SEBASTIAN — Every morning, it’s the same thing – a neighbor’s rooster begins his “cock-a-doodle-dooing” and annoying Linda Sevenliss.
Sevenliss recently took her complaint to the Sebastian City Council, seeking relief and clarification on what animals can and cannot be kept in the city. “It’s not farm country anymore,” Sevenliss, a Sea Grape Avenue resident, told the council.
Her neighbor has a pot-bellied pig, three hens and a rooster, she said.
“How much is allowed?” Sevenliss asked.
City code allows for pot-bellied pigs, provided certain rules are followed, and a maximum of two fowl, though no roosters.
“We are still looking into this,” said City Manager Al Minner, late last week. “At this point, the first step is to ensure that the resident is following the code, as it relates to having pigs.”
Sevenliss told the city council that the summer’s heat and breezes are wafting noxious odors into her yard, making it difficult for her to enjoy her own property.
“This is a real issue,” Councilman Eugene Wolff said, “a quality of life issue.”
Minner told the council that the city could review its codes related to farm animals within the city. In the meantime, however, he said he felt the city’s staff could work with the neighbor under the present set of codes.
