04-07-2014 Council Work Session Minutes

Home Search

CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION April 7, 2014 APPROVED 46 has a well but all three properties will be required to hook up to existing water and sewer 47 lines. A map was shown indicating the zoning of lots in the area as well as the location 48 of sewer and water services. The council discussed the lot width and depth. A small 49 wetland will be delineated and planning will proceed around completion of that work. 50 Ponding was discussed since there have been concerns raised by area residents and City 51 Engineer Wedel confirmed that he had walked the area and is confident that with proper 52 grading, the ponding will work. 53 54 Ms. Larsen explained the Planning and Zoning Board review over two of their meetings. 55 They have recommended approval. The mayor asked staff to provide a full review at the 56 council meeting because there will be interested parties in attendance. 57 58 A side question arose to Ms. Larsen. The council had heard in March that there would 59 be a speed limit sign posted on Old Birch Street at the request of the residents. 60 Apparently that is being held up because of a development project coming to the area and 61 work to the road this year. Staff explained why a sign wouldn't be appropriate under 62 current plans. 63 64 3. Bee Ordinance Discussion — City Planner Larsen reviewed her written staff 65 report that outlines the city's current regulations that allow bees only in rural areas and a 66 map indicating those areas zoned rural within the city. She noted that the University of 67 Minnesota has a website from which cities can get information on what other cities are 68 doing in this area; regulations are varied and there doesn't seem to be any real standard. 69 Staff is providing the information to allow the council to begin their discussion and is not 70 necessarily recommending any changes. 71 72 The council then heard from Blake Talley, 7181 Cinnamon Teal Court, who had a written 73 presentation Neighborhood Bees, Beekeeping in Lino Lakes, Good for Us and Good for 74 the Bees. He supports a change in the city's regulations on the keeping of bees. He gave 75 a defmition of the different types of bees, explained how ordinances differ from city to 76 city, and added that most cities have changed their laws to declassify bees as animals. In 77 cities around Lino Lakes, Circle Pines allows beekeeping on one -half acre or larger and 78 Centerville is one - quarter acre or larger. He reviewed the purpose that bees serve in our 79 environment and the decline of their population in recent years. His wife has been trained 80 through the beekeeping program at Century College and they are interested in having two 81 hives in their backyard. 82 83 Gary Reuter, Scientist at the University of Minnesota Department of Entomology, 84 reviewed his experience in 32 years of beekeeping. People want to keep bees because 85 they produce honey, provide pollination and to observe their behavior. People sometimes 86 object to the keeping of bees because they are afraid of being stung. He explained that 87 there is a very small likelihood of being stung by a honeybee. He knows that education is 88 necessary and communication with neighbors is a big part of that. Restrictions can also 89 lessen issues with neighbors. At the University of Minnesota, a public campus, they are 90 keeping bees about 50 feet from the street and are not experiencing any problems. 2