Boise City Planning and Zoning Hearing February 6th!

PLEASE READ – VERY IMPORTANT TO ALL BEEKEEPERS!

Good morning,

 

As President and Chief Drone of the Treasure Valley Beekeepers Club I want to tell you about a very important meeting that I would like EVERYONE IN THE CLUB to attend on Monday, February 6th, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.  If you have a Bee Club Hat, please wear it!  If anyone would like to buy one for the hearing let me know and I can bring some to the hearing.  Please arrive early as parking around the Capital may be tricky?  This meeting is with regard to changing the current Boise City Ordinance regarding bee keeping with the city limits.  This revision will benefit each and every one of us, especially those beekeepers within the Boise City Limits. Many of us, outside the Boise City Limits, may be getting annexed soon or other cities within Ada County may use this ordinance for a template in making their own ordinances, so please attend this meeting and make your voice heard!  Steve Sweet, Kevin Duesman, I and others have been working with Cody Riddle, the current Manager of Boise City Planning and Development Services, to get the existing ordinance amended to more clearly state what the City of Boise would allow for urban bee keeping.  The main changes as set forth in the proposed ordinance are: 

-Removed the 12 colony maximum.

-Defined and created an allowance for nucleus colonies.

-Created an allowance for beekeeping on vacant properties.

-Simplified existing ordinance language.

-Removal of the $55.00 application fee to put a hive on your property.

 
Since many of us collect swarms and/or divide colonies in the spring and summer we have the need to use nuc boxes.  Currently, they are not defined and possibly not allowed in your bee yard within the Boise City Limits. Another big item is getting the $55.00 application fee removed! 

It is extremely important that our club not only support this proposed ordinance as it has been amended, but also show your support by attending the Boise City Council hearing and speaking to the City Council members at the hearing. If you don’t want to speak, that’s ok, but come anyway as your presence also shows support!  If you have kids that are beekeepers, bring them along and those of us speaking can let the council know that this is a family hobby as well.  Steve, Kevin and I have already been told that there is a neighborhood association and others that want to defeat the proposed ordinance.  They will be at the hearing also.  If you would like to address the City Council at the hearing please let me know right away so we can coordinate our efforts.  Also, if you have a neighbor or neighbors that do not keep bees that would like to speak in support of beekeeping, we would love to have them join us that evening!  Each of us will only have 3 minutes to speak, so make sure you have your comments clear and concise.  The meeting will take place in the State Capitol (directions will be sent to you a week before the hearing) since the Boise City Councils regular meeting place is currently under renovation.

I will also e-mail the current ordinance to you (one week prior to the meeting) for your review as well as the proposed ordinance.  Once you get the proposed ordinance you should go to section 11-09-11.02.   

Sincerely,

Jeff Bergland
Chief Drone
Treasure Valley Beekeepers Club