HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0658.006 2006-2008 TESTIMONY AT COUNCIL MEETING
September 18, 2007
RE: SIGN CODE RESOLiJTION
BY: ELIZABETH W. MEYERSON
74-5196 KANAI PLACE
KAILUA-KONA, HI 96740
808-936-0383
All laws should be enforced. If there is a law on the books, it needs to be enforced
proactively, equally, and in a timely manner. Law-abiding business owners become very
upset when they see other owners "getting away with" ignoring the law. Many new
business owners do not follow the sign laws because they see others breaking the law
with impunity.
As former owners of a tour business in Kona, my husband and I had thousands of
opportunities to talk with tourists during our eight hour tours. Unfortunately these
tourists all mentioned the gaudy appearance of Kona-the large plastic banners, the ugly
sandwich boards, and random real estate signs along the roads. Our guests questioned
why such visual pollution was allowed. Fortunately I could answer that people from the
community (including us) were assisting a Council member in preparing a sign code
revision. Three years later the revision was passed by the Council giving us all great
hope that things would change with regard to enforcement since the process now only
involved fines and seizure not a court case as previously required. Things did change, for
the worse. The problem was that there was no proactive enforcement. In order to make
the enforcement procedure work, an inspection officer must go out and document the
illegalities, issue warnings immediately, and then fines if the signs are not removed,
rather than wait for citizen complaints. People who have complained in the past were
fivstrated because nothing was done to rectify the problem.
Now that the sign code allows a Public Works Department official or a designee to
enforce the code, the law must be enforced uniformly without exception. When this is
done other potential law ignorers will realize that breaking the law costs them money.
Therefore, I heartily endorse the sign code resolution to facilitate the process. It will
provide teeth and fairness to the enforcement of the sign~pcod~e.~ ~
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