When she first saw her new neighbor, Susan Jones thought he was cute. That all changed one morning around 3:21 a.m. when her new neighbor began crowing nonstop.
Jones, who lives on Johns Avenue, said she visited with the rooster’s owner to politely ask them to keep their rooster quiet. But, roosters being roosters, the crowing has continued.
“They were very sweet,” Jones told the council. “But they want to keep the rooster.”
Jones said she does not want to see the rooster put down, but did ask the council to pass an ordinance prohibiting roosters from inside the city limits. She also asked the council to limit the number of chickens allowed on property inside the city limits, as well as establishing a minimum distance a chicken coop can be located next to another person’s property line.
“I’m trying to be a good neighbor,” she said. “I know I can’t be the only person who has a love-hate relationship with a rooster.”
City Manager Ed Brookshier cautioned the council against establishing new ordinances regulating chickens and roosters.
“This is the first time anyone has complained about roosters,” Brookshier said. He did say, however, that there is recourse for rooster complaints.
“There is a noise issue here that absolutely addresses this,” he said. “We are driven by nuisances – either noise or health.” Brookshier said crowing roosters are like barking dogs and that complaints can be filed with the Hermiston Police Department.
Police Chief Jason Edmiston told Jones to contact his office about the rooster complaint.
