HomeMy WebLinkAbout02_09_2022 Public hearing minutes on BILL 2842PUBLIC HEARING
FEBRUARY 9, 2022
A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to order by
Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr., Chair, Parks & Recreation / Transportation Committee, on
Wednesday, February 9, 2022, at 8:50 a.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice
Street, Suite 201, Historic County Building, Lihu`e, and the presence of the following
was noted:
Honorable Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr.
Honorable Mason K. Chock
Honorable Felicia Cowden
Honorable Bill DeCosta
Honorable Luke A. Evslin
Honorable KipuKai Kuali`i
Honorable Arryl Kaneshiro
Committee Chair Kaneshiro:Please note that we will run today's
meeting pursuant to the Governor's COVID-19 Response Emergency Proclamation
with the most recent relating to the Sunshine Law dated January 26, 2022.
The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following:
Bill No. 2842 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING
CHAPTER 19, KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING
TO PUBLIC PARKS AND RECREATION, AND CHAPTER 22, KAUAI
COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO GENERAL
PROVISIONS RELATING TO PUBLIC HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE,"
which was passed on first reading and ordered to print by the Council of the County
of Kaua`i on January 12, 2022, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on
January 21, 2022.
The following communications were received for the record:
1. A, Sarah, dated January 29, 2022
2. A., Anne, dated January 30, 2022
3. Abney, Patrisha, dated January 30, 2022
4. Adamd, Betty, dated January 29, 2022
5. Adams, William, dated January 29, 2022
6. Adarkar, Bharat, dated January 29, 2022
7. Agnew, Brenda, dated January 29, 2022
8. Ahlstrand, Heidi, dated January 30, 2022
9. Ahrens, Elaine, dated January 30, 2022
10. Akita, Maxine, dated February 3, 2022
11. Alessandra, Marilyn, dated January 29, 2022
12. Alexander, Bonnie, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 2 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
13. Alexander, Jane, dated January 29, 2022
14. Allen, Anthony, dated February 5, 2022
15. Allen, Joan, dated January 29, 2022
16. Allen, Joanne, dated January 29, 2022
17. Alleyne-Chin, Donna, dated January 29, 2022
18. Altman, Allen, dated January 29, 2022
19. Amand, Wilbur, dated January 29, 2022
20. Amann, Marianne, dated January 29, 2022
21. Ananthakrishnan, Heidi, dated January 29, 2022
22. Andaloro, Bernadette, dated January 29, 2022
23. Anderson, Becky, dated January 29, 2022
24. Anderson, Betsy, dated January 21, 2022
25. Anderson, Betsy, dated January 24, 2022
26. Anderton, Elena, dated February 4, 2022
27. Andrade, Jenny, dated January 31, 2022
28. Andrade, Jenny, dated January 30, 2022
29. Andrew, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
30. Andrews, Rosalind, dated January 29, 2022
31. Angell, Bryony, dated January 29, 2022
32. Angell, JL, dated January 29, 2022
33. Angus, Billy, dated January 29, 2022
34. Applebaum, Doris, dated January 29, 2022
35. Apuna, Kellen, dated February 8, 2022
36. Arbuckle, Nancy, dated January 29, 2022
37. Armstrong, Ahlea, dated January 16, 2022
38. Armstrong, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
39. Arn, Linda, dated January 30, 2022
40. Arneson, Andrew, dated January 29, 2022
41. Aronoff, Nina, dated January 29, 2022
42. Asselta, Krin, dated January 30, 2022
43. Asturias, Rachel, dated January 29, 2022
44. Attanasso, Lynne, dated January 29, 2022
45. Avila, Dayana, dated January 29, 2022
46. Bader, William, dated January 29, 2022
47. Bailie, Janae, dated January 29, 2022
48. Bailie, Janae, dated January 29, 2022
49. Baird, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
50. Bal, Steven, dated January 29, 2022
51. Baldo, Marilyn, dated January 29, 2022
52. Balk, Sue, dated January 29, 2022
53. Ball, Carol, dated January 29, 2022
54. Banks, Jerry, dated January 29, 2022
55. Baratz, Alan, dated January 29, 2022
56. Barber, Cynthia, dated January 29, 2022
57. Barclay, Lauren, dated February 9, 2022
58. Barnard, Sylvia, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 3 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
59. Barnes, Allison, dated January 29, 2022
60. Barnes, Ann, dated January 29, 2022
61. Barnes, Richard, dated January 29, 2022
62. Barringer, Joyce, dated January 29, 2022
63. Barry, Marina, dated January 29, 2022
64. Barski, Donna, dated January 30, 2022
65. Bass, Oron, dated January 30, 2022
66. Bass, Oron, dated January 29, 2022
67. Bauer, Kelly, dated January 29, 2022
68. Baum, Miriam, dated January 29, 2022
69. Bean, F, dated January 29, 2022
70. Beck, Donald C, dated January 29, 2022
71. Becker, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
72. Becker, Elaine, dated January 29, 2022
73. Behrens, Joanna, dated January 29, 2022
74. Bell, James, dated January 29, 2022
75. Bell, James Tyler, dated February 6, 2022
76. Bellis, Rachel on behalf of PETA, dated February 7, 2022
77. Benes, Michelle, dated January 29, 2022
78. Benson, Eric, dated January 29, 2022
79. Bergen, Peggy, dated January 30, 2022
80. Berkeley, Pauline, dated January 29, 2022
81. Berlan, Debra, dated January 29, 2022
82. Beville, Richard, dated January 29, 2022
83. Bey, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
84. Bheredia, RN, dated January 29, 2022
85. Biggins, Henry, dated January 29, 2022
86. Bilyeu, George, dated January 29, 2022
87. Black, Sylvia, dated January 29, 2022
88. Blackburn, Jen, dated January 29, 2022
89. Blackburn, Paul, dated January 29, 2022
90. Blackley, Michelle, dated January 29, 2022
91. Blackwell-Marchant, Patricia, dated January 29, 2022
92. Blonder, Nick, dated January 17, 2022
93. Bobe, Pablo, dated January 29, 2022
94. Boguske, Matthew, dated January 29, 2022
95. Bonetti, Donna, dated January 29, 2022
96. Bonner, Tracey, dated January 29, 2022
97. Bonus, Natalie, dated January 29, 2022
98. Boothe, Dawn, dated January 29, 2022
99. Bordeaux, Judi, dated January 29, 2022
100. Borrero, Shirley, dated January 29, 2022
101. Borske, Cindy, dated January 29, 2022
102. Borso, Pam, dated January 29, 2022
103. Boss, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
104. Bostock, Vic, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 4 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
105. Bowen, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
106. Box, Ken, dated January 29, 2022
107. Bradley, Al, dated January 29, 2022
108. Bradley, Kathy, dated January 29, 2022
109. Bradley, Stacey, dated January 29, 2022
110. Brandes, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
111. Brandon, Jennifer, dated January 29, 2022
112. Bravo, Oly, dated January 29, 2022
113. Bremer, Karen and Bill, dated January 16, 2022
114. Brenner, Jared, dated January 29, 2022
115. Brenza, Tina, dated January 29, 2022
116. Brewer, Georgia, dated January 29, 2022
117. Brittingham, Bobby, dated February 8, 2022
118. Brooker, Gary, dated January 29, 2022
119. Brooks, Paul, dated January 31, 2022
120. Brown, Duncan, dated January 29, 2022
121. Brown, Edith, dated January 29, 2022
122. Brown, Gregory, dated January 29, 2022
123. Brown, John, dated January 29, 2022
124. Bruce, Edie, dated January 29, 2022
125. Bruscher, Mark, dated January 29, 2022
126. Bryant, William, dated January 29, 2022
127. Bullock, Tammy, dated January 29, 2022
128. Bunting, Mary C, dated January 29, 2022
129. Burger, Ryan, dated January 29, 2022
130. Burgess, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
131. Burgess, Sara, dated January29, 2022g
132. Burket, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
133. Burns, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
134. Burns, Charlie, dated January 29, 2022
135. Burns, Christine, dated January 18, 2022
136. Burridge, John, dated January 29, 2022
137. Burton, Martha, dated January 29, 2022
138. Busch, Kimberly, dated January 14, 2022
139. Bushnell, Kay, dated January 29, 2022
140. Bussard, Thomas, dated January 29, 2022
141. Bussing, Lenore, dated January 29, 2022
142. Buttimer, Dee, dated January 29, 2022
143. Cagan, Beth, dated January 29, 2022
144. Caicco, Jody, dated January 29, 2022
145. Calambro, Leslies, dated January 29, 2022
146. Callen, Mary, dated January 30, 2022
147. Cameron, Jean, dated January 29, 2022
148. Camp, Janelle, dated January 29, 2022
149. Campbell, David, dated January 29, 2022
150. Campbell, Dudley and Candace, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 5 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
151. Canright, Rebecca, dated January 29, 2022
152. Carbiener, Karen, dated January 31, 2022
153. Carella, Len, dated January 30, 2022
154. Carr, Sarah, dated January 29, 2022
155. Castaneda-Mendez, Kicab, dated January 29, 2022
156. Castelli-Hill, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
157. Castillo, Rita, dated January 29, 2022
158. Cecere, Lorraine, dated January 29, 2022
159. celiaallnee@aol.com, dated January 31, 2022
160. Cervera, Isabel, dated January 31, 2022
161. Chamberlain, Debrah, dated January 30, 2022
162. Chandler, Gigi, dated January 29, 2022
163. Chandler, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
164. Chang, Josephine, dated January 29, 2022 (8:08 p.m.)
165. Chang, Josephine, dated January 29, 2022 (8:06 p.m.)
166. Chao, Dinah on behalf of Kaua`i Animal Welfare Society, dated
February 9, 2022
167. Chapman, Melinda, dated January 31, 2022
168. Charlebois, Stacie, dated January 30, 2022
169. Chartier, Allen, dated January 29, 2022
170. Chaves, Salissa, dated January 29, 2022
171. Chilcoat, Carvel, dated January 30, 2022
172. Chornock, Thomas, dated January 29, 2022
173. Chudzik, Mark, dated January 29, 2022 (11:46 a.m.)
174. Chudzik, Mark, dated JanuarY 29, 2022 (11:33 a.m.)
175. Church, Janelle, dated January 29, 2022
176. Ciancibelli, Allison, dated January 29, 2022
177. Cisna, Todd, dated January 29, 2022
178. Clapp, Leslie, dated January 30, 2022
179. Clapper, David, dated January 29, 2022
180. Clark, Tina, dated January 29, 2022
181. Claypool, Roberta, dated January 29, 2022
182. Cliver, Keith, dated January 29, 2022
183. Cohen, Jason, dated January 29, 2022
184. Colby, Candace, dated January 29, 2022
185. Cole, Bruce, dated January 29, 2022
186. Cole, Tracy, dated January 29, 2022
187. Coleman, Robin, dated January 29, 2022
188. Collins, Carol, dated January 29, 2022
189. Collins, John, dated January 29, 2022
190. Collins, Kathleen, dated January 29, 2022
191. Colter, Carolee, dated January 29, 2022
192. Combs, Debi, dated January 30, 2022
193. Comrack, Janine, dated January 29, 2022
194. Comunale, Elliot, dated January 29, 2022
195. Conca, Joan, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 6 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
196. Conway, Maurene, dated January 30, 2022
197. Cook, Carla, dated January 29, 2022
198. Cook, Gordon, dated January 30, 2022
199. Cooke, Douglas, dated January 29, 2022
200. Coon, Patricia, dated January 16, 2022
201. Coppersmith, Terri, dated January 29, 2022
202. Coppotelli, Fred, dated January 29, 2022
203. Cotton, Christine, dated January 29, 2022
204. Couch, Sandra, dated January 29, 2022
205. Countryman-Mills, G., dated January 29, 2022
206. Cowens, Kathleen, dated January 30, 2022
207. Coyle, Nora, dated January 29, 2022
208. Craig, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
209. Crampton, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
210. Crampton, Lisa "Cali", dated February 8, 2022
211. Croft, Shannon, dated January 29, 2022
212. Cross, Heather, dated January 29, 2022
213. Crowley, Lawrence, dated January 29, 2022
214. Crum, Cathy, dated January 29, 2022
215. Cummings, Elizabeth, dated January 29, 2022
216. Curtis, Cathy, dated January 31, 2022
217. Curtis, Marie, dated January 29, 2022
218. Cusano, Joseph, dated January 29, 2022
219. Cutler, Cheryl, dated January 29, 2022
220. Cutts, Matt, dated January 30, 2022
221. Dallain, Maryse, dated January 18, 2022
222. Dallin, Eric, dated January 29, 2022
223. Daloia, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
224. Dalton, Judy, dated February 9, 2022
225. Daniel, Jack, dated January 30, 2022
226. Dannhauser, Janice, dated January 29, 2022
227. Darling, Carrie, dated January 30, 2022
228. Dash, Amitav, dated January 30, 2022
229. Davenport, Patricia, dated January 29, 2022
230. Davidson, Juliette, dated January 29, 2022
231. Davis, Judy, dated January 29, 2022
232. Davis, Kim, dated January 29, 2022
233. Davlantes, Nancy, dated January 29, 2022
234. Deal, Brandie, dated January 29, 2022
235. De Arteaga, Jose, dated January 29, 2022
236. Delasho, Francesca, dated January 29, 2022
237. Deleon, Audrie, dated January 30, 2022
238. Delgado, Dolores, dated January 29, 2022
239. DelGiudice, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
240. DeLoia, Jennifer, dated January 29, 2022
241. Demarais, Jackie, dated January 30, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 7 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
242. DeMotta, Mike, dated February 5, 2022 (3:44 p.m.)
243. DeMotta, Mike, dated February 5, 2022 (2:18 p.m.)
244. Demry, Kathryn, dated January 29, 2022
245. Denis, Laurie, dated January 29, 2022
246. DeRogatis, Dana, dated January 29, 2022
247. Desmond, Sheila, dated January 29, 2022
248. Deville, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
249. Devine, Karla, dated January 29, 2022
250. DeVos, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022 (11:00 a.m.)
251. DeVos, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022 (10:59 a.m.)
252. DeYenno, Allison, dated January 29, 2022
253. Diegmann, Julia, dated February 7, 2022
254. Diem, Christopher, dated January 29, 2022
255. Dieringer, Irini, dated January 29, 2022
256. Dillon, Christi, dated January 30, 2022
257. Dillon, Judy, dated January 29, 2022
258. DiNatale, Dini, dated January 29, 2022
259. Discepla, Louis, dated January 29, 2022
260. Dishman, Patricia, dated January 29, 2022
261. Dmukauskas, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
262. Dobroslawa, Dobi, dated January 30, 2022
263. Doctor, Kathleen, dated January 29, 2022
264. Donaldson, Ainsley, dated January 29, 2022
265. D'Onofrio, Adam, dated January 29, 2022
266. Dougherty, Kathy, dated January 18, 2022
267. Dougherty, Kathy, dated January 31, 2022
268. Douglas, Dianne, dated January 29, 2022
269. Doyle, April, dated January 29, 2022
270. Doyle, Polly, dated January 29, 2022
271. Dragone, Mary, dated January 29, 2022
272. Dudzinski, James, dated January 29, 2022
273. Dulac, Dawn, dated January 29, 2022
274. Dumler, Robin, dated January 29, 2022
275. Dumser, N., dated January 29, 2022
276. Duncan, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
277. Duncan, Denny, dated January 29, 2022
278. Dutcher, Alex on behalf of Hallux Ecosystem Restoration, dated
February 8, 2022
279. Dutka, Cindy M., dated January 29, 2022
280. Dutschke, Stephen, dated January 29, 2022
281. Dwyer, Virginia, dated January 29, 2022
282. Dzikowski, David, dated January 29, 2022
283. Earhart, Anne, dated February 8, 2022
284. Eckberg, Brenda, dated January 30, 2022
285. Edmondson, Dominique, dated January 29, 2022
286. Edwards, Eric, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 8 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
287. Edwards, Julie, dated January 29, 2022
288. Egeland, Suzanne, dated January 20, 2022
289. Eigo, Jim, dated January 29, 2022
290. Eisenhower, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
291. Elkin, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
292. Ellison, Kit, dated January 16, 2022
293. Ellitott, Benton, dated January 29, 2022
294. Elmo, Phyllis, dated January 30, 2022
295. Emerich, Mary, dated January 29, 2022
296. Emerich, Walter, dated January 29, 2022
297. Emerle-Sifuentes, Jennifer, dated January 29, 2022
298. Emura, Adelaide, dated January 30, 2022
299. Emura, Adelaide W., dated January 17, 2022
300. Engle, I., dated January 29, 2022
301. Enright, Elizabeth, dated January 29, 2022
302. Espinosa, Tony, dated January 29, 2022
303. Espsito, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
304. Essenmacher, Monica, dated January 29, 2022
305. Estrada, Elba, dated January 30, 2022
306. Evans, Bronwen, dated January 29, 2022
307. Evans, Keith, dated January 29, 2022
308. Evans, Keith, dated February 6, 2022
309. Evans, Stephen, dated January 29, 2022
310. Evitt, Kinney, dated January 29, 2022
311. Exon, Kim, dated January 18, 2022
312. Fahrenwald, Gill, dated January 29, 2022
313. Fair, Thomas, dated January 29, 2022
314. Farr, Jennifer, dated January 29, 2022
315. Federman, Larry, dated January 29, 2022
316. Feldmann, Drew, dated January 29, 2022
317. Felts, Karen D, dated January 29, 2022
318. Fenster, Steven, dated January 30, 2022
319. Fern, Chloe, dated February 5, 2022
320. Fernandez, Yvette, dated January 29, 2022 (9:04 a.m.)
321. Fernandez, Yvette, dated January 29, 2022 (9:04 a.m.)
322. Ferrell, George, dated January 29, 2022
323. Feild, Georgia, dated January 29, 2022
324. Field, Liz, dated January 29, 2022
325. Fifer, Nancy, dated January 29, 2022
326. Fine, Connie, dated January 29, 2022
327. Firestone, Lynne, dated January 30, 2022
328. Fischer, Claudia, dated January 29, 2022
329. Fischer, Elaine, dated January 30, 2022
330. Fite, Barbara, dated January 30, 2022
331. Flaska, Skyler, dated February 7, 2022
332. Fletcher, Jude, dated January 30, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 9 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
333. Fontaine, Cheryl, dated January 29, 2022
334. Forester, Teri, dated January 29, 2022
335. Forsell, Douglas, dated January 29, 2022
336. Fox, Cynthia, dated January 29, 2022
337. Frank, Sharon, dated January 30, 2022
338. Franklin, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
339. Franzen, Ellen, dated January 29, 2022
340. Frassl, Ingrid, dated January 29, 2022
341. Fray, Antje, dated January 29, 2022
342. Freeman, Schar, dated February 8, 2022
343. Freitas, Kitty, dated January 29, 2022
344. Frey, Brenda, dated January 29, 2022
345. Friesen, Debbie, dated January 29, 2022
346. Frisch, Camilia, dated January29, 2022
347. Fritze, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
348. Fryburg, Laura, dated January 29, 2022
349. Fugate, Peggy, dated January 29, 2022
350. Fulkerson, Renee, dated January 30, 2022
351. Furlong, Sharon, dated January 29, 2022
352. Furnal, Terry, dated January 29, 2022
353. Gaiti, Phyllis, dated January 29, 2022
354. Galbraith, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
355. Gallagher, Shannon, dated January 16, 2022
356. Garber, Sandra, dated January 29, 2022
357. Garcia, Erin, dated January 29, 2022
358. Garoutte, Claudia, dated January 29, 2022
359. Gazzola, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
360. Gehrett, Gretchen, dated January 29, 2022
361. Gemmell, Doug, dated January 29, 2022
362. Gia, Debborrah, dated January 17, 2022
363. Gia, Debborrah, dated January 17, 2022
364. Gibb, Kenneth, dated January 30, 2022
365. Gibson, Scott, dated January 29, 2022
366. Gilbert, Kris, dated January 29, 2022
367. Gill, David, dated January 29, 2022
368. Gill, Raymond, dated January 29, 2022
369. Gillono, Mark, dated January 29, 2022
370. Gingras, Brian, dated January 29, 2022
371. Gitto, Ruth, dated January 29, 2022
372. Glasser, Mark, dated January 29, 2022
373. Glassheim, Barbara, dated January 31, 2022
374. Glaston, Joe, dated January 29, 2022
375. Glesne, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
376. Glover, Tim, dated January 29, 2022
377. Godfrey, Kathy, dated January 29, 2022
378. Godlberg, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 10 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
379. Godwin, Nadine, dated January 29, 2022
380. Goin, Cody, dated January 29, 2022
381. Gonzalez, Rachel, dated January 29, 2022
382. Gorak, Martha, dated January 29, 2022
383. Gordon, Bonnie, dated January 29, 2022
384. Gorman, Laura, dated January 29, 2022
385. Gotjen, Deidre, dated January 29, 2022
386. Graff, Steve, dated January 29, 2022
387. Graham, Karen, dated January 29, 2022
388. Graham, Stuart and Jere, dated January 17, 2022
389. Gray, Dorene, dated January 29, 2022
390. Gray, Jack, dated January 29, 2022
391. Gray, Laurie, dated January 29, 2022
392. Grebe, Renee, dated January 31, 2022
393. Green, Jamie, dated January 29, 2022
394. Greenleaf, Catherine, dated January 29, 2022
395. Greenman, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
396. Greer, Jamie, dated January 29, 2022
397. Gregg, Aileen, dated January 30, 2022
398. Gregg, Jason, dated February 7, 2022
399. Gregoire, John, dated January 29, 2022
400. Gregor, Dorothy, dated January 29, 2022
401. Griffith, Julie, dated January 29, 2022
402. Gringer, Cheryl, dated January 29, 2022
403. Groce, Pam, dated January 29, 2022
404. Groves, C, dated January 29, 2022
405. Grubbs, Donna, dated January 30, 2022
406. Grunebaum, Luiza, dated January 16, 2022
407. Grzegorzewski, Mark, dated January 29, 2022
408. Guarente, Al, dated January 29, 2022
409. Guillory, Chris, dated January 29, 2022
410. Gullett, Orva M, dated January 29, 2022
411. Gurdin, J. Barry, dated January 29, 2022
412. Guthke, Kim, dated January 17, 2022
413. Guttridge, Laura, dated January 29, 2022
414. Gwynne, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
415. Hagen, John, dated January 29, 2022
416. Hall, Andrea, dated January 29, 2022
417. Hall, Holly, dated January 29, 2022
418. Hall, Johnny, dated January 29, 2022
419. Hall, Phyllis C, dated January 29, 2022
420. Hall, Sue, dated January 29, 2022
421. Hamacher, Alaina, dated January 29, 2022 (7:25 a.m.)
422. Hamacher, Alaina, dated January 29, 2022 (7:26 a.m.)
423. Hamblin, Rochelle, dated January 29, 2022
424. Hamilton, Denise, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 11 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
425. Hamilton, Pamela, dated January 30, 2022
426. Hamilton, Ronald, dated January 29, 2022
427. Hammer, Randy, dated January 29, 2022
428. Han, Richard, dated January 29, 2022
429. Hands, Eve, dated January 16, 2022
430. Hanley, Elise, dated January 29, 2022
431. Hanley, Nancy, dated January 29, 2022
432. Hanna, Karim, dated February 8, 2022
433. Hansen, Julie, dated January 29, 2022
434. Hansen, Loren, dated January 29, 2022
435. Hanson, Julie, dated January 31, 2022
436. Haram, Gerald, dated January 29, 2022
437. Harder, Kate, dated January 30, 2022
438. Harding, Faith, dated January 30, 2022
439. Hare, Jonathan, dated January 29, 2022
440. Harlow, John Christopher, dated January 31, 2022
441. Haroutian, Peter, dated January 29, 2022
442. Harper-Smith, Pam, dated January 29, 2022
443. Harris, Mary, dated January 30, 2022
444. Harrison, David, dated January 29, 2022
445. Hart, Alan, dated January 29, 2022
446. Hartman, Jonathan, dated January 29, 2022
447. Hartman, Robert, dated January 29, 2022
448. Hartz, Shelley, dated January 29, 2022
449. Harunaga, Jo-Ann, dated January 13, 2022
450. Harunaga, Jo-Ann, dated January 13, 2022
451. Harunaga, Michael, dated January 17, 2022
452. Harunaga, Michael, dated January 27, 2022
453. Hass, Marilyn, dated January 30, 2022
454. Haverkamp, Kathy, dated January 29, 2022
455. Havlick, Lauren, dated January 29, 2022
456. Havlick, Lauren, dated February 6, 2022
457. Heavyrunner, Mia, dated January 29, 2022
458. Heisler, Rebecca, dated January 30, 2022
459. Held-Warmkessel, Jeanne, dated January 29, 2022
460. Hemmy III, Victor, dated January 29, 2022
461. Hendry, Dawn, dated January 29, 2022
462. Henry, Anne, dated January 29, 2022
463. Hepfer, Anne, dated January 30, 2022
464. Heron, Veronica, dated January 29, 2022
465. Hesselink, Joanne, dated January 29, 2022
466. Hilderbrand, Valerie, dated January 30, 2022
467. Hill, Sammie, dated January 29, 2022
468. Hillman, Tami, dated January 29, 2022
469. Hirai, Richard, dated January 29, 2022
470. Hirsh, Andrea, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 12 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
471. Hoekstra, Nicole, dated January 29, 2022
472. Hoenig, Irwin, dated January 29, 2022
473. Hoffmann, Heather, dated January 29, 2022
474. Hohenshelt, Felicity, dated January 29, 2022
475. Holland, Dianna, dated January 30, 2022
476. Holton, Louise, dated February 2, 2022
477. Holton, Louise on behalf of Alley Cat Rescue, dated February 7, 2022
478. Holtz, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
479. Hook, Kanoelala, dated February 9, 2022
480. Hope, Phillip, dated January 29, 2022
481. Hopkins, Amy, dated January 29, 2022
482. Horwitz, Martin, dated January 29, 2022
483. Hough, Carla, dated January 17, 2022 (10:19 a.m.)
484. Hough, Carla, dated January 17, 2022 (10:09 a.m.)
485. Hougham, Tom, dated January 29, 2022
486. Howard, Cynthia, dated January 30, 2022
487. Howard, Jim, dated January 19, 2022
488. Howard, Paul, dated January 29, 2022
489. Hoy, Judy, dated January 29, 2022
490. Huber, Mitchel, dated January 29, 2022
491. Hufnagel, Glenn, dated January 29, 2022
492. Hujdic, Karen, dated February 5, 2022
493. Hull, Sharon, dated January 29, 2022
494. Hurtt, Kimberly, dated January 30, 2022
495. Imlay, Marc and Alice, dated January 30, 2022
496. Innamorato, Fred, dated January 30, 2022
497. Iytle, AnaStasia, dated February 5, 2022
498. Jackson, Sasha, dated January 30, 2022
499. Jacobs, Madelyn, dated February 8, 2022
500. James, Corinne, dated January 29, 2022
501. James, Phil, dated January 29, 2022
502. Janson, Sharon, dated January 29, 2022
503. Jara, Johanna, dated January 29, 2022
504. Jarvis, Astrid, dated January 29, 2022
505. Jeffords, Christopher, dated January 31, 2022
506. Jeffrey, Mary, dated January 29, 2022
507. Jena, Alice, dated January 29, 2022
508. Jennier, Jo-Ann, dated January 29, 2022
509. Jesme, Kath, dated January 29, 2022
510. Jhanna C, dated January 17, 2022
511. Jio, Patti, dated January 29, 2022
512. Johnson, Jennifer, dated January 29, 2022
513. Johnson, Michele, dated January 29, 2022
514. Johnson, Michele, dated January 29, 2022
515. Johnson, Patti, dated January 29, 2022
516. Johnson, Richard, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 13 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
517. Johnson, Vicki, dated January 29, 2022
518. Jokela, Mary and Brian, dated January 30, 2022
519. Jones, Angela, dated January 29, 2022
520. Jones, Jo, dated January 29, 2022
521. Jones, Shawn, dated January 30, 2022
522. Jones, Stephanie, dated January 29, 2022
523. Joos, Sandra, dated January 29, 2022
524. Kabat, Ellen, dated January 29, 2022
525. Kaiser, Scott, dated January 29, 2022
526. Kalka, Paula, dated January 29, 2022
527. Kalukin, Andrew, dated January 29, 2022
528. Kane, Kimeona, dated February 9, 2022
529. Kane, Martha, dated January 29, 2022
530. Kastel, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
531. Kaye, Theresa, dated January 30, 2022
532. Keale, Jenny, dated January 16, 2022
533. Kee, William, dated January 30, 2022
534. Keithler, Mary, dated January 29, 2022
535. Keller, Rudolph, dated January 29, 2022
536. Kelly, Theresa, dated January 29, 2022
537. Kendrick, Missy, dated January 30, 2022
538. Kenyon, Dawn, dated January 29, 2022
539. Kerchevall, Charlene, dated January 29, 2022
540. Kiel, Judy, dated January 16, 2022
541. Killam, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
542. Kinimaka, Harper, dated January 29, 2022
543. Kinoshita, Karen, dated February 7, 2022
544. Kirchner, John, dated January 29, 2022
545. Klass, Naomi, dated January 29, 2022
546. Klein, James, dated January 29, 2022
547. Klein, Joan, dated January 29, 2022
548. Kleinbach, Mary, dated January 29, 2022
549. Kligler, Roger, dated January 29, 2022
550. Klopp, Basey, dated January 29, 2022
551. Koff, Marilyn, dated January 29, 2022
552. Kosowicz, Aleks, dated January 29, 2022
553. Kossman, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
554. Kozhevnikova, Elvira, dated January 29, 2022
555. Kozinski, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
556. Kral, Suzanne, dated January 29, 2022
557. Kram, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
558. Krause, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
559. Krause, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
560. Kravetz, Darla, dated January 29, 2022
561. Krikorian, Linnell, dated January 29, 2022
562. Kripli, Paul, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 14 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
563. Kroner, Matt, dated January 29, 2022
564. Krupinski, K, dated January 29, 2022
565. L L, dated January 29, 2022
566. Labiner, David and Janis, dated January 29, 2022
567. Lafaver, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
568. LaGoe, Laurie, dated January 29, 2022
569. Landi, Dennis, dated January 30, 2022
570. Landskroner, Ron, dated January 29, 2022
571. Lang, Katarina, dated January 29, 2022
572. Lang, Liana, dated January 29, 2022
573. Lange, Marlena, dated January 29, 2022
574. Lanham, Lindyl, dated January 29, 2022
575. Larson, Gary, dated January 29, 2022
576. Larson, James, dated January19, 2022
577. Lava-Kellar, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
578. Lavy, Fred, dated January 29, 2022
579. Law, Constance, dated January 14, 2022
580. Lawler, Nan, dated January 30, 2022
581. Layne, Allister, dated January 29, 2022
582. Leas, Rebecca, dated January 29, 2022
583. Ledbetter, Barbara, dated January 30, 2022
584. Lee, Dottie, dated January 29, 2022
585. Lee, Hyun, dated January 29, 2022
586. Lee, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
587. LeGrow, Justin, dated January 31, 2022
588. Lengel, Elizabeth, dated January 29, 2022
589. Leong, Robin, dated January 29, 2022
590. Lepre', Elizabeth, dated January 29, 2022
591. Lester, DVM, Sally, dated January 8, 2022
592. Levin, Jon, dated January 29, 2022
593. Lewin, Ashley, dated January 29, 2022
594. Lewis, Jody, dated January 29, 2022
595. Lewis, Kristin, dated January 29, 2022
596. Liddle, Barbara Gail, dated January 29, 2022
597. Lim, Robin, dated January 29, 2022
598. Linetzky/Henderson, Bob & Mindy, dated February 7, 2022
599. Little, Joanne, dated February 8, 2022
600. Livesey-Fassel, Elaine, dated January 29, 2022
601. Livingston, Elaine, dated January 29, 2022
602. Lobel, Colleen, dated January 29, 2022
603. LoBiondo, Gina, dated January 29, 2022
604. Loebel-Fried, Caren, dated January 12, 2022
605. Loera, Wolfgang, dated January 30, 2022
606. Logan, Sharon, dated January 29, 2022
607. Logsdon, Ann, dated January 19, 2022
608. Logue, Danielle, dated January 30, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 15 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
609. Loiacono, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
610. Lombardi, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
611. Lombardi, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
612. Lombardi, Robert, dated January 29, 2022
613. Loney, Joan, dated January 29, 2022
614. Long, Elaine, dated January 29, 2022
615. Longyear, Sharon, dated January 29, 2022
616. Loomis, Gregry, dated January 29, 2022
617. Lott, Emily, dated January 29, 2022
618. Loui, Rachel, dated January 29, 2022
619. Lovitch, Derek, dated January 29, 2022
620. Lowrey, Jan, dated January 29, 2022
621. Lucas, Therese, dated January 30, 2022
622. Ludi, Gary, dated January 30, 2022
623. Lundell, Alicia, dated January 29, 2022
624. Lupien, Sue Ellen, dated January 30, 2022
625. Lurtz, Jamie, dated January 29, 2022
626. Lutteral, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
627. Lynch, Dennis, dated January 29, 2022
628. Lynch, Patricia, dated January 29, 2022
629. Lytle, Denise, dated January 30, 2022
630. M. Suzanne, dated January 30, 2022
631. MacDonald, Elida, dated January 29, 2022
632. MacDonald, Wendy, dated January 29, 2022
633. Mackey, Heather, dated January 30, 2022
634. Mackowski, Deb, dated February 1, 2022
635. MacNeil, Deidre, dated January 29 2022
636. Madaki, Elizabeth, dated January 29, 2022
637. Madsen, Jill, dated January 29, 2022
638. Madsen, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
639. Malin, Timothy, dated January 29, 2022
640. Malmid, Wendy, dated January 29, 2022
641. Man, Cave, dated January 29, 2022
642. Maney, JoAnna, dated February 9, 2022
643. Mannix, Jill, dated January 29, 2022
644. Marcolli, Frances, dated January 29, 2022
645. Marsala, Joe, dated January 29, 2022
646. Martin, Marilyn, dated January 29, 2022
647. Martin, Michele, dated January 31, 2022
648. Martinez, Debbie, dated January 29, 2022
649. Martinez, Priscilla, dated January 29, 2022
650. Marton, Diane, dated January 30, 2022
651. Mason, Kathy, dated January 29, 2022
652. Massenburg, Mary Ann, dated February 6, 2022
653. Masten, Melody, dated January 19, 2022
654. Mastri, Francis, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 16 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
655. Materi, Sandra, dated January 30, 2022
656. Matias, Franklin, dated January 30, 2022
657. Mattice, Gregory, dated January 31, 2022
658. McCane, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
659. McCleary, Bob, dated January 29, 2022
660. Mccready, Tami, dated January 29, 2022
661. McGrath, Renee, dated January 29, 2022
662. McKee, Stachel, dated January 29, 2022
663. McKenzie, Richard, dated January 30, 2022
664. Mckinley, Patti, dated January 29, 2022
665. McNulty, Louise, dated January 29, 2022
666. McShane, Mari, dated January 29, 2022
667. Medeiros, Claude, dated January 29, 2022
668. Medeiros, Kelli, dated February 7, 2022
669. Mellon, De Forest, dated January 29, 2022
670. Meredith, Judy, dated January 30, 2022
671. Merritt, Jean, dated January 29, 2022
672. Michel, Stephanie, dated January 30, 2022
673. Mih, Christine, dated January 29, 2022
674. Mikulin, Kathleen, dated January 29, 2022
675. Miller, Chemeka, dated January 30, 2022
676. Miller, Chemeka, dated January 29, 2022
677. Miller, Debra, dated January 29, 2022
678. Miller, Leah, dated February 8, 2022
679. Miller, Mike, dated February 1, 2022
680. Miller, Jr., Michael, dated January 29, 2022
681. Miller, Karen, dated January 29, 2022
682. Miller, Matthew, dated January 29, 2022
683. Miller, Meredith, dated February 9, 2022
684. Miller, Pamela, dated January 29, 2022
685. Miller, Victoria, dated January 29, 2022
686. Millu, Janis, dated January 29, 2022
687. Miloszewska, Joanna, dated January 29, 2022
688. Miracle, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
689. Miranda, Maria, dated January 29, 2022
690. Misek, Jolie, dated January 29, 2022
691. Mitchell, Caroline, dated January 30, 2022
692. Mitchell, Robert, dated January 29, 2022
693. Moczarney, Cindy, dated January 29, 2022
694. Monroe, James, dated January 29, 2022
695. Moore, Melanie, dated February 2, 2022
696. Moore, Nancy, dated January 29, 2022
697. Moosbruker, Jane, dated January 29, 2022
698. Moranbrown, Darleen, dated January 29, 2022
699. Morgan, Edward, dated January 30, 2022
700. Morgan, Paula, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 17 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
701. Morien, Celeste, dated January 29, 2022
702. Moriyasu, Pat, dated January 29, 2022
703. Morris, Chuck, dated January 29, 2022
704. Morris, Theresa, dated January 31, 2022
705. Morrison, Barb, dated January 29, 2022
706. Moschopoulos, Charity, dated January 29, 2022
707. Moss, Paul, dated January 29, 2022
708. Moss, SeEtta, dated February 5, 2022
709. Mossbarger, Sherry, dated January 29, 2022
710. Mossman, Bret, dated February 8, 2022
711. Mowrer, Craig, dated January 29, 2022
712. Mugglestong, Lindsay, dated January 29, 2022
713. Mulcare, James, dated January 29, 2022
714. Munger, Cheryl, dated January 29, 2022
715. Muntner, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
716. Murakami, Maki, dated January 29, 2022
717. Murphy, Cindy, dated January 29, 2022
718. Murphy, James, dated January 29, 2022
719. Murphy, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
720. Murray, Marilee, dated January 29, 2022
721. Murrow, Stacey, dated January 29, 2022
722. Nafziger, Nikki, dated January 29, 2022
723. Nagle, Chiemi, dated February 9, 2022
724. Naji, Eric, dated January 29, 2022
725. Naone, Janelle, dated January 12, 2022
726. Navaro, Helene, dated February 6, 2022
727. Nelson, Jakki, dated January 21, 2022
728. Neste, Lisa, dated January 30, 2022
729. Neto, Sarah Boucas, dated January 29, 2022
730. Neuber, Christa, dated January 29, 2022
731. Niblick, Tom, dated January 17, 2022
732. Nicholas, Jill, dated January 29, 2022
733. Nieland, Carolyn, dated January 29, 2022
734. Nieland, Thomas, dated January 29, 2022
735. Nieves, Jose, dated January 29, 2022
736. Niksic, Joyce, dated January 29, 2022
737. Nimmons, Rebecca, dated January 29, 2022
738. Nims, Cara, dated January 29, 2022
739. Nishimitsu, Holly, dated February 1, 2022
740. Nixt, Becky, dated January 29, 2022
741. Noack, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
742. Noel, Letitia, dated January 29, 2022
743. Nowicki, Ann, dated January 29, 2022
744. Nowicki, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
745. Nuesch, Raymond, dated January 29, 2022
746. 0, Nancy, dated January 30, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 18 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
747. O'Brien, Daniel, dated January 29, 2022
748. O'Brien, William, dated January 29, 2022
749. O'Donald, Julie, dated January 29, 2022
750. Oexmann, Deb, dated January 30, 2022
751. Ogmundson, Joyce, dated February 3, 2022
752. Okone, Brandon, dated January 30, 2022
753. O'Leary, Betty, dated January 29, 2022
754. Olry, Michele, dated January 30, 2022
755. Olson, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
756. Ortiz Robert, dated January 29, 2022
757. O'Sullivan, Katherine, dated January 29, 2022
758. Ottosen, Chris, dated January 29, 2022
759. Ouellette, Marcia, dated January 29, 2022
760. Overbeck, Leah, dated January 30, 2022
761. Oxman, Sharen, dated January 29, 2022
762. Ozkan, Dogan, dated January 29, 2022
763. Palla, Paul, dated January 29, 2022
764. Palm, Lowell, dated January 29, 2022
765. Pappano, Rachael, dated January 30, 2022
766. Pardew, Isabelle, dated January 29, 2022
767. Pardi, Marco, dated January 29, 2022
768. Parker, Judith, dated January 29, 2022
769. Parker, Linda and William, dated January 29, 2022
770. Parkins, Janet, dated January 29, 2022
771. Parks, Ann, dated January 30, 2022
772. Parsell, Sue, dated January 29, 2022
773. Parsons, Holly, dated February 7, 2022
774. Pash, Eric, dated January 30, 2022
775. Pasqua, John, dated January 30, 2022
776. Pate, Nathan, dated January 29, 2022
777. Patra, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
778. Patton, James, dated January 29, 2022
779. Paul, Gabriele, dated January 29, 2022
780. Paulson, Rebekah, dated January 29, 2022
781. Pe, El, dated January 29, 2022
782. Pease, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
783. Peck, Patricia, dated January 29, 2022
784. Pelka, Ursula, dated January 30, 2022
785. Perez, Jaime, dated January 29, 2022
786. Perez, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
787. Perkins, Guy, dated January 29, 2022
788. Perlmutter, Martha D., dated January 29, 2022
789. Perrero, Deborah, dated January 29, 2022
790. Perricelli, Claire, dated January ,29 2022
791. Perrotta, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
792. Perry, Jarom, dated January 18, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 19 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
793. Perry, Michelle, dated January 18, 2022
794. Peter, Judith, dated January 29, 2022
795. Peters, Thom, dated January 29, 2022
796. Peterson, Richard, dated January 30, 2022
797. Peterson, Tracey, dated January 29, 2022
798. Petri, Natsumi, dated January 29, 2022
799. Pfeifer, Nezka, dated January 29, 2022
800. Phelan, William, dated January 29, 2022
801. Phillips, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
802. Picard, Marilyn, dated January 29, 2022
803. Pierce, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
804. Piri, A, dated January 30, 2022
805. Pistolesi, Linda, dated January 30, 2022
806. Plishka, Debbie, dated January 29, 2022
807. Polesky, Alice, dated January 29, 2022
808. Pollock, Sharon, dated February 5, 2022
809. Pomies, Jackie, dated January 29, 2022
810. Ponchot, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
811. Porter, Betsey, dated January 30, 2022
812. Posch, Robert, dated January 29, 2022
813. Poss, Jane, dated January 29, 2022
814. Postmus, Beverley, dated January 30, 2022
815. Pottish, Laurie, dated January 29, 2022
816. Pounds, Lindy, dated January 29, 2022
817. Prak, Karen Burness, dated January 29, 2022
818. Pramuka, Pamela Z., dated January 16, 2022
819. Prandi, Linda, dated January 30, 2022
820. Pressimone, Melissa, dated January 29, 2022
821. Preuss, Ginnie, dated January 29, 2022
822. Price, Mara, dated January 29, 2022
823. Priceman, Lorraine, dated January 30, 2022
824. Prol, Candela M, dated January 29, 2022
825. Prostko, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
826. Pruitt, Patricia, dated January 30, 2022
827. Prybylski, John, dated January 29, 2022
828. Pryich, Ann, dated January 29, 2022
829. Puentes, Felena, dated January 29, 2022
830. Purcell, Robert, dated February 6, 2022
831. Quarton, Laurel, dated February 8, 2022
832. Quinn, Bowden, dated January 29, 2022
833. Quinn, Patricia, dated January 29, 2022
834. Raebeck, Wendy, dated January 19, 2022
835. Ramsey, Elizabeth, dated January 29, 2022
836. Ramsey, Jan Sullivan, dated January 17, 2022
837. Ransbury, Mary, dated January 19, 2022
838. Ranz, Lauren, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 20 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
839. Rapp, Lanette, dated January 29, 2022
840. Rautus, Toni, dated January 30, 2022
841. Raynolds, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
842. Reaves, Gerri, dated January 29, 2022
843. Redish, Maryellen, dated January 29, 2022
844. Redmond, Rhonda, dated January 29, 2022
845. Reese, Toby Ann, dated January 29, 2022
846. Reeves, Lenore, dated January 29, 2022
847. Regalado, Geoff, dated January 29, 2022
848. Regen, Hamilton, dated January 29, 2022
849. Reilly, Joanne, dated January 29, 2022
850. Rellin, Annie, dated January 29, 2022
851. Rev, Keith, dated January 29, 2022
852. Revesti, Merissa, dated January 29, 2022
853. Ribolla, Ellen, dated January 29, 2022
854. Ricci, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
855. Rice, Michelle, dated January 29, 2022
856. Richardson, Aleda, dated January 29, 2022
857. Richie, Lauren, dated January 30, 2022
858. Riehart, Dale, dated January 29, 2022
859. Rinas, Juanita, dated January 29, 2022
860. Risvold, Cindy, dated January 31, 2022
861. Rivas, Mary, dated January 30, 2022
862. Rivera, Beverley, dated January 30, 2022
863. Robb, Aaeron, dated January 29, 2022
864. Robert, Alan, dated January 29, 2022
865. Roberts, Elizabeth, dated January 30, 2022
866. Roberts, Les, dated January 29, 2022
867. Robinson, B, dated January 29, 2022
868. Robinson, Dameta, dated January 29, 2022
869. Robinson, Loretta, dated January 29, 2022
870. Rochkind, Iris, dated January 29, 2022
871. Rocks, Brent, dated January 29, 2022
872. Rodrigue, Jim, dated January 30, 2022
873. Roemer, Nancy, dated January 29, 2022
874. Rogers, Becca, dated January 18, 2022
875. Rogers, Sandy Jilton, dated January 29, 2022
876. Rohloff, Rosalyn, dated January 30, 2022
877. Rollins, Jessica, dated January 29, 2022
878. Romans, Jennifer, dated January 30, 2022
879. Romer, Elke, dated January 30, 2022
880. Romero, Devin, dated January 29, 2022
881. Root, Charlene, dated January 29, 2022
882. Rose, Kathryn, dated January 29, 2022
883. Rosenfeld, David, dated January 29, 2022
884. Rosenfeld, David, dated January 30, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 21 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
885. Rosengrant, D., dated January 29, 2022
886. Rosenkotter, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
887. Rosner, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
888. Ross, Jim, dated January 18, 2022
889. Ross, Mark, dated January 29, 2022
890. Ross, Sue, dated January 30, 2022 (1:45 a.m.)
891. Ross, Sue, dated January 30, 2022 (1:35 a.m.)
892. Rossiter, Stephen, dated February 8, 2022
893. Rothe, Jennifer, dated February 7, 2022
894. Rove, Frances, dated January 29, 2022
895. Rowe, Kenneth, dated January 29, 2022
896. Rowe, Susan, dated January 20, 2022 (5:32 a.m.)
897. Rowe, Susan, dated January 20, 2022 (6:53 a.m.)
898. Runion, Keith, dated January 30, 2022
899. Rupp, Nancy, dated January 29, 2022
900. Rushworth, Jerily, dated January 29, 2022
901. Russell, Richard, dated January 17, 2022
902. Russo, Robert, dated January 29, 2022
903. Ryan, Lynn, dated January 29, 2022
904. Ryll, Gina, dated February 3, 2022
905. Sack, Polly, dated January 29, 2022
906. Saja, Jean, dated January 30, 2022
907. Salazar, Lisa, dated January 30, 2022
908. Sall, Reena, dated January 16, 2022
909. Sampson, Cynthia, dated January 30, 2022
910. Sandritter, Ann, dated January 29, 2022
911. Sardineer, AnnMarie, dated January 30, 2022
912. Sargent, Bara, dated January 29, 2022
913. Sargent, Robert, dated January 30, 2022
914. Savage, Brad, dated January 29, 2022
915. Savige, David, dated January 29, 2022
916. Savino, Heather, dated January 29, 2022
917. Sawyer, Nigel, dated January 29, 2022
918. Scharf, William, dated January 29, 2022
919. Schmitt, Jane, dated February 5, 2022
920. Schmitten, VA, dated January 29, 2022
921. Schneider, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
922. Schneider, Danielle, dated January 29, 2022
923. Schrock, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
924. Schulenberg, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
925. Schumacher, Amy, dated January 30, 2022
926. Schwarz, Emma, dated January 29, 2022
927. Schwarz, Kurt, dated January 29, 2022
928. Scocca, Briana, dated February 5, 2022
929. Scott, Caitlin, dated February 7, 2022
930. Scott, Sue, dated January 14, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 22 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
931. Scott, Lindsey, dated February8, 2022
932. Sears, Trisha, dated January 19, 2022
933. Sears, Trisha, dated January 29, 2022
934. Segura, Tony, dated January 29, 2022
935. Sellon, Kim, dated January 29, 2022
936. Serota, Angela, dated February 7, 2022
937. Serxner-Merchant, Shoshana, dated January 30, 2022
938. Sevilla, Caroline, dated January 29, 2022
939. Seymour, Stephanie, dated January 29, 2022
940. Shabi, Kathleen, dated January 29, 2022
941. Shacklett, Tiffany, dated January 29, 2022
942. Shadix, Lois, dated January 29, 2022
943. Shaller, Virginia, dated January 29, 2022
944. Sharee, Donna, dated January 29, 2022
945. Sharp, Mary Jean, dated January 29, 2022
946. Sheehy, Steve, dated January 29, 2022
947. Sheets, Robert, dated January 29, 2022
948. Shelby, BC, dated January 29, 2022
949. Shen, Gloria, dated January 29, 2022
950. Sheppard, Nuanprang, dated January 29, 2022
951. Shih, Victoria, dated January 29, 2022
952. Shirey, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
953. Sholtz, Laura, dated January 29, 2022
954. Shook, Philip, dated January 29, 2022
955. Shultz, Doris, dated January 29, 2022
956. Sila, Robert, dated January 29, 2022
957. Silliman, Sidney, dated January 29, 2022
958. Silva, Malia, dated January 31, 2022
959. Silva, Malia, dated January 30, 2022
960. Silver, Dan, dated January 29, 2022
961. Simington, Kathy, dated January 29, 2022
962. Simon, Shauna, dated January 30, 2022
963. Sims, Catherine, dated January 29, 2022
964. Sizemore, Grant on behalf of the American Bird Conservancy, dated
February 8, 2022
965. Skinner, Carol, dated January 29, 2022
966. Sklas, Livia, dated January 29, 2022
967. Slate, Judi, dated January 29, 2022
968. Slater, Laurie, dated January 29, 2022
969. Sluys, Susan, dated January 16, 2022
970. Sluys, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
971. Smallman, Dee, dated January 30, 2022
972. Smith, Donna, dated January 29, 2022
973. Smith, Joan, dated January 29, 2022
974. Smith, Kim, dated January 29, 2022
975. Smith, S., dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 23 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
976. Smith, Thomas, dated January 29, 2022
977. Smolnik, Jenifer, dated January 29, 2022
978. Smyth, Linda, dated January 29, 2022
979. Snavely, Irene, dated January 29, 2022
980. Snope, David, dated January 29, 2022
981. Soletzky, Robin, dated January 29, 2022
982. Sonies, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
983. Sophia, Tristan, dated January 30, 2022
984. Spears, Harvey R, dated January 29, 2022
985. Spence, Kathryn, dated January 30, 2022
986. Spencer, Deborah, dated January 29, 2022
987. Spencer-Glasson, Janine, dated January 29, 2022
988. Spini, Jane, dated January 29, 2022
989. Spires, Tara, dated January 29, 2022
990. Spoon, Leslie, dated January 29, 2022
991. Stark, Louise, dated January 30, 2022 (8:17 a.m.)
992. Stark, Lousie, dated January 29, 2022(7:39 a.m.)
993. Stauffacher, Guy, dated January 29, 2022
994. Stawinga, Greg, dated January 29, 2022
995. Stay, Chris, dated January 29, 2022
996. Stebbins, Betty, dated January 29, 2022
997. Steighner, Ann, dated January 29, 2022
998. Stein, Cindy, dated January 29, 2022 (12:17 p.m.)
999. Stein, Cindy, dated January 29, 2022(12:02 p.m.)
1000. Steiner, Neal, dated January 30, 2022
1001. Stern, Richard, dated January 29, 2022 (6:45 a.m.)
1002. Stern, Richard, dated January 29, 2022(8:04 a.m.)
1003. Stevenson, Nan, dated January 29, 2022
1004. Stewart, Liz, dated January 14, 2022
1005. Stewart, Sarah, dated January 29, 2022
1006. Still, Brian, dated January 29, 2022
1007. Stoakes, Mike, dated January 30, 2022
1008. Stolar, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
1009. Stoller, Amy, dated January 29, 2022
1010. Strada, Gia-rose, dated January 30, 2022
1011. Strasser Colclough, Mary, dated January 30, 2022
1012. Stubblefield, Elyn, dated January 29, 2022
1013. Stubbs, Luann, dated January 30, 2022
1014. Stucke-Jungemann, Karen, dated January 30, 2022
1015. Styan, Sarah, dated February 9, 2022
1016. Suarez, David, dated January 29, 2022
1017. Sudol, Laurie, dated January 30, 2022
1018. Summers, June, dated January 29, 2022
1019. Susman, Catherine, dated January 29, 2022
1020. Sutera, Michael, dated January 29, 2022
1021. Sweaney, Carol, dated January 30, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 24 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
1022. Sweiencicki, John, dated January 30, 2022
1023. Swierkosz, Joe, dated January 29, 2022
1024. Swift, Pam, dated January 19, 2022
1025. Sykes, Freddie, dated January 29, 2022
1026. Szablewski, Conrad, dated January 29, 2022
1027. Szczepanski, Gail, dated January 29, 2022
1028. Taggart, Carol, dated January 29, 2022
1029. Tan, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
1030. Tangi, Anna, dated January 29, 2022
1031. Tapp, Yvette, dated January 29, 2022
1032. Tarbox, William, dated January 30, 2022
1033. Tataranozicz, Thomas, dated January 29, 2022
1034. Tebet, Deborah, dated January 29, 2022
1035. Tedesco, Terry, dated January 29, 2022
1036. Telfair-Richards, Jody, dated January 29, 2022
1037. Thoman, James, dated January 29, 2022
1038. Thomas, Debbie, dated January 29, 2022
1039. Thomas, Denise, dated January 29, 2022
1040. Thomas, Janie, dated January 29, 2022
1041. Thomas-Murphy, Maureen, dated January 29, 2022
1042. Thompson, Lisa, dated January 16, 2022
1043. Thompson, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
1044. Thopmson, Terrence, dated January 29, 2022
1045. Thorne, Trischa, dated January 29, 2022
1046. Thurairatnam, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
1047. Thurston, Anne, dated January 29, 2022
1048. Tichenor, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
1049. Tomori, James, dated January 30, 2022
1050. Tomsits, Pati, dated January 29, 2022
1051. Toops, Connie, dated January 29, 2022
1052. Torchin, Mimi, dated January 29, 2022
1053. Torretta, Ron, dated January 29, 2022
1054. Trail, Pepper, dated January 29, 2022
1055. Travers, Marc, dated February 8, 2022
1056. Travis, Judi, dated January 29, 2022
1057. Trela, Christine, dated January 29, 2022
1058. Trenton, Debra, dated January 18, 2022 (11:20 a.m.)
1059. Trenton, Debra, dated January 18, 2022 (12:49 p.m.)
1060. Trice, Tina, dated January 31, 2022
1061. Trombly, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
1062. Trybus, Marilyn, dated January 29, 2022
1063. Tryggeseth, Jackie, dated January 29, 2022
1064. Turner, Jacqueline, dated January 30, 2022
1065. Tutihasi, R-Laurraine, dated January 29, 2022
1066. Tyler, Margaret Guilfoy, dated January 29, 2022
1067. Tymkiw, Liz, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 25 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
1068. Tzakis, Marlena, dated January 30, 2022
1069. Ucko, Aaron, dated January 29, 2022
1070. Underhill, Jan, dated January 19, 2022
1071. Uyenishi, Steven, dated January 29, 2022
1072. Vaillancourt, Michele, dated January 29, 2022
1073. Valentine, Jennifer, dated January 29, 2022
1074. Valney, John Shirley, dated January 29, 2022
1075. Van Os, Colette, dated January 29, 2022
1076. Varian, Lee, dated January 29, 2022
1077. Vaughan, Lisa, dated January 29, 2022
1078. Vaught, Kevin, dated January 29, 2022
1079. Velez, Sue, dated January 29, 2022
1080. Verkamp, Doris, dated January 30, 2022
1081. Vermilyea, George, dated January 29, 2022
1082. Vernon, Margaret, dated January 29, 2022
1083. Vessicchio, Susan P., dated January 29, 2022
1084. Voeks DVM, Jill, dated January 30, 2022
1085. Voeks DVM, Jill, dated January 31, 2022
1086. Vogt, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
1087. VourosCallahan, Pamela, dated January 29, 2022
1088. Vreeland, Mollie, dated January 29, 2022
1089. Vreeland, Mollie, dated January 29, 2022
1090. Vynne, Megan, dated January 12, 2022 (6:04 a.m.)
1091. Vynne, Megan, dated February 8, 2022 (7:33 a.m.)
1092. Wade, Lauren, dated January 29, 2022
1093. Wagner, Roberta, dated January 29, 2022
1094. Waianuhea, Lorraine, dated February 8, 2022
1095. Wait, Peggy, dated January 29, 2022
1096. Walker, Susan, dated January 30, 2022
1097. Waller, Sara, dated January 29, 2022
1098. Walliser, Laure, dated January 29, 2022
1099. Walsh, Kevin, dated January 29, 2022
1100. Ward, Pam, dated January 29, 2022
1101. Warfield, Melissa, dated January 29, 2022
1102. Warwick, Cynthia, dated January 29, 2022
1103. Watanabe, Debbie, dated January 29, 2022
1104. Waterman, Glenna, dated January 29, 2022
1105. Waters, Susan, dated January 29, 2022
1106. Watson, Harold, dated January 29, 2022
1107. Waxman, DP, dated January 30, 2022
1108. Waxman, DP, dated January 30, 2022
1109. Weatherby, Diana, dated January 29, 2022
1110. Weaver, Charlie, dated January 29, 2022
1111. Webber, Bryn, dated February 8, 2022
1112. Weber, Kristi, dated January 29, 2022
1113. Weber, Marc, dated January 29, 2022
PUBLIC HEARING 26 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
1114. Webster, Jamie, dated January 29, 2022
1115. Wegscheider-Kissinger, Vicki, dated January 29, 2022
1116. Weiss, Rebecca, dated January 30, 2022
1117. Weipert, Hannah, dated February 7, 2022
1118. Welch, Joanna, dated January 29, 2022
1119. Wells, Lasha, dated January 29, 2022
1120. Weltner, Lucy, dated January 29, 2022
1121. Wendling, Tanya, dated January 31, 2022
1122. West, Diane, dated January 29, 2022
1123. White, David, dated January 30, 2022
1124. White, David, dated January 29, 2022
1125. Whitesides, Patricia, dated January 30, 2022
1126. Whitford, Ree, dated January 29, 2022
1127. Whyman, Barbara, dated January 29, 2022
1128. Wilcox, David R, dated January 30, 2022
1129. Wilde, Dale Tucker, dated February 5, 2022
1130. Wildman, Lisa, dated January 30, 2022
1131. Wiley, Carol, dated January 29, 2022
1132. Wilhelm, Mike, dated January 29, 2022
1133. Will, Jennifer, dated January 29, 2022
1134. Will, Leona, dated January 29, 2022
1135. Williams, Christina, dated January 29, 2022
1136. Williams, Jesse, dated January 29, 2022
1137. Williams, Lori, dated January 29, 2022
1138. Williams, Roberta, dated January 16, 2022
1139. Williams, Taffy, dated January 30, 2022
1140. Willimas, Grace, dated January 29, 2022
1141. Willinsky, Michael, dated January 17, 2022 (4:24 p.m.)
1142. Willinsky, Michael, dated January 17, 2022 (1:19 p.m.)
1143. Wilson, Carol, dated January 29, 2022
1144. Wilson, Ken, dated January 29, 2022
1145. Wirth, Carolyn, dated January 29, 2022
1146. Wisinski, Roger, dated January 29, 2022
1147. Witty, Karen, dated January 29, 2022
1148. Witzeman, Janet, dated January 29, 2022
1149. Wolf, Peter, dated February 9, 2022
1150. Wolfe, Claire, dated January 29, 2022
1151. Wolford, John, dated January 29, 2022
1152. Wood, Levi, dated January 29, 2022
1153. Wood, Peter, dated January 29, 2022
1154. Woodford, Hannah, dated January 29, 2022
1155. Woodriff, Elaine, dated January 29, 2022
1156. Wootan, Cathy, dated January 29, 2022
1157. Wornum, Claudia, dated January 29, 2022
1158. Wright, Allison, dated January 29, 2022
1159. Wright, Bill, dated January 29, 2022
1
PUBLIC HEARING 27 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
1160. Wright, Margaret, dated February 5, 2022
1161. Wyse, Margo, dated January 29, 2022
1162. Yanez, Guadalupe, dated January 30, 2022
1163. Yeomans, Gary, dated January 29, 2022
1164. Young, Amanda, dated January 29, 2022
1165. Young, Amanda, dated January 29, 2022
1166. Ziegler, Russ, dated January 29, 2022
1167. Zimmerman, Craig, dated January 29, 2022
1168. Zotos, Bonnie, dated January 29, 2022
Committee Chair Carvalho: Let the record reflect that we have received
written testimony and have testifiers registered to speak this morning. As I stated
earlier, you each have six (6) minutes to testify, though you do not need to speak for
that long if you choose not to. We use the stoplight timing system. When your time
starts, the light will turn green. At thirty (30) seconds left, the light will turn yellow.
Let us go through the process of the public hearing at this time.
JADE K. FOUNTAIN-TANIGAWA, County Clerk: The first registered
speaker is Liz Stewart.
LIZ STEWART (via remote technology): Good morning. My name is Liz
Stewart and I am the President of the Kaua`i Community Cat Project (KCCP). I am
just confirming that you can hear me.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Yes.
Ms. Stewart: Great. Thank you very much for allowing me
to testify. I am requesting that the Council remove the parts of Bill No. 2842 that
prohibit the feeding of cats on County property. First of all, we can all agree that we
need to reduce the number of free-roaming cats on Kauai. We would have no feeding
issues if there were no free-roaming cats, right? How do we accomplish this very
difficult and daunting task? I am here today to offer solutions to help the endangered
birds. I am working with three (3) nonprofit organizations on Kaua`i and we have
short-term and long-term plans that will reduce the free-roaming cat population. We
need to remove the cats from high-risk areas, no question. If we stop feeding the cats,
they will move. We cannot move them if we cannot find them. Please, please, please
work with us to allow us to implement our three-tier plan. I would like to go over
with you what that plan is. Our goal is to reduce the number of free-roaming cats for
the benefit of the cats and the birds for two (2) very important reasons. The first is
to make the birds safer by complying with Federal law to reduce predators. The
second is that the cats are not safe on the streets of Kaua`i. They are hit by cars,
poisoned, attacked by dogs, and shot by private citizens. We have incidents where
we have had kittens shot in the back and these kittens are paralyzed. It is very
important for the birds and the cats that we take immediate action. It is a win-win
for the bird and cat communities if we implement these solutions.
PUBLIC HEARING 28 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
Let us talk about what those solutions are. The great news is these solutions
and these programs are in-process. They are funded with private donations at no
expense to the County. The first and most important part of the tiered solution is a
robust spay and neuter program, which is already in-place on Kaua`i. The bottom
line is that we must spay and neuter all the cats on Kauai. We have a situation now
where the County is paying a contractor to kill cats. If the County pays "x" amount
of dollars to kill cats and then right down the street in a private property twenty (20)
cats are born, if you do the math, the cost skyrockets. Without a robust spay and
neuter program, it is really a black hole for the County and a lose-lose for Kaua`i. The
most effective solution is to provide affordable spay and neuter programs to reduce
the cat population. We are so lucky on Kaua`i because we have national attention on
this problem. I am sure you read about this in the newspaper recently. Greater Good
Charities was just here with their Good Fix program and believe it or not, they fixed
five hundred (500) cats in six (6) days. That is at least one thousand five
hundred (1,500) cats that will not be born in the next six (6) months. In addition, the
Kauai Community Cat Project, which is my organization, have a spay and neuter
bus. I have a clip for you which I will show you in just a moment. We run our bus
four (4) times a month on the west side and in Anahola, and we have fixed over one
thousand seven hundred (1,700) cats on the bus since July of 2020. The next part of
our tiered plan is to send cats to the mainland. There is a very, very high demand in
Seattle, Washington area, and other parts of the mainland. The Kaua`i Community
Cat Project and the Kaua`i Humane Society have sent thousands of cats to the
mainland for adoptions. These are more solutions in our plan, because we need short-
term fixes. Effective March 1st, KCCP will implement a free-roaming cat foster
program. We will provide families in our community everything they need to foster
free-roaming cats. In addition, the Kaua`i Humane Society has a community cat
housing project, where they are building "catios." This will be implemented within
thirty (30) to sixty (60) days and they are currently hiring staff. Finally, we have cat
sanctuaries that are being stood up. The Kaua`i Animal Welfare Society (KAWS)
cause will be standing up these sanctuaries in six (6) to eight (8) months. Please,
Council, give us time to work these solutions. In conclusion, before I run my clip, let
us talk about the benefits to Kaua`i. First of all and most importantly, we are saving
birds. We are also saving cats. We are creating new jobs and will get so much positive
press in the local media with The Garden Island, with state media...
Committee Chair Carvalho: Excuse me, Liz, you have thirty (30) seconds
left. Thank you so much.
Ms. Stewart: I will be playing my clip now.
Portion of Kauai Community Cat Project video played and can be accessed at
https://linkprotect.cudasvc.corn/url?a=https%3a%2f%2f1drv.ms%2fu%2fs%2
IAjK4w_xOkHVKOGbbjl9-gPcwD5oq&c=E,1,7M-
3ngjScskhl41N5HN4vVerWSdJ9ZybiyWJaRNW1 xCker Uk 6hPBRPN6ZHh_5
5tETuY-EFwEHer1OLNMcnI6kxL40o9aBAIYLwZOOwIharWNHyOT&typo=l.
PUBLIC HEARING 29 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
Committee Chair Carvalho: Liz, thank you so much for your testimony.
We appreciate your testimony. Go ahead Councilmember Chock.
Councilmember Chock: I am just wondering if you might be able to
send us a link to that video?
Ms. Stewart: I am sorry.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Liz, can you send us a link to the video?
Ms. Stewart: This is Liz Stewart with KCCP. Thank you.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you so much. Our next speaker is
James Ross.
JAMES ROSS (via remote technology): Good morning. My testimony
will be very brief and I would like to see if I could give the balance of my time to Liz
when I am done. I think it is very important for everyone to see that clip. The work
that she is doing is invaluable to all of us. I speak specifically to the group that I
know of at Lydgate. We have been walking there for years. I enjoy the beach and
enjoy the people who go there and feed the cats. I admire all of their efforts. In my
years there, I have gotten to know several of the locals who were born and raised on
this island, and who personally know that there have been no Shearwaters along
Lydgate Beach Park in their lifetimes. We are talking about people who are in their
seventies. I have seen the cats as being well-cared for, very plump as a matter of fact,
and witnessed the caregivers taking the cats to the veterinarians and paying out of
their own pockets or through donations, seeing to their medical needs, seeing that
they are spayed or neutered, brought back, and being fed regularly. The only kittens
I have ever seen have been those that have been dropped off by other people on the
island. It is my understanding from a brief meeting with some Councilmembers last
week that the island is currently paying some substantial fees to the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) for the feeding of these cats on County properties. Correct
me if I am wrong. If we can agree, however, that an important segment of our
environment is the economy, I think we need to take a look at where the money might
be better spent than in paying fees to a government agency, which in the case of
Lydgate, is not really a problem. More important I think, is the issue of the
rose-winged parakeet and the way it is destroying crops all over the island and
dramatically hurting farmers. I think the money that might be spent to try and
eradicate the cat feeding at Lydgate, would be better spent in addressing this
problem. I am not aware of any program currently underway on that issue. I am
simply saying that the money at Lydgate is not well directed. There is a basket of
other issues that could be addressed, but I think that Lydgate should be carved out
as an area that could be considered a cat sanctuary. I met with some of the owners
at Lanikai Resort and they are in agreement. I have never really seen anyone who
objects to the cats over there. With that being said, if Liz is still here, I would like to
invite her to play her video.
PUBLIC HEARING 30 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
Committee Chair Carvalho: Mr. Ross, we do not share any time. You can
end your testimony and we did ask for Liz to send in her video link so that we can
review that here. Okay?
Mr. Ross: Okay.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you so much.
Mr. Ross: Have a good meeting.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Our next testifier is Martha Girdany.
MARTHA GIRDANY (via remote technology): Good morning. My name
is Martha Girdany and I live in Kilauea on the North Shore. I would like to suggest
or request that the portion of Bill No. 2842, dealing with making it illegal to feed cats
on County property be removed and tabled for further discussion and research
following along with what Ms. Stewart said. I would now like to address some issues
relating to purported problems caused by feral or community cats on County property.
I have taken the time to read the entire Kauai Seabird Habitat Conservation
Plan (KSHCP). This large document is about the dangers to three (3) endangered
bird species as I am sure we all know, that are "falling out from lights." The KSHCP
specifically states concerns about predators to include cats taking birds that have
fallen to the ground after being disoriented by the lights. The specific wording in the
KSHCP reads, "Minimize mortality of covered seabirds downed due to light attraction
by implementing actions to reduce presence of free-roaming seabird predators such
as cats and dogs at participant facilities." In my further reading of the KSHCP, I
cannot find any language indicating that incidental take by predators such as cats,
covers the entirety of areas owned by the County. Instead, the language I read refers
to lighting issues at "participant facilities." Therefore, I would like to recommend
that if the portion of the Bill dealing with feeding of cats on County property become
illegal could be tabled for further consideration, then studies or surveys must be
conducted to determine what cat colonies are in proximity to participant facilities
where birds may fall out. Once again, I must emphasize that my reading of the
KSHCP indicates that the only locations with need for covered seabird predator
protections are the participant facilities. At participant facilities, measures required
to reduce "potential for covered seabird predation" are the following...prohibit loose
cats and/or dogs, such as leash or restraint with prohibition clearly communicated in
signage. In conclusion, I am hopeful that the Council will give serious consideration
to removing the section of the Bill dealing with feeding cats on County property for
further discussion and research. That research should and must include a
determination of where cat colony locations are in proximity to bird fallout areas as
specifically laid out in the KSHCP. Thank you, Council, for your time.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Mahalo, Martha. Our next testifier is Peter
Wolf.
PUBLIC HEARING 31 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
PETER WOLF (via remote technology): Good morning. Thank you. My
name is Peter Wolf, and I am a Research and Policy Analyst with Best Friends
Animal Society, a national animal welfare organization committed to ending the
needless killing of dogs and cats in America's shelters. I had the privilege of
participating in the Kaua`i Feral Cat Task Force in 2013 and had maintained
connections to the island ever since. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak with
all of you about this important topic this morning. On behalf of the many members
living on Kaua`i, as well as those who count themselves amongst the island's many
visitors, I urge you to table Bill No. 2842 until its provisions can receive the careful
consideration they deserve. I have submitted written testimony already, so I will
keep my comments brief. Exactly one (1) year ago today, February 9, 2021, an E-mail
was sent from Hallux Ecosystem Restoration to staff in the County's Departments of
Finance and Parks & Recreation. In it, a Principal from Hallux, the firm contracted
to conduct what is being called "predator control" across the island, expressed
frustration at their inability to trap cats at Lydgate Park. The E-mail concluded with
a very specific request, and I am quoting, "Has there been any movement to ban
wildlife feeding on County property? We are getting rather frustrated by being stuck
in this legal gray area and are looking for guidance. At this point, work at Lydgate
is going to continue to be slower than expected and difficult until feeding is banned."
Here we are one (1) year later exactly to the day and the County is taking up this
very issue with this public hearing. Perhaps this is a mere coincidence. I would
certainly like to think so, but it would be easier for people to interpret events very
differently. A contractor who stands to gain financially is actually the one driving
the conversation. Whatever the facts might be, I think we can all agree that it
certainly does not look good. For this reason alone, I think that any discussion of this
Bill should be tabled. One final point if I may, any policy decision of this kind must
prioritize efforts. As all of you know all too well, there are rarely enough resources
to accomplish the sort of projects you wish to accomplish. Yet it seems relatively little
thought has gone into identifying which parts of the island are the areas of greatest
concern, a point that Martha hit on just moments ago. In fact, the KSHCP, which
has been used to justify this Bill, failed to provide sufficient guidance on this matter
as well. This too would seem to be a reason to slow the conversation on this until
some of this can be sorted out. Again, I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you
all this morning. I am happy to answer any questions you may have.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Mahalo, Peter for your testimony. Thank you.
Our next speaker is Rachel Bellis.
RACHEL BELLIS (via remote technology): My name is Rachel Bellis,
and I thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA) in support of Bill No. 2842. PETA entities have more
than nine million (9,000,000) members and supporters globally, and PETA, U.S., is
the largest animal rights organization in the world. We support Bill No. 2842, which
seeks to prohibit residents from feeding roaming cats on County property, prohibit
the abandonment of any cat, and reduce the legally required holding period for
impounded cats from nine (9) to five (5) days. We urge you to vote "yes" on the
PUBLIC HEARING 32 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
measure. Sites where groups of cats are fed are often set up by people who have them
sterilized and then abandon them in programs referred to as
trap-neuter-release (TNR). These sites actually attract more cats as well as rats and
other animals, which creates a public nuisance and increases the risk of contagious
disease and parasite transmission to humans and wildlife. For example, a hookworm
outbreak in Florida was traced to cats fed near a public beach. In California, a county
employee was hospitalized after being infected with typhus caused by a flea
infestation at a cat-feeding site on county property. I am sure you are aware that
water contaminated with toxoplasmosis from cat feces has been linked to a growing
number of marine-animal deaths, including those of endangered monk seals and
spinner dolphins in Hawai`i. The National Association of State Public Health
Veterinarians notes that allowing residents to feed cats in groups outdoors "may
increase the public's likelihood of abandoning unwanted pets at these sites in lieu of
more responsible options." As an animal protection organization, PETA condemns
cat abandonment, whether or not the animals have been sterilized, because of animal
welfare concerns. Abandoned and homeless cats endure harsh lives, and they
inevitably die in slow and painful and/or terrifying and violent ways. Our office fields
countless reports of incidents in which cats—including those "managed" in TNR
programs—suffer and die in terrible ways because they have been left to fend for
themselves outdoors. They are forced to fight daily battles against internal and
external parasites, deadly contagious diseases, dehydration when their water sources
evaporate or are polluted, speeding cars, loose dogs, and malicious people—battles
that they predictably lose. On a daily basis, our cruelty caseworkers handle cases
involving homeless cats who have been abused or killed by property owners or
neighbors who simply did not want the animals there, regardless of whether they
were sterilized. The American Veterinary Medical Association recognizes the risks
that most abandoned and homeless cats face. They say that most of these cats will
suffer premature mortality from disease, starvation, weather extremes, or trauma.
Negative impacts are not limited to the cats themselves. Free-roaming abandoned
and feral cats are non-native predators and cause considerable wildlife destruction
and ecosystem disruption, including the deaths of hundreds of millions of birds, small
mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. They also pose a threat to public health.
Zoonotic concerns include viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic diseases. Finally, we
support decreasing the legal holding period for impounded cats from nine (9) to
five (5) days to enhance animal welfare as well as fiscal responsibility at animal
shelters. Five (5) days is adequate time for professional animal shelters to reunite
lost cats with their legal guardians. Reducing and preventing cat homelessness is
critical to protecting not only these animals but also Hawai`i's wildlife and the health
of its residents. Bill No. 2842 would be a positive step toward doing so, and we hope
you will vote to pass it. Thank you for the opportunity to share PETA's position.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Okay, thank you, Rachel. Our next testifier is
Maka'ala Ka'aumoana.
MAKA`ALA KA'AUMOANA (via remote technology): Aloha kakahiaka,
Councilmembers. My name is Maka'ala Ka'aumoana and I am the Vice Chair of Hui
PUBLIC HEARING 33 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
Ho`omalu I ka `Aina. We are parties to the legal action in Federal Court against the
County of Kaua`i on behalf of the Endangered Species Act and Hui members include
fishermen, farmers, navigators, and weavers. We consider ourselves `ohana to Native
Hawaiian species and became alarmed at the declining numbers of seabirds. These
birds guide us to the fish and provide the nutrients for our farms. Before they became
victims of the cats and rats, when they returned to the sea, they were so numerous
that they darkened the sky. That is nearly unimaginable today as we struggle to save
a single bird in remote burrows and sweat to enclose them in safety fencing. We fence
in the treasures that belong here and let the main threat to their existence roam free.
On Kaua`i we have a chance. We do not have the mongoose and we still have some
birds. It is our kuleana. Kaua`i must comply with the Endangered Species Act ruling
of the Federal Court and reduce the cause of the demise of these native seabirds and
the threat to their future. The cats are the main threat, not the only threat, but the
subject of this legal action. This Council must take every reasonable action to prevent
the take of these birds. This Council funded and staffed a Feral Cat Task Force
representing science, invasive management, and cat advocates. They produced a
report to this Council that included recommendations. Key to their finding was the
fact that on Kaua`i, birds requiring protection are nearly everywhere. To address the
issue of take, the cats must be managed. This County has also expended funds, our
tax money, to reduce the impacts on these birds from lights. Kauai Island Utility
Cooperative (KIUC) spends member funds annually to address bird takes from
powerlines. We must now reduce the impacts of predation from feral cats on County
land. This action will also reduce marine mammal death from toxoplasmosis. Cats
are being dumped and fed on County land, especially in County parks. This must
end. Your positive vote on Bill No. 2842 demonstrates your compliance with the
Federal Court and the Endangered Species Act, but most importantly, it validates
your understanding of your kuleana on Kaua`i to those values and practices of those
who came before you. Mahalo.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Okay, mahalo, Maka'ala. We are moving on
to Mr. Thomas Daubert.
THOMAS DAUBERT (via remote technology): Aloha distinguished
Members of the Kauai County Council. This is Thomas Daubert and mahalo nui boa
for this opportunity to speak with you today and express my support for Bill No. 2842.
I am here today both as a concerned citizen and in my capacity as the Executive
Director of the Friends of Kaua`i Wildlife Refuges. For over thirty-eight (38) years,
our organization has served as the nonprofit friends' group that supports the
environmental and wildlife conservation, historic preservation, and community
education programs of the Kaua`i National Wildlife Refuge Complex, which is
administered by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and includes Kilauea Point,
Hanalei, and Huleia National Wildlife Refuges. Within these precious
Federally-protected lands, my colleagues work tirelessly to protect, preserve, support,
study, and advocate for the Federally endangered and special-listed Native Hawaiian
birds that need our kokua. Across the island of Kaua`i and within these refuges, feral
cats remain a constant threat. The seabirds and wetland birds evolved within this
PUBLIC HEARING 34 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
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beautiful island ecosystem without defenses against these predators. Through my
work I have personally seen footage of feral cats killing native birds at Hanalei
National Wildlife Refuge, a space that is by design meant to be a haven of safety for
threatened and endangered wildlife. It is truly heartbreaking to see a defenseless
chick taken out of its nest by a feral cat. In many of these instances, that feral cat
traveled down the hill from Princeville where it was likely fed by community
members and possibly even released after being spayed or neutered. Through bird
surveys I have conducted in Hanalei, I have also had the unhappy experience of
identifying the predated remains of birds with the telltale signs of cat fur in the bird's
claws and wings documenting its last struggle to survive. Between 2014 and 2018
feral cats killed over two hundred fifty-one (251) endemic birds at Hanalei National
Wildlife Refuge alone. Included within the shocking statistic is the predation of one
hundred (100) Hawaiian Gallinules, the little black birds with the red bill and
forehead seen around our wetlands. There are now fewer than one thousand (1,000)
individual Hawaiian Gallinules left in our entire world, and they need us to work
together to protect them. Protect them, for example, from the forty-one (41) feral cats
that were removed from Hanalei and Kilauea Point alone, between December of 2020
and May of 2021. Feral cats are also known to kill Red-Tailed Tropic birds around
the Nihoku portion of Kilauea Point, Wedged-Tailed Shearwaters in nesting colonies
across the island, and critically endangered Newell Shearwaters within the burrows
high up in the mountain to cite just a few more examples of the impact of allowing
these invasive predators to roam and feed on the wildlife across our island. Sadly,
we lost twelve (12) Laysan Albatross chicks alone to cat predation just this last week,
from nesting sites across the North Shore. Feral cats can live for up to fifteen (15)
years predating upon native birds even while being well-fed by community members.
It has been observed that a feral cat with a belly full of pet food may still hunt, kill,
and eat the birds we are working so hard to protect, because hunting is an instinctual
behavior for cats. Feeding them and supporting feral cat colonies does not keep them
from predating upon our native wildlife. In fact, it only makes these predators
stronger. If they have not been spayed or neutered, feeding them could increase their
breeding success which further perpetuates this disastrous cycle. I strongly believe
that feral cats living freely across our island is inconsistent with the delicate balance
of our island ecosystem. Cats were introduced by humans, and I believe it is our job
as stewards of this place to work together to reduce the population of feral cats across
our island and to create and maintain safe nesting and foraging grounds for the
Native Hawaiian birds that inhabited these islands long before humans arrived.
Today, I ask for your help and I respectfully request that the Kaua`i County
Councilmembers vote in support of Bill No. 2842, which will work to help reduce the
feral cat populations across Kaua`i. Mahalo nui boa.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Mahalo, Thomas. Our next testifier is Hob
Osterlund.
HOB OSTERLUND (via remote technology): Aloha kakahiaka, Council. My
name is Hob Osterlund and I am a sixth-generation Hawai`i resident descending from
the Beckwith and Armstrong families. I am the founder of the Kaua`i Albatross
PUBLIC HEARING 35 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
Network and author of the book Holy Moli. I mahalo you for your hard work and
tenacity in dealing with this topic. I have brief comments in support of the Bill. The
core issue here is that we have an over population of homeless cats. I think we can
all agree on that. Of course, the longer we look the other way, the larger the
population grows. Several years ago I served on that County-funded Feral Cat Task
Force that Maka'ala mentioned. At the time, we had an estimated twenty-five
thousand (25,000) abandoned cats on Kauai and five hundred thousand (500,000) in
the state. There is every reason to believe that the population has grown since then,
especially given the fact that the Kaua`i Humane Society (KHS) no longer euthanizes
feral cats. I think there are fates far worse than euthanasia. Trap-neuter-release
was introduced in the 1990s as an idea in the United States of America that made cat
abandonment seem humane. The Pet Assistance Foundation in California estimates
now that only one (1) in ten (10) cats in Southern California end up having a human
home. About the sanctuary concept, I think it is great and I applaud people who are
working in that direction. Just know that it is a limited solution to the problem.
Speaking of the Kaua`i Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) sanctuary that is planned
and was mentioned earlier, they can only open in six (6) months if they get the
funding. They are looking for about five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) right
now. I have seen their prospectus. They are looking for money. Only when they get
the money and build the fence...it will take them at least six (6) months to get the
fence built and the lean-to for the cats. Even then, they can only take in one
hundred (100) cats. I understand that the Kaua`i Humane Society is also planning
to take in a similar number. Let us just say there are five hundred cats (500) that
are taken into sanctuaries. That is wonderful and great, especially if they are the
cats that are fed by people at places like Lydgate are very attached to. I mahalo the
love that they feel for cats. I am glad that they feel it. Take care of them, then. Do
not let the beaches become kitty litter boxes because you do not believe in euthanasia.
Give money and contribute to any of those organizations that are planning
sanctuaries. About feeding, you have heard the argument that well-fed cats do not
kill as many birds. Actually, what is true is that well-fed do not eat as many birds.
They kill them, but they do not eat them. Anyone who has had a pet cat can testify
the "gifts" they bring to your lanai. You know that is true. You also hear people
testify that we should wait, defer the Bill, or make other plans. We have already
waited too long. You heard about the Gallinule, the Alae `Ula. What about the Koloa
maoli, the Hawaiian duck? They are also left with a thousand (1,000) remaining or
fewer and almost all of them here on Kaua`i. One last note, the Koloa maoli and other
native birds, the very ones that are at-risk of being killed by homeless cats, draw
people to Hawai`i. The visitor industry will spend millions of dollars this year to
promote the theme Malama Hawai`i to attract respectful visitors. Birders are perfect
examples of such guests. They are statistics of the many millions of dollars people
spent on birding. Kaua`i has native birds that are very difficult to see anywhere else
in the world. One last point about the County's appointed Feral Cat Task Force...we
had different viewpoints, but in the end, there was one key point we could all agree
on...that is our overall goal was zero (0) homeless cats on Kaua`i. I thank you for
standing strong for Bill No. 2842. Mahalo and aloha.
PUBLIC HEARING 36 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
BILL NO. 2842
Committee Chair Carvalho: Mahalo, Hob. Our next testifier is Maxx
Phillips.
MAXX PHILLIPS (via remote technology): Aloha mai kakou,
Councilmembers. Please accept these comments submitted by the Center for
Biological Diversity ("center") in strong support of Bill No. 2842, which will prohibit
the feeding and abandoning cats on County property, as well as abandoning cats on
private land without the owner's written or oral consent. As a result of the
requirements of the Endangered Species Act and the Kaua`i Seabird Habitat
Conservation Plan, which this County is a member of, there is a legal obligation to
adopt this Bill amendment at this time. The Center is a nonprofit corporation
dedicated to the protection of native, threatened, and endangered species and
habitats they depend on to survive. Through science, policy, and environmental law,
the Center is actively involved in species and habitat protection issues throughout
Hawai`i, including Kaua`i. The Center has more than eighty-eight thousand (88,000)
members throughout the United States of America, including Hawai`i, with the direct
interest in conserving fraudulent impacted ecosystems and the endangered and
threatened species that depend on them to survive. Feral cats are one of Hawai`i's
most harmful invasive species. The Hawai`i Department of Land and Natural
Resources, Hawai`i Invasive Species Council's website recognizes the serious threat
from feral cats in part because of the risk to Native Hawaiian birds such as our
endangered species that we spoke about today. As already stated in the 2015 report
from the U.S. Fish &Wildlife, there are almost three hundred (300) cat kills of native
birds at Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge alone. This Bill's amendment is important
because Kaua`i is a haven for these endangered, threatened, and endemic Native
Hawaiian birds, particularly wetland birds and seabirds, many of which are found
nowhere else in the world. For species such as these, this area is their last stronghold.
There are fewer than one thousand (1,000) Alae 'Ula for example. While A o declined
more than ninety-five percent (95%) during a twenty-year period between 1993 and
2013, this is the time that we need to act. It evolved without a million predators and
has no defenses against them. Feral cats also spread deadly parasites and diseases
such as parasites causing toxoplasmosis. Each cat may spread hundreds of millions
of infectious eggs in its feces contaminating the environment for years. Infections in
humans can result in miscarriages, blindness, memory loss, or death, and has been
linked to several neurological disorders. Recent deaths of Hawaiian monk seals,
Nene, and other dolphins suggest widespread cat contamination of lands and waters.
Maintaining feral cats in colonies concentrates the spread of toxoplasmosis and
threatens the very health of Hawai`i's residents, tourists, and rare and endemic
species. Science has clearly demonstrated that trapping, sterilizing, and then
returning the TNR feral cats to the landscape does not address the harms that the
overpopulation of feral cats cause throughout Hawai`i's landscape. Although
trapping and sterilizing feral cats may be an important component to management,
the re-release of these cats throughout the state is detrimental to human health and
wildlife alike. Not only is the release inhumane abandonment as we heard earlier
from other testifiers, but scientific studies have overwhelmingly indicated that TNR
programs do not reduce feral cat populations and are opposed by the public health
PUBLIC HEARING 37 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
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and people of Hawai`i. Our imperiled bird species are hurdling towards extinction.
The County not only has the kuleana, but legal obligation to ensure their protection
and survival for generations to come. For these reasons and more, the Center
requests that this Council pass Bill No. 2842. Mahalo nui for your consideration.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Okay, mahalo, Maxx. We are moving on to
Dr. Andre Raine.
DR. ANDRE RAINE (via remote technology): Good morning everyone and
thank you for giving me the opportunity to provide testimony to the amendments to
Bill No. 2842. I would just like to say that I strongly support this Bill and I would
also like to applaud those of you who put these amendments forward. Thank you for
your thoughts on them and forward-thinking to protecting our native and endangered
species, as well as looking towards the health of our residents and indeed protecting
cats. There are a lot of reasons why I support this Bill, but considering the few
moments I have, I am going to focus on the impact of cats on our native wildlife. I
have spent well over a decade working on our beautiful island to study and protect
our endangered native seabirds, in particular the Ai), the Newell Shearwater and the
Ua u, the Hawaiian Petrel. We have ninety percent (90%) of the world's population
of the AO and one-third (1/3) of the world's population of the `Ua`u. These birds have
done...although we still have the lion's share of these birds, they have done really
badly on our island for a myriad of reasons. We have helped the A o decline by
ninety-four percent (94%) and the `Ua u decline by seventy-eight percent (78%).
These birds really need our help. Most of my work is undertaking the remote
mountains of the northwest of Kaua`i. This is where we find the cats as well. It is
pretty incredible to think of cats in these remote areas, but lo and behold, in these
misty, rainy mountains and steep precipitous areas are actually infested by cats.
They really are devastating the populations of endangered birds in these areas. This
is because the `Ua`u and the Ao, they breed in holes in the ground. Despite being a
bird, they breed in what looks like little rabbit holes. They evolved on this island
with no mammalian predators. They are extremely vulnerable to mammalian
predators. Categorically, the most formidable and destructive introduced
mammalian predators in these areas and on the island is the cat. There are several
reasons for this, and I would like to draw your attention to a comparison between cats
and rats, because rats are also an invasive predator, which is devastating to our
native wildlife.
The cats are more deadly than rats for a number of reasons. The first is that
cats can kill large numbers of birds in a short period of time. For those of you who
have cats...I, myself have an indoor cat...you can see how intelligent these predators
are and observe their hunting behavior in your own home. Basically, what they will
do is in an area where there are a lot of birds like a concentrated breeding area, they
are going to focus on killing as many animals as possible in a short period of time
because it is more energy efficient for them. What they will do is pull a bird out of its
burrow, bite off the back of its head, eat the brain, which is energy rich, take a few
chunks out of the chest, and then they will leave the carcass lying there, and move
PUBLIC HEARING 38 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
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on to the next bird in the area. Although over the years predator control has been
extremely effective in these areas, we still do see an occasional outbreak where you
get a cat in the area for a very short period of time, and it will kill a large number of
birds in the clustered area. We had fourteen(14) `Ua`u chicks,just before they fledged
a couple of years ago, were killed in one of our most remote sites.
Secondly, cats unlike rats, will also kill breeding adults. This is far more
devastating to a population. If you kill the breeding adults...rats will kill chicks and
eggs, which is bad for population growth...but if you kill the breeding adults, you are
basically wiping out year-after-year of breeding capabilities of the population. You
end up with a dead bird, a pair that no longer breeds in the following year, so you lost
all those following years of breeding. If there is a chick that they did not manage to
get, the chick slowly starves to death inside the burrow, which is a particularly
hideous way for the bird to go. I see this time and time again. I have unfortunately
countless photos and videos, which I could share with you of these impacts. This is
in our remote areas. I think one of the things that we have to stop and think about
is that this is a remote area problem. Sure, it is happening in the mountains, it is
happening to our native and endangered wildlife across the island. For this in
particular, I am thinking about our water birds. We find water birds breeding all
throughout the lowlands. These are species like the Nene, the Koloa, the 'Alae
and they breed in areas where you would not necessarily expect them to. This
includes County parks, which would be covered by this law, as well as golf courses,
wetlands, or basically anywhere where there are good water sources for the birds to
breed. Just yesterday evening I was walking on a golf course in Lihu`e and there
were two (2) Alae `Ula walking along on the grass along the carpark and lo and behold
there was a cat about thirty (30) meters away watching them. They are extremely
vulnerable in these areas. As some of the other speakers have already pointed out,
there are less than one thousand (1,000) Alae 'Ula left in the world. We have the last
main populations of the Koloa and the Nene. These are especially iconic birds, and
they are being annihilated by cats. One of the previous speakers mentioned Hanalei
for example. Two hundred fifty (250) water birds killed by cats along in a four-year
period. That is catastrophic to these populations. Lastly, our Vail or Shearwater
populations, those colonies, those are coastal breeding Shearwaters. These birds get
hit really hard every year. I am sure you have seen press releases and coverages in
the newspapers of slaughters of these birds. I have personally found hundreds of
these dead birds in places like Shipwrecks and Makahuena Point. It is actually
heartbreaking to watch these colonies being slowly, methodically wiped out by cats
on a year-by-year basis. Makahuena Point, I used to go every year with my kids to
look for the first Shearwaters of the year, and now every time I go there, the first
Shearwaters of the year are dead.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Dr. Raine, you have thirty (30) seconds to
wrap it up.
Dr. Raine: Understood. Thank you. I would just like to
once again strongly provide my support to this Bill. I think it is our duty to protect
PUBLIC HEARING 39 FEBRUARY 9, 2022
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the last remaining native birds that exist on the island, both for their sake and our
children's sake. I think this amendment is a vital first step to ensuring that we do.
It protects not just the wildlife but protects these cats themselves from a miserable
and short life living outside where they are vulnerable to disease, cars, and dog
attacks. Thank you. I would just like to say cat safe, wildlife safe, it is a win-win
solution.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you so much, Dr. Raine, for your
testimony. Our next speaker is Jan Dunn.
JAN DUNN (via remote technology): Hello. My name is Jan Dunn and I am
from Kapa`a. I am frequently volunteering on the island helping the monk seals and
picking up trash on the beaches. I have seen things in my travels. I just want to say
that when I first came to the island, I actually adopted a feral cat from my friend who
was leaving the island, because she said that she would put it to sleep if no one
adopted it. I adopted her cat. I have had cats my entire life. Traveling around the
island, I have come to learn about the birds. The Mali, the Shearwaters, and the
Koloa. I have seen things that are very disturbing to me. First of all, I want to say
that in public places in Kapa`a, like the Recycling Center, I frequently see a lot of very
thin feral cats hanging out as people are getting rid of their trash there. At the Post
Office, I have seen cats. It is not just a cat walking by casually. I have seen cats
grouped together. Recently, when I went to the Russian Fort to use the restroom
there, there were twenty (20) cats at least on the wall there seemingly waiting for
someone to come feed them. I have never seen twenty (20) cats grouped together like
that. It just hit me as being rather unusual. In some of my journeys around the
island, in Lae Nani, I have been aware of Shearwater nests. When I have gone on
the coastal trail at Moloa`a, I have seen Mali nest down below near the trail. I tried
to walk around and not get near the Mo/i. Recently, my friend and I, in the past year
or two, have seen Shearwater carcasses along the trails and pieces or chunks of
Shearwaters just lying around. The last time I went to Moloa`a, there was an
abundance of white feathers scattered all over the ground. I have never seen
anything like that in my five (5) years of going to Moloa`a. There were lots and lots
of white feathers that were obviously not chicken feathers. I am in favor of this Bill.
I love cats, but cats are not native to this island. Our birds are precious. I did not
mention that I also volunteer for the Kaua`i Forest Bird Recovery Project. I feel that
we need to preserve the animals that are part of the history and culture of this island.
Even though I love cats, I am in favor of the Bill because our birds are the ones that
are disappearing. Thank you.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you, Jan, for your testimony. Our next
speaker is Hannah Weipert.
HANNAH WEIPERT (via remote technology): Thank you. Hello, my
name is Hannah Weipert, and I am thankful to have the chance today to express my
support of Bill No. 2842 on behalf of native wildlife, residents, and cats. As a Biologist
here on Kauai, I have personally witnessed and had to directly deal with the
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aftermath of mass killings of our native fauna by cats as introduced predators. As
André has said, this does not happen just in the remote mountain regions of Kaua`i.
An experience of mine that really stuck with me, that happened in the lowlands of
the island was a time that I was at Makahuena Point. It was my first A o blessing
and release with Kumu Sabra and local school children. An AO chick that had been
rehabilitated at Save Our Shearwaters was going to be released for its first flight out
to sea. This ceremony serves as an educational and spiritual experience for all who
attend and is looked forward to by people. It only happens annually. Unfortunately,
this year, the experience also served as a harsh reminder of the additional threat
posed on seabirds by cats. Within moments of our arrival, we realized we were at a
gravesite of`Ua`u Kani. The number of deaths was inconceivable. You could not walk
without passing remains of these birds. It covered the entire landscape. It was
beyond heartbreaking to see, especially as someone who is working so hard to
conserve these species. This colony in particular has been hit relentlessly for years.
It is going to be completely decimated if these predators continue to roam freely. If
this Bill is passed, it will be momentous in protecting our native wildlife and Kauai
can act as a trailblazer for proper predator management for islands across the world.
I am asking for your help to point Hawai`i in the right direction and begin the reverse
of a curse that humans have single-handedly put on our native wildlife. Thank you
for your time.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you, Hannah. Our next speaker is
Volker Poelzl.
VOLKER POELZL (via remote technology): Yes, that is me.Aloha
kakahiaka, Councilmembers. Thank you for letting me speak here. I have lived here
for five (5)years. I am a registered voter, and I am a longtime volunteer in this island.
I have always loved birds. When I moved here five (5) years ago, I wanted to help
and volunteer for the birds. My travels around the world over the many years, I have
seen so many beautiful birds in all different continents in places like India, South
America, the Amazon, and in North America. I have always admired the wildlife and
the beauty and joy they bring to us. When I moved here, the one thing that I
discovered here that I have not seen anywhere else in forty-two (42) countries that I
have traveled, and that is the utmost devastation and destruction brought on to
native birds by an introduced invasive predator and I am specifically talking about
feral cats. I started out volunteering in the taro fields of Hanalei. I thought there
were a lot of bird kills by cats there. There were a lot of Alae 'Ula as we have heard
here today. There are a lot of AO, the Hawaiian Stilt. I would photograph the
carcasses and bring the carcasses into the office to have Biologists examine them.
Later on, I moved on to other volunteer opportunities. I suddenly realized that the
cat problem was really everywhere. I frequently visit seabird colonies that are being
decimated year-after-year. I call them the killing fields privately, because I have
difficulty now going to these places, including my favorite coastline areas with seabird
colonies, mostly Wedged-tailed Shearwaters, but also tropic birds. I see birds pairing
up after they have not seen each other, coming together, celebrating their reunion,
and then all of a sudden, the next time I come back a week later, it is just wings, a
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head, and legs. That scene is many times over, a thousand of times. I have taken
hundreds of photos of cat kills all along the coast and everywhere. The devastation
surely is something that really struck me. I have never seen it anywhere else. We
are a small island, and the feral cat has gotten so out of hand that we have become
really used to this. My question is if this is something that we should just accept and
should we defer this Bill because we need to work out a few glitches, issues, or a little
bit of wording. I would say no, there is no time to wait. I am testifying here in full
support of the Bill to ban feeding of feral cats on County property and also, I support
the Bill in its entirety. I really think that all parts of it makes full sense. I have come
to realize that we need to take action. Globally what is happening is that we are
losing habitat for our seabirds. The Shearwaters, their numbers are still high or a
nearly a million (1,000,000) worldwide, but sea levels are rising, and habitat loss is
common all over the Pacific islands. We have high ground here. We can provide a
safe haven for these birds. We are not a coral atoll that is going to be flooded in
five (5) years. We can build a safe, protected colony for these birds to thrive, because
within the next few decades, they will have nowhere else to go. Right now, this is not
happening. To let the public randomly support feral cat colonies as they please, on
County property, is really irresponsible. We need to take a leadership role on this
and point the movement direction forward as to how we can protect our native bird
species for future generations. Climate change is here. Global warming is here. Sea
level rise is here. We have a kuleana to support what we have here, our birds. In
order to do that, we need to reduce this random act of feeding cats where they really
do not belong. Do we need to find a solution? Yes. Sanctuaries are a good idea.
Shipping them off to the mainland is a good idea. In order to make these new ideas
work, we also need to make sure that we do not provide support or prop up an aiding
community of sickly cats so that they can continue to go out at night. Cats are
instinctive killers. They go out at night and just kill birds. Eating or not eating them,
they will kill them. They will eat part of the chest. I have seen this many times.
Heads are ripped off. Legs are ripped off. Their chests are eaten and then they are
left. This happens over and over and over again. There is no time to wait. We need
to get started and take action. I think the Bill is a first step in the right direction.
We need to think twenty (20), thirty (30), or forty (40) years down the road. What do
we want our community to be and where do we want our native birds to be? I think
we want our native birds to thrive. I think in order to do that, we need to take some
action that we can be proud of as a community. That is why I am in support of the
Bill. Thank you very much for letting me speak today.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you, Volker. Our next speaker is
Jennifer Rothe.
JENNIFER ROTHE (via remote technology): Good morning,
Councilmembers. My name is Jen Rothe and I live in `Ele`ele. I would like to, this
morning, voice my full support of Bill No. 2842 on behalf of our native wildlife,
residents, and on behalf of our cats. I work in the mountains with endangered
seabirds. I have retrieved footage from our cameras of cats just tearing Vail and AO
to shreds. It is genuinely heartbreaking. These birds are out there trying to live their
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lives and raise their chicks. I feel that is something that everyone can relate to, that
goal. Outside of my work, I actually happen to be a birder. That means I spend a lot
of my personal time going out and looking for birds because I love them. While I am
out, I always pay special attention to our Native Hawaiian species including the A o,
Alae 'Ula, Alae Keokeo, Nene, and Koloa. I find them in all of the expected place that
have been mentioned here before, including the Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge,
Kawai`ele Waterbird Sanctuary, Huleia Wildlife Refuge, et cetera, but I also find
them all over this island in places that most people would not think to be looking for
them. I am talking about places like golf courses, beach parks, roadside ditches, and
even residential lots. Fortunately, I cannot think of a single one of those places where
these birds occur where I have not also seen at least one (1) cat, sometimes many. I
grew up with cats. I happen to be very, very fond of them. I think that most people
do try to conduct themselves in a compassionate manner and that is admirable. In
my own neighborhood, every night, I hear cats fighting outside my window. Every
week I see a fresh carcass along the side of the road. Those cats are not living good
lives. I believe they deserve better. I believe Kaua`i's native wildlife deserves better.
I believe we deserve better and can do better. This Bill is the first step in that
direction. Mahalo.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you, Jennifer. Our next speaker is
Kehaulani Kekua.
KEHAULANI KEKUA (via remote technology):Aloha mai kakou. Good
morning honorable Members of the Kaua`i County Council. Ka mahalo is ou kou.
Thank you so much for this opportunity to speak to you today in strong support of
Bill No. 2842. I submitted written testimony on January 11, 2022, and so today what
I want to do is to speak towards that same direction, but expand upon it a little bit.
Let me just share a few lines here. 0 ka lele anei auna. 0 kahaka i a lalani. 0
ho'onohonoho a pa'a ka pae. Pa'a ka aina o Kanehunamoku. Hanau manu ka aina.
Hanau manu ke kai. Hanau kane is Wai`ololi, o ka wahine is Wai olola. He po uhe'e
i ka wawa. He hua, he Vo ka ai a ka manu. 0 ke Akua ke komo, `a oe komo kanaka.
This is just a few lines from the Kumulipo. The Kumulipo is perhaps one of the most
familiar Hawaiian creation chants and it is in excess of two thousand (2,000) lines
long. I have notes, because I do not have that committed to memory. However, I
wanted to share with you those lines. Translated it states, "Flew hither in flocks on
the seashore in ranks. Settled down and covered the beach. Covered the lands of
Kane's hidden island. Land birds were born, and sea birds were born. Man born for
the narrow stream, woman for the broad stream. Darkness slips into light. Earth
and water are the food of the plant. The deity enters, man cannot enter." In the
Kumulipo, there are multiple wa or time periods. The order that things are coming
to life or are born, starts with the universe, then the earth, then all life forms are
born of the ocean first, with the ko a or the coral polyp as our hiapo or our first born,
our ancestor. Then it goes onto all the sea life, including the whales, the dolphins,
et cetera. In the third wa there is an entire wa that is dedicated to the birthing of
the winged creatures. It is here that we have lines two hundred ninety-four (294)
through three hundred sixty-nine (369) that talks about all the bird creatures. As I
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have listened to people speak, the Alae 'Ula, the Koloa, the Molt, the Akikiki, the
Akeke e, the `Ua u, and the 21`o. All of these birds are listed in this Kumulipo. This is
sacred and profound. There is nothing in here that says anything about the cats of
course, however, this is an indication of how precious they are. They were recognized
and revered as sacred and profound kinolau or manifestations of the divine
themselves. Perhaps many people do not know this, but as a keiki o ka aina born
and raised here, as a kumu hula, and a traditional cultural practitioner, these are
vital elements of our environment. I am here in strong support of passing this Bill.
I totally support and am very passionate about the safety and the welfare of not only
our seabirds, but our forests birds as well. Back in 2018, I had my first introduction
to the Molt or the Laysan Albatross. Hob Osterlund had invited me to do a blessing.
I do all kinds of ceremonies. This was the first request for me to do a ceremony to
bless birds. I needed to meet them and observe them. It was life shifting for me.
Annually, we do these ceremonies to not only celebrate their return, but really my
kuleana is to pule, to pray, and put forth ho okupu to petition for spiritual protection,
preservation, and health for these birds. They are highly threatened, they are
endangered, and many of the different birds species are on the brink of extinction.
Many of the birds that are listed in the Kumulipo are extinct, however, many of them
are still with us. They are struggling and we need to do all that we can. The Akikiki,
less than a thousand (1,000) are alive. They are possibly two (2) years from
extinction.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Kehaulani, you have thirty (30) seconds left.
Ms. Kekua: With that, mahalo nui. Thank you so much.
Please pass Bill No. 2842. A hui hou.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Our next speaker is Grant Sizemore.
GRANT SIZEMORE (via remote technology): Aloha and mahalo for the
opportunity to provide testimony today. My name is Grant Sizemore and I am the
Director of Invasive Species Programs for American Bird Conservancy. We are a
nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of native birds in their habitats.
On behalf of American Bird Conservancy and our members, I ask that you please
support Bill No. 2842. The abandonment of cats and concentration of cats on County
lands through feeding, presents serious risks to Kaua`i's birds and other wildlife. As
has already been mentioned earlier today, many of these birds' nest on the ground or
in the ground where both adults and chicks are incredibly vulnerable to cat predation.
Cats have already contributed to the extinction of Hawaiian birds, birds found
nowhere else on Earth. According to the Hawaiian Invasive Species Council, cats are
one of the most devastating predators in the State. While it may seem
counterintuitive, the feeding of these cats on County property contributes to their
predatory impact. Cats are instinctive predators that will hunt and kill Kaua`i's birds
regardless of hunger. Anyone who has owned a cat or spent any time playing with a
cat can attest to that predatory behavior. A cat chasing a laser pointer or ball of
string is essentially engaging in predatory behavior, even though clearly, they have
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no intention of eating that toy. This same predatory behavior, whether driven by
hunger, play, or instinct is deadly for Kaua`i's birds and feeding on County properties
only serves to keep cats roaming County lands. Abandoned cats and cats on County
properties are also a serious threat to people and wildlife from infectious parasites
and diseases—diseases like toxoplasmosis. This disease is caused by infection with
a parasite spread in cat feces. A single cat can excrete up to hundreds of millions of
this parasite's eggs, which can contaminate Kaua`i's natural areas, streams, rivers,
and beach parks. This parasite is a major threat to Kaua`i's marine mammals that
has also killed endangered birds and can affect game species such as pigs and deer
causing them to get sick. Infection can also cause severe consequences in people
including blindness, miscarriages, and death. This parasite is the reason pregnant
women are advised not to change cat litter, but abandoned cats and cats concentrated
on County properties turn the whole environment into one (1) contaminated litter
box. I understand that some individuals would prefer to concentrate on unknown cat
sterilization, but whether sterilized or not, cats will still kill Kaua`i's birds and
contribute to parasite disease risks. Prohibiting cat abandonment and the feeding of
cats on County property would protect Kaua`i's wildlife and people—and I ask that
you please support Bill No. 2842. Mahalo.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you, Grant. Next speaker is Nancy
Callahan.
NANCY CALLAHAN (via remote technology): Hello, my name is Nancy
Callahan, and I am here with my husband Tim. We are chiming in from Cleveland,
Ohio and we just got back from Kaua`i on Sunday. We have been visiting Kaua`i
five (5) out of the last seven (7) years and would have been there for the COVID-19
restrictions from the pandemic, but was so great to get back there. You may think it
was just an escape to get away from the lovely winters on the Great Lakes, but we
are avid bird lovers and bird watchers. Tim was a bird photographer. The birds that
we see in Hawai`i and on Kaua`i, specifically, are some of the most unusual and
beautiful birds we have seen anywhere. We rent a house in Kilauea for two (2)weeks
for each of these visits and we gladly spend a lot of money on restaurants, grocery
stores, your wonderful farmers markets, and we hire guides to take us out to show us
where and how to bird—the right way to bird watch on your beautiful land, and that
has taken us many times to the Kilauea National Wildlife Refuge and Hanalei
Refuge. We spend a lot of time in the Waimea Canyon, Koke`e State Park, the Wailua
River, and this year we explored the Kauai Ili Nature Preserve and the Mana swamp
that people are trying to wonderfully restore habitat in that area. We also saw the
salt ponds in Hanapepe and each time we come, we learn about and explore new
areas, and each time we come your community has expanded the areas that are...we
are fully aware of the decrease in population of birds in the world and we live on a
major warbler fly way in Ohio and anytime you want to come out here to see our
birds, come on out, but they are also endangered, too. Mostly from habitat lost and
also feral cats. You have some really special birds and a special way of looking at
birds on Kaua`i and we hope you will do everything you can to protect these species
and their habitats. We look forward to coming back for many years to visit your
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beautiful home to see all the progress that has been made. We are here to support
you in doing that, so we are in favor of passing Bill No. 2842. Thank you so much.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you, Nancy. Moving on to our next
speaker is Chipper Wichman.
CHIPPER WICHMAN (via remote technology):Aloha mai kakou. Can
you hear me?
Committee Chair Carvalho: Yes, we can.
Mr. Wichman: Maikai no. I am here today to support Bill
No. 2842. I am testifying today as the President of the National Tropical Botanical
Garden (NTBG), which is our national headquarters here on the island of Kauai and
also as a six (6) generation resident on the island of Kaua`i. I did provide written
testimony on January 11, 2022 and even heard back from several of the
Councilmembers, including a call I had with Councilmember Cowden to discuss my
thoughts on this challenging issue. It is really a challenging issue, and I am very
appreciative of the amount of time the Council is giving to this and you allowing all
of us more time to testify this morning. I have literally dedicated my entire life to the
perpetuation to the natural and cultural resources here on Kaua`i. This is my 47th
year of work for the botanical garden and this has given me an extraordinary front
seat on the evolution of our unique species here and the endangerment that so much
of our native biota in full are facing. I also want to say that I am a cat lover by nature.
We own cats when my children were small, and cats are killers. We fed our cats very
well. We had a beautiful Himalayan cat that would always bring us...as a matter of
fact she always had a full stomach all the time. She brought us little gifts, rats, and
birds to our doorstep almost every day. So, the idea that cats with full stomachs are
not going to go out there and kill is really just not true. Anyone who observed cats
and owns cats—we already heard that in testimony earlier today, knows that is not
true. In 2014 and 2015, the County convened a Feral Cat Task Force—I provided
testimony at that time—that was a well-thought-out at many meetings that convened
and the task force came to the conclusion that we should strive to be a global leader
and eliminate all the feral cats from our island—we are not talking about
domesticated cats, people's personal pets, but we should really strive to eliminate all
of the feral cats on the island of Kaua`i. This is an area where we can be a global
leader and the world is watching to see if we have the political will to address this
critical issue. This is not just an issue on Kaua`i. This is an issue that has replicated
around the world, because cats have been domesticated and spread globally and their
impact on native birds and native biota is profound. This is not just good practice for
our native species, if we could actually become a global leader in eliminating feral cat
populations. It would be great for our visitor industry because people would come to
see and experience our unique native species. The demographic of visitor that comes
to Kaua`i is looking for that type of experience. They will not come to see feral cat
populations. As part of my work at the NTBG, we manage the thousand-acre
Limahuli Garden and Preserve, and I have personally witnessed feral cats migrating
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all the way up into the upper preserve during the sea bird nesting season. This is an
extraordinary distance that these feral cats are going. They are only up there during
sea bird nesting season, so it really shows the extreme impact that these birds are
having. So, while you might say, well these are remote areas that these populations
that are being fed on County lands will not affect them, we have native Shearwaters
that nest all along our coast, and we have all these Alae 'Ula, Koloa maoli—we have
other water birds that are down in the zones that are heavily impacted by feral cat
populations. This is heartbreaking and I see these Shearwaters that have been killed
by cats every time we go on a walk along the coast. Feral cats that are being fed and
abandoned on County lands are undoubtedly killing an impacting birds that nest all
over our island—that is a fact. I, like our kapuna before me, view the natural world
as part of our ohana, so I feel personally and I hope you will see that you have a legal
responsibility...I feel personally that we have an obligation to care for our family, to
care for our ohana to take care of these natural and cultural resources. You heard
Kehau talking about how important these birds were to our ancestors, that they
memorialized that in these chants and prayers, and they were very important. So, I
urge you to do the right thing to help protect our `ohana by passing Bill No. 2842.
You have a legal obligation to do all that you can to protect our unique native wildlife
here on our island of Kaua`i. Thank you very much for allowing me to testify today.
Good luck with your deliberations, we look forward to you making the right choice.
Aloha.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Mahalo, Chipper. Next speaker is Michelle
Barbieri.
MICHELLE BARBIERI (via remote technology): Good morning and thank
you for the opportunity and invitation today to provide expert testimony. My name
is Michelle Barberi. Today, I am here in response to an invitation from
Councilmember Luke A. Evslin to provide scientific testimony on toxoplasmosis and
its effects on Hawaiian monk seals as it pertains to Bill No. 2842. I am not
representing any agency position on this issue or Bill.
I am the Program Lead for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Hawaiian Monk Seal Research Program at the Pacific Islands
Fisheries Science Center in Honolulu. The research program I lead conducts
population assessment research, performs hands-on life-saving interventions to
mitigate threats, and conducts scientific research aimed at conservation of the
endangered Hawaiian monk seal throughout its range. I am a licensed veterinarian
in the State of Hawai`i and my research and expertise focuses on Hawaiian monk seal
health and disease research, biomedical surveillance, stranding response and clinical
care, including research and treatment of seals affected by toxoplasmosis.
My scientific testimony today is as follows.
Toxoplasmosis is a disease spread by the protozoal parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Felids are the sole definitive host of this parasite, and the only felids present in the
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State are the domestic cat, Felis catus, so today I will say "cat" to indicate that I am
talking about our local definitive host population.
Cats play a unique, essential role as definitive hosts—that the parasite can only
sexually reproduce in their digestive system. And that means that all the toxoplasma
in the environment arrived there because at some point, it was deposited by the fecal
matter of cats. In the typical toxoplasma parasite life cycle, birds or rodents
encounter toxoplasma in the environment and become infected. The parasite encysts
in their brain or muscle tissue, waiting for that prey item to be ingested by a cat.
When that happens, the next cat gets infected, and the cycle continues. The organism
reproduces in the new cat's digestive system leading the newly infected cat to
unknowingly shed millions of new toxoplasma organisms into the environment in its
feces over a period of two (2) weeks. Infected cats rarely show any signs of infection,
even during the period of time when they are actively shedding toxoplasma organisms
in their feces. Sterilization of cats, in other words, spaying and neutering, has no
impact on their propensity of cats to become infected or spread the infection.
Long after the cat feces decomposes, the toxoplasma parasite remains in the
environment, and it is resistant to degradation and survives in the soil, water (fresh
or salt), and a range of temperatures for months to years. When it rains, the
organisms wash into the ocean exposing marine wildlife. This land to sea flow is a
published and broadly accepted risk factor as it pertains to the impacts of toxoplasma
on the readily studied sea otter population in California, where southern sea otter
infections and deaths are greatest in areas of the coastline that receive the highest
levels of runoff from the near shore terrestrial environment.
A single organism of toxoplasma is sufficient to cause infection. Once
toxoplasma makes its way into a monk seal, the parasite is lethal. Most seals are
found dead without warning. Opportunities to attempt treatment are rare, and when
possible, treatment has not been successful despite weeks of intensive efforts.
Despite decades of surveillance for diseases in this species, infections with
Toxoplasma gondii are a relatively recent occurrence in the last about fifteen (15) to
twenty (20) years. The disease has now killed at least fifteen (15) monk seals and is
one of the key threats to the three hundred (300) or so Hawaiian monk seals that
primarily use the main Hawaiian Islands. More seals disappear than are found dead
for examination, so the actual number of deaths caused by toxoplasmosis is likely
much higher. Additionally, Toxoplasmosis has killed more female seals than males
and we have documented its transmission across the placenta from mother seal to
fetus. With every lost female, her future generations are also lost to the recovery of
the species impacting the reproductive potential.
Hawaiian monk seals are not the only wildlife affected by toxoplasmosis.
Locally, it has been documented as a cause of death in spinner dolphins. While avian
wildlife infections are not in my specific area of expertise, they have been touched on
by many others today, so I will not recap that. There is published literature on
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toxoplasmosis impacting native birds in Hawai`i as well. Globally Toxoplasma is
linked to wildlife infections worldwide and in marine mammals, notable examples
include the threatened southern sea otter I mentioned earlier, and the endangered
Hector's dolphin in New Zealand. As is commonly known, toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic
disease meaning that it is a threat to human health. The Center for Disease
Control (CDC) considers it one of the neglected parasitic infections of the United
States of America, targeted for public health action.
This concludes my testimony this morning. If it is permissible to answer any
questions the Council may have regarding the science of this disease or Hawaiian
monk seals that have an impact, I am more than happy to answer them. Thank you.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you very much, Michelle. Moving on to
the next speaker is Kayleigh Chalkowski.
KAYLEIGH CHALKOWSKI (via remote technology): Good morning,
everyone. My name is Kayleigh Chalkowski and I am here to give testimony in
support of County Bill No. 2842, prohibit feeding a feral cat on County land. I am a
disease ecologist specializing in zoonotic diseases of companion animals like cats. I
am a PhD candidate at Auburn University and for my Master's research, I actually
conducted a study in 2017 to understand how this parasite toxoplasma gondii, that
just was mentioned at length by many others, is distributed across Kauai. So, to do
this, we sampled feral chickens as sentinels like canaries in a coalmine, basically a
proxy to measure the parasite in the environment. We sampled beaches all around
the island, community centers, public parks, many of the locations that have been
mentioned in this meeting today and with others. And what we found was shocking.
Every single site that we sampled had chickens that were positive with this parasite.
This parasite that is spread into the environment only by cats. As others have
mentioned, I will say it again, toxoplasma gondii is a parasite harmful to human
health, so pregnant woman can pass this infection on to her unborn child causing
miscarriage, harming brain development in the baby. Chronic toxoplasma gondii
infections in humans have been associated with epilepsy, neurodegeneration, brain
cancer, and not to mention impacts on wildlife like the Hawaiian monk seal.
Prohibiting the feeding of cats will go a long way of reducing the exposure to people
of the parasite. I am here mostly to emphasize that while the conservation aspect of
this Bill is really important, this is also a very serious public health issue, and we
need to protect our people from this parasite. Prohibiting the feeding of cats on
County land is one (1) actionable way to do that. That concludes my testimony, but
if you would like me to send a PDF of the manuscript that we published, this would
be a conservation biology, I would be happy to do that, along with a list of the sites
with positive chickens, and I would be happy to answer any questions as well, if that
is needed. Thank you very much.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Councilmember Cowden has a question.
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Councilmember Cowden: I have heard from a number of people on
toxoplasmosis now. I just have a simple question; how would a person know if they
had it? What types of symptoms would surface in a person if they were not pregnant?
How do we know when people get it? What symptoms surface?
Ms. Chalkowski: Typically, flu like symptoms in people who are
initially infected. Many people can be asymptomatic. It is one of those things where,
for the chronic conditions...when you get infected with toxoplasma gondii you will
have an acute phase where people might exhibit flu like symptoms. Then you have
what you call a chronic phase, where it basically lives dormant or semi-dormant and
often neurological tissue, which is how it causes eye problems, ocular toxoplasmosis,
or something. So, it manifests in these mysterious ways when it comes to chronic
infections. There are assays you can take if you were concerned about it yourself. It
is one of those things like "rolling the dice" like will you have a serious condition as a
result of this parasite, or maybe you will not. The linkage between some of these
things are kind of in progress of being uncovered.
Councilmember Cowden: Okay, thank you.
Ms. Chalkowski: Does that answer your question?
Councilmember Cowden: Yes. I just wondered because I have not
thought about it in the people, so when I meet people who are sick, or there are people
who are closely involved with the cats that might...we have a lot of homeless people
in the same places where the cats are. A lot of homeless people are quite sick. I just
wondered, because I never thought about maybe it is crossing over from the cats. I
just want to be aware of that. Thank you.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you. Our final speaker this morning is
Ku'uleialoha Gaisoa.
KU`ULEIALOHA GAISOA (via remote technology): Hi, everyone. My name is
Ku'ulei. I am one hundred percent (100%) for the Bill. I have a Hanapepe salt patch
that is a neighbor of Salt Pond. Today, we had about seventy (70) cats in the bushes
that are destroying our salt patch. The only place in the world that makes Hawaiian
salt and I cannot capture the cats and take them to the Kaua`i Humane Society
because they do not accept them, so it is not okay to have these cat colonies at a county
park that is next to a historical site that actually makes a product that we give away.
It is just mind boggling. Anyway, one hundred percent (100%), let us arrest people
who are feeding the cats. Let me have at it. That is all I have to say. Thank you.
Committee Chair Carvalho: Thank you very much Ku'uleialoha. Mahalo
to everyone who testified. You can continue watching the remainder of the meeting
on the www.kauai.gov/webcastmeetings. Given there is no additional testifiers
registered to speak, this public hearing is now adjourned.
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There being no further testimony on this matter, the public hearing adjourned
at 10:21 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
tgl '
JADE OUNTAIN-TANIGAWA
County Clerk
7y