COM 0067.041 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Jennifer Shibuya testimony. Bill 345 TESTIMONY- BII,L 345 My name is Jennifer Shibuya and I am testifying in opposition to Bill 345. I agree there is a need for treatment facilities. I believe the whole community would benefit from more treatment services, but in order for that to happen it would be prudent for a bill to be passed that fully addressed the issue not just aband-aid fix. There aze too many holes in Bill 345. If we are going to fill the need for treatment facilities on this island we should do it right. This should involve soliciting community input about how to make this happen and creating some sort of master plan that addresses the needs of all affected parties. Telling people many of whom have lived in their residential neighborhood for yeazs, which was most likely by choice and many years of hard work, that you are going to have a business as your neighbor and if you don't like it too bad. Would these facilities be used as an alternative for person who might otherwise be sentenced to prison? There are many unanswered questions. These are issues that could potentially break apart a community, not bring it together. Part of the bill states "not more than eight unrelated persons, plus any program staff'. Exactly how many people are appropriate as staff? Is one staff member sufficient for eight people? Would it be okay for 10 program staff to live in the house too? The bill also states nothing about how many people can reside in one bedroom, how much personal space each person is entitled to, how many bedrooms and bathrooms the home should have. Is this bill stating that eight unrelated people living together in a one- bedroom one-bath home is okay? If I had a loved one who needed treatment I would want fewer not more people living in the house and I would want to have peace of mind knowing that they were in a therapeutic environment. I would also want regulations in Comm. No. ~~f• To:Preis ht,f. Late J N