And a child shall lead them: 9-year-old girls urge Mansfield lawmakers to allow backyard chickens

MANSFIELD — Anneliese Cunning and Presley Newman ended their request to Mansfield City Council on Tuesday in a most unusual way.

Then again, they are 9-year-old girls who love the idea of raising backyard chickens.

“Thank you for listening to us and please, please, please, with cherries on top, vote for hen keeping,” the two children together implored local lawmakers during the public participation portion of the meeting.

No vote on the proposal to allow such hen-raising operations was scheduled or taken Tuesday. It was simply the beginning of discussions on legislation that would allow backyard chicken coops in the city.

A different version of a similar proposal was rejected in 2017 by an entirely different group of lawmakers after several meetings with residents.

The current bill is scheduled for a first reading on Dec. 2 and a final vote on Dec. 16, a change being sought by a citizens’ group called the Friends for Mansfield Backyard Chickens. The group has circulated a petition in favor of the proposal during 2025.

(Below is a PDF showing the proposed five-page, backyard chicken ordinance Mansfield City Council began discussing on Tuesday evening.)

Council hears public voices for and against the plan

Kelsey Cunning of 993 West Cook Road presented the petitions to council, saying they obtained 561 signatures with 77 percent of them coming from city residents. She told lawmakers allowing such backyard operations is not a new idea and said many cities have allowed it for years.

“There are many reasons to consider hen keeping in Mansfield. However, two things you should consider today are building community and fighting food insecurity.

“The United States has a loneliness epidemic and backyard hens help build community. Building community is already a top priority of Mansfield as we invest in our parks and in our downtown.

“People connect with community when they want to learn how to keep animals, understand the work required or to address a problem with their chickens. Research shows that the more interwoven people are in their communities, the less petty crime there is,” Cunning said.

She said backyard hens are a way to help combat the city’s struggles with food insecurity.

“People can grow their own food and it decentralizes food sources. Neighbors can share an overabundance of eggs. When commercial food systems are disrupted, such as during the height of COVID-19 or the most recent government shutdown, it reminds us of how fragile our food systems are for the most vulnerable in our community,” Cunning told lawmakers.

Greg Mead of 350 Park Ave. West also spoke in favor of the proposal. He told lawmakers he raised chickens while living in Lancaster and was “dismayed” when he moved to Mansfield in 2018 and found it was not allowed.

“I can tell you that a small, regulated flock is a positive asset to a neighborhood and to neighboring,” he said.

Mead said a backyard chicken coop is not a money-saving venture, given the costs involved in setting up a coop and the feeding and caring for the hens.

“The folks that rely on having cost savings are typically your neighbors when you have way too many eggs,” he said.

“Typically with six hens, you’re going to get at least five eggs a day when they’re mature. Nobody typically can eat five eggs a day, so you share them with your friends and your relatives and your neighbors,” Mead said.

“It’s time to allow Mansfield residents to join other progressive Ohio cities and allow the residents to make positive choices to help promote local food security, health, and support sustainability and to reduce household food waste,” Mead said.

Two residents spoke against the proposal, saying the city cannot afford to take on greater licensing and regulation requirements with current resources.

Add Swoope of 87 Westgate Drive asked how the city would police the operations.

“The reason I say that is because there’s other issues in this city that have not been addressed. Leaves being put into the street. Grass being blown into the street. People having two or three cars parked in their driveway that haven’t been running for years. Trash everywhere and nothing has been done about it,” Swooper said.

“Every time I call codes and permits, they send somebody out a day or two later, but nothing happens. That’s my concern with the chickens,” he said.

Tammy McQuillen of 1680 Executive Court echoed some of Swoope’s thoughts and then offered a compromise.

“Mansfield can’t even enforce the current regulations that we have on cleaning up after dogs, keeping them on leash or confined, and giving them proper care and training,” McQuillen said. “Both the Richland County Humane Society and the Richland County Dog Pound are at overcapacity with abandoned and neglected dogs.

“Mansfield also has a big problem with illegal dumping. The disposal of chicken waste in residential areas will exasperate this problem if it’s not handled correctly.

“If food insecurity is a concern, residents can learn to hunt and fish. My family used to have large fish fries with fish taken from local lakes and Lake Erie. When the perch are running up in Lake Erie, all you have to do is fish from the dock and you bring them in two at a time,” she said.

McQuillen suggested allowing small community chicken coops in some city parks or the existing urban farms, like the one operated by the North End Community Improvement Collaborative that could be more closely monitored.

“Why not try that first, see how that goes?” she asked, urging lawmakers to reject the backyard chicken plan.

Youngsters offer most impassioned voices

Still, the two aforementioned children offered their own unique perspectives while speaking to council.

“I would like chickens because it will be a great learning experience. I would also like chickens because its eggs will help me learn how to cook eggs better,” Anneliese Cunning said. “And did you know that eggs are very healthy for you?

“Most people are afraid about getting chickens because they are worried the chickens will be too loud. But when you have only hens, it’s not very loud.

“My absolute reason is because they’re so cute!” she said.

Newman told lawmakers taking care of chickens teaches children responsibility, “because they depend on you each and every day.”

“You have to feed them, give them fresh water, collect their eggs and make sure their poop is clean and safe. When you do all that, you learn how to follow a routine and take care of a living thing,” Newman said.

“Having chickens also helps build self-worth. It feels really good to know that your hard work keeps them healthy and happy. When you see their eggs, they let you know that you helped make that happen and that makes you feel proud of what you can do,” she said.

According to the existing law in Mansfield, chickens are allowed only on properties that are three acres or larger.

Here are the highlights of the proposal:

Here are the highlights of the new Mansfield ordinance as currently proposed:

— Hen keeping shall be permitted on any lot developed with a one-family or two family dwelling. Hen keeping shall be prohibited on lots containing multi-family dwellings, mixed-use structures, or commercial/industrial uses. No roosters are allowed.

— No hens shall be kept without prior registration with the city’s Permitting and Development Division.

— An initial application shall include the following:

A. Owner and property information;
B. Number of hens (not to exceed six (6) per property);
C. Site plan showing coop and run location meeting the setback requirements of Chapter
1175.02 Accessory Buildings and Uses of the Mansfield Codified Ordinances;
D. Proof of successful completion of the Ohio State University Backyard Poultry Course or
equivalent program approved by the City;
E. Payment of a one-time initial registration fee of $100.
F. Rental properties require expressed written consent by the owner or authorized agent;
G. Any additional reasonable information needed to establish the ability and intent to conform to this code.

No City Council members speak against the idea

No lawmakers spoke against the proposal.

First Ward Councilwoman Laura Burns praised the city administration and the citizens’ group for working together on the proposal.

“One of the things that we’ve talked about a lot in the last two years is the integration of the community into the efforts that we make here at City Hall. This has been an excellent example of that, the way that this discussion was handled, and the thoughtfulness that went into the preparation of this legislation is much appreciated,” Burns said.

She pointed to parts of the legislation that prohibit roosters, limit hens to six and the requirements residents will need to meet before launching a backyard chicken coop.

” This a very thoughtfully laid out piece of legislation,” Burns said.

Fifth Ward Councilman Aurelio Diaz also spoke in favor of the proposal.

“I didn’t really pay attention to local government (in 2017) and never came to City Council meetings (at the time), but I remember that I came out here and that was at the peak of ‘Chicken Gate.’

“I remember saying, ‘What is going on here?’ I remember you had folks who were so opposed to it with good points and you had the people who were for it who had some very colorful antics,” Diaz said.

Like Burns, he praised the combined effort of residents and the city administration.

“You did your homework, I think, learned from the mistakes of the folks who pursued it last time, but most importantly, you educated a lot of us and, and I really love seeing the community able to meet with the mayor and our administration and have these open conversations,” Diaz said.

Perry said she entered office in January 2024 as “chicken neutral,” but said she appreciated working with the hen advocacy group.

The mayor said the city’s Permitting & Development Office would be able to handle the work presented by the new chicken plan.

“Our codes department is very busy. We did just make a recent change. We (still) have two inspectors, but we have now promoted someone to be a code enforcement supervisor. I have full faith we can keep up with this,” the mayor said.

“I don’t feel particularly one way or the other, but I feel confident in the legislation that we brought forward that it will provide the protections that’s needed for property owners while allowing people some flexibility to save money for their family and and help raise another animal,” Perry said.

(Watch the Tuesday night Mansfield City Council meeting below. The meeting begins at the 7:39 mark with a public hearing on a requested parcel rezoning issue.)