News Flash

 NOTICE is hereby given the City Commission of the City of Palatka, Florida, will consider the enactment of the following entitled Ordinance 2024-06: 

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALATKA, PROVIDING URBAN HOMESTEADING STANDARDS FOR THE RAISING AND KEEPING OF DOMESTIC FOWL IN RESIDENTIAL ZONING, PROHIBITING ROOSTERS; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, SEVERABILITY, REPEAL, SCRIVENER'S ERRORS AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

at its meeting to be held at 6:00 PM on June 13, 2024 and July 11, 2024 at City Hall, 201 N. 2^nd St., Palatka, Florida. Said proposed Ordinance may be inspected by the public at City Hall during regular hours of business. All interested persons are hereby advised of such consideration by the City Commission and all interested parties may appear at said meeting at said time and place and be heard with respect to the proposed ordinance.  A business impact statement can be found below. This notice is given in accordance with F.S. 166.041.

PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELVES ACCORDINGLY.     

Business Impact Estimate

This form should be included in the agenda packet for the item under which the proposed ordinance is to be considered and must be posted on the City’s website by the time notice of the proposed ordinance is published.

Proposed ordinance’s title/reference:  “The Urban Homesteading Domestic Fowl Ordinance.”   More specifically:

AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF PALATKA, PROVIDING URBAN HOMESTEADING STANDARDS FOR THE RAISING AND KEEPING OF DOMESTIC FOWL IN RESIDENTIAL ZONING, PROHIBITING ROOSTERS.

This Business Impact Estimate is provided in accordance with section 166.041(4), Florida Statutes. If one or more boxes are checked below, this means the City of Palatka is of the view that a business impact estimate is not required by state law[1] for the proposed ordinance, but the City is, nevertheless, providing this Business Impact Estimate as a courtesy and to avoid any procedural issues that could impact the enactment of the proposed ordinance. This Business Impact Estimate may be revised following its initial posting.

☐       The proposed ordinance is required for compliance with Federal or State law or regulation;

☐       The proposed ordinance relates to the issuance or refinancing of debt;

☐       The proposed ordinance relates to the adoption of budgets or budget amendments, including revenue sources necessary to fund the budget;

☐       The proposed ordinance is required to implement a contract or an agreement, including, but not limited to, any Federal, State, local, or private grant or other financial assistance accepted by the municipal government;

☐       The proposed ordinance is an emergency ordinance;

☐       The ordinance relates to procurement; or

☐       The proposed ordinance is enacted to implement the following:

a. Part II of Chapter 163, Florida Statutes, relating to growth policy, county and municipal planning, and land development regulation, including zoning, development orders, development agreements and development permits;

b. Sections 190.005 and 190.046, Florida Statutes, regarding community development districts;

c. Section 553.73, Florida Statutes, relating to the Florida Building Code; or

d. Section 633.202, Florida Statutes, relating to the Florida Fire Prevention Code.

In accordance with the provisions of controlling law, even notwithstanding the fact that an exemption noted above may apply, the City hereby publishes the following information:

1. Summary of the proposed ordinance (must include a statement of the public purpose, such as serving the public health, safety, morals and welfare):  The Urban Homesteading Domestic Fowl ordinances seeks to provide an opportunity for the residents of Palatka to engage in self-sustaining food production that will be less susceptible to price hikes due to inflation and other external factors.  The standards establish safe and reasonable regulations on the keeping of domestic fowl, while also regulating the welfare of residents by prohibiting roosters that can create a nuisance.

2. An estimate of the direct economic impact of the proposed ordinance on private, for-profit businesses in the City, if any:

(a) An estimate of direct compliance costs that businesses may reasonably incur;

(b) Any new charge or fee imposed by the proposed ordinance or for which businesses will be financially responsible; and

(c) An estimate of the City’s regulatory costs, including estimated revenues from any new charges or fees to cover such costs.

It is not anticipated that businesses will incur any direct compliance costs as the ordinance pertains to residents and residential zoning. There are no new charges or fees imposed by the proposed ordinance for which businesses would be responsible. It is not anticipated that the City will incur any additional regulatory costs as compliance is determined by code enforcement officers during their regular course of business.  

3. Good faith estimate of the number of businesses likely to be impacted by the proposed ordinance:  It is not anticipated that any businesses will be impacted by the proposed ordinance.

4. Additional information the governing body deems useful (if any): The passage of this ordinance may create niche industries that will result in an overall benefit to businesses within Palatka.  Urban homesteading has been an explosive trend, especially in the growth of backyard chicken husbandry.  This nationwide movement has resulted in local vendors expanding their inventory to include chicken coops, chicken feed and hatchery supplies.  The opportunity to engage in hyper-local food resilience is also a private property consideration.  Reforming our municipal code to allow citizens to manage their own food production and cut back on solid waste without the expenditure of public revenue, simply by leveraging landowner initiative. A notable number of households within the City limits already maintain chickens within residential areas.  By providing guidance and standards, the City will establish safety and welfare standards for both the domestic fowl and residents.  Given the myriad benefits of local food production, a city policy that allows people to make productive use of their private property falls squarely within the traditional values of American property law and the state of Florida’s long-standing commitment to private property rights.