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<br />From:Naomi Melamed <br />To:LPCtestimony <br />Subject:LPC 9/19/24 Agenda Item #4 Testimony <br />Date:Monday, September 9, 2024 8:17:01 PM <br />Aloha Commissioners, <br />Mahalo to you all for your great work for the Leeward side of this beautiful Big Island. <br />My name is Naomi Melamed, and I am a part of a grassroots coalition Safe Tech <br />Hawaii. I work together with a group of Hawaii residents to educate and empower <br />individuals, schools, businesses to take a responsible approach to technology. We <br />support connectivity and have been advocating for increased privacy, health, and <br />safety, with the fastest connectivity possible. We have been in communication with <br />Hawaiian Telcom and other IT companies local to the Big Island as they embarked <br />upon connecting Fiber Optics widely in the last few years. We fully support Fiber <br />Optics and hope to promote more of its buildout as it is the fastest, safest and most <br />secure connection. Other juristictions who have chosen Fiber Optics brag many <br />economical and social advantages, not to mention the threat of injury through EMF <br />exposure is greatly reduced. <br />Fiber Optics could be a public utility, and is in other areas across the country. Moving <br />in the direction of fast-tracking cell tower installation is a big business venture, which <br />puts the power of connectivity at high cost to the consumer, greater risk for privacy <br />invasion, and greater exposure of the public to harmful radiation, to name a few <br />challenges... <br />I support Council Member Cindy Evans' proposed telecommunications ordinance, Bill <br />194, which had already been forwarded to you. The new ordinance proposed by the <br />Director is too sympathetic to the telecommunications industry with not enough <br />protections for our community. <br />It allows for towers and antennas in ALL zoning districts with NO permitting process <br />and not enough requirements. It gives total power to Planning with no other agencies <br />involved. <br />Please consider Council Member Evans proposed ordinance which has clear, <br />attainable permit requirements. It is the perfect balance between the health, safety <br />and welfare needs of the people and the needs of the tech industry. <br /> <br />