St. Charles City Council Says No to Juliani Pigs in City

Kerrie Meyer's initial efforts to make it legal for her to keep her pet pig Pepper in St. Charles failed tonight.

Still, Meyers said she's glad she was honest about having a pig in the city.

"We’ve fought a clean fight, we’re happy about that," she said.

failed to approve a bill that would have allowed residents to keep Juliani pigs weighing less than 50 pounds as pets.

Residents would have had to obtain a conditional use permit from the city to keep the pet pig under the proposed bill. Conditional use permits allow city council members to set certain rules or requirements.

Meyers approached councilman Tom Besselman, Ward 2, seeking a change in the law after she learned Pepper was illegal.

Besselman was the only council member to vote in favor of the bill.

Voting against the proposal were council members Mary Ann Ohms, Ward 1, Laurie Feldman, Ward 3, Bob Kneemiller, Ward 4, Jerry Reese, Ward 6, Mike Klinghammer, Ward 8, Ron Stivison, Ward 9, Bridget Ohmes, Ward 10. Council members Dave Beckering, Ward 7, and Michael Weller, Ward 5, were absent.

Reese said he voted against he bill because the council already addressed the issue two years ago. Another family which owned a pot-bellied pig sought a change in the law.

"We let one in, we've got to let them all in," he said. "It's a farm animal, even the little ones."

Ohms, who was elected to the council in April, said she thinks that if the proposed bill was to allow pigs on larger lots, like half-acre or 3/4 acre lots, she'd be more inclined to consider a change. She said having pigs as pets be a conditional use means people would have to appear before the council many times.

Meyers said the family plans to have Pepper live with different family members throughout the course of the week to comply with the law.
City ordinances define an owner as:

"Any person who owns, harbors, shelters, keeps, controls, manages, possesses or has part interest in any dog, cat, animal, cattery or kennel in the city.

The occupant of any premises on which a dog or cat remains for a period of seven days, or to which it customarily returns for a period of seven days is presumed to be harboring, sheltering or keeping the aforementioned dog or cat within this definition.

Under no circumstances are the normal and ordinary accepted definitions of the term “harboring, sheltering or keeping” to be limited to the words of the aforementioned presumption."

Meyers said Pepper has spent at least one day a week at her brother-in-law's house in unincorporated St. Charles County for the past year.

Meyers told the council before the vote that she doesn't think pigs are a problem in the city--irresponsible pet owners are a problem.

St. Charles Police Chief Dennis Corley said if people own a pig and keep them at their house, they are violating the ordinance. He said the Meyers would have a period of time to find a new home for their pig.

Victoria Meyers, 8, spoke before the council and asked them to allow her to keep her pet.

"No matter what happens, I'll love him forever," she said.