PC 012815 - Laserfiche WebLink

Ms. Amos said yes. Commissioner Balch referred to the fee process for dogs, using it as an example since one of the speakers brought it up earlier. He clarified that dog licensing is an annual, bi- annual or tri- annual process, and the City of Pleasanton could basically have an estimate of the number of dogs, assuming everyone complies with the law, and hence a second dog park can be justified. He inquired if staff thought of that and determined that a similar element might not be needed with the bees. Ms. Amos replied that was correct. Acting Chair Ritter stated that he would almost like to see just a notice, without a fee, every time the queen bee is replaced; in this way, staff knows that it is an active hive as opposed to giving a permit and then staff never hears about it unless a neighbor calls. Commissioner Balch stated that his initial thought was that if the beekeeper has to pay $150 for a valid permit for two years and had to pay another $10 after two years to renew the permit, the beekeeper would not renew the permit if the hive had gone dormant. He indicated that the City does not have a method to know how many active hives there are. Acting Chair Ritter inquired if the permit is for two years. Ms. Amos replied that the permit stays with the beekeepers for as long as they have the hives. Commissioner O'Connor stated that he thinks this needs to be kept simple. He indicated that he has known beekeepers and has had good friends who are beekeepers, one of whom had a small lot of about 3,000 to 4,000 square feet and about five hives and no complaints. He noted that he stands next to the hives and sees the bees come up and fly away without bothering him. Commissioner O'Connor stated that he believes there are more beehives in Pleasanton, and staff does not know any of them because they have not been processed and there have been no complaints. He indicated that he thinks it is a positive that there are bees here. He reiterated that he wants to keep it simple and would like to discuss having some flexibility. He added that he does not want to set fees for the City, but he does not want this to be the same as a Conditional Use Permit fee as it sounds awfully high. He noted that staff will go out and inspect the first time, but up until now, nobody has inspected anything and there have been almost zero complaints. He indicated that he certainly does not want to deter anybody from starting a beehive. Commissioner Balch stated that he thinks the element of a high barrier to entry is already present by the fact that the beekeeper needs to buy the hive and the queen. He PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, January 28, 2015 Page 11 of 17