The conference room was buzzing Monday night as about 50 people waited for the Human Services Committee to convene. Some chatted about the 20-minute delay, while others brushed up on their knowledge of bees.

In the very back of the room at Evanston Civic Center, wearing a “Beat New Trier” shirt, stood 14-year-old Gabriel Jacobs, an Evanston Township High School freshman who recently became a fan of bees. He said he read a book about them and was bitten by the bug.

Pacing from side to side — “I always pace,” he said — it looked as though he was practicing for the most important speech of his life. He pushed his wavy hair out of his eyes, cleared his throat and waited. Then, finally, after listening to discussions about budgets and homelessness, the committee approached the thorny subject — a proposed law that would prohibit beekeeping in Evanston.