Government

Watertown Board of Health OKs Keeping of Chickens and Bees With a Permit

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The Watertown Board of Health voted unanimously to approve a regulation creating Hen and Honey Bee permits Wednesday, as well as updating the regulation governing the keeping of animals. Boston, and Somerville have passed similar regulations for hens and honeybees and Cambridge is currently looking into it, town consultant Donna Moultrup said. The permit, which must be renewed annually, is designed to promote sustainability and local food production, a draft of the regulation read. Though residents can apply for the permits immediately, they won’t go into effect until May 1. The Board of Health spent the past 2 years consulting with experts, as well as the Watertown Bee Committee as they developed the regulations, Board Chairman John H. Straus said.

Bee Keeping

Town Looking at Changing Rules for Keeping Chickens, Bees in Watertown

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Watertown residents can keep chickens and bees on their property, but the rules could be changing at an upcoming meeting of the Board of Health. The Watertown Health Department sent out the following announcement:

The Board of Health will hold a public hearing on an updated “Regulation Governing the Keeping of Animals” and a new “Regulation Governing the Keeping of Hens and Honey Bees,” on April 20, 2016, starting at 7:30 p.m., in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Town Administration Building, 149 Main St., Watertown. Comments on the updated animal regulation will be heard first. The second regulation will be divided into a discussion on the keeping of hens first with the keeping of honey bees immediately following. The primary changes to the existing animal regulation include removing the section on chickens; the addition of specific definitions of animals; and specifying that ten pigeons per applicant will be permitted.