YOUNGSTOWN — A city council committee is considering proposals to crack down on the ownership of chickens and require tire disposal businesses to be registered.

Council’s zoning committee first met Monday on the chicken issue and, after a recess, had a working session on tire disposal registration.

“There’s been lots and lots of complaints within my ward specifically and driving through the city we see lots of free-range chickens kind of going everywhere throughout the streets,” said Councilman Amber White, I-7th Ward.

While there are provisions in the city’s redevelopment code that ban roosters, limit the number of chickens to eight per household, and require approval from the city board of health and permission from the zoning department for a conditional use permit, city administration officials acknowledge most people don’t follow the code.

It’s also rare to prosecute people for violating the code, said Michael Durkin, the city’s code enforcement and blight remediation superintendent.

The city health district has a list of recommendations for those who want to keep chickens, including not permitting chickens to roam free, and having enclosures that can be easily cleaned and are ventilated. The enclosures must be at the rear of the dwelling, and chicken manure must be properly stored and removed.

Jason Small, a senior assistant city law director, suggested Monday that city council take the recommendations and create an ordinance to control the chicken issue.

Durkin said he didn’t know how many chicken permits have been granted, nor how many with permits still have chickens.

“We may need some more strict guidelines,” said Councilwoman Samantha Turner, D-3rd Ward, and zoning committee chairwoman.

The law department will draft legislation with penalties of up to $1,000 fines for violating the rules. Also, the number of permits will be determined and a review of what other similar cities are doing about chickens will be done, Turner said.

The committee again reviewed a proposal, first discussed in December, to go after the illegal dumping of tires by requiring a business licensing program for shops that take old tires to register.

The discussion will continue on what to do after Monday’s meeting.

Bob Burke, program coordinator for Green Youngstown, said most of the 80 or so tire shops in the city are out of compliance with state law for properly disposing of old tires.

By requiring businesses that take old tires to pay a registration fee and be inspected two times a year to make sure the tires are properly disposed of with one of the 33 state-approved businesses that take them, the problem will get much better, Burke said.

There’s a business on Glenwood Avenue, Burke said, that has about 2,000 old tires stored on its property. A conviction for not complying with the proposed registration could result in a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

“We have to act in the best interest of the community,” Turner said.