[Added 6-27-2018 by Ord.
No. 5646[1]]
[1]
Editor's Note: This ordinance also provided for the redesignation
of former Arts. XXVIII and XXIX as Arts. XXIX and XXX, respectively.
As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
Any place where one or more colonies of bees are kept.
The aggregate of worker bees, drones, queen, and developing
young living together as a family unit in a hive or other dwelling.
Any stage of the common hive or honey bee (Apis mellifera)
or other species of the genus Apis kept and managed in artificial
domiciles furnished by man specifically to serve as hives.
Any stage of the common hive or honey bee (Apis mellifera)
or other species of the genus Apis living in natural domiciles.
Frame hive, box hive, box, barrel, log, gum, skep, or any
part thereof, which may be used or employed as a domicile for bees.
No person, firm, corporation, association, society or partnership
shall engage, for profit or otherwise, in the propagation, keeping
or sale of domestic bees unless he/she has first obtained a registration
certificate for that purpose, and every person so engaged shall comply
with all of the provisions of this article.
Application for the registration certificate under this section
shall be made in writing to the Bureau of Health of the City of Easton
and shall state the name of the applicant, description of the premises
to be used by the registrant for beekeeping, the name of the owner
of the premises, a site plan of the premises which identifies the
intended location of the hive(s) and such other information as shall
be determined to be necessary by the Bureau of Health for the purpose
of enforcing the provisions of this article. Existing beekeepers shall
complete the application for the registration certificate within one
year of this article's inception.
The Bureau of Health shall issue an initial registration certificate,
upon application made pursuant to applicable sections of this article.
Said registration certificate shall bear the date of issuance, the
name of the person so registered, description of the premises covered
by the registration, number of hives to be permitted on the premises
and shall be prominently displayed in or about the area of the said
place where the bees are kept and maintained. Every registration certificate
shall be nontransferable and shall cover only the premises and the
named registrant.
All registration certificates under this article shall automatically
expire on the 31st day of December in the year in which they were
issued. Thereafter, upon the application for the renewal of a registration
certificate, the applicant shall meet the terms and conditions of
this article. In the event that any other governmental entity has
jurisdiction over the keeping and maintenance of bees, then and in
that event each registrant shall be required to demonstrate and provide
to the Bureau of Health evidence and compliance with all regulations
and requirements of said governmental agency.
A registration certificate shall be issued annually and shall
remain valid only upon the following terms and conditions:
A.Â
Only the keeping of domestic honeybees shall be permitted.
B.Â
The density of colonies on any lot may not exceed one colony of domestic
bees for each 2,500 square feet of lot area. No lot shall have more
than five colonies located thereon.
C.Â
Hives shall not be located within 25 feet of any property line, public
street, sidewalk, or alley and shall be situated behind a solid fence
or hedge at least six feet in height, parallel to the property line,
and extending at least 15 feet beyond the hive in both directions.
D.Â
A water source shall be maintained on the lot for bees during all
times that bees fly from the hive.
E.Â
All colonies shall be maintained in movable frame hives and the use
of standard beekeeping equipment shall be required. All apiaries shall
be operated in accordance with established beekeeping guidelines and
practices.
F.Â
Hives shall be properly shaded from adjacent night lighting on adjoining
properties.
The applicant for any registration certificate hereunder shall,
at the time of his/her registration, pay to the City of Easton the
following fees:
All beekeepers, registered as aforesaid, shall comply strictly
with all applicable laws, articles, ordinances, and rules and regulations,
insofar as they affect the keeping of honeybees and shall permit the
inspection of the hives by any authorized representatives of the City
of Easton and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Existing
beekeepers shall have one year to comply with the provisions of this
article.
In the event of receipt by the Bureau of Health of a complaint
arising out of feral bees, the City of Easton may order extermination
of a feral bee colony(s) at a specific property or location. The responsibility
for extermination shall be that of the property owner. The City of
Easton reserves the right to exterminate utilizing qualified City
personnel or to have exterminated under agreement with a professional
exterminator any feral bee colony located on a property whose owner
does not comply with any order to exterminate in accordance with the
provisions of the Third Class City Code regarding the abatement of
public nuisances by the Board of Health. The City shall bill the property
owner and upon nonpayment of such charges, the City shall file a lien
against the property any expense incurred and unpaid as a result of
the abatement of a public nuisance.
A.Â
Any person violating any provision of this article shall upon conviction
thereof be fined not more than $300 or imprisoned not more than 90
days or both.
B.Â
Each violator of the provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty
of a separate offense for each and every day such violation shall
continue and shall be subject to the penalty imposed by this section
for each and every such offense.
