PHILMONT -- Have the chickens come home to roost here?

At the Village Board meeting Monday, April 11, trustees heard a request from resident Chris Hoppe, who objects to a ruling by Code Enforcement Officer Stanley Koloski that the Village Code prohibits keeping chickens within the village.

The section of the code cited by Mr. Koloski reads: “No person shall keep, maintain or harbor within the Village of Philmont any cattle, swine, ducks, geese or bees” -- no mention at all of chickens, Mr. Hoppe told the board.

His letter to the board continues: “I concede that chickens kept for non-commercial purposes is not a specifically listed use. By this argument, though, cats, dogs, hamsters and goldfish kept for non-commercial purposes would be excluded.”

Mr. Hoppe asked not that the CEO's ruling be overturned, but that the Village Code be amended to read, “Chicken hens kept for non-commercial purposes are considered pets under the zoning code and are permitted in all zones. The chicken area must be kept clean and shall not create a nuisance.”

Mr. Hoppe said, “This is similar to the New York City chicken rules. If the New York City style chicken rules are not wordy enough, I have prepared an Option 2.”

Option 2 is a classic of legal language too lengthy to quote here. Neither it nor Mr. Hoppe's simpler proposal would allow roosters, so villagers would not be awakened by lust crowing at the crack of dawn.

The board did not take immediate action on the request.

Also at the April meeting, the board:

*Adopted a tax rate for the coming year that edges up 1%, to $10.12 per $1,000 assessed value. Total tax levy is $536,300

*Appointed members of the Philmont Fire Company: Joseph Daniels and Ryan O'Dowd, Philmont, and Emily Paulsen, Hillsdale. All three begin the 87-hour Firefighter I class this month. Joseph is limited to exterior operations until he reaches age 18

*Approved officers elected by the fire company: President John Blaauw, Vice President Mathew Oakley, Secretary Brian Wheeler, Treasurer Robert Card, Vice Treasurer Martin Miller, Trustee Tanya Oakley; and line officers, Chief Vernon Higgins, First Assistant Chief Mark Beaumont, Second Assistant Chief Max Dannis, Captain Anthony Krein III, First Lieutenant Jeremy Krein and Second Lieutenant Frank Langdon

*Heard from Community Day planner Dick Howard that Mr. Dannis has contributed $2,000 toward the cost of fireworks for this year's event, July 9.

Mr. Howard said planners will meet Monday, May 2 at 7 p.m. at the Village Hall, and every other Monday thereafter until the end of June. Volunteers, vendors and exhibitors are always welcome

*Accepted the $13,157 quote -- lowest of three -- from S&F of Greenport for surveillance cameras and related equipment.