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Bee City proposal put on hold Sunday Feb 26, 2017 at 11:01 PM Tony Boom for the Mail Tribune Concerned about burdening staff with more duties, Jacksonville City Council has tabled action for six months on applying for a Bee City USA designation. “The added obligations created by an outside organization would be unfair to both our staff and the citizens,” Councilor Steve Cassaleggio said at Tuesday’s meeting. “We already subsidize nonprofits. We have too much to do with too very little to afford the questionable luxury of becoming a Bee City.” A staff report on the process and city involvement was reviewed by the council. The report estimated that securing and maintaining the status would cost $300 to $500 and involve five to 10 hours of staff time each quarter. Kenda Swartz, who along with other supporters of the effort had approached the council in December, tried to reassure the councilors that not much work would be involved. “I and my committee would take on the majority of the heavy lifting,” Swartz said. Councilor Cris Garcia offered to volunteer his services to be the required liaison to work with a Bee City committee if that would be allowed in place of a staff liaison. He said the Bee City status would be good for the city. “Even though it requires a fiduciary commitment, it's small compared to the benefit,” Garcia said. Councilor Jim Lewis also noted that little funding was needed and favored the proposal if Garcia’s offer could be utilized. “I really do believe that this group of involved citizens that cares passionately about this can find a place where they can inform this city," said Garcia. “We would be poorer to ignore that opportunity.” Talent, Phoenix, Ashland and Gold Hill are already Bee Cities. The national Bee City USA organization has 37 designated cities, ranging from Washington, D.C., to Fort Bragg, California. Councilor Ken Gregg said he didn’t want to put the issue aside permanently and recommended revisiting the issue in six months, noting the city has a number to projects in the immediate future. Directions from a recent council goal-setting session called for more communication, with involvement by staff, to connect with community members, said Cassaleggio. Other tasks include revising development codes and the comprehensive plan, considering expansion of the town’s urban growth boundaries and figuring out how to fund the Police Department, he said. National organization requirements for the Bee City status include creation of a leadership committee, designation of a staff member as liaison to the committee and designation of a city department to serve as a sponsor for the committee. Before it applies to the national organization for designation, City Council would need to approve a resolution calling for education of citizens on pollinators, enhancing native habitat and reducing or eliminating synthetic pesticides. “I’ve met a number of folks in Jacksonville who are excited about this and want to help out,” Swartz said before the meeting. She was dressed in a pollinator costume when she appeared before the council. "There’s a great little team of people that’s coming together." The Beekman Arboretum is being redeveloped and will be a pesticide-free area for pollinators, Swartz told the council. She is a member of the Pollinator Project of the Rogue Valley and has met with the Jacksonville Garden Club to discuss her pursuit. — Tony Boom is an Ashland freelance writer. Reach him at [email protected].