EVANSTON — Honeybees topped the agenda Tuesday night at the city council work session meeting.

Several months ago, local beekeepers came before the council requesting they consider changing city ordinance to allow beekeeping within city limits.

Since then, the group has offered educational classes for the public and has published information in the Herald in hopes of dispelling myths and fears concerning honeybees.

During the Feb. 28 work session meeting, the South West Beekeepers Association arranged a special presentation from Scott Schell, University of Wyoming Extension Entomologist, who gave a presentation on honeybees.

“After hearing the information from that presentation, I’ve changed some of my thinking,” said councilwoman Wendy Schuler.

Williams asked each of the council members their feelings and ideas about allowing beekeeping within the city limits, noting that the current ordinance allows beekeeping within agricultural zones in the city. Outside of those zones, bees are considered nuisances. 

Most council members were indifferent to allowing beekeeping within city limits but didn’t want added work for the city to regulate it.

“If we make the change, I don’t think the city should regulate it,” said councilman David Welling.

Councilman Tim Lynch said he was open to the idea but asked how it would be regulated without adding to the city’s responsibilities.

“I would support it,” said councilman Mike Sellers. “I grew up around honeybees. … it’s not a big deal.”

Sellers said he had read through other ordinances from Wyoming cities and liked Laramie’s plan best.

Council members learned in past meetings that Laramie allows in-city beekeeping and no longer describes bees as nuisances. 

All of the council said they had mixed reactions from constituents regarding the idea.

“There are concerns and a level of public education that needs to happen,” said Mayor Williams. “It may be a challenge.”

When asked for his take, city attorney Dennis Boal said beekeepers should be required to meet some minimum requirements if allowed to keep bees in the city. Those requirements would be drafted as part of a new ordinance.

“Couldn’t you require a beekeeper to register with the local beekeeping association?” asked a community member. “If that were a minimum requirement in the ordinance, then the association could keep track of what was happening.”

Members of the association said they would be willing to meet whatever requirements the city required.

Mayor Williams said changing city laws is a slow process, but the city will begin to draft a new ordinance and bring it before the council and community.

Before a city ordinance can change, a public hearing is held first. At that time, community members are allowed to address the proposed ordinance with their support and/or concerns.

After the public hearing is finished, it then goes before the council for three separate readings. At each reading, community members have the opportunity to address the council.

Community members are also encouraged to attend work session meetings, held the second and fourth Tuesday of each month, to express their feelings regarding any city issue.

Before moving onto the budget discussion, Boal updated the council on some liquor law changes made during the last legislative session, which will require the city to change its ordinances.

One major change concerns those holding licenses but not currently operating an active business. 

The old law stated a license holder could be closed for a three-year period but must be operational for a three month period in order to maintain licensing.

“The state had major concerns with people holding licenses but not using them,” said Boal. “They have changed the law from three years to one year, and now the law states they must be operational on an ongoing weekly basis.”

Boal said the state left the laws somewhat broad in definition, which requires the city to determine how to regulate the new laws.

He said normally he would draft some sample changes for the council to look through, but this time he needs the council’s help to determine the best course of action.

The new state laws go into effect on July 1, but the city has until October to ratify new city ordinance, when the council approves license applications for the year.

“We will send any new ordinances to liquor dealers,” said Boal. 

Closing out Tuesday’s work session meeting, the council turned to budget talks.

City treasurer Trudy Lym handed out the budget folders and briefly went through some of the capital projects slated for the coming fiscal year.

“The mayor and I have met with all of the departments,” said Lym. “The department heads are willing to answer any questions you may have regarding capital projects.”

Lym said some of the projects wouldn’t actually take place in the coming budget year, but they wanted to have them listed so the council knew they needed to be addressed at some point in time.

“One thing we might change in the budget are those things that occur yearly. Instead of placing them in capital projects, we may move them to the maintenance area,” said Lym.

The biggest budget concern for next year is cutting back on expenditures so the city will not be in the red.

Councilman Evan Perkes asked if there was a way to cut out things that don’t need to be in the budget so it doesn’t look like the city is overspending from the start.

“Each of the departments has done an amazing job cutting back on spending,” said Williams. “The budget may show we may go in the red, but we typically don’t spend all we budget for. … If we don’t put it in the budget, then our hands are tied.”

Williams asked if it was worse to have a balanced budget and have to amend it several times when things come up or to budget for the projects that the city needs/wants to accomplish and then evaluate if the money is available.

With the new fiscal year approaching for the city, budget talks will continue.