HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0022.066 2004-2006 f. ~i
April 1, 2005 _ _i
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Council Chairman Gary Safarik
Members of Hawaii County Council
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Dear Chairman Safarik and Council Members:
We attended the meeting held at Waimea Elementary School Cafeteria on Monday, March 28,
2005 regarding BiI14, Draft 5, along with several members of the dog community.
Present at the meeting was Barbaza Lively, Mt. Jacobson's Council Aide. She stated that she
was the facilitator and would be keeping everyone who spoke adhered to the agenda for the
evening. At one point in the meeting, she got extremely frustrated and expressed extreme "anti-
dogbias." She stated that Mr. Jacobson's office received "hundreds of complaints everyday
from people trying to walk in their subdivisions about barking dogs and that this was destroying
their "quality of life". Upon questioning her about the validity of that claim she made, she
corrected herself and said there were many complaints about "biting dogs". We in the audience
all heazd "barking dogs". Most of us in the audience prefer our dogs to bark when people walk
by our house. Our dogs aze there to alert us that there aze strangers in the neighborhood whether
is is a walker or a jogger Another person questioned her about her "quality of life" statement.
She immediately reminded everyone to stay on the agenda, yet she is the one who used that
statement to begin with. Our question to you is what gave her the right to make an anti-dog or
biased statement as facilitators should be unbiased Since Barbara Lively works for Mr.
,iacobson, she should not be asked to manage a meeting where her boss is the Councilman who
introduced this bill. We would like to receive copies of the "hundreds" of alleged citizen
complaints that Ms. Lively referred to regarding dog barking and biting received by Councilman
Jacobson. Please send these to my mailing address. These statements prove that there is an
agenda behind the proposed ordinance that is "anti-dog".
We have many concerns regarding the language ofBi114, Draft 5. Section 4-12 regazding Dog
License Fees is very troubling. Why aeen't cats having to buy licenses? Why should dogs
contribute to the spay-neuter fund when there are many more cats than dogs in this county? As
bird hunters, we have seen stray cats become "feral" and attack gamebirds as well as native
birds. Yet, people are being allowed to feed these feral cats ai various locations around the
island. Shouldn't this be monitored and shouldn't there be a penalty for hazboring and feeding
stray cats like there are penalties for harboring stray dogs? Cats are allowed to roam free as
there aze no leash laws pertaining to cats. Many are run over on the roads every day. Is that
humane? Many end up in shelters only to be put down. There aren't enough homes out there to
adopt them. Cats tease dogs and cause them to bazk Our dogs are confined in kennel runs, and
the neighbor's cat will sit on the wall and tease it by twirling her tail and purring and staring at
them. How fair is that?
Comm. No. 2 Z.
Ref. To:
Ref. Uate
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they azen't in distress unless a stranger approaches and tries to push them from the outside. No
one from the humane society contacted us before cutting ow fence. The officer trespassed on
private property and caused property damage. By scaring ow goat, she also could have caused
more harm to it as the goat is not accustomed to her. These people cannot be the enforcers of
this law because they have no law enforcement experience, nor the willingness to work with
people before taking matters into their own hands.
[n closing, please do not pass Bill 4, Act 5 until you have a group from all walks of the
community represented and given their fair chance for input. No laws should be passed to
satisfy a few wmplainers, and by doing so, penalize all responsible dog owners. Hawaii County
needs input from all people, not just the "malihini" who are used to this on the Mainland Some
of these "newcomers" have destroyed ow quality of life that we have been used to all these
years. The new subdivisions which the County approves have encroached on our feeling of
openness and natwal beauty of the land The "aina" is treaswed by the kama'ainas. We urge
you to consider the rights of those who Have lived and paid taxes towazd ow County of Hawaii
all ow lives.
Smeerely,
Sandy T. Sugiyama
Diane Kimura-Sugiyama
PO Box 2
Kamuela, Hawaii 96743
Phone: 885-4176
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