HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0872.002 2010-2012 TESTIMONY AGAINST Bill 316
Chickens permitted in residential areas — Hawaii
County
Good morning members of the Council.
My home is at 65 Punahele Street in the City of Hilo, and I
oppose this bill.
This proposed amendment is well intentioned, but requires
much more research before being considered. This should
include but not be limited to:
• Poll all owners of all affected properties for their
opinions. The time allotted for testimony is insufficient
Further, most people don't attend because they work or
have other commitments. Since the effect is County
wide with potential for abuse/non-compliance and
possible negative impacts on our property values, more
input from our neighbors should be pursued.
• Laws generally are for "law abiding people" and judging
by the initiation of this Bill, there are quite a few people
who are in violation right now.
• Consider the additional layer of enforcement which
places 24/7/365 on either on the 4 (2 East/2West
Hawaii) Zoning Inspectors/the single Department of
Health Inspector and, failing all else, the police for the
after hours, weekends and all other times that County
and State government personnel aren't available.
• Our neighborhood had been "chicken free" thanks to
our neighbor, Victoria Sims, who had previously
trapped, found homes for or dropped the 50 or so
feral/wild/"at large" poultry at the Humane Society.
Since late March, 2012, we have been living under the
"chicken cloud" when one of our neighbors decided to
feed a "fowl couple" resulting in approximately 20 plus
roosters, 40 hens and at least to 100 chicks in various
stages of development by the end of June, 2012. I
Comm. No. ° ' Z'
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Ref. Date ,OCT 1 6 1012
made a zoning violation complaint with pictures and a
narrative. Our neighbors, 7 families, above and below
Komohana aren't happy with the influx of poultry.
Gardens and plants were destroyed or ruined by
chickens scratching our yards. Unwanted and caustic
fertilizer was deposited on our roofs, driveways, patios,
porches, water heaters. Roosters started crowing from
sometimes around midnight, but more commonly from
3 or 4 AM each day, 7 days a week and intermittently
for long periods all day, every day. A mature rooster
crows just about every 10 seconds while the immature
go off every 7 seconds. So, in 10 minutes, 3 mature
roosters can crow 180 times and 3 immature, 255
times. Penned chickens do get loose. As to the rooster
prohibition, where do we think that the feral/wild/"at
large" roosters will seek chickens? And, we are still
trying to trap the remaining chickens/roosters.
• How about the potential breeding ground for flies, lice,
mites, rats and even avian flu. And then there's E.
coli/salmonella.
• Who determines where downwind is from the manure.
What about allergies.
• I support my local egg farmers for everyone's
sustainability so they aren't forced to close down like
some of our dairies and fruit/vegetable farmers have
had to.
• There's no evidence in our yard, that any of these
scratching, noisy, dirty creatures has made any dent in
our coqui population.
• Kauai's chicken infestation is biblical. There's even talk
about the chicken being their County bird! Key in
"Kauai feral chickens" you'll see articles in the Wall
Street Journal and articles from our local news stations
on the "cute" chickens and the possible devastating
result.
I would ask you to seriously consider enacting an
Ordinance instead of this amendment for a total ban on
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feeding feral/wild/"at large" chickens and roosters in this
County, while we can still call ourselves the Orchid Isle.
Thank you!
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