A. Permit Required: Beekeeping is prohibited unless a permit has first been obtained from the Village in accordance with the terms of this chapter. Unpermitted beekeeping is declared a nuisance. Persons desiring to establish and maintain a honeybee apiary in the Village shall first obtain a permit from the Village.
Beekeepers who owned or operated a honeybee apiary within the Village prior to November 27, 2017, and who wish to continue to do so after November 27, 2017, shall apply for a Village beekeeping permit.
At the time of application for a Village beekeeping permit, the applicant shall provide the Village with:
1. Proof of compliance with the requirements of this chapter, including the property bee notification requirement in section 8-14-3 of this chapter, including a copy of the notice and mailing list;
2. Proof that the applicant is at least eighteen years of age;
3. A description of the number of colonies requested to be kept on the lot;
4. A depiction of the lot on which the colony, or colonies, are proposed to be located and a depiction of the location on the lot on which the colony, or colonies, are proposed to be located;
5. A twenty five dollar nonrefundable permit application fee; and
6. Such other information or documents as the Village may request.
When complete, the Village shall review the permit application and determine whether the permit should be issued. If the Village determines the permit should be issued, the Village shall issue the permit to the applicant. The Village may attach conditions of approval on a permit issued under this chapter. The Village may deny, suspend or revoke any permit issued under this chapter in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 3-1-11 of this Code, substituting "license" for "permit" and "business" for "beekeeping" therein, and any person aggrieved by such denial, suspension or revocation may appeal it in accordance with the procedures set forth in section 3-1-12 of this Code, substituting "license" for "permit" and "business" for "beekeeping" therein. A permit may be suspended or revoked for the reasons set forth in subsection 3-1-11C of this Code, or if the Village determines that beekeeping cannot be conducted on the lot in a safe manner.
B. Permit Expiration And Renewal: Permits shall expire on November 30 of each calendar year. Permit holders must apply to renew their permit annually by completing a renewal application, by paying a twenty five dollar nonrefundable permit renewal fee, and by giving the notice required in section 8-14-3 of this chapter to new adjacent property owners, if any, since the date the last permit was issued. The notice requirements herein shall not apply to Dominican University.
C. Apiary Inspection Right Of Entry: By applying for a permit, the applicant authorizes the Village and its employees and agents to enter onto the lot that contains the apiary for the purpose of inspecting the lot and the apiary for compliance with this chapter, both prior to the issuance of a permit, and, if a permit is issued, for the duration of the permit or so long as an apiary is present on the lot.
D. Nontransferability: No permit shall be assigned or transferred to any other person or entity. No refund shall be granted for any unexpired period of a permit if the permit is turned in, surrendered, suspended or revoked. If a permittee moves to a new lot within the Village, a permit may be transferred to the new lot, so long as all requirements of this chapter are satisfied and confirmed by the Village prior to establishment of the colony or colonies on the new lot, and so long as the notification requirements of section 8-14-3 of this chapter are satisfied and confirmed by the Village prior to establishment of the colony or colonies on the new lot.
E. State Registration: All permittees shall register the apiary on the lot with the State of Illinois Department of Agriculture and maintain their apiaries in accordance with the Illinois Bees and Apiaries Act, 510 Illinois Compiled Statutes 20/1, et seq., and other applicable State, Federal and Village laws, ordinances, rules, regulations and directives. (Ord. 3666, 11-27-2017)