Welcome back. I’m still Malachi Barrett.

New regulations allowing people to keep chickens, ducks and honeybees to produce food will take effect in February 2025.

Council members voted 5-3 to adopt zoning and animal control ordinance changes Tuesday after nearly a decade of discussion on whether livestock belongs in Detroit. The ordinance changes apply to residents, urban farms, schools, restaurants, city agencies, 4-H programs and educational nonprofits.

Council Member James Tate spearheaded the ordinance, arguing it would improve access to healthy food. Chickens can produce around 300 eggs per year.

An unknown number of people are quietly keeping animals already, according to city staff.

“I believe that we should be able to do whatever we want on land that we own and we pay taxes on, as long as it’s not harming the environment, infrastructure, is not a nuisance to your neighbor, and is not immoral,” Tate said during an October public hearing.

Tate said the vast majority of Detroiters who participated in public engagement meetings are in support. There are some who disagree, he said, including Tate’s own mother.

“Hopefully I’m able to still come to Sunday dinner if this gets passed,” Tate said.

Detroiters need a license to keep animals and must have legal control of the property. The city can immediately suspend a license if a public health threat is found.

Residents can keep eight chickens and ducks and four honeybee hives. Urban gardens and farms can keep 12 ducks and chickens and up to eight bee hives depending on its size. Roosters are not allowed.

Chickens and ducks must be kept 30 feet from neighboring homes and five feet from the property line. Bees must be kept 25 feet from the property line.

Animal shelters must be enclosed on all sides, ventilated and kept clean.

The ordinance sets regulations for storing food and compost, removing manure, mitigating pests, tagging animals and disposing of deceased animals.

Animals can’t only be slaughtered at licensed facilities, not residential properties. Water can’t flow from areas where animals are kept onto adjacent properties, waterways or storm water drains.

Three members voted against the changes. Council Member Scott Benson said he’s supportive of the idea but he’s heard from too many constituents who didn’t want it passed or had questions.

“I personally support this but unfortunately, I won’t be able to go with this today just based on the number and feedback that I’ve received from my residents,” Benson said. “But I support others in this endeavor and hope for a positive outcome today.

Council Member Mary Waters said it should be put on the ballot for voters to decide. She also argued that chickens “stink,” can’t be contained and would lead to fights between neighbors.

Council Member Angela Whitfield-Calloway said the city already struggles to keep animals under control, citing violent dog attacks. She also claimed a buffalo was recently on the loose.

“I don’t think people, when they moved in the city, wanted to live next to chickens and roosters and ducks and buffaloes and pot belly pigs and goats and sheep and horses,” Whitfield-Calloway said. “At least I didn’t. That’s not what I signed up for.”

Only chickens, ducks and bees are allowed under the ordinance.

Violating the regulations is punishable by a misdemeanor and $100 fine, which increases for multiple offenses.

A MSU study from 2015 suggested 1,000 to 3,000 households will seek licenses.

Tate said urban agriculture can raise property values and improve homeownership rates in surrounding areas.

Keep Growing Detroit, a nonprofit farming resource organization, estimates there are 2,300 urban gardens and farms in the city.

KGD has trained 119 residents on how to keep chickens and estimates 200 residents are already keeping bees.

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What page are we on?

Today’s notebook covers the Nov. 12 formal session. Council Member Gabriela Santiago-Romero was absent.

There are two more formal sessions before the council ends its business for the year. Winter recess starts Nov. 27 and ends Feb. 8, 2025.

Dig into the agenda, read Detroit Documenter notes or watch the recording for more details.

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Council defines legislative agenda 

The City Council highlighted five priorities for its legislative agenda, which represent a consensus on the most pressing issues affecting Detroit.

Council members will work toward “strategic and unified strategies” to address each of the priorities, including affordable housing, water infrastructure, equitable development, tax assessments and public safety. 

Next year is the final opportunity for this current iteration of the City Council to work toward those issues.

City elections will be held next year to select seven representatives and two at-large members using new districts.

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New era starts at DPD 

Outgoing Detroit Police Chief James White was applauded by the City Council as he ended 28 years of service to lead a regional mental health network.

White’s final day with the city was Nov. 10. He starts a new role as CEO of the Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network on Nov. 18.

Council members described White as empathetic, responsive and thorough.

Council President Mary Sheffield said White brought “a human perspective to policing.” Council Member Coleman Young II said White “completely transformed how we view policing and the police department.”

“Man, you can’t leave,” Young joked. “Where are you going? I object, sir.”

White said he hopes to expand mental health services in his new position with DWIHN, building on existing partnerships with the police department.

Officers respond to 48 mental health emergencies each day, he said, which sometimes result in violence. Residents criticized White for the death of Porter Burks, who was fatally shot by police in 2022.

DPD received 1,202 more mental health calls than last year, a total of 13,982 so far. Those in need “don’t belong in a jail cell, they belong in a hospital,” White said. 

DWIHN board members unanimously approved a three-year contract with White setting his base salary at $300,000, plus additional performance bonuses and an $800 per month vehicle allowance.

The council confirmed him as chief in September 2021. They will be responsible for authorizing his replacement.

Todd Bettison, formerly the deputy mayor, was named interim chief. He expressed interest in seeking the position permanently.

Waters thanked White for helping her see the value of expanding license plate surveillance cameras.

Council Member Fred Durhal III credited White with reductions in violent crime, but the chief said he wasn’t satisfied with the decline.

The city recorded 252 homicides in 2023, the lowest number since 1966.

However, Detroit has much fewer residents since then. The per capita homicide rate is nearly three times higher and well above the state average.

“When you have a child that is shot and killed, it doesn’t give you the opportunity to celebrate,” White said. “This week already there have been children shot in our city and that can never be OK.”

The council also presented awards to Curtis Lewis, founder of the Black Male Educators Alliance, and Sati Smith, CEO of the Diversified Members Credit Union in Detroit.

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Outdoor dining regulations 

The council is considering a new ordinance regulating outdoor dining areas.

A public hearing will be set on changes proposed by Santiago-Romero establishing a permit system for “streateries.”

Santiago-Romero previously said there is a need to set processes for outdoor dining options that became essential during the COVID-19 pandemic and have remained popular since.

“A lot of our businesses wanted to go out to the sidewalks and the city has been working really hard to establish an ordinance that meets the needs of the city and business owners,” she said during an October committee meeting.

Street eateries are food and drink establishments set up on sidewalks, street parking spaces or parking lots by an existing business.

Businesses would need to obtain a permit from the Department of Public Works to operate in parking areas and reimburse the Municipal Parking Department for lost revenue from street parking meters.

The ordinance sets regulations for barriers and tents set up around eating areas.

A permit application period would be open from Jan. 1 to Feb. 28 of each year. Three types of permits would be established:

• An annual permit effective from April through March of the following year
• A fall/winter permit effective from November through March of the following year 
• A spring/summer permit effective from April through November 

Streateries must also maintain valid licenses with the state to serve food and liquor.

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Coleman Young Recreation Center improvements     

Coleman A. Young Recreational Center is expected to reopen in January next year after undergoing an $8 million renovation.

The City Council added $3.1 million to a contract with Gandol Inc. for major building improvements. The boosted funds pay for power upgrades needed for new HVAC and fire suppression systems.

Improvements are planned for the indoor pool, bathrooms, lighting, gymnasium, flooring, lockers, landscaping, parking lots, an elevator, the building’s facade and other architectural issues.