Council approves backyard‑chicken and food‑truck rule changes; technical code update read as housekeeping

Trenton’s council approved two ordinance changes on June 18: modifications to the farm‑animals chapter to expand permitted backyard chickens and an amendment to mobile food‑unit regulations that updates definitions and licensing reciprocity.

City staff described the farm‑animals change as allowing additional chickens in residential zones subject to conditions such as no roosters and minimum lot sizes in certain zoning categories. When asked, staff noted the minimum parcel size for backyard chickens in the applicable residential categories is 10,000 square feet and roosters remain prohibited.

The mobile food‑unit ordinance was updated to align local definitions with the Ohio Revised Code and to allow food vendors licensed by other counties to operate in Trenton under the city’s rules.

Separately, council read an ordinance (item five) that authorizes the city to adopt updated compendia of codified ordinances and component codes supplied by American Legal Publishing; staff described that measure as a routine housekeeping activity to keep the city’s online code current.

Votes: Both the farm‑animals and mobile‑food‑unit ordinances were approved on second reading by roll call votes with affirmative results recorded on the record.

What’s next: The updated provisions become part of the city code as adopted; staff will coordinate publication with American Legal Publishing and update the city website to reflect current ordinance language.