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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 City of Edina • 4801 W. 50th St. • Edina, MN 55424 <br />MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL VIII. B. <br />Scott H. Neal, City Manager ☒ <br />☐ <br />☐ March 17, 2015 <br />Apiary Registration Revocation Policy <br />Motion to approve proposed apiary registration revocation policy – Draft 03/12/15/SHN <br /> <br />Information / Background: <br />The City Council has previously endorsed the proposal to amend City Code to enable Edina residents to <br />own and maintain honeybee apiaries on their private property in the City. The Council has requested that a <br />policy be drafted that will regulate the registration process so that apiaries do not spoil the quality of life of <br />Edina residents who reside on properties adjacent to them. Such a policy has been previously drafted and <br />shared with the City Council. The requested that staff review the proposed policy and make its <br />recommendation to the City Council. <br />Included in the March 17 City Council meeting prep packet is the original Report & Recommendation cover <br />memo written by Ross Bintner and the original apiary registration revocation policy written by Dianne <br />Plunkett-Latham. Also included, immediately following this Report & Recommendation cover memo is a <br />revised apiary registration revocation policy. I am the author of the revised policy. I have shared it with Ms. <br />Plunkett-Latham, but she does not support it. <br />The primary difference between the two proposed policies is how they address the issue of bee sting <br />allergies. For the purposes of full disclosure, I have a bee sting allergy. I am biased, therefore, in favor of <br />insuring that the rights and concerns of residents with bee sting allergies are more than just taken into <br />account. I believe their rights to live in peace and without fear of being stung ought to take precedence <br />over the rights of potential beekeepers. Because I have this bias, I have edited the revised policy to reduce <br />the threshold for a resident to prove that they have a bona fide bee sting allergy, and allows the City <br />Manager to consider the lower standard as a possible reason for registration revocation. <br />The registration revocation policy, however, ought to reflect the values of the City Council on this matter. I <br />recommend the Council adopt the revised policy, but I will enforce whatever policy is adopted by the <br />Council.