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Bees, or more specifically, their waste, was the topic of discussion during the Morton City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 28, inside the Bob Lyle Community Center.
The discussion came after several unnamed residents complained to the council about bee excrement. According to Morton City Councilor Peter Hansen, both of the known beekeepers within city limits are licensed through the Washington state Department of Agriculture Apiary Registration.
Morton City Councilor Jeff Johnson added that, per state law, they could only intervene in cases of extreme dereliction.
“There’s an RCW — 15.60.250 — and it basically indemnifies beekeepers. This isn’t about bee excrement. This isn’t about how much waste product there is. It just basically says that apiaries are not liable for civil damages connected to maintaining bees, equipment, apiaries or appliances, unless there’s gross negligence,” Johnson said. “... If they’re registered, there’s nothing we can do to help with the plague of the bee poop.”
Johnson said bees are necessary, as they are an important part of the natural ecosystem and vital for their roles as pollinators, especially for farmers.
This fact, combined with the reality of wild bee colonies existing throughout the region and bees flying up to 2 miles away to find flowers, means that there realistically wasn’t any action the city could take in the situation.
“Bottom line is, there’s nothing for us to do,” Johnson said.
For Morton residents still mad about the bee excrement, they can at least take solace with the coming of fall and winter, as honeybees stay in their hives throughout the colder months, surviving off of their stores of honey. Other species of bees go into hibernation, while some just die off with the arrival of the colder weather.
During the meeting, councilors also approved a proposal from Morton City Councilor Charlie Clevenger to paint the curb at the Arbor Health Morton Clinic’s “relatively new bus stop” yellow to mark it as a “no parking” zone.
“It’s not painted yellow, so cars are parking there which is not allowing the bus to pick up passengers,” Clevenger said.
Morton City Councilor Jason Sawyer recommended not only painting the curb directly in front of the bus stop yellow, but extending it at least 5 feet beyond the bus stop’s area.
“This (the bus) is a large vehicle,” Sawyer added.
With the council’s approval, Clevenger stated the Morton Public Works Department would paint the curb.
Councilors also approved two other ordinances — the first one establishing official days and times for councilors to hold public town hall-style meetings and workshops, and the second updating Morton’s building codes to abide by new state laws.
As for the workshops and town hall ordinance, it was approved after several months of discussion at Morton City Council meetings earlier this year after Sawyer wanted to hold town hall meetings, but was worried about the risk of his fellow councilors also attending, accidentally creating a quorum and by definition, an illegal meeting per the Washington state Open Public Meetings Act.
While Morton City Council meetings are held on the fourth Monday of each month starting at 7 p.m., the new ordinance designates the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. as an official time for workshops, where councilors can engage in in-depth discussion of city business and gather public input while taking no official actions.
The workshops will be publicly announced by city staff at least 24 hours in advance, like the regular city council meetings, and if no councilors feel the need to hold the workshop, they can cancel it that month.
