According to the article, it appears that people will contact the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center and have their yards inspected and their pens evaluated before they get their "chicken permit":
“When somebody applies, they’ve got to have a good idea of what they need to do,” (Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center director, Misha) Goodman said. “When they apply, we’re going to say, ‘What’s your plan?’”Goodman tells prospective urban chicken farmers that people should research the requirements of particular breeds and ages of chickens that they might raise -- particularly so that they are prepared to successfully make it through a (normal) Iowa winter. She also reminds people that hens will "highly reduce" the amount of eggs that they lay after three years.
The proposed chicken ordinance outlines specifications on where the coop and pen may be located and requirements on cleaning up after the chickens and collecting eggs. Goodman said the pen can take up the entire yard as long as proper measures are taken to keep the birds from getting out and predators from getting in. Applicants will be subject to a visit from animal services to make sure their setup makes the grade.
“Let’s say we go out and in their yard they have a tree — like in my yard — a conifer with a bunch of lower limbs right next to the fence,” Goodman said. “We’re going to say, ‘You need to figure out a way to keep the chickens away from this tree.’ We’re going to be doing a lot of that in the inspections.”
As for the coop, Goodman said the permit doesn’t outline how the shelter has to be built, but there are some requirements. The coop has to be draft-free but ventilated, have a floor off the ground and be set up to protect the birds from predators. The coops can be handmade or kits can be purchased online.
