Apr 28, 2025 City Council

[00:00:04]

I KNOW. I KNOW. I FIGURED YOU'D FIX IT FOR US ALL. IT IS 6:00. IF I COULD PLEASE HAVE EVERYONE TAKE THEIR SEATS SO THAT WE MAY GET STARTED. ALL RIGHT. IT IS APRIL 28TH, 2025. IT IS 6 P.M.

[Call To Order]

WE THANK YOU FOR IT. LORD, WE ALSO COME WITH HEAVY HEARTS TONIGHT, AND WE WANT TO LIFT UP THE FAMILY OF DYLAN EBERLE AND JUST PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BE WITH THEM. LORD, THIS HAS BEEN A LOSS TO OUR COMMUNITY, BUT ESPECIALLY IT'S BEEN A LOSS TO THIS FAMILY. AND SO WE LIFT THEM UP AND PRAY THAT YOUR COMFORT WOULD BE THEM WITH THEM, AND YOUR STRENGTH WOULD BE WITH THEM. NOW, LORD, TONIGHT WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE THOSE WHO SERVE THIS CITY. LORD, FOR EACH OF THESE COUNCIL MEMBERS, FOR OUR MAYOR. WE JUST THANK YOU FOR THEM AND THEIR DEDICATION TO THIS CITY, AND WE PRAY THAT YOU WILL BE WITH THEM, ESPECIALLY THIS EVENING. LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY AND THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DO TO GIVE US A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE. LORD, CERTAINLY WE THANK YOU FOR OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, AS THEY LITERALLY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR OUR SAFETY AND FOR OUR PROTECTION. LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THOSE WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT TO GIVE INFORMATION TO SPEAK. AND LORD, WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BE WITH EACH ONE AS AS THEY SPEAK TONIGHT AS INFORMATION IS GIVEN. BUT LORD, ESPECIALLY WE JUST LIFT UP THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR AND PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GUIDE THEM AS THEY MAKE DECISIONS THIS EVENING. IT'S THE NAME OF JESUS. WE PRAY. AMEN. AMEN. PLEASE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU GUYS WILL PLEASE PULL YOUR MICS CLOSER TOWARDS YOU, SO THAT TONIGHT YOUR VOICES COULD BE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR. ROLL CALL PLEASE. BROOKS. HERE.

WILLIAMS. HERE. BRODERICK. HERE. THOMAS. PRESENT. WADE. MCCULLOUGH. HERE. TOWNSEND.

HERE. TREAT. HERE. I WILL ASK AT THIS TIME IF WE COULD PLEASE HAVE OUR TENNIS PRO, GARY JONES.

[4. Proclamation of May as National Tennis Month]

YOU KNOW THAT OUTFITS EVERYTHING. I'M SORRY. WE HAVE A PROCLAMATION. WHEREAS THE USDA, ORIGINALLY KNOWN AS UNITED STATES NATIONAL LAWN TENNIS ASSOCIATION, HAS DECLARED THE MONTH OF MAY AS NATIONAL TENNIS MONTH. AND WHEREAS, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE USDA, THE CITY OF TRUTH WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SPORT OF TENNIS AND ITS BENEFITS TO HELP PLAYERS AND NON ALIKE. FIND COURTS OF OPPORTUNITIES IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. AND NOW, THEREFORE, I, MARY JO, COUNCIL, MAYOR OF SHERWOOD, ARKANSAS, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM MAY 2025 AS NATIONAL TENNIS MONTH AND ENCOURAGE THE CITIZENS TO GO OUT AND ENJOY THE SPORT OF TENNIS DURING THE MONTH OF MAY. I TAMMY TUCKER I'M THE PRESIDENT OF USTA ARKANSAS. GARY JONES IS ONE OF OUR TENNIS PROS AND ALSO OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS. AND DEANNA GARRETSON IS OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR. AND ALONG

[00:05:02]

WE HAVE SOME TENNIS COOKIES WE'RE GOING TO GIVE TO THE CITY COUNCIL. AND THEY HAVE A FEW MORE OVER HERE. ALSO, I WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN GONE FOR LIKE 25 YEARS, BUT I ACTUALLY AM FROM SHERWOOD. I LEARNED TO PLAY TENNIS AT THE REC CENTER UNDER RON DURAN, AND I WENT TO SYLVAN HILLS, SO I'M GLAD TO BE BACK. IT'S AWESOME. YES. YEAH. GARY? GARY. HI, GARY.

TELL EM I TAUGHT YOU EVERYTHING YOU KNEW. GARY AND I PLAYED ON THE HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS TEAM TOGETHER. YES. WE DID. YEAH. SHE AND MARINA PLAYED BAREFOOT. I DID. SHE DIDN'T LIKE SHOES.

COUNTRY GIRL. YEAH. THAT WAY THEY. CAN YOU PASS THEM AROUND? OKAY. I WILL PASS THEM DOWN. I'M GOING TO TAKE ONE AND KEEP. I'LL PUT ONE ON. OKAY. WELL, I THINK IT'LL BE STALE BY THE TIME IT'S DONE. WELL THAT'S TRUE. IS THAT. I GOT ON HIS PLATE. WE GAVE HIM ONE. ONE. DID YOU GET ONE FOR MARY JACKSON? OH, NO. I DON'T GET ONE. ARE THERE ENOUGH FOR THE. THAT'S YOURS. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. STEVE. JUST ONE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. OH. HERE. PASS IT BACK. I MEAN, MONICA CAN'T EAT ONE. NO. YES. ALL RIGHT. STEVE, YOU'RE GETTING A LOT. OKAY. THANK YOU. OH, WE THOUGHT YOU WE DIDN'T HAVE. WE WERE GETTING BACK TO KYLE. ALRIGHT, WE NEED TO REFOCUS. NO.

[5. Approval of the minutes of the regular called meeting on March 24, 2025, as transcribed.]

[6. March 2025 Financials]

[Addtional Item ]

[00:10:05]

YEAH. I DISCOVERED THAT A FEW HOURS AGO WHEN I WAS GATHERING MY APPENDICES FOR THE GRANT SO WE CAN CALL THE HINSON TRAIL. BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW IF YOU SEE DOCUMENTATION, I'LL PROBABLY CALL IT THE WOODRUFF TRAIL. JUST SO IT'S CONSISTENT WITH WITH PRIOR LANGUAGE. THE THERE'S A STATE OF OR THE ARDOT IS ONCE A YEAR DOES A CALL FOR PROJECTS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM AND THE RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM. THE MAXIMUM AWARD IS $500,000, WHICH IS ABOUT THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF MONEY TO DESIGN AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE EXISTING TRAIL SYSTEM.

SEVERAL CULVERTS. THEY'RE GOING TO BE RELATIVELY EXPENSIVE TO WIDEN THIS. ESSENTIALLY, THIS SECTION OF TRAIL WILL BECOME, IF WIDENED. THAT'S THE THAT'S THE PERFECT ROUTE FOR THE CENTRAL ARKANSAS REGIONAL GREENWAY LEADING FROM THE NORTH TO, YOU KNOW, TO JACKSONVILLE, TO THE SOUTH TO LITTLE ROCK. BUT IT NEEDS TO BE IMPROVED AND WIDENED TO 12 TO 14FT WIDE IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN. SO THIS IS A GREAT LOCATION FOR IT. IT'S EASY BECAUSE THERE'S ALREADY AN EXISTING TRAIL THERE, BUT SOME OF THE ENGINEERING IS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY. SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO APPLY FOR THE ENGINEERING OF THAT IMPROVEMENT FOR THE EXISTING TRAIL. AND JUST TO I'LL LET LET YOU ALL KNOW, THERE'S NO GUARANTEE CERTAINLY OF GETTING THIS GRANT TAP GRANTS ARE VERY COMPETITIVE. IF WE DO NOT GET THIS THERE'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY IN JUNE AS. YEAH, I DON'T KNOW I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT ORDER. BUT CERTAINLY THERE WILL BE ANOTHER CALL FOR PROJECTS THAT METRO PANEL WILL RELEASE SOMETIME THIS SUMMER. BUT THIS IS A PROJECT THAT CERTAINLY WAS IDENTIFIED.

THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL GEM IN OUR CITY, BUT IT HAS FALLEN INTO. BAD DISREPAIR. I KNOW WE'VE GOT TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO REALLY LIKE TO FREQUENT IT AND BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE RIGHT SO THAT IT WILL BE LASTING AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR CITY. YES. THANK YOU.

MAYOR, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. YOU SAID 14FT WIDE FOR THAT TRAIL. THAT'S THE RECOMMENDED WIDTH FOR THE CENTRAL ARKANSAS REGIONAL GREENWAY. AND MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO COMMIT TO THAT. OKAY. AS SOMEONE WHO WALKS THAT TRAIL, A GREAT DEAL WITH MISS BROOKS BECAUSE IT RUNS BESIDE THE CREEK. YES, THERE'S IN SEVERAL PLACES. THERE'S NOT 14FT OF WIDTH WITHOUT DEMOLISHING THE CREEK. AND THAT'S NOT THE INTENT, I KNOW. CORRECT. THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME SECTIONS WHERE THERE MIGHT BE EITHER RETAINING WALL OR PERHAPS EVEN BOARDWALK, WHERE THE TRAIL WOULD KIND OF CANTILEVER OVER THE CREEK. THERE'S A SECTION OF THE CENTRAL ARKANSAS REGIONAL GREENWAY THAT DOES THAT. I THINK IT'S ROGERS ISH, I CAN'T REMEMBER, I'VE RIDDEN IT, IT CAN BE DONE. BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS IS PROBABLY THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE TO GET THROUGH THIS SECTION OF SHERWOOD. BUT THERE ARE SOME ENGINEERING CHALLENGES THAT I THINK COULD BE OVERCOME. AND AS IS THE ON THOSE KIND OF TRAILS, IS IT NORMALLY CONCRETE OR ASPHALT? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S MOSTLY ASPHALT WHICH IS BUCKLING UNDER THE WATER. RIGHT. WELL, GENERALLY A RECREATIONAL TRAIL LIKE THAT LIKE THIS IS ASPHALT. ALTHOUGH IF THERE ARE SECTIONS WHERE IT WOULD REPEATEDLY FLOOD, THEN THE RECOMMENDATION PROBABLY OF THE DESIGNERS WOULD BE TO MAKE IT CONCRETE. SO IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE ELEVATION. THERE ARE SECTIONS, SOME SECTIONS COULD BE HIGH ENOUGH THAT THEY COULD BE CONCRETE. I MEAN ASPHALT, BUT CERTAINLY CONCRETE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IN SOME SECTIONS AS WELL. AND PART OF DOING THIS AND DOING THIS THROUGH ENGINEERING AND SO FORTH IS BECAUSE IN PLACES IT'S TOO CLOSE TO THE CREEK WHERE IT'S CONSTANTLY BEING UNDERMINED AND SO FORTH. SO THAT THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE NEED PROPER ENGINEERING DONE. AND FOR THOSE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT DON'T, THAT DON'T WALK THE TRAIL OR EVEN RESIDENTS, IT'S A GEM. I MEAN, IT'S 2.4 MILES, BUT IF YOU DO THE WHOLE THING AND IT'S A GREAT LITTLE LEISURELY WALK OR YOU CAN RUN IT OR BIKE IT. I JUST FINISHED WALKING IT.

IT'S GOOD FOR YOU. WHAT WOULD THE CITY'S FINANCIAL COMMITMENT BE FOR THIS 100,125. SO THE MAXIMUM AWARD IS 500,000, OF COURSE. SO IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH IS AWARDED AND HOW MUCH THE CITY COMMITS TO. SO ANYTHING OVER 625 I'M SORRY, ANYTHING OVER 500,000. THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO MATCH EVERY ADDITIONAL DOLLAR SO THAT THE PERFECT AMOUNT FOR AN AWARD IS $500,000

[00:15:05]

[7. Committees/Commissions]

AND SO I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW WHEN SHE CALLED HIM, BUT AND ALSO IT'S SOMETIMES IT CAN

[00:20:02]

RIGHT. I JUST THINK WHATEVER WE DECIDE, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE IT WRITTEN AS A WRITTEN POLICY.

WHATEVER IT IS, WE DECIDE BECAUSE WE NEED TO BACK IT UP AND DON'T HAVE A SITUATION LIKE PENNWOOD. EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE EXPANDED OUR NUMBER, WE NEED TO HAVE IT WRITTEN THAT WE ALL DECIDE AND AGREE ON WHATEVER THAT AGREEMENT THAT WE DECIDE ON TONIGHT. SO WE DON'T HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO COME BACK AND SAY, WELL, DOES IT? DOES IT NEED TO BE? I MEAN, SINCE THE SPONSORS NOT EVEN HERE AND HE HE JUST. YEAH. OKAY. WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING? SHELBY? I KNOW YOU WERE. MR. COUNCIL MEMBER. THOMAS, WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING? YOU WERE THERE AT THE MEETING? I READ THE MINUTES. WHAT WAS YOUR FEELING? WELL, I MEAN, THE BIG THING WAS JUST EXPANDING THE TERRITORY WITH THE SIGNATURES THAT WERE ALLOWED. WE REALLY DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THE WHOLE THE RESIDENTS OR THE OWNER. WE DIDN'T REALLY GET INTO THAT. BUT AS WE SIT HERE AND DISCUSS IT AS A COUNCIL, WE PROBABLY DO NEED TO DEFINE IT AS A RESIDENCE AS THE PERSON LIVING IN THE PROPERTY OR SOMETHING. AND THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE DID HAVE THE ISSUE ON PINEWOOD AND IT GOT INTO WHO OWNED THE PROPERTY, WHO WAS LIVING IN THE PROPERTY. I SAID, SIGN IT. I DIDN'T SAY SIGN IT. I THINK JUST DEFINING IT BY SAYING THE RESIDENT IS THE PERSON LIVING THERE SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THAT. I MEAN, WE GOT A WHAT'S A LEGAL ADVICE ON THAT? AND I WOULD ADD, WE CANNOT MAKE IT SO ONEROUS. I MEAN, WE'VE GOT HARD WORKING CITY EMPLOYEES. WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE IT ONEROUS, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE THAT DEFINITION AND MAKE A DECISION AND JUST SAY, STICK WITH IT IF IT'S GOING TO BE RESIDENT, IF IT'S GOING TO BE WHATEVER WE DECIDE AND MAKE THAT DECISION AND THEN STICK WITH THAT DECISION, I THINK IT HAS TO BE RESIDENT. YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE RESIDENT, IF IT'S RESIDENT, THEN IT'S RESIDENT. IF YOU'RE THE RESIDENT OF THE PROPERTY, THEN YOU'RE THE RESIDENT. YOU'RE THE OWNER. IT'S TYPICALLY WHOEVER LIVES THERE, RIGHT? A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS ARE GOING TO BE LLCS. THEY'RE GOING TO BE HARD TO EVEN DETERMINE WHO THE ACTUAL OWNER IS. BUT I THINK IT HAS TO BE

[00:25:05]

YEAH. WE HAVE NOT HAD ONE. WE'VE NOT HAD ONE QUALIFY IN SINCE LAST YEAR. WE'VE NOT HAD ANY QUALIFY THIS YEAR. WE'VE HAD I THINK FOUR REQUESTS THIS YEAR SO FAR. NONE OF THEM QUALIFIED. YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE IDENTIFIED MOST OF THE PROBLEM AREAS AT THIS POINT. I MEAN THERE'LL BE OTHERS POP UP. BUT BUT WE DID INCREASE THE BUY IN SO THAT THAT'S GOT TO HELP. YEAH. OKAY.

WE CAN KEEP THAT AT ONE READING AND MOVE ON OKAY. WASTEWATER COMMITTEE. A RESOLUTION AMENDING THE 2025 WASTEWATER FUND BUDGET, APPROVING PURCHASES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. COME ON IN. YES.

WE ONE OF THE FIRST SHOSHONE PUMP STATION PUT A GENERATOR FOR 60,000, WHICH WE DIDN'T PUT IN THE BUDGET AT THE LAST YEAR. WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED BECAUSE IN THAT AREA WE HAVE A POWER ISSUE WITH ENERGY THAT ALWAYS LOSING POWER. AND THAT PUMP STATION IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE LAKE. AND SO TO BE ABLE TO HAVE CONSISTENT POWER FOR THAT PUMP STATION, WE DECIDED, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO PUT A PUMP STATION, YOU KNOW, A GENERATOR FOR THAT PUMP STATION. AND WE GOT WE'RE GOING TO GET ONE THROUGH SOURCEWELL. AND WE ALSO WE'RE GOING TO GET A SEWER CAMERA, WHICH WE PUT IN THE BUDGET. BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE ONLY ONLY ONLY BUDGET 70,000. AND WHEN WE DO THE SPECS AND PUT OUT THE BID, WE CAN GET ONE FOR 70,000. BUT WE WEREN'T HAPPY WITH WHAT WAS GOING TO GET. SO. SO IT WASN'T THE QUALITY THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. BECAUSE IF WE NEED, IF WE GET ONE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO USE IT FOR YEARS TO COME. AND I HAVE A FEELING IF WE GET THE CHEAPER ONE, WE WOULD ACTUALLY END UP IN PROBABLY WITHIN FIVE YEARS BUYING ANOTHER ONE. SO WE ARE GOING TO GET ONE FOR 124,000 IS WHAT WE GOT FOR THROUGH SOURCEWELL, AND IT ACTUALLY MEETS OUR NEEDS AND THEN SOME. AND SO BUT THE PROBLEM IS IN OUR IN MY CAPITAL, I HAVE A SHORTFALL OF 115,000. SO I'M ASKING FOR 115,000 FROM THE RESERVE TO MAKE UP THAT DEFICIENT. AND YOU'LL STILL HAVE HOW MUCH IN RESERVES. EVEN AFTER THAT. WE STILL HAVE OVER 3 MILLION IN RESERVES. OKAY. SO YOU STILL HAVE A HEFTY AMOUNT IN RESERVES THIS PARTICULAR LOCATION IS IN COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS AND COUNCIL MEMBER TOWNSEND'S WARD. IT'S AN UNUSUAL CASE WHERE YOU HAVE HOMES THAT ARE BELOW THAT PUMP STATION, AND YOU ALSO HAVE A LAKE BELOW IT. AND SO IF IT CAN'T PUMP, IT CAN BACK UP INTO PEOPLE'S HOMES. SO IT'S THAT IS A RARE CASE. THE ONLY ONE THAT WE KNOW OF. BUT YES, IT CERTAINLY THIS HAS BEEN A SITUATION THAT WE HAVE KNOWN ABOUT FOR QUITE SOME TIME. SO AND ALSO IF WE HAVE A GENERATOR, IT WOULD ACTUALLY CUT DOWN THE MAN HOURS LIKE FOR ON CALL. BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WHEN IT DOES GO OUT WE HAVE TO HAVE A PUMP ON SITE TO BE ABLE TO KEEP IT GOING. BUT IF A GENERATOR, IF IT LOSES POWER GENERATOR KICKS ON THE PUMP STATION, I WILL SAY YOU'RE AWFULLY FRUGAL. SO I WOULD SAY LET'S PASS THIS RESOLUTION FOR THESE. IS THAT A IS THAT A MOTION? THAT'S A MOTION OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS TO PASS A RESOLUTION. AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER BRODERICK. ROLL CALL. PLEASE TREAT. YES. WADE BRODERICK I TOWNSEND I MCCULLOUGH I BROOKS I WILLIAMS I THOMAS ABSTAIN THE MOTION PASSES SIX YES ONE ABSENT AND ONE ABSTAIN OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ITEM EIGHT AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE 2140 REGARDING THE

[8. An ordinance amending ordinance 2140 regarding the adoption of new policies and procedures for the Department of Humane Animal Services, and for other purposes (READ 2X at Feb. meeting as amended) (Council Members Townsend, Treat and McCullough)]

[00:30:10]

OKAY, LET ME LOOK OVER. THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT SURE WHAT THIS ONE. IS THAT I HAVE HERE WE SPEAK. YES. LEFT SIDE. MEETING SOON. YES. YES. SCOTT'S NOT MET UP. YES OF COURSE. YES. YEP. WE JUST HAVE ONE. CLARIFICATION IF I CAN. YES. I CAN'T READ THIS LAST NAME. IT'S KEITH AND BEGINS WITH THE W. THAT'S KEITH WEBER, JACKSONVILLE. THAT'S JACKSONVILLE OKAY OKAY. BUT HE SAID SIR IT SAYS NOT SPEAKING. CORRECT OKAY OKAY. IS THE IS DO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO ALLOW THEN THAT WOULD BE 16. OR DO YOU WANT TO ALLOW THE 17. IF THE NON SHERWOOD RESIDENT WE JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW TO PROCEED. WELL I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING. I HAD SOMEONE EMAIL ME TODAY AND I HAD ASKED CHARLOTTE AND STEVE TO PASS THE EMAIL ALONG BECAUSE SHE TRIED TO EMAIL EVERYBODY. SHE SAID SOME OF THEM GOT KICKED BACK, BUT SO I DIDN'T WANT TO PASS IT ALONG BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO COME TONIGHT BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT BEING A NON SHERWOOD RESIDENT, SHE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK. SO OKAY, FOR CLARITY, THE PERSON THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE IS A GUEST SPEAKER OF MINE. SO WE CAN JUST MARK THAT OFF THE LIST AND I CAN CALL THEM UP. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. PERFECT. THE ONE FROM SCOTT.

SO JUST DISREGARD. JUST MARK THAT OFF. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE SPONSORS OF THE ORDINANCE. COUNCIL MEMBER TREE FLOOR IS YOURS. WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE SPEAKERS TO BE ABLE TO COME UP FIRST AND THEN US SPEAK ON IT AFTER THEM. IS THAT A GOOD WORKFLOW? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ALL OR YOUR THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE ASKED INVITED TO COME UP THERE? YOU'D LIKE THE GUESTS TO SPEAK FIRST? YES. ALL RIGHT. THIS LIST OR YES, THAT LIST.

PUBLIC COMMENT LIST FIRST. ALL RIGHT. LET ME GET SITUATED. AARON VICKERS. IF YOU HAPPEN TO SIGN UP, IF YOU PLEASE COME ON UP. IF YOU THOUGH SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND YOU KNOW, YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, IF YOU COULD MAKE YOUR WAY OVER TO THE WALL SO THAT WE CAN QUICKLY TRANSITION WHEN YOU COME UP TO SPEAK, LET ME JUST REMIND EVERYBODY, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. YOU WILL GET THREE MINUTES AND THAT WILL BE KEPT BY OUR CITY ATTORNEY. WE ASK FROM THE AUDIENCE, PLEASE, NO CLAPPING, NO CHEERING, NO BOOING. PLEASE KEEP YOUR RESPONSE. LET'S BE RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POSITIONS ARE. I KNOW THAT THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE. YES, MA'AM. GO AHEAD. TIME BEGIN. READY? YES. HI, I'M AARON VICKERS. I LIVE ON RIDGEWOOD OVER JUST OFF HATCHER ROAD. SO I PASSED AROUND PAMPHLETS FOR EVERYBODY. IT'S ACTUALLY A STORY THAT WAS DONE NOT IN THIS LOCATION, BUT IT'S A DOG THAT I RESCUED MYSELF. YEAH, WE'LL START THERE. I WANTED TO SHOW WHAT SHERWOOD IS MISSING OUT ON BY NOT ALLOWING PITBULLS TO BE IN THE CITY. THE FIRST ONE IS FREEDOM. NOT ONLY FREEDOM TO OWN LOYAL ANIMALS, BUT ALSO THE FREEDOM TO FEEL ALIVE AGAIN. YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS THERE AT THE END. ONCE I FINISH SECOND IS A REDUCTION IN EUTHANIZATION RATES AND POTENTIALLY A REDUCTION OF VETERAN SUICIDES THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. THIRD

[00:35:02]

SHE HATED OTHER ANIMALS. NOBODY COULD GET NEAR HER BUT ME. I DON'T HAVE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING. IT ONLY TOOK ME TWO WEEKS. THIS ANIMAL LOVED EVERY SINGLE CHILD THAT CAME INTO MY HOUSE. EVERY MAN THAT CAME IN MY HOUSE. NOT THAT WAY. JUST LETTING YOU KNOW. NOT THAT WAY, I PROMISE. AND ANY OTHER DOG THAT WAS IN MY HOUSE, MY, MY TRUE DOG, MY BOXER, I THINK ACTUALLY BROUGHT THAT OUT OF HER. AND TWO WEEKS IS ALL IT TOOK. SHE WAS ADOPTED BY A THREE TIME IRAQI WAR VETERAN. HE WAS IN THE MILITARY. HE WAS SECURITY FORCES. HE WOULD SLEEP ON A COT IN FRONT OF HIS FRONT DOOR. FOR SEVEN YEARS. HE WENT THROUGH MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS, SEVEN YEARS OF PTSD AND NOT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP IN THE SAME BED AS HIS WIFE. WITHIN THE FIRST MONTH OF DOTTIE GOING INTO HIS HOME, SHE REALIZED THE ISSUES THAT HE WAS HAVING. AND ONE MONTH IT TOOK AND HE SLEPT IN THE BED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FIVE YEARS WITH HIS FIANCEE. THAT STORY ALONE WAS PUT ON PETCO, THAT THEY GIVE 700 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR IN FOUNDATION FUNDS, THAT RESCUE ONE $25,000 OFF HIS STORY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. DARLA EWING. YES, MA'AM. I'M DARLA EWING, AND I LIVE AT 8008 NORTH CLAREMONT. I HOPE I CAN DO THIS OUT CRYING. I APOLOGIZE IF I DO. A YEAR AGO THIS PAST JANUARY. MY HUSBAND GOT VERY PHYSICALLY, EMOTIONALLY ABUSIVE TO ME. HE SLAMMED HIM DOWN AND CRACKED TWO OF MY RIBS. WELL, LUCKILY WE DIDN'T LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS AND WE HAVE A PIT BULL. AND WHEN HE FOUND OUT THAT SHE WOULD ATTACK HIM EVERY TIME THAT HE CAME NEAR ME, HE WOULD MAKE HE WOULD LOCK HER OUTSIDE OR IN THE BEDROOM TO KEEP US APART SO SHE COULD. SO HE COULDN'T GET NEAR ME. HE WOULD LOCK HER UP. SO FINALLY, WHEN SHE LEARNED THAT WHEN HE WAS GOING TO HIT ME IN HIS ATTITUDE WHEN HE CAME HOME, SHE WOULD GET IN MY LAP IN THE RECLINER AND LAY WITH ME UNTIL I WENT TO BED SO HE WOULDN'T BEAT ME ANYMORE.

SINCE THEN, I MOVED OUT AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE IN THE CITY LIMITS, BUT I CAN'T BRING HER WITH. I MEAN, I LIVE IN THE CITY LIMITS, BUT I CAN'T BRING HER WITH ME AND I'M SCARED TO DEATH HE'S GOING TO FIND ME, AND I JUST WANT HER WITH ME BECAUSE SHE CAN PROTECT ME. BUT SHE'S A PIT BULL AND SHE'S BANNED. I'M SORRY, Y'ALL. THANK YOU. ROBERT TAYLOR. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ROBERT TAYLOR. I'M AGAINST THE ORDINANCE. I'VE. I'VE SPOKEN BEFORE. MY EX-WIFE SHOWED Y'ALLS PICTURES OF OUR SON. NEXT MONTH WOULD BE FIVE YEARS SINCE HE'S BEEN KILLED BY TWO PITBULLS IN FAULKNER COUNTY. LIKE I SAID BEFORE, IT'S ON YOUR HANDS. IT'S Y'ALL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO VOTE THIS IN OR AGAINST IT. JUST THINK OF YOUR KIDS AND YOUR GRANDKIDS AT SCHOOL DURING RECESS. NONE OF THESE SCHOOLS HAVE FENCED IN PLAYGROUNDS. IF A PITBULL GETS LOOSE AND ATTACKS A KID, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? IT'S ON YOUR HANDS. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. CAROLYN CULPEPPER. CAROL IS GOING TO BE. I GUESS SHE'S. A LITTLE SAFER, DO I WAIT? YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. OKAY. AARON. EVANS, I'M SORRY. I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN. I'M AARON EVANS. I LIVE AT TWO EIGHT, TWO FIVE MOONSHINE COVE, AND I'M HERE TO DISAGREE WITH THE BSL ONE. I WANT TO INITIALLY SAY MY HEART GOES OUT TO ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN HARMED BY ANY DOG OR ANY ANIMAL OR ANY PERSON, JUST LIKE HUMANS, DOGS ARE A PRODUCT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT. A KID WHO IS BEATEN, ABUSED, NEGLECTED, STARVED, ETC. IS NOT GOING TO GROW UP AND BE LIKE MOST OF US HAVE BEEN. SAME THING WITH THE DOG. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN ARKANSAS THAT I HAVE SEEN, I'M A BY THE WAY, I'VE ONLY LIVED IN THE STATE ABOUT SIX YEARS. I'M A MILITARY VETERAN, I'VE LIVED IN

[00:40:03]

THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO DISOBEY ANY BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION THAT YOU PASS. IN ANY CASE, AND IN PASSING RULES THAT ARE ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS, IN MY OPINION, YOU ARE LIMITING THE RIGHTS OF OTHER CITIZENS WHO WOULD NOT BE A PART OF THIS PROBLEM TO LIVE THEIR HAPPIEST AND FULLEST LIFE WITH THE DOGS OF THEIR CHOICE. WHAT WAS SAID AT THE BEGINNING DURING THE PRAYER WAS THAT THIS IS A GOOD GOVERNMENT. WE NEED TO THANK THE LORD FOR WHAT WE HAVE AS A GOVERNMENT, AND IT SHOULD BE A SMALL GOVERNMENT, AND IT SHOULD BE A GOVERNMENT THAT PROTECTS PEOPLE AND ENFORCES RULES THAT SHOULD BE IN PLACE. AND ALSO TO REITERATE WHAT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID, ENFORCED MORE EFFECTIVELY AND MORE PROACTIVELY. AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SUPPORT OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SUPPORT OF OUR SHELTERS AND NOT GOING TO BE FACILITATED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM BY LIMITING THE TYPE AND TO EXPOUND A BIT THE NUMBER OF PETS AND DOGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE. I'M NOT SURE IF NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER TWO POINTS THAT I HAVE ISSUE WITH, AND THAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS. SO BRIEFLY, THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS IS ALSO ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS. THERE IS NO REASON THAT FOUR IS A REASONABLE NUMBER TO EITHER HAVE OR NOT HAVE. PEOPLE CAN BE UNKIND TO ANIMALS IF THEY HAVE THREE ANIMALS, OR IF THEY HAVE SEVEN ANIMALS. ONE ANIMAL CAN BE ABUSED JUST AS EFFECTIVELY AS NINE ANIMALS. AND THERE ARE THOSE OF US THAT HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE AND PLENTY OF ROOM IN OUR HOUSES AND IN OUR YARDS AND IN OUR HEARTS. WHO WOULD HAVE MORE ANIMALS? AND HAVING BEEN A VERY EXCELLENT SUPPORTER OF THE SHERWOOD SHELTER, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT AS LONG AS I TAKE CARE OF MY ANIMALS, I CAN HAVE AS MANY AS I WANT. HOW WE SHOULD MANAGE THIS IS BY UTILIZING WHAT MY REPRESENTATIVE SAID IS TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR'S DOGS, THEN GO SPEAK WITH THEM. IF IT DOES NOT GET RESOLVED, THEN THAT IS WHEN YOU COME TO THE COMMITTEE OR TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SAY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, WE HAVE 30S YOU HAVE NOISE ORDINANCES ALREADY IN PLACE. WE HAVE ANIMAL ABUSE RULES THAT NEED TO BE MORE EFFECTIVELY APPLIED, AND WE CAN UTILIZE THOSE WITHOUT HAVING TO INVOLVE OR WITHOUT HAVING TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OR THE TYPES OF ANIMALS THAT OUR CITIZENS CAN HAVE. I'LL TALK ABOUT EXOTICS NEXT TIME. KRISTA ANDERSON. HELLO, I'M KRISTA ANDERSON, I LIVE AT 9797 CLIFFSIDE DRIVE IN SHERWOOD, AND ONE OF MY REPRESENTATIVES IS NOT HERE TONIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE ALL HEARD FACT AFTER FACT AND EMOTION AFTER EMOTION FROM BOTH SIDES OVER THIS ISSUE. BUT THE TRUTH IS, THE BAN HAS NOT KEPT PITBULLS OUT. IT HAS KEPT RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS FROM

[00:45:03]

[00:50:02]

NOW, THERE WERE A LOT OF DOGS THAT WEREN'T LISTED AT ALL, BUT SOME OF THE DOGS THAT WERE LISTED WERE RECEIVERS, YORKIES, SHIH TZUS, LABS, AND PUGS. SO THIS IS A CITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE BSL AND DOESN'T REALLY LOOK LIKE THEY HAVE A PITBULL DOG BITE PROBLEM THERE. SO PLEASE REMEMBER AS YOU VOTE TONIGHT, NOT YOUR PERSONAL OPINION, YOU ARE VOTING FOR THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED YOU INTO THIS OFFICE, SO PLEASE LISTEN TO THEM. THANK YOU. MARIA ZAFFINO I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT CORRECTLY. HI. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MARIA ZAFFINO. I LIVE AT ONE 111 NORTH DEVON AVENUE IN SHERWOOD AND I CAN APPRECIATE ALL THE STORIES. BELIEVE ME, I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT. A LOT OF STORIES, A LOT OF HEARTACHE WITH DOGS AND LIFE IN GENERAL AND EVERYTHING ELSE REAL QUICK. I DON'T THINK IT HAS ANYTHING A WHOLE LOT TO DO WITH THE DOG OWNERSHIP. MY SON WAS ATTACKED AT THE AGE OF 11 BY A PITBULL, BY A VERY GOOD FRIENDS, WHICH ARE GOOD PEOPLE. WE'VE KNOWN THEM. WE LIVED IN SHERWOOD FOR 34 YEARS NOW. THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE. THEY WERE GOOD DOG OWNERS. MY SON KNEW THIS DOG. HE'S BEEN AROUND THE DOG EVERY JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY. THEY WENT OUT TO FEED HIM ONE MORNING, AND THE DOG JUST TURNED AROUND AND MAULED AND GRABBED HIM BY THE CALF, ALMOST TORE HIS CALF OFF, OR DID TEAR HIS CALF OFF. JUST ALMOST GOT TO THE NERVE. I JUST ANYTHING I DO IN MY LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO KIDS, MY NEIGHBORS, SOCIETY IN GENERAL, RESPECT FOR JUST BEING A DECENT PERSON AND RESPECTING OTHER NEIGHBORS. I DO RESEARCH ANYTHING I DO. UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT THE I DON'T THINK IT'S THERE'S TRAINING, THERE'S A GOOD DOG OWNER, THERE'S BAD DOG OWNERS. THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS THAT PIT BULLS HAVE HAD A TRANSITION OF THEY THEY IT'S NOT THE BREEDING. IT'S LIKE A TRANSITIONAL THING. THEY, THEY, THEY JUST DEVELOPED THAT WAY BECAUSE OF ALL THE ABUSE. THE BAD DOG OWNERS. OKAY. THERE ARE A LOT OF BAD DOG OWNERS OF COURSE, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT DOG IS GOING TO DO. THAT'S MY PROBLEM. I WOULD NEVER OWN A PIT BULL. ME PERSONALLY, BECAUSE OF THE STATISTICS OF THAT TYPE OF DOG AND THE BREEDING AND THE UNFORTUNATE ABUSE OF THOSE DOGS.

SO I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT A GOOD DOG OR A BAD DOG IS GOING TO DO. SO I JUST KIND OF TEND THAT WAS A HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT, WELL, HE'S SAFE AT THAT HOUSE. HE'S KNOWN THE DOG, SO THAT JUST TELLS YOU AT ANY MOMENT YOU COULD BE THE BEST DOG OWNER. THAT DOG IS NOT GOING TO TURN AROUND AND TELL YOU I'M GETTING READY TO BITE YOU OR MAUL YOU OR YOUR KID APART. I MEAN, I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO ALL THE STORIES AND THE PEOPLE HAVING THE RIGHT TO OWN THE DOGS THEY WANT, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE REALLY INTELLIGENT DECISIONS. MA'AM, YOU HAVE 30S. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. BUDDY FISHER. BUDDY FISHER, 8949 MEADOW GARDEN CIRCLE IN SHERWOOD. LIVED HERE TEN YEARS. HALLELUJAH. I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS THING'S BEEN BEAT AROUND THE BUSH FOR ALMOST, I DON'T KNOW, IS IT GOING ON TWO YEARS? I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN GOING ON, BUT CERTAINLY IF THIS ISN'T A MATTER OF COMMON SENSE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. GUYS. AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, EXCUSE ME. SO I WANT TO BRING UP TWO ISSUES. WE KNOW IT'S A WE KNOW IT'S A OWNER ISSUE, NOT A DOG ISSUE. I'VE OWNED THREE LABS, AS SOMEONE PREVIOUSLY STATED. AND IF YOU WANT TO GET A GOOD GUARD DOG, GET YOU A LAB BECAUSE IT WILL PROTECT YOUR FAMILY LIKE NO OTHER DOG AROUND YOU. COME THROUGH MY DOOR. THAT DOG WILL TAKE YOU OUT. OKAY, SO YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S PROVEN THAT YOU CAN TRAIN AND MAKE ANY DOG, YOU KNOW, VIOLENT OR DOCILE. OKAY, HERE'S THE TWO THINGS THAT I WANT TO BRING UP REAL QUICK IF I CAN. OKAY. WE HAVE A SHELTER. AND I THINK THIS IS THE BRUNT OF WHAT PART OF THE MAIN ISSUE IS WE HAVE A SHELTER THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY A NON-KILL SHELTER. SO NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BREEDS THERE ARE THERE THAT FALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY. BUT LET'S SAY A DOG COMES IN TODAY. THEY BRING IT IN AND IT'S NOT GOING TO GET KILLED. BUT BECAUSE NO ONE CAN ADOPT THIS DOG, BECAUSE

[00:55:04]

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GOD BLESS YOU, COURTNEY MIXON. MY NAME IS COURTNEY MIXON. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE MY ADDRESS BECAUSE OF SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. AND PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS. ASK A HUNDRED DIFFERENT AMERICANS TO DEFINE A PIT BULL WHAT IT IS. HOWEVER, YOU WILL GET 100 DIFFERENT ANSWERS. OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, THE CATEGORY HAS SWELLED TO INCLUDE MIXED BREED DOGS THAT POSSESS SUPPOSED PIT BULL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS BLOCKY HEADS, WHITE CHEST MARKINGS, OR BRINDLE COATS. THOSE SAME CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE FOUND IN MORE THAN 20 BREEDS OF DOGS, AND THE LATEST GENETIC RESEARCH INDICATES THAT MANY MIXED BREED ANIMALS AND DOGS IDENTIFY AS PIT BULL MIXES ACTUALLY AREN'T IN NEARLY EVERY MUNICIPALITY WHERE BSL HAS BEEN ADOPTED, IT HAS FAILED TO PREVENT SERIOUS DOG BITES, INJURIES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS. VETERINARIANS, ANIMAL BEHAVIORISTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, ARE VIRTUALLY UNANIMOUS IN THEIR DENUNCIATION OF BSL ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS BOTH CRUEL AND INEFFECTIVE. IN 2013, EVEN THE WHITE HOUSE RELEASED A STATEMENT AGAINST IT. SINCE 2018, OVER 100 CITIES HAVE REPEALED INEFFECTIVE BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION OR BANS TARGETING PIT BULL TYPE DOGS WITH MORE EFFECTIVE, BREED NEUTRAL POLICIES BASED ON MODERN PRACTICES FOR PREVENTING AND REDUCING SERIOUS DOG BITE INJURIES AND INCIDENTS. BSL IS REPLACED WITH BEHAVIOR, BEHAVIOR BASED, BREED NEUTRAL REGULATIONS THAT ARE MORE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY ADDRESS ALL POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOGS, ALL IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS, AND ALL UNSAFE DOG RELATED SITUATIONS, REGARDLESS OF A DOG'S APPEARANCE OR BREED. CABOT, ARKANSAS.

DEWITT, ARKANSAS. PRESCOTT, ARKANSAS. MAUMELLE, ARKANSAS AND DARDANELLE, ARKANSAS HAVE ALL ENDED. BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION. EVEN THE FIRST CITY THAT ENACTED BSL, WHICH WAS DENVER, COLORADO, HAS REPEALED BSL. IN 2020, A 31 YEAR OLD BAN WAS OVERTURNED. HELEN KELLER, GARY COOPER, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, BILLIE HOLIDAY, WOODROW WILSON, JOHN JOHN BERTHONNEAU, MARC JACOBS, CHANNING TATUM ALL HAD PIT BULL TYPE DOGS. THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT OWN THESE SO-CALLED DANGEROUS DOGS DOCTORS, LAWYERS, DOCTORS, OPTICIANS, ASSISTANTS ALL OVER THE WORLD OWN A PIT BULL TYPE DOG, NOT A CRIMINAL. YOU HAVE 30S. THESE ARE THE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS. THESE ARE THE MAJORITY. THE WAY THE LAW IS WRITTEN, IT IS INEFFECTIVE. WE NEED TO DO BETTER AND WE NEED TO END BSL AND ADOPT A MORE REASONABLE LEGISLATION. THANK YOU. MARCY WELCH. I'VE HAD SURGERY RECENTLY, SO MY FORMER STUDENT HERE IS GOING TO KIND OF BE MY ESCORT. I'M MARCY WELCH. I LIVE AT 613 EAST BEVERLY SHERWOOD, ARKANSAS. MY FAMILY HAS LIVED IN THIS TOWN. I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN FOR 60 PLUS YEARS. MANY YEARS AGO, MY

[01:00:01]

TONIGHT I DIDN'T COME WITH AN OVERLY PREPARED SPEECH OR ANYTHING LIKE I NORMALLY DO.

TONIGHT, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FOLKS THAT JUST STOOD UP HERE AND SPOKE. YOU HAVE TEN SHERWOOD RESIDENTS THAT WANT TO REMOVE THE BREED SPECIFIC VERBIAGE. YOU HAVE TWO THAT ARE AGAINST IT. I PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN AT EVERY MEETING SINCE 2001 40 WAS INTRODUCED. I COME EVERY SINGLE MONTH AND LISTEN TO EVERYTHING THAT'S SAID. DURING THAT TIME I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING I WAS ALL FOR EXTRA INSURANCE, ALL FOR THE MICROCHIPPING AND HAVING TO HAVE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS FOR PIT BULLS. BUT AS I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH, WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THERE ARE SO MANY BREEDS THAT ARE JUST AS OR MORE DANGEROUS THAN PITBULLS THAT WE ALLOW EVERY SINGLE DAY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO NO LONGER DO I FEEL LIKE PIT BULL OWNERS SHOULD HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH HOOPS IN ORDER TO OWN A DOG. THAT CAN BE LESS DANGEROUS THAN YOUR FAMILY GOLDEN RETRIEVER OR LAB OR GERMAN SHEPHERD CANE CORSO. ALL THOSE DOGS THAT WE ALLOW IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW. I HAVE SEVERAL YEARS OF RESCUE EXPERIENCE. I HAVE WORKED WITH DOGS, EVERYTHING FROM 3 POUNDS TO 125 POUNDS, AND I HAVE NEVER ONCE HAD AN ISSUE WITH A PIT BULL THAT'S BEEN IN FOSTER CARE, SHELTER SITUATION OR ANYTHING WHERE I'VE DEALT WITH THEM. I LOOKED BACK OVER MY LIFE AND I HAVE BEEN BIT THREE TIMES. ONCE WHEN I WAS A CHILD BY A CHOW MIX. IT BELONGED TO MY AUNT UNCLE. IT WAS A DOG THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH, BUT AS A CHILD I MADE A MISTAKE. I REACHED OVER A TABLE TO SMASH A BUG WITH A KLEENEX BOX RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SLEEPING DOG, AND IT GOT MY ARM BROKE. THE SKIN DID NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT IT WAS A SEVERE ENOUGH BITE THAT IT UPSET MY MOTHER, OF COURSE. AND THEN AS A RESCUER, I WAS BITTEN IN THE FACE BY A CHIHUAHUA. I WAS LOOKING IN THE BOX AT HER BABIES. I JUST PICKED HER UP THAT DAY, GOT BIT IN THE FACE, AND THE TIME THAT I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. BROKEN BONES, RIPPED OFF FLESH. ONE OF OUR PERSONAL DOGS GOT IN A FIGHT WITH A LAB THAT WE WERE FOSTERING, AND IT WAS MY HUSBAND'S SOUL DOG, AND I INSTINCTIVELY TO HELP HER REACH DOWN INTO THAT FIGHT. AND SHE GOT AHOLD OF MY FINGER AND BROKE THE BONE AND TORE THE FLESH. IT WAS A FRENCHIE. IT'S NOT A PIT BULL. IT'S NOT A BIG, VICIOUS DOG. THE PIT BULLS THAT I'VE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH ARE THE MOST TIMID AND MEEK AND MILD AND LOVING DOGS THAT COME THROUGH RESCUE. AND SO I JUST WOULD ASK YOU, PLEASE, MA'AM, YOU HAVE 30S LISTEN TO THE TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TO SPEAK TO YOU, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO THE TO THE BREED HAVE HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY, JUST LIKE WE HAVE TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS AND TO SPEAK. AND THE LOOKS OF TONIGHT, TEN VERSUS TWO, THE MAJORITY IS DEFINITELY LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD PREFER. JOSH. PRETTY. I'M JOSH PRETTY. MY WIFE AND I BOTH LIVE

[01:05:04]

Y'ALL NEED TO LET THIS GO. IT'S A DOG THAT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR DOGS TO THE BITTER END. I JUST LOST THE DOG THAT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT A WEEK AGO. I'M STILL BROKEN OVER IT. I FELL OFF OF A LADDER THREE YEARS AGO IN NOVEMBER, AND I STILL HAVEN'T GOT LADDERS BANNED.

THAT'S HOW SILLY THIS IS. JOSH, WE NEED TO LET IT GO. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF YOU ON THIS JURY THAT ARE VOTING FROM THE WRONG PLACE. YOU'RE NOT VOTING FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS. Y'ALL ARE VOTING SOME OF YOU FROM HERE. AND YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S A TON OF YOUR PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN YOUR WARDS THAT WOULD DISAGREE WITH YOUR VOTE. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. PLEASE GET RID OF IT. IT'S SILLY. LET IT GO. THANK YOU. PENNY. RAY. I'M PENNY. RAY AND I LIVE ON BOBOLINK. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT PICTURE, THAT'D BE GREAT. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK.

THANK YOU GUYS, FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO US. AND LISTEN TO US TONIGHT. AND REALLY LOOK AROUND AND LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR ALL THESE MEETINGS FOR TWO YEARS NOW, ASKING YOU TO CHANGE THIS, THIS BE THIS BRAND OF, OF NOT ALLOWING THIS SPECIFIC BREED. AND I APPRECIATE THE ONES THAT ARE SITTING OVER HERE THAT ARE ACTUALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO EVERYBODY WHO'S TALKING. I APPRECIATE THAT, AND TO YOU FOR LISTENING TO ALL OF US. YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU RAN ON ON THAT SPECIFIC THING. YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW IT, THAT YOU WERE READY FOR THE CHANGE. AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL STAND BY THAT. YOU KNOW, CESAR MILLAN, WHO I WATCH A LOT. HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T TRAIN PEOPLE, I TRAIN PEOPLE. I REHABILITATE DOGS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE, NOT THE DOGS. THE DOGS ARE. I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO HAS A PITBULL. HAVE A GRANDDAUGHTER WHO HAS A PITBULL. MY DAUGHTER, WHEN SHE WAS SIX YEARS OLD, WAS ATTACKED BY A CHIHUAHUA OVER 200 STITCHES IN HER FACE AT SIX YEARS OLD. NOT BECAUSE SHE DID ANYTHING TO THE DOG, SHE JUST REACHED DOWN TO PET IT. SO ALL DOGS WILL BITE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE BREED IS, BUT YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU PEOPLE ARE VOTING BECAUSE OF WHAT YOUR BELIEFS ARE. YOU GUYS WERE VOTED IN BY THESE PEOPLE RIGHT HERE.

YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE. THESE ARE THE ONES WHO VOTE YOU IN, AND THEY'RE ALSO THE ONES WHO WILL VOTE YOU OUT. YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE WANT THIS THIS BAN THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW TO BE LIFTED. YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS HAVE SET UP NEW NEW RULES THAT ARE GREAT. GIVE THEM A CHANCE. YOU KNOW THAT THE PITS ARE ALREADY IN THE CITY. THEY'VE BEEN IN THE CITY FOR YEARS. OUR OUR SHELTERS ARE OVERRUN WITH DOGS THAT CAN'T GET ADOPTED.

LOOK AT HASH BROWN, WHO WAS THERE FOR TWO YEARS. GET ADOPTED BECAUSE HE HAD A SQUARE FACE AND HE REALLY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE A PIT. HE JUST LOOKED LIKE HE MIGHT HAVE HAD PIT IN HIM, BUT HE COULDN'T GET ADOPTED FOR TWO YEARS. SO HE SET IN A CAGE BECAUSE A FEW OF YOU WON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND, OR WON'T EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO THE PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE WANTING YOU TO LISTEN AND CHANGE. AND, YOU KNOW, GET WITH THE TIMES. YOU KNOW, THESE DOGS SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHED BECAUSE OF 1 OR 2 BITES. WE ARE WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CITY. YOU HAVE 30S, MA'AM, NOT THE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE AROUND US, BUT OUR CITY HERE. AND THESE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN PATIENT ENOUGH FOR TWO YEARS TO SIT HERE AND STAND HERE AND EMAIL YOU AND COME TO ALL THESE MEETINGS AND, AND GO OUT THERE AND, AND SPEND ALL THEIR TIME DOING RESEARCH BECAUSE THEY WANT THE RULES CHANGED. WE WANT YOU TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE. AND THAT'S ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU GIVE US OUR YOUR VOTE. YES. LET THE BREED'S BE IN SHERWOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. COUNCIL MEMBER TREAT, WE'LL START WITH YOU. WE HAVE A QUICK VIDEO. THAT CAMERON'S GONNA PLAY FOR. I'VE ADOPTED FOUR PITBULLS OVER THE PAST 17 YEARS FROM THE LITTLE ROCK SHELTER. THEY ALL BECOME MY BEST FRIENDS, AND I. I LOVE THESE

[01:10:10]

I THINK SHE'S GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ME. YOU OKAY? NO, WE'RE NOT OKAY. DO YOU WANT ME TO MOVE ON TO CALLIE? GIVE ME A YEAH. OKAY. SO. PERSON. OH. WHAT? OH, SHE AND MISS CULPEPPER THAT YOU WANTED TO ASK? DID YOU WANT HER TO TALK FIRST AND THEN KIM? OKAY, OKAY. OKAY. SO THE NEWLY PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE IS INTENDED TO KEEP OUR CITIZENS, HUMANS AND ANIMALS SAFE. THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE THAT BANS SPECIFIC BREED IS UNENFORCEABLE. DOESN'T DO ANYTHING EXCEPT SHOW PERSONAL BIAS AGAINST PITBULLS AND BULLY BREEDS. ALL OF THE DISCUSSION THAT'S HAPPENED UP TO THIS POINT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT SHERWOOD CITIZENS HAVE PITBULLS.

LET ME GET EMOTIONAL TO NOW, BASED ON WHAT I HAVE PERSONALLY OBSERVED IN MY WARD, JUST IN MY WARD, THEY'RE WALKING ON OUR STREETS. THEY'RE TAKEN TO THE DOG PARKS. THEY'RE CONFIDENT IN DOING SO BECAUSE AS THEY'VE HEARD OUR DISCUSSIONS, THEY REALIZE THE POLICE CAN'T DO ANYTHING. THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP THEM. OUR INTENTION WITH THE NEW ORDINANCE IS NOT JUST TO LIFT THE BAN ON PITBULLS. IT'S ALSO TO GIVE THE SHERWOOD ANIMAL CONTROL THE ABILITY TO IMMEDIATELY SEIZE AND IMPOUND ANY VICIOUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOG, NO MATTER THE BREED. MAKE SURE THAT THE DOG OWNER IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACTIONS OF THEIR ANIMAL. AS THE POLICE CHIEF TOLD ME EARLIER TODAY, IT'S EASIER TO DOCUMENT AND TESTIFY IN COURT WHEN THEY HAVE ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING AT THAT MOMENT. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYONE TO CHANGE HOW THEY PERSONALLY FEEL ABOUT PITBULLS OR ANY BREED. WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO JUST STEP BACK FROM YOUR EMOTIONS ABOUT A SPECIFIC BREED. KEEP THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS AT THE FRONT OF YOUR MIND WITH REGARDS TO ALL VICIOUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOGS AND THE OWNERS WHO HAVE THEM. THERE WAS A DOG THAT LIVED DOWN THE STREET FROM MY MOM THAT WASN'T A PITBULL. HE THREATENED MY MOM.

HE THREATENED ANY VISITOR THAT CAME TO HER HOUSE. HE CAME DOWN TO THE BACK BEHIND MY YARD, BARKED AND AGGRESSIVELY AT MY DOGS. I HAD VIDEO THAT I SHOWED ANIMAL CONTROL, CALLED THEM PROBABLY 4 OR 5 TIMES, AS DID ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS. NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL THEY GOT IT PUSHED UP THE LINE. AND THIS WAS 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO. OUR JOB AS COUNCIL IS TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS WITH THE DECISIONS WE MAKE, AND WE'RE JUST ASKING TO YOU TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FACTS WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE. YOU'RE NOT JUST VOTING TO LIFT A BAN ON A SPECIFIC BREED. LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE VOTING TO GIVE THE CONFIDENCE IN OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS SO THEY HAVE ACTUAL AUTHORITY AND THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE AGGRESSIVE AND VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE FOR ALL BREEDS TO HELP OUR CITIZENS IN THIS CITY. FIRST, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING EMOTIONAL. IS STILL THAT EMOTION COMES FROM ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS THAT SPOKE AND A PERSONAL STORY OF MINE. SO IT JUST HIT HOME. ANYWAY, WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A LOT OF FACTUAL INFORMATION OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. FACTS REGARDING MISIDENTIFIED ANIMALS. FACTS REGARDING SPECIFIC DOGS, ATTACKS WITHIN OUR CITY, FACTS REGARDING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS REGARDING RISK OF DEATH, REGARDING NON RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP OF ANIMALS. STATEMENTS OF HOW HARD IT IS THAT OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE IS TO ENFORCE. I WANT TO REITERATE TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM THAT I AM NOT ADVOCATING FOR ALLOWING DANGEROUS DOGS IN OUR CITY. RATHER, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD REMOVE THE BREED SPECIFIC LANGUAGE FROM OUR ORDINANCE AND FOCUS ON CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE SECTION ON VICIOUS ANIMALS THAT APPLY TO ALL SPECIES. THIS SECTION SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.

[01:15:03]

IT IS A PRIVILEGE. THEY ARE GIFTS AND IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO TAKE INTO YOUR CARE AND OBSERVE AND ENJOY. AND THEY SAVE LIVES. THEY REALLY DO. AND BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR DOG. YOU NEED TO KNOW THE DOG THAT BIT THE YOUNG BOYS TO ME IMMEDIATELY THE DOG WAS HUNGRY. I WOULD NEVER LET A CHILD BE AROUND A HUNGRY DOG, EVER. THAT'S NOT INFORMED. AND PARDON MY PASSION, BUT A DOG IS.

THEY'RE ANIMALS. THEY CANNOT REASON LIKE WE CAN. THEY DON'T HAVE THE COGNITIVE ABILITIES.

[01:20:05]

IS THERE DID YOU HAVE ANY ANY OTHER. NO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DID YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. YES. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK DOCTOR HOLLY TO COME JOIN US. PROBABLY MANY OF YOU KNOW HER. SHE'S BEEN OUR VET FOR OVER 20 YEARS. SHE WORKED AT NORTH HILLS ANIMAL CLINIC AND THEN KILL AVENUE. SHE IS BELOVED IN THE CITY OF SHERWOOD, AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE HER HERE. DOCTOR. HOLLY.

HOLLY, AMY, HOLLY H A W L E Y AND I APOLOGIZE, I HAVE TO READ THIS BECAUSE PUBLIC SPEAKING MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP. SO I'M NOT TRYING TO BE IMPERSONAL. I'M JUST TRYING NOT TO EMBARRASS MYSELF. AND I AM THE RENEGADE THAT LIVES IN SCOTT BECAUSE I HAVE TO MOVE TO ARKANSAS IN 2004 AND LIVED IN SHERWOOD, LIVED IN SHERWOOD AND WORKED IN SHERWOOD FOR 15 YEARS. BUT I HAVE A PIT BULL, SO I'M NOT WELCOME IN SHERWOOD. SO I LIVE IN SCOTT, WHICH IS FINE. I LOVE SCOTT, IT'S BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M IN SCOTT. BUT HERE. SO MY NAME IS DOCTOR AMY HOLLY. I'VE BEEN A LOCAL VETERINARIAN FOR THE PAST 21 YEARS. AS MONICA SAID, MY FIRST 11 YEARS WERE AT NORTH HILLS ANIMAL HOSPITAL IN SHERWOOD. THEN I SPENT FIVE YEARS AT KIEL AVENUE ANIMAL CLINIC IN SHERWOOD. CURRENTLY, I'M THE OWNER OF SOMERS AVENUE ANIMAL CLINIC IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK. I ALSO DO A VACCINE CLINIC FOR ARKANSANS FOR ANIMALS, WHERE I EXAMINE AND VACCINATE HUNDREDS OF DOGS, MOST OF THEM FROM LOW INCOME FAMILIES. SO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH THOUSANDS OF PITBULLS AND TRULY, MY LOVE FOR THE BREED HAS ONLY GROWN OVER THE YEARS. BASED ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AS A BREED. AND I CAN SPEAK TO MY OWN DOG, MARTHA, WHO IS FULL PIT BASED ON A DNA TEST. BUT IN GENERAL, AS A BREED, THEY TEND TO BE SILLY. THEY'RE GOOFY, THEY'RE PLAYFUL, THEY HAVE THE BIGGEST HEARTS, AND THEY OFTEN HAVE THE BIGGEST SMILES. LITERALLY. THEY'RE ONE OF THE FEW DOGS THAT DO SMILE DESPITE THEIR SIZE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GETS THEM IN TROUBLE IS THAT, LIKE MYSELF, THEY WERE BLESSED WITH ANXIETY BUCKET LOADS OF IT. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PIT BULL DOGS CAN BE WON OVER WITH TREATS, A SWEET VOICE, LOTS OF PRAISE. PLEASE DO NOT YELL AT THEM. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE THEIR PEOPLE HAPPY. THEY HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN BEING INDEPENDENT OR SELF-SUFFICIENT. THEY'RE BIG BABIES AND IN MY HANDS AND I GIVE REALLY, REALLY GOOD SHOTS BECAUSE I HATE SHOTS. IF ANYBODY'S GOING TO CRY AFTER A SHOT, IT'S GOING TO BE A PIT

[01:25:07]

THAT IS VERY, VERY, VERY LITTLE OF THEIR GENETIC CODE. ONLY 9% OF A DOG'S BEHAVIORAL TRAITS CAN BE GENETICALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR BREED. THAT'S PROVEN IN RESEARCH STUDIES, CONFIRMS THAT BREED HAS MINIMAL IMPACT ON BEHAVIOR. A STUDY IN 2022 REVEALED THAT 70% OF AMERICANS OPPOSE BREED SPECIFIC BANS. MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME, AND THIS SHOCKED ME, 4% OF US CITIES AND TOWNS ENFORCE BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. THAT'S 800, INCLUDING SHERWOOD, 800. THERE ARE 22 STATES IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE MADE IT ILLEGAL TO ENFORCE BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION. ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVED ABOUT SHERWOOD WHEN I LIVED HERE IS THAT WE ARE PROGRESSIVE, FRIENDLY. I LOVED THE CITY OF SHERWOOD. THERE IS NO WAY I CAN IMAGINE SHERWOOD BEING PART OF A 4% THAT IS RAPIDLY DROPPING. THERE IS NOTHING MOVING FASTER IN THE UNITED STATES THAN DROPPING BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION. PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE IN REPEATED STUDIES BY THE CDC AND THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, BREED DOES NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON PREDICTABILITY OF BITES. THE CDC USED TO DO THAT STUDY EVERY YEAR. THEY QUIT DOING IT 20 YEARS AGO BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T PROVE ANY RELEVANCE TO IT AT ALL. THEY QUIT DOING IT. THERE WAS A REALLY FUN STUDY I JUST FOUND IN GERMANY. THE VETERINARY SCHOOL THERE DID A HUGE RESEARCH STUDY WHERE THEY TOOK THE TOP BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION BREEDS AND PUT THEM THROUGH A VARIETY OF INTERACTIONS TO TEST WHEN AND IF THEY WOULD SHOW AGGRESSION. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CONTROL GROUP FOR ANY GOOD STUDY. THEIR CONTROL GROUP WAS GOLDEN RETRIEVERS BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THEY'RE HAPPY. THEY'RE THE SWEETEST DOGS IN THE WORLD. 80 GOLDEN RETRIEVERS. THIS STUDY FOUND THAT GOLDEN RETRIEVERS WERE JUST AS LIKELY TO SHOW AGGRESSION AS BULLY BREEDS. THE CAVEAT TO THAT IS THAT NEITHER GROUP SHOWED MUCH AGGRESSION. I THINK ONE GROUP WAS 96%, ONE GROUP WAS 98%. SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HARD TO EVEN FORCE BULLY BREEDS OR GOLDEN RETRIEVERS TO SHOW AGGRESSION. TRULY, IN MY OPINION, PITBULLS HAVE AN IMAGE PROBLEM MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. WHEN THE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS A BITE THAT INVOLVES A PIT, THEY USE THE PICTURE OF THE FIGHTING DOG. WE'VE ALL SEEN IT. BIG MUSCLES HUNCHED LOW TO THE GROUND, CROPPED EARS, BIG OLD THICK STUDDED COLLAR. IT'S JUST NOT ACCURATE. IT DOESN'T REPRESENT THE POPULATION OF DOGS THAT ARE OWNED, BUT IT'S COMPELLING.

STIRS EMOTIONS. WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I RESEARCHED THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, DID A WHOLE BIG RESEARCH PROJECT ABOUT THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND ANIMAL WELFARE, AND IT WAS PROVEN THAT THE SUCCESS OF PETA IN THE 1990S WAS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE THEY CHOSE BUNNY RABBITS AS THEIR SPOKESMAN WAS COMPELLING TO SEE FLUFFY, ADORABLE BUNNY RABBITS ON A BILLBOARD WITH AN EYE THAT WAS BLEEDING. IF THEY HAD CHOSEN PICTURES OF MICE OR RATS, IT'S PRETTY UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE WOULD CARE ABOUT COSMETIC TESTING ON ANIMALS OR WEARING

[01:30:05]

CORRECT OKAY OKAY. IS THE IS DO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WANT TO ALLOW THEN THAT WOULD BE 16. OR DO YOU WANT TO ALLOW THE 17. IF THE NON SHERWOOD RESIDENT WE JUST NEED TO KNOW HOW TO PROCEED. WELL I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE THING. I HAD SOMEONE EMAIL ME TODAY AND I HAD ASKED CHARLOTTE AND STEVE TO PASS THE EMAIL ALONG BECAUSE SHE TRIED TO EMAIL EVERYBODY. SHE SAID SOME OF THEM GOT KICKED BACK, BUT SO I DIDN'T WANT TO PASS IT ALONG BECAUSE SHE SAID SHE COULDN'T.

SHE DIDN'T WANT TO COME TONIGHT BECAUSE SHE THOUGHT BEING A NON SHERWOOD RESIDENT, SHE WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK. SO OKAY, FOR CLARITY, THE PERSON THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING HERE IS A GUEST SPEAKER OF MINE. SO WE CAN JUST MARK THAT OFF THE LIST AND I CAN CALL THEM UP. PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. THERE YOU GO. THERE YOU GO. PERFECT. THE ONE FROM SCOTT. SO JUST DISREGARD. JUST MARK THAT OFF. ALL RIGHT. AT THIS TIME I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE SPONSORS OF THE ORDINANCE. COUNCIL MEMBER TREE FLOOR IS YOURS. WE WOULD LIKE FOR THE SPEAKERS TO BE ABLE TO COME UP FIRST AND THEN US SPEAK ON IT AFTER THEM. IS THAT A GOOD WORKFLOW? ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT ALL OR YOUR THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE ASKED INVITED TO COME UP THERE? YOU'D LIKE THE GUESTS TO SPEAK FIRST? YES. ALL RIGHT. THIS LIST OR YES, THAT LIST. PUBLIC COMMENT LIST FIRST. ALL RIGHT. LET ME GET SITUATED. AARON VICKERS. IF YOU HAPPEN TO SIGN UP, IF YOU PLEASE COME ON UP. IF YOU THOUGH SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND YOU KNOW, YOU SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, IF YOU COULD MAKE YOUR WAY OVER TO THE WALL SO THAT WE CAN QUICKLY TRANSITION WHEN YOU COME UP TO SPEAK, LET ME JUST REMIND EVERYBODY, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE. YOU WILL GET THREE MINUTES AND THAT WILL BE KEPT BY OUR CITY ATTORNEY. WE ASK FROM THE AUDIENCE, PLEASE, NO CLAPPING, NO CHEERING, NO BOOING. PLEASE KEEP YOUR RESPONSE. LET'S BE RESPECTFUL TO EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHAT THEIR POSITIONS ARE. I KNOW THAT THIS IS AN EMOTIONAL ISSUE. YES, MA'AM. GO AHEAD. TIME BEGIN. READY? YES. HI, I'M AARON VICKERS. I LIVE ON RIDGEWOOD OVER JUST OFF HATCHER ROAD. SO I PASSED AROUND PAMPHLETS FOR EVERYBODY. IT'S ACTUALLY A STORY THAT WAS DONE NOT IN THIS LOCATION, BUT IT'S A DOG THAT I RESCUED MYSELF. YEAH, WE'LL START THERE. I WANTED TO SHOW WHAT SHERWOOD IS MISSING OUT ON BY NOT ALLOWING PITBULLS TO BE IN THE CITY. THE FIRST ONE IS FREEDOM. NOT ONLY FREEDOM TO OWN LOYAL ANIMALS, BUT ALSO THE FREEDOM TO FEEL ALIVE AGAIN. YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS THERE AT THE END. ONCE I FINISH SECOND IS A REDUCTION IN EUTHANIZATION RATES AND POTENTIALLY A REDUCTION OF VETERAN SUICIDES THAT WE HAVE IN THIS COUNTRY AS A WHOLE. THIRD IS THE INCREASE IN MENTAL HEALTH

[01:35:03]

EVANS, I'M SORRY. I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN. I'M AARON EVANS. I LIVE AT TWO EIGHT, TWO FIVE MOONSHINE COVE, AND I'M HERE TO DISAGREE WITH THE BSL ONE. I WANT TO INITIALLY SAY MY HEART GOES OUT TO ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN HARMED BY ANY DOG OR ANY ANIMAL OR ANY PERSON, JUST LIKE HUMANS, DOGS ARE A PRODUCT OF THEIR ENVIRONMENT. A KID WHO IS BEATEN, ABUSED, NEGLECTED, STARVED, ETC. IS NOT GOING TO GROW UP AND BE LIKE MOST OF US HAVE BEEN. SAME THING WITH THE DOG. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN ARKANSAS THAT I HAVE SEEN, I'M A BY THE WAY, I'VE ONLY LIVED IN THE STATE ABOUT SIX YEARS. I'M A MILITARY VETERAN, I'VE LIVED IN A LOT OF PLACES, AND I HAVE TO

[01:40:05]

AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT GOOD OWNERS. IT IS NOT RESPONSIBLE BREEDERS. IT IS NOT GOOD DOGS.

IT IS PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE ABUSING THESE ANIMALS, OVERBREEDING THEM AND DOG FIGHTING. BSL IS NOT PREVENTING ANY OF THAT. ALL BSL IS DOING IS STOPPING PEOPLE FROM LIVING IN PLACES LIKE JACKSONVILLE AND SHERWOOD AND OTHER PLACES WHO WANT TO LIVE HERE, BECAUSE PEOPLE COME HERE WITH THESE DOGS AND NOW THEY CAN'T LIVE HERE. SO YOU'RE TURNING THOSE PEOPLE AWAY. I CAN GET INTO ALL OF THE ANIMAL NEGLECT CASES, AND THEY'RE NOT LIMITED TO PITBULLS.

THEY'RE ANY DOG. ANY DOG CAN BE AGGRESSIVE. I HAVE A NIECE WHO WAS ATTACKED BY A GOLDEN RETRIEVER WHO HAD TO ACTUALLY HAVE PLASTIC SURGERY TO FIX HER FACE AND REATTACH HER EAR. ANY DOG CAN DO THAT. BSL IS NOT GOING TO STOP THIS. WE NEED TO ENFORCE THE LAWS THAT WE HAVE.

WE NEED TO HAVE STRICTER LAWS, AND WE NEED TO EMPOWER OUR WONDERFUL POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GO OUT THERE AND DO THOSE THINGS. DAISY'S LAW THAT WAS JUST SIGNED IS A GOOD START, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE. WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE NEED TO DO MORE FOR THE ANIMALS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. HILLARY HICKS. HI, I'M HILLARY HICKS, I LIVE AT THE CORNER OF KOHLER AND CLAREMONT, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACTUALLY AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT WAS JUST SPOKEN. THE PROBLEM IS NOT GOOD PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF DOGS THAT MIGHT NEED HELP. AND THE PROBLEM IS NOT DOGS THAT HAVE BEEN ABUSED. THE PROBLEM IS PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO DISOBEY ANY BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION THAT YOU PASS. IN ANY CASE, AND IN PASSING RULES THAT ARE ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS, IN MY OPINION, YOU ARE LIMITING THE RIGHTS OF OTHER CITIZENS WHO WOULD NOT BE A PART OF THIS PROBLEM TO LIVE THEIR HAPPIEST AND FULLEST LIFE WITH THE DOGS OF THEIR CHOICE. WHAT WAS SAID AT THE BEGINNING DURING THE PRAYER WAS THAT THIS IS A GOOD GOVERNMENT. WE NEED TO THANK THE LORD FOR WHAT WE HAVE AS A GOVERNMENT, AND IT SHOULD BE A SMALL GOVERNMENT, AND IT SHOULD BE A GOVERNMENT THAT PROTECTS PEOPLE AND ENFORCES RULES THAT SHOULD BE IN PLACE. AND ALSO TO REITERATE WHAT THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER SAID, ENFORCED MORE EFFECTIVELY AND MORE PROACTIVELY. AND THAT'S GOING TO TAKE SUPPORT OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SUPPORT OF OUR SHELTERS AND NOT GOING TO BE FACILITATED IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM BY LIMITING THE TYPE AND TO EXPOUND A BIT THE NUMBER OF PETS AND DOGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE. I'M NOT SURE IF NOW IS A GOOD TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER TWO POINTS THAT I HAVE ISSUE WITH, AND THAT WOULD BE THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS. SO BRIEFLY, THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS IS ALSO ARBITRARY AND CAPRICIOUS. THERE IS NO REASON THAT FOUR IS A REASONABLE NUMBER TO EITHER HAVE OR NOT HAVE.

PEOPLE CAN BE UNKIND TO ANIMALS IF THEY HAVE THREE ANIMALS, OR IF THEY HAVE SEVEN ANIMALS. ONE ANIMAL CAN BE ABUSED JUST AS EFFECTIVELY AS NINE ANIMALS. AND THERE ARE THOSE OF US THAT HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE AND PLENTY OF ROOM IN OUR HOUSES AND IN OUR YARDS AND IN OUR HEARTS. WHO WOULD HAVE MORE ANIMALS? AND HAVING BEEN A VERY EXCELLENT SUPPORTER OF THE SHERWOOD SHELTER, I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT AS LONG AS I TAKE CARE OF MY ANIMALS, I CAN HAVE AS MANY AS I WANT. HOW WE SHOULD MANAGE THIS IS BY UTILIZING WHAT MY REPRESENTATIVE SAID IS TALK TO YOUR NEIGHBORS. IF YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR NEIGHBOR'S DOGS, THEN GO SPEAK WITH THEM.

IF IT DOES NOT GET RESOLVED, THEN THAT IS WHEN YOU COME TO THE COMMITTEE OR TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SAY, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, WE HAVE 30S YOU HAVE NOISE ORDINANCES ALREADY IN PLACE. WE HAVE ANIMAL ABUSE RULES THAT NEED TO BE MORE EFFECTIVELY APPLIED, AND WE CAN UTILIZE THOSE WITHOUT HAVING TO INVOLVE OR WITHOUT HAVING TO LIMIT THE NUMBER OR THE TYPES OF ANIMALS THAT OUR CITIZENS CAN HAVE. I'LL TALK ABOUT EXOTICS NEXT TIME. KRISTA ANDERSON.

HELLO, I'M KRISTA ANDERSON, I LIVE AT 9797 CLIFFSIDE DRIVE IN SHERWOOD, AND ONE OF MY REPRESENTATIVES IS NOT HERE TONIGHT. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE ALL HEARD FACT AFTER FACT AND EMOTION AFTER EMOTION FROM BOTH SIDES OVER THIS ISSUE. BUT THE TRUTH IS, THE BAN HAS NOT KEPT PITBULLS OUT. IT HAS KEPT RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS FROM LEGALLY ADOPTING THE KIND OF DOG

[01:45:05]

THEY WANTED IT TO BE SAFE THERE. BUT IT'S BEEN A YEAR AND EVERYTHING'S COMING OUT NOW, AND IT WAS JUST RELEASED IN APRIL THIS MONTH, THAT SINCE THAT TIME, GUESS WHAT? IT DIDN'T WORK. AND ONE REGION DOG BITES WENT UP 9% IN THREE MONTHS AND ANOTHER REGION 30%. SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL US? ONCE AGAIN, THAT BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION DOES NOT WORK. THEY REMOVED AN ENTIRE BREED OF DOGS, AN ENTIRE BREED, BASICALLY, BECAUSE IF TO OWN A PITBULL THERE, YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT MUZZLED IN PUBLIC. IT HAS TO BE LEASHED EVERYTHING AND THEY WILL SEIZE YOUR DOG. THEY HAVE EUTHANIZED OVER 800 DOGS THIS PAST YEAR, WHICH IS DOUBLE THE AMOUNT THEY EUTHANIZED THE YEAR BEFORE. SO ONCE AGAIN, THIS JUST KIND OF SPEAKS TO THE FACT THAT IT DOESN'T WORK. IT GOES BACK TO DOG OWNERSHIP, BECAUSE WHENEVER YOU BAN ONE BREED, IT'S JUST GOING TO GO TO A DIFFERENT BREED OF DOGS. THAT'S ALL IT'S GOING TO DO. IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IT'S NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING.

THE DOG BITES WILL STILL HAPPEN. AND UNFORTUNATELY IN THE UK, THEY'RE IN A BIG MESS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S REALLY GONE UP. DURING THE LAST MEETING, A FEW COUNCILMEN SHARED VERY PERSONAL STORIES ABOUT PITBULL BITES THAT HAVE OCCURRED, SO I ACTUALLY WANTED TO LOOK INTO SOME OF THEM BECAUSE THEY WERE PRETTY SPECIFIC CASES. SO THERE WAS ONE SPECIFIC CASE THAT HAPPENED IN CABOT, AND SO I WENT AHEAD AND REACHED OUT TO CABOT TO GET THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT AND TALK TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO GET ALL THE RECORDS PULLED. SO IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I WASN'T ABLE TO FIND THAT SPECIFIC CASE. BUT WHAT I DID FIND WAS IN THAT CITY WHERE PITBULLS ARE ALLOWED,

[01:50:03]

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MARIA ZAFFINO. I LIVE AT ONE 111 NORTH DEVON AVENUE IN SHERWOOD AND I CAN APPRECIATE ALL THE STORIES. BELIEVE ME, I'VE BEEN THROUGH A LOT. A LOT OF STORIES, A LOT OF HEARTACHE WITH DOGS AND LIFE IN GENERAL AND EVERYTHING ELSE REAL QUICK.

I DON'T THINK IT HAS ANYTHING A WHOLE LOT TO DO WITH THE DOG OWNERSHIP. MY SON WAS ATTACKED AT THE AGE OF 11 BY A PITBULL, BY A VERY GOOD FRIENDS, WHICH ARE GOOD PEOPLE. WE'VE KNOWN THEM. WE LIVED IN SHERWOOD FOR 34 YEARS NOW. THEY WERE GOOD PEOPLE. THEY WERE GOOD DOG OWNERS. MY SON KNEW THIS DOG. HE'S BEEN AROUND THE DOG EVERY JUST ABOUT EVERY DAY. THEY WENT OUT TO FEED HIM ONE MORNING, AND THE DOG JUST TURNED AROUND AND MAULED AND GRABBED HIM BY THE CALF, ALMOST TORE HIS CALF OFF, OR DID TEAR HIS CALF OFF. JUST ALMOST GOT TO THE NERVE. I JUST ANYTHING I DO IN MY LIFE WHEN IT COMES TO KIDS, MY NEIGHBORS, SOCIETY IN GENERAL, RESPECT FOR JUST BEING A DECENT PERSON AND RESPECTING OTHER NEIGHBORS. I DO RESEARCH ANYTHING I DO.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S NOT THE I DON'T THINK IT'S THERE'S TRAINING, THERE'S A GOOD DOG OWNER, THERE'S BAD DOG OWNERS. THE UNFORTUNATE THING IS THAT PIT BULLS HAVE HAD A TRANSITION OF THEY THEY IT'S NOT THE BREEDING. IT'S LIKE A TRANSITIONAL THING. THEY, THEY, THEY JUST DEVELOPED THAT WAY BECAUSE OF ALL THE ABUSE. THE BAD DOG OWNERS. OKAY. THERE ARE A LOT OF BAD DOG OWNERS OF COURSE, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT DOG IS GOING TO DO. THAT'S MY PROBLEM. I WOULD NEVER OWN A PIT BULL. ME PERSONALLY, BECAUSE OF THE STATISTICS OF THAT TYPE OF DOG AND THE BREEDING AND THE UNFORTUNATE ABUSE OF THOSE DOGS. SO I'VE ALWAYS SAID, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT A GOOD DOG OR A BAD DOG IS GOING TO DO. SO I JUST KIND OF TEND THAT WAS A HORRIFIC EXPERIENCE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE I THOUGHT, WELL, HE'S SAFE AT THAT HOUSE. HE'S KNOWN THE DOG, SO THAT JUST TELLS YOU AT ANY MOMENT YOU COULD BE THE BEST DOG OWNER. THAT DOG IS NOT GOING TO TURN AROUND AND TELL YOU I'M GETTING READY TO BITE YOU OR MAUL YOU OR YOUR KID APART. I MEAN, I'M VERY SYMPATHETIC TO ALL THE STORIES AND THE PEOPLE HAVING THE RIGHT TO OWN THE DOGS THEY WANT, BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO MAKE REALLY INTELLIGENT DECISIONS. MA'AM, YOU HAVE 30S. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. BUDDY FISHER. BUDDY FISHER, 8949 MEADOW GARDEN CIRCLE IN SHERWOOD. LIVED HERE TEN YEARS. HALLELUJAH. I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS THING'S BEEN BEAT AROUND THE BUSH FOR ALMOST, I DON'T KNOW, IS IT GOING ON TWO YEARS? I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT'S BEEN GOING ON, BUT CERTAINLY IF THIS ISN'T A MATTER OF COMMON SENSE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. GUYS.

AND LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, EXCUSE ME. SO I WANT TO BRING UP TWO ISSUES. WE KNOW IT'S A WE KNOW IT'S A OWNER ISSUE, NOT A DOG ISSUE. I'VE OWNED THREE LABS, AS SOMEONE PREVIOUSLY STATED. AND IF YOU WANT TO GET A GOOD GUARD DOG, GET YOU A LAB BECAUSE IT WILL PROTECT YOUR FAMILY LIKE NO OTHER DOG AROUND YOU. COME THROUGH MY DOOR. THAT DOG WILL TAKE YOU OUT. OKAY, SO YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S PROVEN THAT YOU CAN TRAIN AND MAKE ANY DOG, YOU KNOW, VIOLENT OR DOCILE. OKAY, HERE'S THE TWO THINGS THAT I WANT TO BRING UP REAL QUICK IF I CAN. OKAY. WE HAVE A SHELTER.

AND I THINK THIS IS THE BRUNT OF WHAT PART OF THE MAIN ISSUE IS WE HAVE A SHELTER THAT IS SUPPOSEDLY A NON-KILL SHELTER. SO NOW I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BREEDS THERE ARE THERE THAT FALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY. BUT LET'S SAY A DOG COMES IN TODAY. THEY BRING IT IN AND IT'S NOT GOING TO GET KILLED. BUT BECAUSE NO ONE CAN ADOPT THIS DOG, BECAUSE IT'S UNDER THIS BREED, WE'RE

[01:55:06]

AND LET ME LET YOU ON THE LAST THING. AND I'M GOING TO BE DONE REAL FAST. OKAY. AND AGAIN THIS THIS IS THE REAL ISSUE. FOLLOW ME. TOMORROW I'M GOING TO LET YOU IN ON A REAL BIG SECRET. I CAN TAKE YOU ALL OVER SHERWOOD AND SHOW YOU PIT BULLS AND BOXERS AND BULLDOGS AND DOGS THAT FALL UNDER THIS CATEGORY EVERYWHERE. SO IF YOU THINK THIS ORDINANCE IS STOPPING PEOPLE FROM OWNING THESE DOGS, PLEASE DON'T FALL FOR THAT AND DON'T COME UNDER THE GUILT TRIP THAT SOME ARE TRYING TO PLACE UPON YOU. WE WOULD ALL EMPATHIZE WITH ANYBODY WHO'S BEEN HARMED BY ANY ANIMAL AT ANY TIME. OKAY, THE ONLY TIME I EVER GOT BIT BY A DOG IN MY LIFE WAS BY A WEENIE DOG WHEN I WAS A LITTLE KID, OKAY? RIGHT IN THE MOUTH, BY THE WAY. SO, I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING LET'S LET'S LET'S THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT LET'S BRING RESTORE SOME COMMON SENSE.

THIS IS NOT STOPPING THIS PROBLEM. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. GOD BLESS YOU, COURTNEY MIXON. MY NAME IS COURTNEY MIXON. I DON'T WANT TO GIVE MY ADDRESS BECAUSE OF SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE. AND PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS. ASK A HUNDRED DIFFERENT AMERICANS TO DEFINE A PIT BULL WHAT IT IS. HOWEVER, YOU WILL GET 100 DIFFERENT ANSWERS. OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES, THE CATEGORY HAS SWELLED TO INCLUDE MIXED BREED DOGS THAT POSSESS SUPPOSED PIT BULL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS BLOCKY HEADS, WHITE CHEST MARKINGS, OR BRINDLE COATS. THOSE SAME CHARACTERISTICS CAN BE FOUND IN MORE THAN 20 BREEDS OF DOGS, AND THE LATEST GENETIC RESEARCH INDICATES THAT MANY MIXED BREED ANIMALS AND DOGS IDENTIFY AS PIT BULL MIXES ACTUALLY AREN'T IN NEARLY EVERY MUNICIPALITY WHERE BSL HAS BEEN ADOPTED, IT HAS FAILED TO PREVENT SERIOUS DOG BITES, INJURIES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS. VETERINARIANS, ANIMAL BEHAVIORISTS AND PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION, ARE VIRTUALLY UNANIMOUS IN THEIR DENUNCIATION OF BSL ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT IS BOTH CRUEL AND INEFFECTIVE. IN 2013, EVEN THE WHITE HOUSE RELEASED A STATEMENT AGAINST IT. SINCE 2018, OVER 100 CITIES HAVE REPEALED INEFFECTIVE BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION OR BANS TARGETING PIT BULL TYPE DOGS WITH MORE EFFECTIVE, BREED NEUTRAL POLICIES BASED ON MODERN PRACTICES FOR PREVENTING AND REDUCING SERIOUS DOG BITE INJURIES AND INCIDENTS. BSL IS REPLACED WITH BEHAVIOR, BEHAVIOR BASED, BREED NEUTRAL REGULATIONS THAT ARE MORE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE THEY ADDRESS ALL POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DOGS, ALL IRRESPONSIBLE OWNERS, AND ALL UNSAFE DOG RELATED SITUATIONS, REGARDLESS OF A DOG'S APPEARANCE OR BREED. CABOT, ARKANSAS. DEWITT, ARKANSAS. PRESCOTT, ARKANSAS. MAUMELLE, ARKANSAS AND DARDANELLE, ARKANSAS HAVE ALL ENDED. BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION. EVEN THE FIRST CITY THAT ENACTED BSL, WHICH WAS DENVER, COLORADO, HAS REPEALED BSL. IN 2020, A 31 YEAR OLD BAN WAS OVERTURNED. HELEN KELLER, GARY COOPER, THEODORE ROOSEVELT, BILLIE HOLIDAY, WOODROW WILSON, JOHN JOHN BERTHONNEAU, MARC JACOBS, CHANNING TATUM ALL HAD PIT BULL TYPE DOGS. THESE ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT OWN THESE SO-CALLED DANGEROUS DOGS DOCTORS, LAWYERS, DOCTORS, OPTICIANS, ASSISTANTS ALL OVER THE WORLD OWN A PIT BULL TYPE DOG, NOT A CRIMINAL. YOU HAVE 30S. THESE ARE THE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS. THESE ARE THE MAJORITY.

THE WAY THE LAW IS WRITTEN, IT IS INEFFECTIVE. WE NEED TO DO BETTER AND WE NEED TO END BSL AND ADOPT A MORE REASONABLE LEGISLATION. THANK YOU. MARCY WELCH.

I'VE HAD SURGERY RECENTLY, SO MY FORMER STUDENT HERE IS GOING TO KIND OF BE MY ESCORT. I'M MARCY WELCH. I LIVE AT 613 EAST BEVERLY SHERWOOD, ARKANSAS. MY FAMILY HAS LIVED IN THIS TOWN.

I'VE LIVED IN THIS TOWN FOR 60 PLUS YEARS. MANY YEARS AGO, MY DAD SET RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE. AND

[02:00:03]

I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER THIS AND THAT YOU WILL CONSIDER ALL OF THESE TESTIMONIALS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN. AND THINK ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY MAY HAVE TO GIVE UP IF THEY HAVE TO GIVE UP THEIR DOGS. THANK YOU. ALYSSA. PRETTY. ALL RIGHT. TONIGHT I DIDN'T COME WITH AN OVERLY PREPARED SPEECH OR ANYTHING LIKE I NORMALLY DO. TONIGHT, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FOLKS THAT JUST STOOD UP HERE AND SPOKE. YOU HAVE TEN SHERWOOD RESIDENTS THAT WANT TO REMOVE THE BREED SPECIFIC VERBIAGE. YOU HAVE TWO THAT ARE AGAINST IT. I PERSONALLY HAVE BEEN AT EVERY MEETING SINCE 2001 40 WAS INTRODUCED. I COME EVERY SINGLE MONTH AND LISTEN TO EVERYTHING THAT'S SAID. DURING THAT TIME I HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH BECAUSE IN THE BEGINNING I WAS ALL FOR EXTRA INSURANCE, ALL FOR THE MICROCHIPPING AND HAVING TO HAVE CERTAIN RESTRICTIONS FOR PIT BULLS. BUT AS I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH, WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THERE ARE SO MANY BREEDS THAT ARE JUST AS OR MORE DANGEROUS THAN PITBULLS THAT WE ALLOW EVERY SINGLE DAY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO NO LONGER DO I FEEL LIKE PIT BULL OWNERS SHOULD HAVE TO JUMP THROUGH HOOPS IN ORDER TO OWN A DOG. THAT CAN BE LESS DANGEROUS THAN YOUR FAMILY GOLDEN RETRIEVER OR LAB OR GERMAN SHEPHERD CANE CORSO. ALL THOSE DOGS THAT WE ALLOW IN OUR CITY RIGHT NOW. I HAVE SEVERAL YEARS OF RESCUE EXPERIENCE. I HAVE WORKED WITH DOGS, EVERYTHING FROM 3 POUNDS TO 125 POUNDS, AND I HAVE NEVER ONCE HAD AN ISSUE WITH A PIT BULL THAT'S BEEN IN FOSTER CARE, SHELTER SITUATION OR ANYTHING WHERE I'VE DEALT WITH THEM. I LOOKED BACK OVER MY LIFE AND I HAVE BEEN BIT THREE TIMES. ONCE WHEN I WAS A CHILD BY A CHOW MIX. IT BELONGED TO MY AUNT UNCLE. IT WAS A DOG THAT I WAS FAMILIAR WITH, BUT AS A CHILD I MADE A MISTAKE. I REACHED OVER A TABLE TO SMASH A BUG WITH A KLEENEX BOX RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE SLEEPING DOG, AND IT GOT MY ARM BROKE. THE SKIN DID NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL, BUT IT WAS A SEVERE ENOUGH BITE THAT IT UPSET MY MOTHER, OF COURSE. AND THEN AS A RESCUER, I WAS BITTEN IN THE FACE BY A CHIHUAHUA. I WAS LOOKING IN THE BOX AT HER BABIES. I JUST PICKED HER UP THAT DAY, GOT BIT IN THE FACE, AND THE TIME THAT I HAD TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL. BROKEN BONES, RIPPED OFF FLESH. ONE OF OUR PERSONAL DOGS GOT IN A FIGHT WITH A LAB THAT WE WERE FOSTERING, AND IT WAS MY HUSBAND'S SOUL DOG, AND I INSTINCTIVELY TO HELP HER REACH DOWN INTO THAT FIGHT. AND SHE GOT AHOLD OF MY FINGER AND BROKE THE BONE AND TORE THE FLESH. IT WAS A FRENCHIE. IT'S NOT A PIT BULL. IT'S NOT A BIG, VICIOUS DOG. THE PIT BULLS THAT I'VE HAD EXPERIENCE WITH ARE THE MOST TIMID AND MEEK AND MILD AND LOVING DOGS THAT COME THROUGH RESCUE. AND SO I JUST WOULD ASK YOU, PLEASE, MA'AM, YOU HAVE 30S LISTEN TO THE TO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME TO SPEAK TO YOU, BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE OPPOSED TO THE TO THE BREED HAVE HAD EVERY OPPORTUNITY, JUST LIKE WE HAVE TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS AND TO SPEAK. AND THE LOOKS OF TONIGHT, TEN VERSUS TWO, THE MAJORITY IS DEFINITELY LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT THEY WOULD PREFER. JOSH. PRETTY. I'M JOSH PRETTY. MY WIFE AND I BOTH LIVE AT 9880 WILLOWBROOK CIRCLE OR

[02:05:06]

AND YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT, BECAUSE THERE'S A TON OF YOUR PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN YOUR WARDS THAT WOULD DISAGREE WITH YOUR VOTE. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. PLEASE GET RID OF IT. IT'S SILLY. LET IT GO. THANK YOU. PENNY. RAY. I'M PENNY. RAY AND I LIVE ON BOBOLINK. IF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT PICTURE, THAT'D BE GREAT. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK. THANK YOU GUYS, FOR PAYING ATTENTION TO US. AND LISTEN TO US TONIGHT. AND REALLY LOOK AROUND AND LOOK AT ALL THE PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR ALL THESE MEETINGS FOR TWO YEARS NOW, ASKING YOU TO CHANGE THIS, THIS BE THIS BRAND OF, OF NOT ALLOWING THIS SPECIFIC BREED. AND I APPRECIATE THE ONES THAT ARE SITTING OVER HERE THAT ARE ACTUALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO EVERYBODY WHO'S TALKING. I APPRECIATE THAT, AND TO YOU FOR LISTENING TO ALL OF US. YOU KNOW, SOME OF YOU RAN ON ON THAT SPECIFIC THING. YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD ALLOW IT, THAT YOU WERE READY FOR THE CHANGE. AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL STAND BY THAT. YOU KNOW, CESAR MILLAN, WHO I WATCH A LOT. HE SAYS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T TRAIN PEOPLE, I TRAIN PEOPLE. I REHABILITATE DOGS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE PEOPLE, NOT THE DOGS. THE DOGS ARE. I HAVE A DAUGHTER WHO HAS A PITBULL. HAVE A GRANDDAUGHTER WHO HAS A PITBULL. MY DAUGHTER, WHEN SHE WAS SIX YEARS OLD, WAS ATTACKED BY A CHIHUAHUA OVER 200 STITCHES IN HER FACE AT SIX YEARS OLD. NOT BECAUSE SHE DID ANYTHING TO THE DOG, SHE JUST REACHED DOWN TO PET IT. SO ALL DOGS WILL BITE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE BREED IS, BUT YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU PEOPLE ARE VOTING BECAUSE OF WHAT YOUR BELIEFS ARE. YOU GUYS WERE VOTED IN BY THESE PEOPLE RIGHT HERE. YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO THESE PEOPLE. THESE ARE THE ONES WHO VOTE YOU IN, AND THEY'RE ALSO THE ONES WHO WILL VOTE YOU OUT.

YOU KNOW, THESE PEOPLE WANT THIS THIS BAN THAT HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR HOW MANY YEARS NOW TO BE LIFTED. YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS HAVE SET UP NEW NEW RULES THAT ARE GREAT. GIVE THEM A CHANCE. YOU KNOW THAT THE PITS ARE ALREADY IN THE CITY. THEY'VE BEEN IN THE CITY FOR YEARS. OUR OUR SHELTERS ARE OVERRUN WITH DOGS THAT CAN'T GET ADOPTED. LOOK AT HASH BROWN, WHO WAS THERE FOR TWO YEARS. GET ADOPTED BECAUSE HE HAD A SQUARE FACE AND HE REALLY DIDN'T EVEN LOOK LIKE A PIT. HE JUST LOOKED LIKE HE MIGHT HAVE HAD PIT IN HIM, BUT HE COULDN'T GET ADOPTED FOR TWO YEARS. SO HE SET IN A CAGE BECAUSE A FEW OF YOU WON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND, OR WON'T EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO THE PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE WANTING YOU TO LISTEN AND CHANGE. AND, YOU KNOW, GET WITH THE TIMES. YOU KNOW, THESE DOGS SHOULDN'T BE PUNISHED BECAUSE OF 1 OR 2 BITES. WE ARE WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CITY. YOU HAVE 30S, MA'AM, NOT THE OTHER CITIES THAT ARE AROUND US, BUT OUR CITY HERE. AND THESE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN PATIENT ENOUGH FOR TWO YEARS TO SIT HERE AND STAND HERE AND EMAIL YOU AND COME TO ALL THESE MEETINGS AND, AND GO OUT THERE AND, AND SPEND ALL THEIR TIME DOING RESEARCH BECAUSE THEY WANT THE RULES CHANGED. WE WANT YOU TO GIVE THEM A CHANCE. AND THAT'S ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU GIVE US OUR YOUR VOTE. YES. LET THE BREED'S BE IN SHERWOOD. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S EVERYONE WHO SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. COUNCIL MEMBER TREAT, WE'LL START WITH YOU. WE HAVE A QUICK VIDEO. THAT CAMERON'S GONNA PLAY FOR. I'VE ADOPTED FOUR PITBULLS OVER THE PAST 17 YEARS FROM THE LITTLE ROCK SHELTER. THEY ALL BECOME MY BEST FRIENDS, AND I. I LOVE THESE DOGS SO, SO MUCH.

[02:10:25]

I THINK SHE'S GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO ME. YOU OKAY? NO, WE'RE NOT OKAY. DO YOU WANT ME TO MOVE ON TO CALLIE? GIVE ME A YEAH. OKAY. SO. PERSON. OH. WHAT? OH, SHE AND MISS CULPEPPER THAT YOU WANTED TO ASK? DID YOU WANT HER TO TALK FIRST AND THEN KIM? OKAY, OKAY. OKAY. SO THE NEWLY PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT WE HAVE IS INTENDED TO KEEP OUR CITIZENS, HUMANS AND ANIMALS SAFE. THE PREVIOUS ORDINANCE THAT BANS SPECIFIC BREED IS UNENFORCEABLE. DOESN'T DO ANYTHING EXCEPT SHOW PERSONAL BIAS AGAINST PITBULLS AND BULLY BREEDS. ALL OF THE DISCUSSION THAT'S HAPPENED UP TO THIS POINT DOESN'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT SHERWOOD CITIZENS HAVE PITBULLS.

LET ME GET EMOTIONAL TO NOW, BASED ON WHAT I HAVE PERSONALLY OBSERVED IN MY WARD, JUST IN MY WARD, THEY'RE WALKING ON OUR STREETS. THEY'RE TAKEN TO THE DOG PARKS. THEY'RE CONFIDENT IN DOING SO BECAUSE AS THEY'VE HEARD OUR DISCUSSIONS, THEY REALIZE THE POLICE CAN'T DO ANYTHING. THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO STOP THEM. OUR INTENTION WITH THE NEW ORDINANCE IS NOT JUST TO LIFT THE BAN ON PITBULLS. IT'S ALSO TO GIVE THE SHERWOOD ANIMAL CONTROL THE ABILITY TO IMMEDIATELY SEIZE AND IMPOUND ANY VICIOUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOG, NO MATTER THE BREED. MAKE SURE THAT THE DOG OWNER IS HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR ACTIONS OF THEIR ANIMAL. AS THE POLICE CHIEF TOLD ME EARLIER TODAY, IT'S EASIER TO DOCUMENT AND TESTIFY IN COURT WHEN THEY HAVE ACTUALLY DONE SOMETHING AT THAT MOMENT. WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYONE TO CHANGE HOW THEY PERSONALLY FEEL ABOUT PITBULLS OR ANY BREED. WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO JUST STEP BACK FROM YOUR EMOTIONS ABOUT A SPECIFIC BREED. KEEP THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS AT THE FRONT OF YOUR MIND WITH REGARDS TO ALL VICIOUS OR AGGRESSIVE DOGS AND THE OWNERS WHO HAVE THEM. THERE WAS A DOG THAT LIVED DOWN THE STREET FROM MY MOM THAT WASN'T A PITBULL. HE THREATENED MY MOM.

HE THREATENED ANY VISITOR THAT CAME TO HER HOUSE. HE CAME DOWN TO THE BACK BEHIND MY YARD, BARKED AND AGGRESSIVELY AT MY DOGS. I HAD VIDEO THAT I SHOWED ANIMAL CONTROL, CALLED THEM PROBABLY 4 OR 5 TIMES, AS DID ALL OF MY NEIGHBORS. NOTHING COULD BE DONE UNTIL THEY GOT IT PUSHED UP THE LINE. AND THIS WAS 4 OR 5 YEARS AGO. OUR JOB AS COUNCIL IS TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS WITH THE DECISIONS WE MAKE, AND WE'RE JUST ASKING TO YOU TO CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE FACTS WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE. YOU'RE NOT JUST VOTING TO LIFT A BAN ON A SPECIFIC BREED. LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE VOTING TO GIVE THE CONFIDENCE IN OUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS SO THEY HAVE ACTUAL AUTHORITY AND THE ABILITY TO ENFORCE AGGRESSIVE AND VICIOUS DOG ORDINANCE FOR ALL BREEDS TO HELP OUR CITIZENS IN THIS CITY. FIRST, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING EMOTIONAL. IS STILL THAT EMOTION COMES FROM ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS THAT SPOKE AND A PERSONAL STORY OF MINE. SO IT JUST HIT HOME. ANYWAY, WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A LOT OF FACTUAL INFORMATION OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. FACTS REGARDING MISIDENTIFIED ANIMALS. FACTS REGARDING SPECIFIC DOGS, ATTACKS WITHIN OUR CITY, FACTS REGARDING CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS REGARDING RISK OF DEATH, REGARDING NON RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP OF ANIMALS. STATEMENTS OF HOW HARD IT IS THAT OUR CURRENT ORDINANCE IS TO ENFORCE. I WANT TO REITERATE TO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM THAT I AM NOT ADVOCATING FOR ALLOWING DANGEROUS DOGS IN OUR CITY. RATHER, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD REMOVE THE BREED SPECIFIC LANGUAGE FROM OUR ORDINANCE AND FOCUS ON CREATING A COMPREHENSIVE SECTION ON VICIOUS ANIMALS THAT APPLY TO ALL SPECIES. THIS SECTION SHOULD BE THOROUGHLY PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.

[02:15:03]

IT IS A PRIVILEGE. THEY ARE GIFTS AND IT IS A PRIVILEGE TO TAKE INTO YOUR CARE AND OBSERVE AND ENJOY. AND THEY SAVE LIVES. THEY REALLY DO. AND BUT YOU NEED TO KNOW YOUR DOG. YOU NEED TO KNOW THE DOG THAT BIT THE YOUNG BOYS TO ME IMMEDIATELY THE DOG WAS HUNGRY. I WOULD NEVER LET A CHILD BE AROUND A HUNGRY DOG, EVER. THAT'S NOT INFORMED. AND PARDON MY PASSION, BUT A DOG IS.

THEY'RE ANIMALS. THEY CANNOT REASON LIKE WE CAN. THEY DON'T HAVE THE COGNITIVE ABILITIES.

[02:20:05]

IS THERE DID YOU HAVE ANY ANY OTHER. NO. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DID YOU HAVE. THANK YOU. YES. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK DOCTOR HOLLY TO COME JOIN US. PROBABLY MANY OF YOU KNOW HER. SHE'S BEEN OUR VET FOR OVER 20 YEARS. SHE WORKED AT NORTH HILLS ANIMAL CLINIC AND THEN KILL AVENUE. SHE IS BELOVED IN THE CITY OF SHERWOOD, AND WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE HER HERE. DOCTOR. HOLLY.

HOLLY, AMY, HOLLY H A W L E Y AND I APOLOGIZE, I HAVE TO READ THIS BECAUSE PUBLIC SPEAKING MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP. SO I'M NOT TRYING TO BE IMPERSONAL. I'M JUST TRYING NOT TO EMBARRASS MYSELF. AND I AM THE RENEGADE THAT LIVES IN SCOTT BECAUSE I HAVE TO MOVE TO ARKANSAS IN 2004 AND LIVED IN SHERWOOD, LIVED IN SHERWOOD AND WORKED IN SHERWOOD FOR 15 YEARS. BUT I HAVE A PIT BULL, SO I'M NOT WELCOME IN SHERWOOD. SO I LIVE IN SCOTT, WHICH IS FINE. I LOVE SCOTT, IT'S BEAUTIFUL OUT THERE, BUT THAT'S WHY I'M IN SCOTT. BUT HERE. SO MY NAME IS DOCTOR AMY HOLLY. I'VE BEEN A LOCAL VETERINARIAN FOR THE PAST 21 YEARS. AS MONICA SAID, MY FIRST 11 YEARS WERE AT NORTH HILLS ANIMAL HOSPITAL IN SHERWOOD. THEN I SPENT FIVE YEARS AT KIEL AVENUE ANIMAL CLINIC IN SHERWOOD. CURRENTLY, I'M THE OWNER OF SOMERS AVENUE ANIMAL CLINIC IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK. I ALSO DO A VACCINE CLINIC FOR ARKANSANS FOR ANIMALS, WHERE I EXAMINE AND VACCINATE HUNDREDS OF DOGS, MOST OF THEM FROM LOW INCOME FAMILIES. SO, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, I HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH THOUSANDS OF PITBULLS AND TRULY, MY LOVE FOR THE BREED HAS ONLY GROWN OVER THE YEARS. BASED ON MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCES AS A BREED. AND I CAN SPEAK TO MY OWN DOG, MARTHA, WHO IS FULL PIT BASED ON A DNA TEST. BUT IN GENERAL, AS A BREED, THEY TEND TO BE SILLY. THEY'RE GOOFY, THEY'RE PLAYFUL, THEY HAVE THE BIGGEST HEARTS, AND THEY OFTEN HAVE THE BIGGEST SMILES. LITERALLY. THEY'RE ONE OF THE FEW DOGS THAT DO SMILE DESPITE THEIR SIZE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT GETS THEM IN TROUBLE IS THAT, LIKE MYSELF, THEY WERE BLESSED WITH ANXIETY BUCKET LOADS OF IT. THE VAST MAJORITY OF PIT BULL DOGS CAN BE WON OVER WITH TREATS, A SWEET VOICE, LOTS OF PRAISE. PLEASE DO NOT YELL AT THEM. THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE THEIR PEOPLE HAPPY. THEY HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN BEING INDEPENDENT OR SELF-SUFFICIENT. THEY'RE BIG BABIES AND IN MY HANDS AND I GIVE REALLY, REALLY GOOD SHOTS BECAUSE I HATE SHOTS. IF ANYBODY'S GOING TO CRY AFTER A SHOT, IT'S GOING TO BE A PIT

[02:25:07]

THAT IS VERY, VERY, VERY LITTLE OF THEIR GENETIC CODE. ONLY 9% OF A DOG'S BEHAVIORAL TRAITS CAN BE GENETICALLY ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR BREED. THAT'S PROVEN IN RESEARCH STUDIES, CONFIRMS THAT BREED HAS MINIMAL IMPACT ON BEHAVIOR. A STUDY IN 2022 REVEALED THAT 70% OF AMERICANS OPPOSE BREED SPECIFIC BANS. MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME, AND THIS SHOCKED ME, 4% OF US CITIES AND TOWNS ENFORCE BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. THAT'S 800, INCLUDING SHERWOOD, 800. THERE ARE 22 STATES IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE MADE IT ILLEGAL TO ENFORCE BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION. ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVED ABOUT SHERWOOD WHEN I LIVED HERE IS THAT WE ARE PROGRESSIVE, FRIENDLY. I LOVED THE CITY OF SHERWOOD. THERE IS NO WAY I CAN IMAGINE SHERWOOD BEING PART OF A 4% THAT IS RAPIDLY DROPPING. THERE IS NOTHING MOVING FASTER IN THE UNITED STATES THAN DROPPING BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION. PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE IN REPEATED STUDIES BY THE CDC AND THE AMERICAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, BREED DOES NOT HAVE ANY EFFECT ON PREDICTABILITY OF BITES. THE CDC USED TO DO THAT STUDY EVERY YEAR. THEY QUIT DOING IT 20 YEARS AGO BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T PROVE ANY RELEVANCE TO IT AT ALL. THEY QUIT DOING IT. THERE WAS A REALLY FUN STUDY I JUST FOUND IN GERMANY. THE VETERINARY SCHOOL THERE DID A HUGE RESEARCH STUDY WHERE THEY TOOK THE TOP BREED SPECIFIC LEGISLATION BREEDS AND PUT THEM THROUGH A VARIETY OF INTERACTIONS TO TEST WHEN AND IF THEY WOULD SHOW AGGRESSION. YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CONTROL GROUP FOR ANY GOOD STUDY. THEIR CONTROL GROUP WAS GOLDEN RETRIEVERS BECAUSE EVERYBODY KNOWS THEY'RE HAPPY. THEY'RE THE SWEETEST DOGS IN THE WORLD. 80 GOLDEN RETRIEVERS. THIS STUDY FOUND THAT GOLDEN RETRIEVERS WERE JUST AS LIKELY TO SHOW AGGRESSION AS BULLY BREEDS. THE CAVEAT TO THAT IS THAT NEITHER GROUP SHOWED MUCH AGGRESSION. I THINK ONE GROUP WAS 96%, ONE GROUP WAS 98%. SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY HARD TO EVEN FORCE BULLY BREEDS OR GOLDEN RETRIEVERS TO SHOW AGGRESSION. TRULY, IN MY OPINION, PITBULLS HAVE AN IMAGE PROBLEM MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE. WHEN THE NEWS HIGHLIGHTS A BITE THAT INVOLVES A PIT, THEY USE THE PICTURE OF THE FIGHTING DOG. WE'VE ALL SEEN IT. BIG MUSCLES HUNCHED LOW TO THE GROUND, CROPPED EARS, BIG OLD THICK STUDDED COLLAR. IT'S JUST NOT ACCURATE. IT DOESN'T REPRESENT THE POPULATION OF DOGS THAT ARE OWNED, BUT IT'S COMPELLING.

STIRS EMOTIONS. WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, I RESEARCHED THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, DID A WHOLE BIG RESEARCH PROJECT ABOUT THE ANIMAL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND ANIMAL WELFARE, AND IT WAS PROVEN THAT THE SUCCESS OF PETA IN THE 1990S WAS IN LARGE PART BECAUSE THEY CHOSE BUNNY RABBITS AS THEIR SPOKESMAN WAS COMPELLING TO SEE FLUFFY, ADORABLE BUNNY RABBITS ON A BILLBOARD WITH AN EYE THAT WAS BLEEDING. IF THEY HAD CHOSEN PICTURES OF MICE OR RATS, IT'S PRETTY UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE WOULD CARE ABOUT COSMETIC TESTING ON ANIMALS OR WEARING

[02:30:05]

WHEN I WAS POKING AROUND, SURPRISINGLY, STATE FARM'S WEBSITE EVEN INCLUDES BLOG POSTS ABOUT THEIR OWN AGENTS AND THE RESCUED PITBULLS THAT THEY OWN AND LOVE, WHICH INCLUDED THE STATEMENT FROM STATE FARM ALL DOGS CAN BE GREAT DOGS, REGARDLESS OF BREED, IF THEY ARE PROPERLY CARED FOR, LOVED AND TRAINED. STATE FARM DETERMINES RISK BASED ON A DOG'S BITE HISTORY RATHER THAN BREED, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO COMPELLING. AND TRULY, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE ALL JUST WISH SHERWOOD WOULD DO AS WELL. SO THAT'S IT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, I APPRECIATE YOU. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WELL, I'M GOING TO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR GETTING EMOTIONAL BECAUSE AS YOUR CITY COUNCILWOMAN, I FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL. SO I DIDN'T GET INTO THIS BECAUSE I NEED IT I GET IN I GOT INTO IT BECAUSE I FELT LIKE MY CITY NEEDED ME. AND I FEEL FOR THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'VE BEEN BITTEN BY, A PITBULL OR ANY DOG THAT PULLS AT MY HEARTSTRINGS. I FEEL FOR ALL OF YOU THAT ARE BEING DICTATED BY AN ANTIQUATED LAW, AND THERE'S AN ABUSE OF POWER GOING ON UP HERE THAT'S KEEPING YOU FROM LIVING A PERSONAL LIFE THAT YOU'RE ENTITLED TO IN AMERICA.

SO I FEEL A LOT OF THINGS, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I THINK IT'S OKAY TO FEEL THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF I DON'T FEEL WHAT YOU'RE FEELING, THEN I DON'T DESERVE TO BE UP HERE. SO AS YOUR CITY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE, I SHOULD NOT HAVE THE POWER TO DICTATE WHICH TYPE OF DOG YOU CAN HAVE IN YOUR HOME, OR HOW MANY ANIMALS YOU CAN HAVE IN YOUR HOME. AS A RESIDENT OF THE CITY OF SHERWOOD, I DON'T WANT TO PERSONALLY BE TOLD HOW MANY FUR CHILDREN I CAN HAVE IN MY HOME OR WHAT BREED I'M ALLOWED TO HAVE, SO I SEE IT FROM BOTH SIDES. THIS, TO ME, EPITOMIZES GOVERNMENT OVERREACH. Y'ALL ELECTED US, AND IT IS CLEAR TO ME THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE CITY OF SHERWOOD IS COMING AND SPEAKING THAT THEY WANT THIS OVERTURNED FOR THE WOMAN THAT WAS PROTECTED BY HER DOG. YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT SHOULD BE ILLEGAL. THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP HER FROM BEING PROTECTED BY SOMETHING THAT PROTECTED HER FROM A REALLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I SHOULDN'T HAVE THAT KIND OF POWER. NONE OF US SHOULD. WE'VE TOLD INCREDIBLE PEOPLE. YOU'RE NOT WELCOME IN SHERWOOD. I'D LOVE TO HAVE DOCTOR HOLLY IN MY BACKYARD. SHE'S THE KIND OF NEIGHBOR THAT IF YOU NEED AN EGG OR SOME SUGAR OR YOUR DOG IS SICK, YOU'D RUN TO HER HOUSE REAL FAST. TERRI SINGER MOVED OUT OF THE CITY OF SHERWOOD FIVE YEARS AGO BECAUSE SHE WANTED A PIT BULL. WE HAVE GOT PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF OUR CITY BECAUSE OF THIS BAN. HER KIDS STILL LIVE HERE. HER KIDS STILL LIVE IN SHERWOOD. I THINK THAT IT IS CLEAR WHAT WE NEED TO DO TONIGHT, AS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY OF THE CITY OF SHERWOOD, I THINK IT IS TIME FOR US TO TAKE A STAND ON SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN CONTROLLING OUR CITY, OUR RESIDENTS, FOR ENTIRELY TOO LONG. YOU KNOW WHY? IT'S EMOTIONAL? BECAUSE GOD GAVE US DOGS AS A THERAPY METHOD. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO CONVINCE ME THAT A DOG IS BORN BAD. BE LIKE TELLING ME A BABIES BORN BAD. GET OUT OF HERE. COME ON NOW, GET OUT OF HERE. SO I THINK GOD GAVE US DOGS AND HE GAVE US ANIMALS TO HELP US COPE WITH THIS WORLD. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I

[02:35:02]

IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME. THANK YOU FOR HANGING IN THERE AND MY TONIGHT. IS THAT MY OTHER CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE, THE RESIDENTS OF SHERWOOD, AND THAT WE OVERTURN THE PITBULL BAN? YES. OKAY. PLEASE. NO CLAPPING OR RESPONSES. OKAY. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS? WELL. I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WHO HAS GOTTEN UP AND SPOKEN TONIGHT. AND FOR THE RECORD, I THINK THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE JUNE. IF I'M CORRECT IN SAYING SO. JUST FELT LIKE TWO YEARS. IT FEELS LIKE A LIFETIME, BELIEVE ME. BUT IT HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE JUNE. WE'VE HAD A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TWO CITY COUNCILS. WE'VE HAD THREE OTHER PEOPLE UP HERE WHEN THIS STARTED, AND WE GOT THREE NEW LADIES UP HERE. NOW WE'RE TO BRING IT HOME. YES, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT ARE FOR LIFTING THE BSL, BUT WE HAVE 33, 34,000 RESIDENTS IN THE CITY OF SHERWOOD, AND WE CAN'T POSSIBLY FIT THEM ALL IN THIS ROOM. SO WE DON'T HAVE EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TONIGHT EXPRESSING THEIR OPINIONS. WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF EMAILS, ALL OF US FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE. POSSIBLY EVERYBODY DOESN'T KNOW ALL THE EMAILS OR PHONE CALLS OR TEXTS THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM OUR INDIVIDUAL RESIDENTS IN OUR WARDS. I KNOW THAT A LOT OF TALK HAS BEEN ABOUT ALL THE ANIMALS THAT HAVEN'T GOTTEN ADOPTED. I DID CALL TODAY, AS I DID LAST MONTH, AND THERE ARE THERE WERE WHEN I CALLED TODAY, 32 DOGS IN THE SHELTER, WHICH IS AT CAPACITY. OF THOSE, SIX WERE 6 OR 7. THEY WERE NOT SURE, BUT 6 OR 7 WERE PIT OR PIT MIXES. FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT AWARE, AT THIS TIME, WE DO NOT HAVE A SUPERVISOR AT THE SHELTER AND WE ONLY HAVE FOUR EMPLOYEES, SO THEY'RE VERY SHORTHANDED. SO IT'S. WE DO HAVE CAPTAIN HARTMAN WHO OVERSEES THE SHELTER, AND THAT TAKES HER AWAY. I KNOW FROM OTHER DUTIES THAT SHE PROBABLY NEEDS TO DO ALSO. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT THIS WHOLE THING, WE'RE GOING TO NEED A LOT MORE EMPLOYEES. AND WE CAN'T EVEN KEEP UP WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT WE HAVE NOW. SO I'M WORRIED ABOUT A LOT OF THIS. ALSO, I WILL AGREE WITH MY COUNCIL MEMBER, MISS TREAT HERE AND THE RESIDENT OF MY WARD, HILLARY, THAT I DO SEE WAVING AT ME OVER HERE THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT A LIMIT ON THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME FROM OR HOW THAT ALL CAME ABOUT. FOR INSTANCE, SHE HAS QUITE A BIT OF LAND ON HER PROPERTY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT CAME ABOUT. THAT FOUR WAS THE LIMIT FOR THE NUMBER OF ANIMALS, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT. LIKE I'VE SAID LAST MONTH, THIS WHOLE ORDINANCE IS A LOT MORE THAN JUST BSL, BUT IT'S ALL WE'RE FOCUSED ON. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW. I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY ACROSS THE WAY, BECAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY ON THIS SIDE HAS ALREADY SAID SOMETHING. BUT WHEN THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE, I DO HOPE THAT WE REVISIT THIS ORDINANCE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT MORE TO IT THAN JUST THE BSL. SO GO AHEAD ACROSS THE WAY. WELL, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK THANKS, EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT AND SPOKE AND I IT'S OBVIOUS THAT EVERYONE IS PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. BUT I WILL SAY I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS THAT I GOT FROM PEOPLE FROM THE OTHER SIDE. I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT I HEAR THEM AS WELL, AS WELL AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM, BECAUSE, AS YOU SAID, WE WERE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE. AND SO WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO ALL THE PEOPLE, NOT JUST THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE ROOM. SO I WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THAT THEY'RE HEARD. I DID I DO HEAR THEM. THIS IS A TOUGH SUBJECT. I DON'T KNOW REALLY WHICH WAY I AM ON IT. I KNOW THIS DOES ADDRESS A LOT OF THINGS THAT THAT DO NEED TO BE CHANGED. SO AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THE CURRENT

[02:40:05]

[02:45:04]

WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SOME THINGS, AND SHE'S GOT A REAL ESTATE COMPANY HERE IN TOWN. AND I ASKED HER, I SAID, HAVE YOU HAD ANY PROBLEM SELLING HOMES BECAUSE OF HAVING THE PIT BULL BAN? AND SHE SAID, NO. AND SHE SAID, I HAVE ONE QUESTION TO ASK THE COUNCIL. I SAID, OKAY. SHE SAID, WHAT STEVE, YOU MAY HAVE WAS IT 2018 OR 14 WHEN THE BAN WENT IN? THE BSL PART OF THE BAN WAS THAT WHEN WE MADE THAT LEGISLATION OR BEFORE THAT, IT WAS MUCH OLDER THAN THAT. MUCH OLDER THAN THAT. OKAY. AND I TOLD HER IT WAS BEFORE MY TIME. SO I MEAN, AND THE COMMENT THAT THEY SAID WAS WHY DID IT HAPPEN? WHY WAS THE BAN PUT IN? AND I SAID, BECAUSE IT WAS FOR SAFETY FOR THE RESIDENTS OF SHERWOOD. AND SHE SAID, IF YOU STILL WANT SHE SAID, WHY WOULD YOU CHANGE IT IF SAFETY IS YOUR CONCERN? AND I MEAN, THIS WAS FROM THE REAL ESTATE LADY THAT ASKED ME ABOUT I SAID SHE KNEW WE WERE DISCUSSING IT. SO THAT WAS SAID. THE COMMENT WAS MADE. I EVEN WAS

[02:50:08]

BUT WE'RE BOUND BY RULES OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. SO. OKAY. AND I AND I WILL SAY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, YOU KNOW, CAMERAS ARE A LOT MORE PREVALENT NOW. THEY'RE YOU KNOW, WE'VE DEALT WITH A SITUATION WHERE IT WASN'T A PIT BUT AN AGGRESSIVE DOG. AND THEY LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE, PEOPLE HAVE CAMERAS. AND SO IT'S A LOT EASIER NOW. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS A QUESTION THAT I HAD BECAUSE AS I WAS READING THROUGH IT IN THE AGGRESSIVE DOG PART, THEY SAID THE SUPERVISOR OR ANIMAL SERVICE OFFICER DIDN'T SPECIFICALLY SAY A POLICE OFFICER. SO I WAS WONDERING IF A POLICE OFFICER WAS GOING TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE A CITATION OR DO DO SOMETHING.

CHIEF HAGER, IF THEY CAME THERE, WELL, YOU MIGHT AS WELL STAY UP UNTIL WE FINISH THE QUESTION I HAD. I MEAN, THE ANIMAL CONTROL IS UNDER THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NOW, REPEAT THE QUESTION. I'M SORRY. SO IF POLICE OFFICER GOES OUT AND THERE'S AN AGGRESSIVE DOG, WE THINK IT'S AN AGGRESSIVE DOG. CAN THE POLICE OFFICER DO WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO TO ISSUE THE CITATION OR, OR WHATEVER? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IN THE IN THE RESOLUTION THAT WE HAVE, IT SAYS THE SUPERVISOR OR THE ANIMAL SERVICES OFFICER. SO IS THAT AS A POLICE OFFICER, NORMAL POLICE OFFICER FALL UNDER THAT, OR DO THEY HAVE TO CALL SOMEBODY ELSE IN? YEAH. POLICE OFFICERS CAN THEY CAN THEY CAN ENFORCE AN ORDINANCE. SO AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE WHEN WE TOOK OVER ANIMAL CONTROL, I'M NOT A I'M NOT AN ANIMAL EXPERT. BUT I DO UNDERSTAND LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS AND THIS IS ONE OF THE THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THAT I'VE SAID IN THE PAST. AND I'VE, I'VE PROBABLY SAID THIS TO A LOT OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM IS AND MISS WILLIAMS USED AN EXAMPLE WITH ME TODAY, THAT IF SHE'S DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND SHE GETS STOPPED AND SHE HAS A BAG OF WHITE POWDER IN HER CAR, CAN WE SEIZE IT? YES, WE CAN. IF WE SUSPECT THAT IT'S ILLEGAL SUBSTANCE. BUT WE HAVE A METHOD TO TEST THAT. WE HAVE TEST KITS THAT WE CAN CARRY. I DON'T HAVE A TEST KIT TO TEST A DOG AND SEE WHAT BREED IT IS.

AND TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, MISS WILLIAMS TOLD ME, YOU KNOW, SHE THINKS THAT IF IT LOOKS LIKE A PIT BULL, THEN WE SEIZE IT. WELL, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT THAT WOULDN'T BE A VERY POPULAR THING. AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS, IS, I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO PROVE THAT IT'S A PIT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DEFINITION. HOW DO YOU DEFINE WHAT A PIT BULL IS? MY CONCERN IS, AND THIS IS WHAT I'VE, WHAT I'VE EXPRESSED TO SOME OTHERS, ALL I WANT THE REASON THAT WE ORIGINALLY BROUGHT THIS AND Y'ALL VOTED IT DOWN. AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE'RE NOT THE ONES THAT BROUGHT THIS THIS TIME. THESE WERE SOME OF THE NEW COUNCIL PERSONS THAT BROUGHT IT. BUT WE NEED SOMETHING THAT THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO TRANSLATE. AND IF A DOG ATTACKS ANOTHER DOG OR A DOG ATTACKS A PERSON, I DON'T CARE WHAT KIND IT IS, WE CAN ACT ON

[02:55:03]

THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO. SO I'M NOT I'M, I'M JUST TRYING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS. IT'S THIS IT'S JUST A REALLY GRAY AREA IN SOME OF THIS STUFF. BUT YOU CAN'T GO KNOCKING ON DOORS AND SAYING, I HEARD, YOU KNOW, I HEARD. AND IF THE PERSON SAYS NO, I HAVE A TERRIER MIX. SO IF HE CAN KNOCK ON THE DOOR, HE JUST CAN'T GO IN. I CAN KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND ASK. AND IF SOMEBODY SAYS, YEAH, I HAVE A PIT BULL, THEN UNDER OUR ORDINANCE, WE CAN SEIZE IT. NOW THERE IS, THERE IS QUESTION ABOUT AND I WOULD YIELD TO THE CITY ATTORNEY ON THIS. BUT HE'S HE'S AN ATTORNEY NOT ME BUT. I WOULD I WOULD SAY THAT THAT AN ANIMAL IS CONSIDERED YOUR PROPERTY. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO BE ABLE TO, I DON'T KNOW, TO GO INTO A HOUSE. I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD GO INTO A HOUSE WITHOUT A SEARCH WARRANT. I CALLED JUDGE HILL ON THIS, THAT VERY QUESTION I TOLD YOU, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE THING THAT CHRIS AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT. GO, GO AHEAD AND SAVE IT. YOU GOT TO HAVE PROBABLE CAUSE. WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO SAY? NO, I WAS JUST ABOUT. IS IT PROPERTY? THE PROPERTY QUESTION IS IT A DOG PROPERTY? I THINK SO, YEAH. BUT JUST YEAH. AND IT WAS THE SAME. AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE, THE BAG, THE BAG OF I SAID BAKING SODA OR POWDERED SUGAR AND THE THING IT'S PROPERTY. BUT THEY DO HAVE A RIGHT TO SEIZE IT AND THEN TEST IT AND GIVE IT BACK OR WHATEVER. THEY DO HAVE A RIGHT. AND ACCORDING TO JUDGE HALE, IF I INTERPRETED HIM CORRECTLY, THEY DO HAVE A RIGHT TO SEIZE. AND THEN IT COULD BE DECIDED IN COURT WHETHER OR NOT TO GIVE IT BACK OR WHATEVER. SO. WELL, Y'ALL WANT TO SEE SOME REAL PROBLEMS IN OUR CITIES, LET ME TELL YOU. START GOING AND KNOCKING ON SOME PEOPLE'S DOORS AND TAKING THEIR DOGS. I'M HEARING. SO GO AHEAD AND GO PICK THEM UP AND LOCK THEM UP FOR MONTHS WHILE YOU FIGURE OUT NO, THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, CAN IT BE ENFORCED IF YOU GOT ENFORCED? IF YOU'RE GOING TO, WHY HAVE AN ORDINANCE IF IT CAN'T BE ENFORCED? WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE NOW. THAT'S WHY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION. AND COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS, I WOULD LIKE TO VERY CLEARLY ANSWER THE REALTORS QUESTION, WHY WOULD WE CHANGE IT? WELL, HONEY, WE'RE SITTING ON A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY THAT CAN'T EVEN BE ENFORCED. THAT'S WHY WE'RE CHANGING IT. OKAY, GUYS, I REALLY FEEL LIKE THIS HAS BEEN DEBATED BACK AND FORTH TO CALL THE QUESTION. SECOND, IS THERE A MOTION? YEAH, SHE JUST MADE THE MOTION. I JUST CALL THE QUESTION OKAY. WHO'S SECOND? APRIL. OKAY. OKAY. ROLL CALL PLEASE. WE HAVE A MOTION CALLING THE QUESTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER. I'M NEW AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M VOTING FOR. WHAT IS A CALL TO QUESTION MEAN TO ACCEPT THIS ORDINANCE? OKAY. YOU'RE VOTING FOR OR AGAINST THIS ORDINANCE? IT'S BEEN READ THREE TIMES NOW. THIS IS THE UP OR DOWN ON THIS ORDINANCE. SO IT SO ME VOTING

[03:00:05]

ROLL CALL. PLEASE. TREAT. YES. WADE. BRODERICK. NO. TOWNSEND. YES. MCCULLOUGH. YES. BROOKS.

NO. WILLIAMS. NO. THOMAS. NO. HI. NO! PLEASE. CORRECT IT. IT FAILS. FOR THE. OKAY. PLEASE. IF YOU'RE IF YOU ARE EXITING, PLEASE DO SO QUIETLY. WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO MOVE ON.

HOW DARE YOU? ALRIGHT. NEXT UP. NEXT. I WILL ASK FOR. QUIET, PLEASE. IN THE CHAMBER SO THAT WE CAN FINISH WITH THE BUSINESS MEETING. THANK YOU. JUST FOR THE RECORD, WE HAD FOUR. NO. AND THREE. YES. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. SO IT FELL FOR LACK OF

[9. An ordinance adopting a new city of Sherwood employee handbook, and for other purposes (READ 1X at March meeting) (Mayor Heye-Townsell)]

SECOND. READING SECOND. RIGHT. SECOND READING. NO, ACTUALLY THAT IS THE. YES I HAD IT INCORRECT. I'M SORRY. THERE WAS A AN INCORRECT. CORRECT. YEAH. IT GOT MOVED FORWARD BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROOKS. IT DID GET VOTED YES. WE HAD SECOND READING AT MARCH MEETING AND I MISSED THAT.

SORRY I HAD IT WRONG ON MY AGENDA. YOU'RE FORGIVEN. THANK YOU. HOWEVER, WE HAVE SOME FRIENDLY AMENDMENTS. IS THAT CORRECT? AND YOU ALL WERE SENT THOSE. AND IF THOSE ARE ACCEPTED, THEN WE GO BACK TO FIRST READING. SO FIRST CAN WE GO OVER THE AMENDMENTS, THE CHANGES? I BELIEVE THAT THEY WERE PRETTY MINOR. THEY WERE GIVE ME ONE SECOND. I DIDN'T BRING MY PHONE UP HERE AND THAT'S WHERE I HAVE THEM. OH YES MA'AM, I DIDN'T BRING A COPY.

I'VE GOT ONE DEAL. YOU GOT MINE. THANK YOU. SHE SENT IT. YEAH, IT SENT IT. SHE SENT IT TO US TODAY. IT WAS SENT THIS WEEKEND. SUNDAY? YES, AND I APOLOGIZE. THESE WERE SIMPLE, AND I DIDN'T THINK WE'D BE DISCUSSING THEM. I'M SORRY. THAT'S ALL RIGHT. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S ON THE SAME PAGE. YEAH. THIS IS YOU GUYS HAVE TWO SUMMARIES. ONE I SENT YESTERDAY.

JUST AN, I GUESS, ADDITIONAL REVISIONS THAT I GOT FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS. AND I DON'T KNOW, DO YOU WANT ME TO GO OVER EACH OF THEM? DO YOU ALL HAVE QUESTIONS? DO YOU WANT DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU THAT WERE SENT. IT'S BEEN A LONG NIGHT.

CAN WE DO A VOTE TO ACCEPT ALL THE AMENDMENTS? AS YOU RECEIVE TO THE DOCUMENT? SO MOVED. I'LL SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TOWNSEND AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROOKS.

ROLL CALL, PLEASE. TREAT. YES, WADE BRODERICK I TOWNSEND I MCCULLOUGH I BROOKS I WILLIAMS I THOMAS I OKAY SO NOW IF YOU'LL READ IT AS AMENDED AN AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A NEW CITY OF SHERWOOD EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AS AMENDED. FIRST READING. ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR HR DIRECTOR? I MOVE, WE SUSPEND THE RULES AND HAVE A SECOND READING. SECOND MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS TO ADVANCE IT FORWARD AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS ROLL CALL. PLEASE TREAT. YES, WADE BRODERICK I TOWNSEND I MCCULLOUGH I BROOKS I WILLIAMS I THOMAS. AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING A NEW CITY OF SHERWOOD EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES, AS AMENDED. SECOND READING. MAY WE SUSPEND THE RULES AND PLACE IT ON THIRD AND FINAL READING? WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROOKS TO ADVANCE IT TO THE NEXT READING. IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIAMS? ROLL CALL? PLEASE TREAT. YES. WADE

[03:05:07]

[10. A resolution appointing and reappointing certain persons to serve on various Sherwood Committees (Mayor Heye-Townsell)]

[11. An ordinance repealing ordinance 1638 and for other purposes (Mayor Heye-Townsell)]

OKAY. SO BASICALLY, AS I DISCOVERED, THE CITY HAS NOT CONSISTENTLY OVER THE YEARS SINCE I GUESS 2004 WHEN THIS PASSED, HAS ACTUALLY ABIDED BY THIS ORDINANCE. WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT ESTABLISHMENTS THAT WOULD BE IN VIOLATION OF IT. I WANT TO DO YOU KNOW WHAT'S RIGHT AND FOLLOW OUR ORDINANCES AS THEY WERE WRITTEN, THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, MICROBREWERY, FOR EXAMPLE, WHICH EVEN CABOT HAS, A MICROBREWERY, WE BECOME VERY, VERY LIMITED AS TO PLACES IN WHICH THEY COULD FEASIBLY GO BECAUSE OF THIS ORDINANCE. AND JUST TO MAKE IT CLEAR, WE ALL STATE LAWS SUPERSEDE ANY ORDINANCES WRITTEN. SO THIS, OF COURSE, WOULD FOLLOW ABC. SO IF THERE'S WE'RE NOT GOING AGAINST ANY STATE REGULATIONS. I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. DID THIS DID THE STATE LAW USED TO PROHIBIT THIS? HOW MANY FEET BY CHURCHES. AND IS THAT WHERE WE GOT THIS.

THAT'S THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE IT CAME FROM. AND I CHECKED WITH THE ABC. THEY DON'T HAVE THEM ANYMORE JUST ON LIQUOR STORES. SO THIS IS THIS ORDINANCE 2004. YEAH. THIS IS THE ONE THAT'S IN PLACE RIGHT NOW IS AN IMPEDIMENT TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. WE SUSPEND THE RULES IN PLACE ON SECOND READING, SECOND MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROOKS, SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER BRODERICK TO MOVE IT FORWARD. ROLL CALL. PLEASE TREAT. YES. WADE BRODERICK I TOWNSEND I MCCULLOUGH. BROOKS I WILLIAMS I THOMAS I. AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ORDINANCE 1638 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. SECOND READING MOVE TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PLACED ON THIRD READING MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROOKS. SECOND SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER WILLIAMS. ROLL CALL, PLEASE TO MOVE IT FORWARD. TREAT. YES. WADE BRODERICK I TOWNSEND I MCCULLOUGH. BROOKS I WILLIAMS I THOMAS I. AN ORDINANCE REPEALING ORDINANCE 1638 AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES SECOND READING I'M SORRY. THIRD READING. SORRY. MOVE FOR ADOPTION. SECOND MOTION FOR ADOPTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROOKS AND SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS TREAT. YES. WADE BRODERICK, I TOWNSEND, I MCCULLOUGH. BROOKS, I WILLIAMS, I THOMAS I THE MOTION PASSES SEVEN. YES. COUNCIL MEMBER WADE ABSENT QUESTION DO WE NEED TO. DO WE NEED TO PAUSE OR ARE WE GOOD TO MOVE FORWARD. OKAY. WE'RE ALMOST DONE. YES. OKAY. I JUST SAW THE TEXT. I'M SORRY.

ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING UNDER OLD BUSINESS? NEW BUSINESS. WE JUST ADDED THIS TO THE AGENDA. DID WE

[13. New Business]

[03:10:10]

COUNCIL MEMBER THOMAS WILL BE DOING THAT. THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING. ANY OTHER NEW

[14. Announcement(s)]

WE'VE GOT THE SHERWOOD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ACADEMIC SIGNING DAY. IT'S GOING TO BE 1130 TO 1 P.M. AT THE GREENS OF NORTH HILLS. MAY 1ST. WE'VE GOT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LEGISLATIVE LUNCHEON. WE HAVE THE COPS KIDS FISHING DERBY MAY 3RD FROM 11 A.M. TO 3 P.M. AT CITY HALL PARKS. THEY WILL HAVE POLLS, BAITS, EVERYTHING. YOU JUST BRING YOUR KID. SO IT'S A IT'S A FREE FUN EVENT. I THINK THEY EVEN HAVE HOT DOGS AND SO FORTH. IT'S A GREAT DAY. MAY 6TH WE HAVE THE MAYOR'S PRAYER BREAKFAST. IT'LL BE AT SHERWOOD FOREST 6:30 A.M, TO BE COMPLETED AT 7:30 A.M. SO EVERYBODY CAN BE AT WORK AT EIGHT. IT WILL BE A VERY UPLIFTING MORNING. WE CAN ALWAYS USE MORE PRAYER. MAY 15TH. WE'VE GOT THE THIRD THURSDAY IN THE PARK. THIS ONE WILL BE RYAN DANIELS, WHO IS A SHERWOOD NATIVE. IT'LL BE FROM 6 TO 8 P.M. AT THE CITY HALL PARK.

WE HAD A FABULOUS FIRST CONCERT. I THINK SOME OF YOU SAW SOME OF THE PICTURES OF IT. MAY 17TH WE HAVE SHRED A THON FROM 9 A.M. TO NOON AT THE SENIOR CITIZEN PARKING LOT, THE SENIOR CENTER PARKING LOT. AND DON'T FORGET THIS APRIL 30TH IS ALSO WE VOTED LAST MONTH. CORRECT? SO IF EVERYBODY WILL PLEASE, PLEASE DISPLAY THEIR FLAGS ON THE 30TH. AND I'VE EVEN REQUESTED THAT WE CHANGE THE TUNNEL OF LIGHTS TO BE REFLECTIVE OF RED, WHITE AND BLUE. AT THIS TIME, I'LL TAKE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT. SO MOVED. WE HAVE A MOTION FOR ADJOURNMENT BY BROOKS, SECOND BY

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.