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TESTIMONY AT COUNCIL MEETING <br /> September 18, 2007 <br /> <br /> RE: SIGN CODE RESOLiJTION <br /> BY: ELIZABETH W. MEYERSON <br /> 74-5196 KANAI PLACE <br /> KAILUA-KONA, HI 96740 <br /> 808-936-0383 <br /> <br /> All laws should be enforced. If there is a law on the books, it needs to be enforced <br /> <br /> proactively, equally, and in a timely manner. Law-abiding business owners become very <br /> <br /> upset when they see other owners "getting away with" ignoring the law. Many new <br /> business owners do not follow the sign laws because they see others breaking the law <br /> with impunity. <br /> As former owners of a tour business in Kona, my husband and I had thousands of <br /> opportunities to talk with tourists during our eight hour tours. Unfortunately these <br /> tourists all mentioned the gaudy appearance of Kona-the large plastic banners, the ugly <br /> sandwich boards, and random real estate signs along the roads. Our guests questioned <br /> why such visual pollution was allowed. Fortunately I could answer that people from the <br /> community (including us) were assisting a Council member in preparing a sign code <br /> revision. Three years later the revision was passed by the Council giving us all great <br /> hope that things would change with regard to enforcement since the process now only <br /> involved fines and seizure not a court case as previously required. Things did change, for <br /> the worse. The problem was that there was no proactive enforcement. In order to make <br /> the enforcement procedure work, an inspection officer must go out and document the <br /> illegalities, issue warnings immediately, and then fines if the signs are not removed, <br /> rather than wait for citizen complaints. People who have complained in the past were <br /> fivstrated because nothing was done to rectify the problem. <br /> Now that the sign code allows a Public Works Department official or a designee to <br /> enforce the code, the law must be enforced uniformly without exception. When this is <br /> done other potential law ignorers will realize that breaking the law costs them money. <br /> Therefore, I heartily endorse the sign code resolution to facilitate the process. It will <br /> provide teeth and fairness to the enforcement of the sign~pcod~e.~ ~ <br /> ~?~~a~ <br /> Ref. To, Rr~ <br /> Ref. Dafe <br /> SSEP aB ?Qp~ <br /> <br />