Title
An Ordinance Amending Chapter 5 of the Lee’s Summit Code of Ordinances to Enact New Beekeeping Regulations, and Amending Ordinance No. 9105 to Add a Fee for Beekeeping.
(CEDC 4/21/21)
Body
Issue/Request:
Staff has drafted new standards associated with beekeeping and the CEDC has unanimously recommended approval of the attached ordinance updating beekeeping standards on April 21, 2021. This ordinance has been modified since the date of the CEDC meeting to incorporate the enforcement powers that are already in the City Code regarding animal regulations.
Proposed Council Motion:
First Motion: I move for the second reading of An Ordinance Amending Chapter 5 of the Lee’s Summit Code of Ordinances to Enact New Beekeeping Regulations, and Amending Ordinance No. 9105 to Add a Fee for Beekeeping.
Second Motion: I move for adoption of An Ordinance Amending Chapter 5 of the Lee’s Summit Code of Ordinances to Enact New Beekeeping Regulations, and Amending Ordinance No. 9105 to Add a Fee for Beekeeping.
Background:
Lee’s Summit’s existing regulations on beekeeping are brief and restrictive with respect to some other communities in the metro. The current standards are as follows,
“It shall be unlawful to keep or harbor any bees in the City except in agricultural areas and four hundred (400) feet from inhabitants other than the owners thereof. Any beehive used or occupied by bees in violation of this section is hereby declared to be a nuisance. It shall be unlawful to keep or maintain any hive in the City except in areas four hundred (400) feet from inhabitants other than the owners thereof.”
The dual restriction of a 400 foot buffer coupled with the agricultural areas precludes any sort of urban colony. In contrast, Overland Park’s standard requires that a colony be no closer than 25 feet to a residential property line or 75 feet to the nearest residence. The Overland Park, Prairie Village, Olathe and Independence ordinances are attached to the packet for refe...
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