Page 3 Foothills Sentry AUGUST 2025 Learn more at eocwd.com Learn more at eocwd.com/landscape Family. Friends. Community. We’re all in this together. State Farm, Bloomington, IL 1801073 Ron Esparza, Agent Insurance Lic#: 0C79663 827 S. Tustin Ave Orange, CA 92866 Bus: 714-505-3400 ron@ronesparza.com Back to school. Shop Orange! dan@DanSlater.com 714-744-2219 1537 E. Chapman Ave. Orange, CA 92866 DAN SLATER Orange Councilman Denis Bilodeau with backyard chickens Sage, Sorrel, Parsley and Thyme. Chickens come home to roost By Tina Richards “ Y ou have me t o t hank or bl ame f or t hi s , Orange Counc i l man D eni s B i l od eau advi s ed t he audi enc e at t he J une 24 c i t y c ounc i l meet i ng, “ I br ought t hi s f or w ard.” B i l ode au w as ref erri ng t o amendm ent s t o a c i t y ordi nanc e regul at i ng c hi c k ens and c hi c ke n c oops ow ned b y Orange res i - de nt s . T he or di nanc e previ ous l y l i mi t ed t he num be r of c hi c ke ns per household to five and required c oops t o be l oc at ed at l eas t 20 f eet f rom propert y l i nes . U nde r t he revi s ed c ode , t he number of permi t t ed c hi c ke ns i s s i x and c oops pos i t i one d at l eas t 20 f eet f rom a nei ghbor i ng dw el l i ng. “ Chi c ke ns are s oc i al c reat ur es ,” B i l o de au s ays , “ and t hey tend to pair off.” When you have an une ven num be r of t hem, t he odd f ow l w i l l get pi c ked on, he expl ai ns , i t ’ s t he pec ki ng or de r. F ur t her, he not ed, res i de nt s w i t h odd s i zed l ot s c oul d not have poul t ry bec aus e t hey c oul dn’ t meet t he 20 f eet f rom a property line requirement. Changing the buffer zone to 20 feet from a nei ghbor ’ s hous e al l ow s mor e l eeway i n t he pl ac ement of a c oop. T hi s c i t y ’ s rat i ona l e f or t he c hange s ounds a l i t t l e mor e bureauc rat i c . “T he c i t y’ s c ur rent c hi c ke n ke epi ng regul at i ons w ere es t abl i s hed t o bal anc e ur ba n agri - c ul t ur e w i t h res i de nt i al l and us e,” the staff report on the amended or di nanc e advi s ed. “B as ed on staff interaction during Code Enf or c ement i nves t i gat i ons and w hat has be c om e an es t abl i s hed popul ar ani mal - ke epi ng prac t i c e i n t ypi c al s i ngl e- f ami l y nei ghbor - hoods , t here i s a need t o ref res h city standards to reflect “real w or l d” c ondi t i on s t hat have prov - en t o f unc t i on i n an ac c ept abl e manner. T hi s i nc l ude s i nc reas i ng t he al l o w abl e num be r of c hi c ke ns and adj us t i ng prope rt y l i ne ba s ed s et ba c ks . T he propos ed amendment s w oul d al i gn w i t h regi ona l t rends and i mprove prac t i c al i t y f or res i de nt s .” City staff reviewed backyard c hi c ke n regul at i ons i n s ur roundi ng j ur i s di c t i ons and f ound t hat s i x or morec hi c ke ns i s not unreas ona bl e w hen empl oyi ng mor e flexible setback requirements. Addi t i ona l l y , havi ng s i x c hi c ke ns provi de s res i de nt s w i t h a mor e rel i abl e s uppl y of eggs . The 20-foot buffer between c hi c ke n hous i ng and nei ghbor i ng dwellings, staff noted, provides greater flexibility for residents w hi l e mai nt ai ni ng appropri at e s af egua rds t o mi ni mi ze noi s e, odor and pe s t c onc erns . T he revi s ed ordi nanc e al s o del et ed an exi s t i ng c od e s ec t i on t hat l i mi t ed t he c om bi ned num be r of dogs , c at s and s mal l ani mal s per household to five. With that omiss i on, hous ehol ds w i t h dogs and c at s may have t he s ame num be r of c hi c ke ns as hous ehol ds w i t hout dogs and c at s . T he c i t y c ounc i l approved t he or di nanc e by una ni mous vot e. "OUSD" conti nu ed f rom page 1 s t rengt hs and opport uni t i es f or i mprove ment ,” s he s ays . “ I w ant t o gi ve peopl e s pac e t o t al k about w hat ’ s not w or ki ng and t o bui l d confidence in the district.” S he pl ans t o vi s i t every s c hool c ampus and s pend t i me at eac h one by t he end of t he ye ar. “ As ki ng c hi l dr en w hat t hey t hi nk i s f as c i nat i ng,” s he not es . M oná rrez al s o i nt ends t o hos t f ami l y f or um s t hroughout t he di s t ri c t s t art i ng i n S ept ember. H er goa l i s t o get t o know OUSD families and find out w hat w or ks f or t hem. Connecting with constituents S he i s part i c ul arl y i nt eres t ed i n meet i ng w i t h c ons t i t ue nt s w ho di s agree w i t h OU S D pol i c i es or t he w ay i t handl es c ont rove rs y . “ I may not be ab l e t o c hange anyt hi ng,” s he s ugge s t s “ but I w i l l l i s t en t o t hem and make s ur e t hey know I am l i s t eni ng.” “ Educ at i on i s about peopl e,” s he s t res s es , “ and t he w or k i s al - w ays about c hi l dr en. B i g peopl e s erve t he l i t t l e peopl e. T he prom - i s e i s t hat every c hi l d wi l l get w hat t hey need. And t hat prom - i s e i s s om et hi ng you are al w ays w or ki ng t ow ard. I ’ m goi ng t o be everyw here, out w here i t ’ s happeni ng. Y ou c an’ t c ol l abor at e w i t h peopl e be hi nd a c om put er s c reen.” The stakes are high I n a rec ent c onve rs at i on wi t h t he new s upe ri nt ende nt , s he s hared her t hought s on s everal i s s ue s of i mpor t t o OU S D i n part i c ul ar and publ i c s c hool s i n general . On school consolidation: D ec l i ni ng enrol l ment has be en happeni ng al l ove r t he s t at e f or t he past 10 years. We have to take a proa c t i ve approa c h t o what ’ s i n t he be s t i nt eres t of s t ude nt s . S mal l s c hool s c an be good; t hey are f ami l y f ri endl y. B ut t hey can’t offer the range of programs t hat s c hool s w i t h l arger popul ations can. We want to offer more progr ams i n mi ddl e s c hool s , f or exa mpl e, t hat c apt ur e t hei r i nt eres t s and bet t er prepare t hem f or c areers and hi gher educ at i on. I ‘ ve l i s t ened t o t he s t udy s es s i on on school consolidation. We are i n t he i nves t i gat i ve phas e ri ght now . I n res pons e t o t he c om muni t y and B oa rd’ s f eedba c k OU S D w i l l rec onve ne t he c ons ol i da t i on s t udy c om mi t t ee f or f ur t her di s - c us s i on, i nc l udi ng a revi s i on of t he i ni t i al t i mel i ne. I t ’ s a great oppor t uni t y t o ret hi nk ul t i mat el y w hat ’ s be s t f or c hi l dr en. Public education: P ubl i c educ at i on i s t he c or ners t one of de - moc rac y; publ i c s c hool s are hubs for every child. We love them all. B ut parent s s end t hei r c hi l dr en t o c hart er s c hool s f or a reas on; t hey want w hat ’ s be s t f or t hem. We need to learn from charter s c hool s , unde rs t and w hat t hey are doi ng and t hen do i t be t t er. Immigration enforcement: Our res pons i bi l i t y i n publ i c educ at i on i s t o ke ep c hi l dr en s af e, bot h phys i c al l y and ps yc hol og i - cally. We must follow the law, but w edo not as k about s t at us . I t doe s not mat t er. OU S D mus t al - w ays be a s af e pl ac e f or s t ude nt s . We are looking at ways to support c hi l dr en w ho may have be en s eparat ed f rom t hei r parent s , or f ear that they will be. We’re looking at mor e c om mu ni t y engagement . Staff knows what to do in the f ac e of hei ght ened enf or c ement . Above al l , w e mus t prot ec t t he c hi l dr en. Artificial intelligence: F ut ur eready l earni ng i nc l ude s AI . I t c an be us ed t o f ree up l ow - l evel t hi nki ng, but AI c an’ t be a problem solver. We will always need the human element. We have to t eac h s t ude nt s how t o us e AI f or t he ri ght reas ons . I f w edo not hi ng, i t w i l l be us ed t hew rong w ay . In summary: “ T he pat h t o s uc - c es s i s not a s t rai ght l i ne,” M oná rrez says. It’s a squiggly line full of f al s e s t art s , de ade nds and t ri al and e rror .
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