Language on regulations about the keeping of chickens and other farm animals inside of city limits was cleaned-up in a zoning ordinance change passed during Tuesday night’s meeting of the Columbus City Council. Jeff Bergman, the city-county planning director, says the issue came to a head in 2015 after some residents raised objections with neighbors keeping chickens in residential areas…

The council approved changes to the city’s zoning ordinances to make them match both the new city codes dealing with livestock in the city limits, as well as new county codes dealing with confined animal feeding operations. The ordinance also removes all references to specific livestock types in zoning, instead leaving that to the municipal code.

The city council approved the ordinance on first reading. Bergman says that once this ordinance is approved on second reading, this should be the last action needed by the city on this issue.