LIVERMORE FALLS — A public hearing during the selectmen meeting on Tuesday evening, April 1, drew a standing room only crowd of residents, most of whom opposed the Livermore Falls Animal Control and Dog Control Ordinance.

Voters will accept or reject the ordinance during the annual town meeting referendum on April 29. Voting returns to the Livermore Falls Town Office this year with polls open from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

The proposed ordinance includes new regulations on farm animals raised for food. In September selectmen agreed to have the ordinance reviewed by the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry before sending it to voters for adoption. In May, they tasked the Planning Board with possibly developing an ordinance governing livestock in the village area after numerous complaints were received – six of them about goats.

Specifics

Residents of single-family homes, not apartments on lots less than 1 acre will be allowed to keep a small number of domesticated farm animals, according to the ordinance. Maine Department of Agriculture guidelines for best management practices will be followed to reduce or eliminate a variety of problems, it notes.

Proposed rules include:

• A single-family residence must have a minimum lot of two acres for keeping domesticated animals such as cows, horses, donkeys, mules, llamas and alpacas.

• A lot with a single-family home with a minimum of 40,000 square feet of open space can have no more than two domesticated small farm animals that typically weigh less than 100 pounds, such as swine, potbellied pigs, sheep and goats.

• A resident or property owner can keep up to six hens – no roosters – or six rabbits on any lot with a minimum of 10,000 square feet of open space; they can keep any number of rabbits, chickens or other fowl on a lot with a minimum of 40,000 square feet of open space.

• Lots with more than 10,000 square feet and less than 40,000 square feet of open space can have, in addition to six hens or six rabbits, a maximum of four ducks, geese, turkeys, guinea fowl, quail, pigeons or pheasants.

Requirements are given for housing structures, coops and fences for animals and poultry. Rules for setbacks, noise, lighting, excessive odors and manure are also included.

Opposition

Kaleigh Stanley said she lives in the village area, has goats and chickens, other things. Her family uses the goat milk and eggs, she gives away eggs. “I do share my products with the community,” she stated. “I’m also a homeschool mom, and I use it as part of my curriculum with my son. We’ve had animals in this town for more than three years. We’ve never had any complaints. I’ve asked all my neighbors at both locations that we own, and not one time have we had anyone have any issues. In fact, when I moved my animals to a different location, we were asked where they went.”

Stanley opposes the animal ordinance. “I also have some concerns because this goes against the Maine state law,” she noted. “There’s already laws in place for this that are not as strict and these are extremely, extremely strict.”

She has been told the ordinance will only take effect when a complaint has been made. “That just seems like a very slippery slope,” she said. “It pits neighbors against each other and everyone has to live in fear about when someone’s going to complain and when their animals are going to get taken away. And I just don’t see the point of that.”

Stanley read a statement from Rebecca Mayo, another goat owner who couldn’t attend the meeting. Mayo has sheep, goats, ducks and geese. She uses wool, milk and eggs from them plus sometimes meat from her poultry. “My animals are more than that, they are my family,” she wrote. “They have truly helped my mental health in a way no medication or human ever could.”

Mayo asked everyone to consider not taking away neighbors’ rights to provide food for themselves.

“I’m probably the biggest problem in town as far as it goes with goats,” Scott Smith noted. “I have way too many goats on my property. This is something I started working on last year, letting some of them go.”

He noted people should be able to provide their own food. He said his whole family is lactose intolerant, drinks goat milk which saves him money. He didn’t think the number of animals should be limited.

Joshua Dick asked if hunters would no longer be able to butcher deer based on the ordinance rules. He felt there was overreach, recommended not passing it, then revisiting it to get something sensible passed later.

Enclosure and structure rules and banning of roosters and outdoor meat processing were other concerns raised.

The ordinance won’t allow farming, it’s not fair to those who want to, one woman said.

One lady said the ordinance is in opposition to the state’s food sovereignty law. People like raising their own food, taking care of their family’s needs, she noted. To restrict one’s ability to do so is very challenging, she stated.

In 2017 several towns adopted food sovereignty ordinances, in 2021 Maine amended the constitution to include it, another lady noted. “This goes against it,” she stated.

Stanley said as originally proposed the ordinance was for the village area, now it’s for the whole town and some people may think it’s just for the village area.

It was changed to be based on lot size, Chair William Kenniston answered.

Support

Smith’s neighbor said she has complained, talked with him about his goats, has tried to be nice. She spoke of the stench, that she has to keep windows closed because of it. She is for the ordinance, other elderly people in town have told her they feel the same. She said, “Something has got to be done.”

Arin Quintel was glad people were speaking up. She attended all Planning Board meetings, said right to farm was considered, members did the best they could. “This ordinance isn’t the greatest thing,” she said. “Maybe we could have heard from all of you and done better, or tweaked some things. Unfortunately there are people who need boundaries on them, they don’t listen. What they’re doing is impeding upon another person’s rights.”

She said she would not say how she planned to vote.

Next steps

People need to get involved, attend meetings, Kenniston stressed. When asked, he said selectmen meet the first and third Tuesday, Planning Board the third Wednesday, all at 6:30 p.m. If the ordinance gets voted down, he would like people to attend Planning Board meetings to discuss it. “We need to figure out something,” he said.

Tim Schwab said it was the responsibility of everyone to talk to neighbors, convince them which way to vote. “Spread the word,” he stressed.

“When you leave here talk to each other, make a plan,” Kenniston stressed. “Don’t wait until tomorrow. Now is the best time.”

With no questions or comments regarding the Solar Energy Systems Ordinance, he closed the hearing.

The Planning Board worked on the Animal/Dog ordinance for over 10 months. Members had access to all of the many various animal and bird complaints that the town office, animal control, police and CEO had received over the last year. They had also reviewed the surveys that were done by the Comprehensive Plan Committee that included more information about the public’s concern that:

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