HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/09/2016 Public hearing transcript on BILL#2617 PUBLIC HEARING
MARCH 9, 2016
A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to
order by Arryl Kaneshiro, Chair, Budget & Finance Committee, on Wednesday,
March 9, 2016, at 1:37 p.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201,
Historic County Building, Lihu`e, and the presence of the following was noted:
Honorable Gary L. Hooser
Honorable Ross Kagawa (present at 1:39 p.m.)
Honorable Arryl Kaneshiro
Honorable KipuKai Kuali`i
Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura (present at 1:39 p.m.)
Honorable Mel Rapozo
Excused: Honorable Mason K. Chock
The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following:
"Bill No. 2617 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE
AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. B-2015-796, AS AMENDED, RELATING
TO THE OPERATING BUDGET OF THE COUNTY OF KAUAI,
STATE OF HAWAII, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY 1, 2015 THROUGH
JUNE 30, 2016, BY REVISING THE AMOUNTS ESTIMATED IN THE
GENERAL FUND (Kaua`i Humane Society Barking Dog Enforcement -
$33,901),"
which was passed on first reading and ordered to print by the Council of the County
of Kaua`i on February 10, 2016, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on
February 18, 2016.
The hearing proceeded as follows:
SCOTT K. SATO, Deputy County Clerk: We have received no written
testimony and we have one registered speaker. The first speaker is Bill Peterson
representing himself.
BILL PETERSON: I am a resident of Kapa'a and I am here
today to speak in favor of Bill No. 2617. When I was a young officer in training, my
Drill Instructor told me, "Never give an order you do not think will be obeyed and if
you do give an order, make darn sure it is obeyed." He said it a little rougher than
that. Laws are the same. Never pass a law you cannot or will not enforce and if
you do pass a law, make darn sure it is enforced. That is why I am here today. Bill
No. 2604, the Barking Dog Ordinance, is not a perfect law. It makes it far too easy
for our owners of barking dogs and far too difficult for their suffering neighbors to
resolve these barking dog issues, but it is the law that we have and our challenge is
to make it work for everyone. Without the funding provided in Bill No. 2617 for an
enforcement officer, this law is not an angry Bulldog, it is a toothless Chihuahua. It
will be unenforceable. That would make this Council look weak and what is worst,
PUBLIC HEARING 2 MARCH 9, 2016
BILL NO. 2617
irrelevant. Please fund the Barking Dog Ordinance on behalf of all the sleepless
residents of Kapa`a. Thank you.
Committee Chair Kaneshiro: Thank you.
BRUCE HART: We all worked really hard so that we would
have the Barking Dog Ordinance. It has taken a long time and it really is not
complete without an enforcement officer, therefore, we need one. I do not think that
is the real question for me, but more about "Who is it." Who is going to be the
Enforcement Officer? Who is actually going to do the job? I would like a job
description. I would like to hear just how this officer is going to operate. There
must be some kind of idea before we give them the money. In other words if a
complaint comes in, how does this work? I think we should go through a
hypothetical situation so that we can see problems before they occur after we give
them the funding. So I would like to see a job description and see that the job is
done, because if we just give the appropriations and we hire somebody, do we know
if we have a plan as to how they are going to operate? Thank you.
Committee Chair Kaneshiro: Anyone else in the audience wishing to
testify?
There being no further testimony, the public hearing adjourned at 1:42 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
SC TT K. SAT•
Deputy County Clerk
:dmc