Former Blue Earth fire chief Roger Davis, above left, receives an award from mayor Rick Scholtes for his many years of service to the city.
The Blue Earth City Council discussed the birds and the bees at a meeting held on Tuesday, July 5.
A permit application from Blue Earth resident Jacque Drew was a particularly contentious matter.
Drew explained she has been trying to obtain a beekeeping permit since 2019. Her request has been denied multiple times due to some councilmembers’ concerns.
On Tuesday, Drew submitted a new application for a permit to keep bees at her First Street home, with updated information for the council’s consideration.
“The chance of being sick or dying from a honeybee sting is quite rare,” Drew informed the council.
She provided other facts demonstrating the low risk a beehive would pose to her neighbors, noting bees only sting when people are “too close to the hive or behaving in a manner believed to be aggressive.”
Drew added she already knows of several Blue Earth residents who keep honeybees in town, and who have never encountered issues with their hives.
When Drew asked the council if they were aware of these hives, they responded that they were not.
Drew pointed out, “I’ve been working for three years to get a permit for this hive, I’ve been doing it the right way, and all this time there are beehives in town.”
Drew’s neighbor, Sue Scholtes, took to the floor to counter Drew’s request.
“I do daycare right across the street from Jacque,” Scholtes said. “That is my biggest concern.”
Scholtes observed people have a wide range of reactions to bee stings, and there are currently three children enrolled in her daycare who are allergic to them.
“A lot of kids, you don’t know they’re allergic to (stings) until it happens,” Scholtes added.
She noted it is difficult to control children’s reactions to bees – a child is likely to swat at and aggravate them.
The council deliberated for some time before councilmember Wendy Cole offered, “Children flail and make noise all the time. I think we have a responsibility for (Sue’s) business and children to keep in mind.”
Councilmember Marty Cassem, meanwhile, was concerned that there are unlicensed hives in town.
Mayor Rick Scholtes responded, “That’s another part of the discussion. That’s illegal and we need to know about it.”
After more discussion, councilmember John Huisman made a motion to issue Drew’s beekeeping permit, which was seconded by Ann Hanna.
In a roll call vote, Dan Ristau also voted yes, while Russ Erichsrud, Marty Cassem and Cole voted no.
Scholtes, Sue Scholtes’ husband, abstained from voting.
The motion to issue Drew’s beekeeping permit failed on a 3-3 vote.
The council also identified an issue in the language of the ordinance regulating beekeeping when Drew observed, “It was my understanding when we worked on the language of the bee code, the chickens and the bees were going to be an exception.”
Currently, bees and chickens are subject to the same limitations governing the keeping of all other farm animals within city limits.
Councilmember John Huisman noted this is an issue, as the council has already issued permits allowing residential chickens.
“If we don’t (rewrite the ordinance) we’re a laughingstock, because we already have chickens,” he said.
In a separate motion, the council directed city attorney David Frundt to rewrite the ordinance concerning residential farm animals on a 4-3 vote, with Erichsrud, Cassem and Scholtes in dissent.
In other business, the Blue Earth City Council:
• Recognized Roger Davis for 12 years of service as the chief of the Blue Earth Fire Department.
“It’s been an honor,” Davis responded. He thanked the council, Blue Earth Police Department, Faribault County Sheriff’s Office and fellow members of the Blue Earth Fire Department for their support over the years.
• Addressed public concern about the north section of Sailor Street, where grass has failed to grow satisfactorily following street improvement projects.
The council passed a motion designating no more than $10,000 to be used by public works director Jamie Holland to rectify the issue through an aggressive spraying, seeding and watering initiative.
• Voted to move forward with a proposed fencing project along a sidewalk trail on 15th Street.
• Scheduled a public hearing on Aug. 1 calling for proposed assessments in the amount of $900,032 to fund street improvement projects conducted last summer.
• Approved an addendum to an agreement for general engineering services for a project at the Blue Earth Municipal Airport.
Bolton & Menk’s consultation services will cost $1,600. New vinyl flooring from Armon Decorating is estimated to cost $5,950. Two furnace replacement options were presented by Ehrich Plumbing and Heating, Inc: one costing $10,950 and the other costing $8,950.
• Approved the Blue Earth Fire Department’s purchase of a Rosenbauer firetruck from Heiman Fire for the amount of $444,105.
$175,000 of the cost will be covered via insurance funds. The rest of the cost will be financed using the fire department’s $80,000 capital expense budget.
• Approved a request from Blue Earth Light and Water to purchase and finance a 2000kw generator costing $755,000.
BELW will borrow the funds from U.S. Bancorp Government and Finance at a 4.06 percent interest rate.
• Appointed councilmember Dan Ristau to the Parks and Recreation Subcommittee.
• Reviewed the advantages and disadvantages of using an organized collection system for garbage hauling.
While an organized collection system allows the city to specify a garbage collector, an open collection system, which Blue Earth currently uses, allows individual residents and businesses to contract with any licensed collector.
• Discussed Emerald Ash Borer treatment options with Holland, as the disease has now been identified in counties surrounding Faribault County.
• Approved city administrator Mary Kennedy’s updated employment contract via closed session, with an annual salary of $88,000 effective July 6.
Source: faribaultcountyregister.com
