potential problem - dogs versus birds.

"I am a chicken owner myself but I live in the country," Kenison said. "Even then, my chickens are in a fully enclosed coop because we have too many dogs in our neighborhood. I challenge anybody to show me a dog that given the opportunity, no matter the size or breed, won't chase a chicken that's running across the ground in front of them."

Any dog showing aggression toward another animal is defined as a potentially dangerous dog under both the state and city statutes, Kenison explained. She encouraged the council to look at modifying their dog ordinance and making sure any chicken ordinance requires a fully enclosed coop and run to prevent chickens from escaping.

Peterson agreed the ordinance should include general rules regarding coop structures, but said the issue of dogs killing chickens is already addressed by the current city code.

"I think that we need to put responsibility on the ordinance," Peterson said. "Your dog isn't supposed to be running at large, nor is my chicken supposed to be running at large. If your dog is running after my chicken in my yard, well, your dog is not supposed to be doing that. If my chicken gets out and your dog kills it, well, my chicken wasn't on my property."

Regardless of what ordinances may dictate, Kenison said issues are sure to arise between dog and chicken owners. If chickens are allowed, she suggested an education campaign and initial inspections could result in fewer clashes and enforcement problems.

Councilwoman Crystal Lindgren agreed, suggesting chicken owners should be required to pay a nominal annual permit fee and have their coop inspected once a year.

Kenison noted the city of Bremerton included a one year sunset clause when they adopted a chicken ordinance in 2010. After the trial period they decided to extended the law, and chickens are still allowed in the city, she said.

Hillman urged his fellow council members to exercise caution before changing Soap Lake's law, and questioned how the city would effectively locate and penalize rule violators.

"We can write all the laws and we can make penalties but who's going to enforce it?" he said.

"Lets not forget that we are a small community," Peterson responded. "If two houses down you see that their chickens stink, they have too many, they have a rooster - there's something to be said for going up to the door and knocking on it. And if that doesn't work, you can report it."

Peterson's proposed draft chicken ordinance is available for viewing and comment at www.SoapLakeUrbanHomesteads.com.