New truck, banning beekeeping, grass height on Brentwood Public Works agenda

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In the past Brentwood has used a city-owned 2008 Chevy heavy-duty dump truck to tow the city’s band wagon, which weighs approximately 17,000 pounds. The city points out in the agenda that the truck wasn’t specified for pulling a bandwagon.

Taking into account the weight of the truck and the wagon, the combined weight could cause damage to the truck. The staff recommends selling or trading one of its current trucks and buying a new one capable of towing the bandwagon. The cost would be approximately $90,000.

Also from the agenda, the city says it rarely receives questions about beekeeping. The city ordinances don’t mention beekeeping, and city staff is recommending that an ordinance be changed to prohibit beekeeping, citing the closeness of houses and potential dangers of bee stings.

The committee will also consider changing the allowed grass height in residents’ yards to seven inches from the current eight inches. The city has adopted the International Property Maintenance Code, which allows maximum seven inch grass. It would not pertain to cultivated flowers or gardens.

See the compete committee agenda.

28 COMMENTS

  1. Glad to see the residents of Brentwood are finally starting to “get it.” We’re just paychecks in the political machine.

  2. Brentwood’s leadership is so backward and out of touch. We should be promoting beekeeping, not trying to ban it. It really is well past time that we replace our elected officials, starting with Andy Leahy, an oaf if there ever was one.

  3. Come on guys- Bees are in critical danger – which means you are too. We need to promote beekeeping not ban it. From a local Beekeeper – not living in Brentwood. I just recently saw and article in the newpaper about bees being kept on the top of Chase park plaza and other amazing hotels. That could affect them too.

    • Huh. If you’d bother to attend the Public Works meeting, you’d know the issue has to do with replacing certain PW trucks, not buying a truck specifically to pull the band trailer. You’d also know that the band trailer is rented by other cities, at least one of which is is in Illinois.

  4. I don’t live in Brentwood, but I don’t feel out of line by recommending that those city council members do a little research and learn about why the decline of the honey bee population is bad for our whole ecosystem.

    • Brentwood’s mosquito spray is also restricted to only spray overnight while everyone is asleep. Now Brentwood pays someone double to work the overnight shift.

  5. I am also a beekeeper in Richmond Heights, a densely-populated part of Richmond Heights, and am allergic to bee stings. Like Tim, my neighbors were a little nervous at first, but now seem very supportive of my beekeeping. It’s been 1 year since I got my hive, and I have received zero complaints from anyone. Although I strongly believe that spraying toxic chemicals for mosquitos is misguided and unnecessary, I also feel grateful to live in such an open-minded City and community in general. For anyone who agrees that banning beekeeping or poisoning our environment to kill a few mosquitos makes sense, I strongly recommend 2 books: Silent Spring (Rachel Carson) and One Straw Revolution (Masanobu Fukuoka).

  6. If you live in Brentwood, I recommend doing what I did. Move. Get out before things get worse. There are plenty of other lovely municipalities that don’t trample on your rights as a property owner.

  7. Wow, really? Banning beekeeping? I’m quite happy I do not live in the city of Brentwood. My 5 hives in suburbia are doing quite well thank you. The bees go about their business without bothering anyone including myself. Your city council is banning something they obviously don’t know about probably because one of their residents got stung. I say go ahead and try to prove whose bees they were. Probably not even honeybees.
    I feel sorry for my fellow beekeepers who happen to live in the Brentwood city limits.

  8. why not approach a business or a car dealership and ask for the use of a truck capable of towing that thing around a few times a year. Tell them to make sure they are welcome to advertise on the side of the truck stating where it came from and they would probably jump at the chance. I can see it now “beautiful music when you buy from us” “you will be dancing with joy when you buy from us”

    That or ask a neighboring city to let us use one of their trucks.

    That trailer really weight that much? Seems like a lot to me.

  9. I keep bees in Richmond Heights, Brentwood city staff obviously know nothing about apiaries. My bees range up to 3 miles froIm my home (that includes Brentwood). The memorandum shows a complete lack of knowledge and interest in knowledge on the part of city officials. If you leave the bees alone they will do the same to you. You’re at greatest risk of being stung if you molest the bees or their hive. This is a clear over reach on the part of Brentwood. My neighbors were initially nervous about my bees, but 2 years in they are now quite supportive.

    I’m glad I chose Richmond Heights over Brentwood when I purchased a home. The more I hear and read about the intrusive regime in Brentwood, the more satisfied I am with Richmond Heights.

  10. I think the city got that portable stage at least 7 or 8 years ago. It gets used for Brentwood Days and a handful of concerts in the park during the summer. With that small amount of use, I don’t think it has destroyed any truck yet! $90,000.00 is a ridiculous amount to tow a trailer a mile or so around town a few times a year!! Absolutely STUPID!!

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