Legalization in Tualatin and Sher

[Ben Davis]

I am a brand new beekeeper, and am looking to get city ordinances passed in my town (Sherwood), and where my in-laws live (Tualatin).

I've gotten some sample ordinances from Louisiana, Florida, Utah and Michigan, as well as the Hillsboro and McMinville ordinances and combined them all to make a great sample ordinance.

I have contacts in the Tualatin and Sherwood City Councils, and want to take steps to have the City Councils move towards approving beekeeping before the chicken keepers start clamoring and "muddy the waters". I am planning on taking all the steps to move this along, but would welcome any other beekeepers in these areas to volunteer time when the topic actually makes it to city council; or to coordinate with anyone else who has already started to take steps.

Any other input would be helpful!

Ben Davis
Sherwood, OR
bendavis(at)gmail(dot)com

[HarryVanderpool]

My suggestion is to forget about Louisiana, Florida, Utah and Michigan, and focus on Oregon cities.
Salem, Keizer, Albany, McMinnville, Molalla have UNRESTRICTED beekeeping within city limits. Zero "ordinances".
In those cities, if there is a problem it is handled under the already existing "nuisance ordinance"

My question is, why are you wanting to set up ordinances? Are bees not allowed in Tualitin and Sherwood?

[Ben Davis]

In Sherwood, the city ordinance prohibits the keeping of any animals except domesticated pets. Bees are vaguely prohibited, and when I tried to clarify the city ordinance, I was told that keeping bees falls into the special use section of law and to get exclusion requires a special use permit, which costs $4500!!! yeah right!

In Tualatin, there are certain agricultural zones where non-pet animals are allowed, but I don't have access to that land. Bees aren't specifically mentioned. I'm not sure whether to name them all and call them pets; to treat them like a transient wild animal (kind of like keeping a bird house but not being responsible for the bird coming and going), or to just try to get an ordinance passed.

I would think that with Hillsboro requiring an ordianance, other rural areas near agriculture would be very willing to expand the law to expressly allow bees.

Or, do I just keep bees and sort it all out if I end up with problems one day, or an irate neighbor calls the police? (Yes, I'm giving the neighbors honey and letting them know what is going on, but I'd rather just have the law updated.)