This is an extremely long and informative post for those
who have been following our chicken saga.
I had said I would be going to the next county land use meeting
on the second Tuesday of August
to formally request that the committee leaders pursue lowering the cost of the chicken permit fee
and reclassify it as a recreational fee instead of a special use permit
(which costs approximately $1000).
Throughout this whole process,
even when I was totally disgusted at the neighbor and the county over this issue,
I was still pretty confident we could get our hens back by October.
I was not afraid at all.
We have done nothing wrong.
I was absolutely certain St. Joseph, patron saint of the home, had my back on this one;
he would watch over what was going on and help us through it.
Little did I know...
The meeting would not go well.
Not only do they refuse to lower the fee,
some county workers immediately recommended upping it.
Their argument is that our unincoporated county's 'special use fee'
is progressive compared to other counties,
who charge twice as much.
The caveat is that nearby municipalities charge nothing at all
BECAUSE IT ISN'T CLASSIFIED AS 'SPECIAL USE.'
I guess having chickens is on par with strip clubs because if I was opening one
of those, I would have to go through the same process of mailings,
a sign in my yard, and two court hearings.
One worker in particular, stated that he would demand
(after chicken fees were paid in full and permitted),
a coop with a minimum $50 building permit fee - depending on the type of structure-
and that it would have to have an approved 90 mph wind-resistant roof.
Now,
please tell me,
how many of you have a 90 mph wind-resistant roof
on your own residence?
(I do not. Mine is like 60. Not the top of the line,
but good enough for us right now).
That's the wind power that causes severe damage when trees come down.
Only Tom Weigel, the Land Use Chairman, was of any help-
with his farming experience at hand, he asked them to all lower it to fifty bucks.
The rest of the hungry committee pounced on him and railroaded it,
and, since Tom seems to be a soft-spoken guy,
I can read the writing on the wall. They WON'T lower it.
It just isn't going to happen for us.
If even one person comes to protest at a hearing,
we could be denied and not get our money refunded.
I did get to speak, though they didn't want me to.
I reminded them that they (the county) got the federal grant for $100,000
to pass new zoning regulations (that included many updates like wind turbines,
but also included chickens)
to advertise Will County as sustainable to developers, but now they won't let
working families in semi-rural areas partake in it without bending over for their 'new rules.'
Instead, they got a $100,000 grant so they can make money hand over fist
as people come to apply for a chicken permit (or hopefully they will 'just go away'
for them because of all the trouble it involves).
One county official had the nerve to tell us that he
{spends too much time dealing with chicken matters on the phone and doing research.}
It was great to remind him in person that he is a government worker
who works for the people
on their dollar
and that he shouldn't be complaining to county residents that he's "spending too much time" on
issues we care about, especially since many residents are unemployed and would
be happy to have a posh job at the county.
They all smirked and wrote notes for each other as I spoke,
because that's what your government workers do, folks.
I feel like I'm in Communist Poland and they're trying to make me pay
for a high tech roof with architectural shingles
on a coop for a chicken, and wait I have to let them come and count our 4 hens.
WHY DON'T I JUST MOVE TO CHICAGO
WHERE IT'S FLIPPIN' UNLIMITED.
But THANK YOU TOM WEIGEL, for reminding them they are
on salary, not hourly commission,
and that they get paid no matter what work they get done (or not).
And I don't mind saying these things because it's all public record
and videotaped for youtube anyway.
Well, I for one will be at the election box in November to make some checks
on who is running for re-election to county board.
And I cannot express to you
how sick I have been over all of this...
I know people have far worse problems in life
so I'm trying not to be so sad because then I make myself feel guilty that I have no right
to be unhappy or feel beaten by injustice.
I have a hard time contolling my bitterness over it and sometimes that's the worst part.
We are very lucky to all be healthy.
No matter what happens we will be okay, I just have to be willing to hand this over.
I have to trust in God that this is all going to work out in the end...somehow.
But it has hurt us very deeply...
to the point where hard lines are drawn in the sand.
SO, we have made the decision
to save the money we would use to fight this and
instead use it as a down payment on another home, zoned agricultural.
Chickens will stay at Grandma's, for now (or indefinitely).
And enter St. Joseph again, although not as I originally intended
(now for help and guidance in moving).
We have already completed a market appraisal.
It may take a year. Or five.
We have the upcoming winter to begin to prepare for what may come.
