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Ms. Amos indicated that the role of the Code Enforcement Officer would typically be to <br />go out and do the initial inspection, and when someone calls and complains about a <br />large swarm of bees, he will check if any applications have been filed and approved for <br />that location, then go out and inspect it. <br />Mr. Weinstein added that staff has crafted the performance measures to be effective <br />and easily be monitored in terms of reducing neighborhood impacts. He noted that they <br />are designed in such a way that they do not require extensive, detailed monitoring or <br />intense intellectual engagement with beekeeping, and could be conducted by the Code <br />Enforcement Officer or anyone with reasonable knowledge about beekeeping who could <br />go out and take a look around to ensure that the beekeeping is being reasonably <br />operated on the project site. <br />Acting Chair Ritter stated that the biggest issue seems to be swarming and that the <br />biggest cure for that is changing out the queen bee. He inquired how that is done and <br />the inspector would go out and check the bees to confirm that the queen bee has been <br />changed. <br />Ms. Amos replied that it is common practice for the queen bee to be marked with a <br />different color for each year which would indicate the age of the bee. She indicated that <br />beekeepers typically remove an older queen bee and introduce a new one to create <br />more productivity. She added that swarming can occur naturally in the hive when the <br />bees notice that the queen bee is not being productive or performing appropriately, and <br />so they might start creating a new queen bee. She stated that the queen bee's <br />hexagonal cell is larger than any of the others, and the beekeeper can notice if <br />something is happening there and can either remove that cell or remove the old queen <br />bee and there can be only one queen bee in a hive. <br />Acting Chair Ritter inquired if the beekeeper will have to file for the permit yearly or just <br />once. <br />Ms. Amos replied that it would be just once, and then it would be the beekeeper's <br />responsibility to make sure he /she is maintaining the hive appropriately. <br />Acting Chair Ritter inquired if an annual inspection is done by the Code Enforcement <br />Officer or only if the neighbors call to complain. <br />Ms. Amos replied that it would be just as a neighbor calls. She stated that people call <br />when they see swarms of bees in their neighborhood. She noted, however, that honey <br />bees are fairly docile. <br />Acting Chair Ritter inquired if there have been a number of complaints about been in <br />Pleasanton over the past few years. <br />Ms. Amos replied that calls have been received, mostly during spring and summer when <br />the bees are most active and foraging for food. She noted that the bee hive she and <br />PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, January 28, 2015 Page 6 of 17 <br />