NAWILIWILI — After much controversy, a survey lasting more than a year, countless public testimony, heated debates and an exercise in the democratic process, the county’s Parks and Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved a bill to allow leashed dogs on
NAWILIWILI — After much controversy, a survey lasting more than a year, countless public testimony, heated debates and an exercise in the democratic process, the county’s Parks and Transportation Committee on Wednesday approved a bill to allow leashed dogs on almost the entire multi-use path on the Eastside.
“We had a lot of testimony from every sector of the community. I think this is a way to be inclusive to provide equal access to a public facility,” Committee Chair Lani Kawahara said.
Bill 2354 will go before the full Kaua‘i County Council next Wednesday. Council members can still introduce new amendments then, but Kawahara has already allowed changes from ex-officio members when the bill was in committee.
The bill passed the committee with an amendment introduced by Councilman Dickie Chang excluding dogs from the area fronting Lydgate Park. The exception will not affect continuity on the path, which is projected to extend sometime in the future all the way from Anahola to Nawiliwili.
“I proposed the amendment because there were a few people that were concerned about dogs,” said Chang, explaining that the area where the exception was proposed has a high traffic of children and elderly, and also has many picnic tables and areas close to the path.
“A part of being responsible is again compromising,” said Chang, asking for dog owners to use common sense and avoid walking their dogs by the sports fields on weekends.
“If you got the Friends of Kamalani, the Humane Society, most of the walkers agreeing that this quarter of a mile is something that everybody can live with — what a win-win situation,” Chang said.
The councilman praised good dog-ownership throughout the trial period, saying owners have been extremely compliant, law-abiding, responsible and have kept the path clean. “They did what they’ve been asked for those 18 months.”
The amendment had the support of Kawahara and Councilman Tim Bynum.
“I appreciate the compromise, but I’m not going to support (the amendment) just because I don’t feel like the arguments are there,” Councilman Derek Kawakami said.
Basing his decision on his personal experience on the path, Kawakami said there aren’t that many dogs on the path. “If you don’t like dogs, that path is big enough to space yourself out.”
Kawakami and Councilman Daryl Kaneshiro voted against the amendment. Kawakami voted in favor of the amended bill; Kaneshiro voted against it.
Kaneshiro had concerns that once the path is completed all the way to Nawiliwili, the issue will have to be revisited, because the path will likely pass through sensitive areas that might include bird sanctuaries.
“You’re going to have to come back and amend this bill when those concerns come up,” Kaneshiro said. “What we’re passing is allowing dogs permitted on shared-used path system, no matter where on this island.”
Bynum said that if there’s demonstrated concerns, nothing prevents a future council to look at whether there should be any new restrictions.
If the bill makes it out of full council next week, Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. will have 10 business days to take action. If he approves it or lets the time expire, the bill will automatically become law. If he vetoes it, the bill will bounce back to full council, where it will need five votes out of seven to override the mayor’s decision. (Carvalho has yet to veto a bill passed by the council.)
Parks and Recreation Director Lenny Rapozo said the department’s position is that leashed dogs should only be allowed on the stretch of the path from Kealia to Kuna Bay.
Public testimony has been overwhelming in support of allowing leashed dogs on the entire length of the path. In the last hearing, though, a few opposed the bill.
Kapa‘a resident Glenn Mickens, saying he loves dogs, testified that he walked his dog in his neighborhood and never needed a path.
“When I hear people say that they must be able to walk their dog on this path I have to wonder where they exercised their animal and themselves all the years before this cement slab was built,” he said.
Citing support for Parks and Recreation staff who were opposed to the bill, Mickens said “those workers are in the trenches and certainly know more about whether dogs or any other animals belong to this shared use path.”
Joe Rosa questioned the validity of many arguments by community members who said they feel more secure walking their dogs on the path. “How can people say that they feel secure with a little small poodle or a little Chihuahua?”
The argument of safety brought up many times by residents, however, regarded walking dogs on a controlled pedestrian path rather than in neighborhoods without sidewalks and full of unsupervised dogs.
Thomas Noyes, representing The Friends of Kamalani & Lydgate Park, showed support for the bill as amended. The group has been instrumental in up-keeping those areas, and also has been vocal in supporting leashed dogs on the path.
If no amendments are introduced next week, the bill will likely pass full council since it had four votes out of five in committee. At full council, the bill needs a majority of the seven members.
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• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
