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REPORT OF THE POLICY <br /> COMMITTEE ON HEALTH, <br /> SAFETY,AND WELL-BEING <br /> DATE: August 6, 2024 Re: Comm.No. 786/Bill No. 144 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i <br /> TIME: 2:19 p.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawai`i County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 <br /> Your Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being,to which was referred Bill No. 144, <br /> reports as follows: <br /> Bill No. 144,transmitted by Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz, via Communication No. 786, <br /> dated March 18, 2024, amends Chapters 14 and Chapter 25 of the Hawai`i County Code 1983 <br /> (2016 Edition, as amended), relating to apiaries and beekeeping. <br /> This bill establishes generally accepted apiary management practices and adds apiaries as <br /> permitted uses in seventeen zoning district classifications, including all Residential and <br /> Agricultural zoning districts, the Resort-Hotel district, all Commercial districts, all Industrial <br /> districts,the Open district, and the Downtown Hilo Commercial District,to promote beekeeping. <br /> This bill was previously heard on April 2, 2024. <br /> Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being Meeting of April 2,2024 <br /> Member Kierkiewicz said that these Code updates have been in the works for a long time, and <br /> that bees are critical to our ecosystem. This bill allows for beekeeping in every zoning district, as <br /> bees don't recognize boundary lines and will also set up a guide for best beekeeping practices. <br /> All the work on this bill has been in collaboration with local beekeepers, State Agriculture and <br /> Department of Health(DOH), as well as Corporation Counsel and the Planning Department. <br /> There have also been discussions with the Department of Research and Development(R&D)to <br /> help with support on education of these practices. This bill removes the 1,000-feet set-back from <br /> major roadways and dictates that instead hives should be at least 25-feet back from property line. <br /> It also includes nationally recognized best management practices and limits the amount of hives <br /> to 15 on smaller lots,with the options for exemptions to be requested. <br /> Committee Member Cindy Evans requested a definition of colony versus hives versus apiaries. <br /> Kelly O'Day, who has been a beekeeper for 25 years, clarified that a colony is a group of bees <br /> (with one queen),hives are where the bees live, and apiaries are a group of hives. Maria McCarthy <br /> from the Department of Agriculture agreed with his definition and addressed Member Evans' other <br /> concerns about density of bees. Member Kierkiewicz said that the number of hives was limited by <br /> public safety concerns as well as standards of practice from the beekeeping community. <br /> PCHSW Report No. 15 <br />