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REGULAR MEETING JULY 8, 2013 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />say that they are going to put bees at every garden, but I think that it is something that could be <br />attainable down the road. That is also shared. He stated that he talked to Aaron Perri at DTSB, <br />Mark Tarner is a bee-keeper and Mark is interested in doing a roof top hive for educational <br />purposes downtown. So there is a lot of interest, so what we need to make sure that the law is <br />correct to allow the opportunity for others to take advantage of this. The “colony collapse” <br />needs diversity, that’s what we need, we just need more bees. Tim asked the Council to vote <br />positive on this. <br /> <br />This being the time heretofore set for the Public Hearing on the above bill, proponents and <br />opponents were given an opportunity to be heard. <br /> <br />The following individuals spoke in favor of the bill: <br /> <br />Alex Lesniak, 25600 Peach Road, South Bend, Indiana, noted that her address is not in the City <br />of South Bend; however, she feels that she is part of the City of South Bend. She is a graduate of <br />Washington High School. She still lives at home, but is study at Purdue University. She stated <br />that the city is part of her and all of the people that she has spoken to in the City of South Bend <br />over the six years that she has been doing “Peace Bees” she has spoken to over 30,000 people <br />and at least one in every single presentation have come up to her and asked how to get started. <br />She said that they were told that they live in the City and that you have to have 5 acres to be able <br />to do that. She stated that it is really heartbreaking for her to see the enthusiasm on people faces <br />from young to old not being able to start honey bees. She stated that we worked together as a <br />community to help educate for free on bees and we try to involve the community is a positive <br />way. She stated that they teach children the correct way to raise bees and educate them on not <br />being afraid. Another thing that they involve the community with getting the schools involved. <br />She stated they set up hives at Washington High School. The shop department built the hives <br />and the art department painted them. She stated that they want to continue to do things like that, <br />but in order to do that you have to involve the City. She stated that she is allergic to honey bees, <br />and carries her epi pen and have continued to be a bee keeper just because of the fact that I am <br />also allergic to pollen but that doesn’t keep her from smelling flowers. So it is something that <br />she loves and won’t stop doing it. In Chicago very crowded city they allow honey bees and they <br />obviously are not having issues with honey bees attacking our people having allergy issues or <br />things like that. She urged the Council to consider those types of things when making a decision. <br />Thank You. <br /> <br />Sam Brown, Citizens United for a Better Government, 415 LaSalle, South Bend, Indiana, asked <br />the Council to vote in favor of this. You voted to have chickens you should vote to have honey <br />bees. <br /> <br />Steve Lesniak, 25600 Peach Road, South Bend, Indiana, stated that the cost of getting started we <br />threw out these numbers of two thousand dollars that is if you just purchased everything brand <br />new. There are other ways to stay within the state guidelines of a hive. You can make it <br />yourself, there are different styles of hives that are cheaper, they don’t work as well, but they <br />don’t grown as well. Which may be fine for most people? So those are worst case scenarios <br />throwing out those numbers. There are ways for people to get by on a budget; he has heard that <br />people become bee keepers for as little as a few hundred dollars. They made a smoker out of a <br />tin can; there are ways to do it. Another way and Tim talked about his ideas, we talked at Peace <br />Bees about doing things like an internship, where we would put a hive in someone’s location and <br />they learn from us and over time they would let us keep some of the honey they would pay back <br />for that hive. There are some other opportunities that they are looking at to potentially bring <br />jobs, but hates to go any farther with that because it is so infantile, but it does open the door for <br />things that they want to do, but cannot because the ordinance currently on the books doesn’t <br />allow for that. He stated that he mentioned in committee this afternoon that insurance is not an <br />issue. You rely on your insurance, but really don’t need to; it is not a requirement 4-H does not <br />require any additional insurance nor any other additional liability insurance. Again this is not <br />this horrible thing that we need to be fearful of, it’s something we should embrace and bring the <br />city forward. <br /> <br />Sue Kessum, 522 Kennedy Drive, South Bend, Indiana, stated that she is a Purdue Master <br />Gardener. She stated that she supports Unity Gardens and Peace Bees for bringing bees to the <br />14 <br /> <br /> <br />