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HomeMy WebLinkAbout07/05/2012 FINANCE/PARKS & RECREATION/PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS Committee MeetingMINUTES FINANCE / PARKS & RECREATION / PUBLIC WORKS PROGRAMS COMMITTEE July 5, 2012 A meeting of the Finance / Parks & Recreation / Public Works Programs Committee of the Council of the County of Kaua`i, State of Hawai`i, was called to order by Councilmember Tim Bynum, Chair, at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Lihu`e, Kaua`i, on Wednesday, July 5, 2012, at 1:39 p.m., after which the following members answered the call of the roll: Honorable Tim Bynum Honorable KipuKai Kuali`i Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura Honorable Mel Rapozo Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura (present at 1:43 p.m.) Honorable Dickie Chang, Ex- Officio Member Honorable Jay Furfaro, Ex- Officio Member There being no objections, the rules were suspended to take public testimony. CHRISTOPHER TAKENAKA: I want to speak on the proposed ban for no smoking in County Parks. I already testified on this before so I am just going to reiterate that it is not what we are telling our smoking family and friends. I have been raised with one (1) chronic smoker — that is not what we are telling them to go or where they cannot go to do their thing. It is about I and my son would like to go to do our thing. Our thing is being clean and healthy, and so I want to see a nice balanced structure between the two (2) parties. We do have parks such as Kamalani Playground that are designated primarily for family use, outside of an occasional and hopefully rare vandalism. For the most part, they are used as such and it is a social pressure that comes into play more than the law enforcement side of it when you have families who come together with the same objectives is having children present and people with breathing challenges and such. We kind of naturally segregate ourselves, if you will, when we have to have functions such as baby luau or something, you always find those kinds of things going on. However, in a general sense of using these parks, we would like to see or... when I say "we," it is my son and I because he is doing his thing in Summer Fun and whatnot, but we would like to see less residue from the smoking as well. I think that is part of this thing... when we can cut down the smoking and even if they are throwing it in the trash, it is still there. My understanding is technically it probably should not be in the trash but it is kind of an impractical thing. What I would like to see is that when I go to the park with my son, I can be free of the smoke and the residue, this is both smoke in the air and ash on the ground, that is my thing. My son just turned eleven (11) and I would like to see him turn a hundred eleven (111) on the FPP COMMITTEE MEETING 2 JULY 5, 2012 same island; I would not see him, but maybe he can see me turn a hundred eleven (111), who knows. I deal with the smoking on the road, that is bad enough already. I get hit all the time with butts and stuff and lit ones in my face and stuff. Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Chris. Is there anyone else in the audience that would like to speak on any item on the agenda? You will be limited to three (3) minutes and there will be no Q &A from the members. Please, come right up and introduce yourself. CARA SADIRA: I am here for the tobacco treatment specialist from Child & Family Service and I wanted to speak on Bill No. 2437, the introduction to ban the cigarettes from the parks. I just wanted to remind the Council how incredible it is to quit smoking. For the folks who come to see me, often times they do not want to quit but are quitting because of doctor's... I would not say "orders" but doctor advising them that this is necessary for their health or survival. To stop a disease, to stop an addiction that is causing a disease is so incredibly difficult that to then often people work at it for months up to a year and many years. When they finally quit smoking, to then go to public places where they have no choice but to breathe in the smoke does trigger relapse. It triggers relapse in people who have tried desperately to better their lives. Not only to better their lives but to extend their lives. I also agree that they are personal liberties and personal freedoms, but we have to look at people who are facing life threatening situations and are now thrust back into a place where unwillingly they are breathing something that triggers relapse. We want to protect people's health and protect people's right to not be subject to inhaling something that they tried for years to get off of. I just wanted to represent that part of the population. Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. I am going to go ahead and turn the meetings over to the respective Committee Chairpersons and we will start with the Economic Development. Mr. Chang that is your Committee. There being no objections, the Committee was in recess at 1:46 p.m. The Committee reconvened at 2:31 p.m., and proceeded on its agenda item as follows: Minutes of the June 20, 2012 Finance / Parks & Recreation / Public Works Programs Committee meeting. Upon motion duly made by Councilmember Yukimura, seconded by Councilmember Kuali`i, and unanimously carried, the Minutes of the June 20, 2012 Finance / Parks & Recreation / Public Works Programs Committee was approved. The Committee proceeded on its agenda item, as shown in the following Committee Report which is incorporated herein by reference: FPP COMMITTEE MEETING 3 JULY 5, 2012 CR -FPP 2012 -09: on Bill No. 2437 A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND SECTION 19 -1.3 AND SECTION 19 -1.4 OF THE KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO PARKS AND RECREATION [Approved as Amended.] There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:12 p.m. Aida Okasaki Legislative Services Aide APPROVED at the Committee Meeting held on August 29, 2012: 1�t TIM B NUM CHAIR, FPP COMMITTEE Respectfully submitted,