BC 2010 05 17 Regular Meeting - Laserfiche WebLink

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May 17, 2010 (Regular Meeting) Page 1911 Chairman White announced that later in the meeting, the Board would possibly make appoints to the Food Policy Council. He advised a record 38 applications have been received for this committee. (D) INFORMAL PUBLIC COMMENTS Chairman White opened the meeting for Informal Public Comments at 6:42 p.m. He stated each speaker would be limited to three minutes. Jessica Juba, resident of 2875 Eagle View Place in Concord, announced that she is the owner of Bella, a pit bull dog that was shot by a Sheriff's Deputy. She expressed strong disagreement with how the situation was handled by the Sheriff's Department, offered to provide additional information on the shooting, addressed the need for additional training for Sheriff Personnel and stated the officers involved do not have the right to serve the community. In closing, she said changes need to be made. Jeff Daniels, resident of 2875 Eagle View Place in Concord, read an excerpt from a witness statement related to the shooting of Bella: I firmly believe that the situation should have never resulted in her death. At no time in the 45 minutes to an hour that I was outside witnessing the event, did I ever feel that she was a danger or aggressive to any person out there. There were kids not 20 feet away playing basketball outside, families walking up and down the street, people outside in their yards nearby and at no point did she ever charge anyone. If anything, she was running away from the people attempting to catch her. She was scared. She at many points would stop to look at the people chasing her to see if they were her owner. I believe that had this been another breed of dogs such as a Labrador or Golden Retriever, the words dangerous or aggressive would have never been used and a gun certainly would not have been pulled on one. This experience has questioned my belief in the system that we currently have in place for animals. Mr. Daniels stated this was an avoidable tragedy. He urged the Board to look into the issue further as he has undeniable proof of what happened that day. Scott Taylor, resident of 3372 Smith Farm Road in Matthews, spoke in opposition to how Bella's situation was handled by the Sheriff's Department. He advised of his plans to submit numerous public records requests to the Sheriff's Department and other County agencies. He commented on Bella's story being picked up by major radio and television networks, the large number of online supporters and the deluge of worldwide emails being sent to the Commission. He urged the Board to right this situation. Ralph Smith, Jr., resident of 5305 Winton Street in Kannapolis, spoke in support of the Enochville Fire District boundary change in the hope that it would improve service and safety for his neighborhood. Larry Marlow, resident of 664 Odell School Road in Concord, spoke regarding the location of the Board of Election's new facility. He urged the Board to choose a location that is easily accessible to elderly and handicapped citizens. Bob Ritchie, resident of 6561 Rocky River Road in Concord and Soil and Water Conservation District Chairman, spoke regarding the FY 2011 budget. He expressed appreciation for Commissioner Mynatt and several county staff members. On behalf of the District Board, he expressed appreciation for the cooperation they have had over the last few months and advised partnerships need to be strengthened with the County, State and Federal partners. He requested consideration from the Board concerning the District's budget proposal. With there being no one else to address the Board, Chairman White closed that portion of the meeting. Commissioner Mynatt advised the Board, as a rule, does not make comments at the informal comments section of meetings. She stated the public may interpret the Board's silence as being ignored and asked when a report on the Bella incident will be ready. Chairman White advised once an investigation is completed it will be reviewed by the County Attorney and then released to the public. He then