COAL TOWNSHIP - Some expressed their opinions calmly, others showed anger and concern, and one person was removed from the meeting, but all got their point across.
Residents who oppose Coal Township's ordinance banning exotic and certain farm animals attended Thursday night's board of commissioners meeting in a last-ditch effort to persuade commissioners to suspend the June 7 effective date.
At the start of the public comment period, Commissioner Gene Welsh, conducting the meeting in absence of Chairman Craig Fetterman, made a statement on behalf of the board.
"We do feel everyone's pain with the animal ordinance," Welsh said, "but we cannot do any selective enforcement. I know that we had some comments about the blight, but many, many moons ago that was let go and we have the situation that we have to deal with now. So, the reason this was done is to correct a problem before it gets out of hand."
Comments from the public were limited to one minute, with Barbara Tanner, of 1210 W. Nelson St., starting the dialogue.
"I understand your point that you wanted to nip it in the bud, but I still stand firm in saying that if you have a problem with certain people, those are the people you should go after. You have ordinances you are not enforcing now. Why create another one?" Tanner said.
Tanner also spoke about the number of calls made to The News-Item's Sound Off line and other media outlets in support of the people keeping chickens.
Some residents at the meeting don't own animals themselves, but spoke in support of the owners.
Jess Hatfield, of Walnut Street, said, "People can have cats that run through the neighborhood and pee on everyone's porch or dogs that bark all day, and the cops come and tell them to keep them quiet. Chickens are not that loud, but people should have the right to keep them."
Dan Karpinski, who said he has seen several of the chicken coops, said the township is again punishing everyone for a couple "bad apples."
"That's my gripe," he said. "Let these people have their animals if they are well-kept and taken care of. You are telling someone to get rid of a pot-bellied pig which has been a pet for the last eight years, and you sent two cops to check it out. That's ridiculous. If you had a dog for eight years and that happened to you, how would you feel?"
One chicken owner, Janine Woodley, of West Spruce Street, asked the commissioners where it was going to end.
"If there is too much dog dirt around, will you then ban dogs? If there is a problem with cats, will you ban them? Will you tell us to get rid of our vegetable garden because it is a small farm or how many children that we can have?"
"We have elected you to make the right decisions for Coal Township," Woodley continued. "But this is not the right decision. I'm not getting rid of my chickens. I'm asking the board to repeal this ordinance which is silly and ridiculous. We voted you in and our votes do count."
When Debbie Ruiz, of Maple Street, owner of a pot-bellied pig, started to speak, township solicitor Vincent Rovito asked Ruiz if she was "Sally Allen," a name she used last month during the public comment period.
"No, it was changed when you sent the police to my house to see why I used my maiden name instead of my real name, because I didn't want to bring attention to where (the pig) was," Ruiz said.
"With all due respect, Sally Allen is not even remotely close to Debbie Ruiz," Rovito responded.
"My maiden name is Allen, my confirmation name is Sally, so I used the name that was in my family," Ruiz replied."
Ruiz questioned the commissioners about why she is not able to find out how many complaints have been made about the animals.
"I was told last month when I was here that the complaints outweighed the positive owners, but was told that Rob (secretary Rob Slaby) will not give me the number," Ruiz said.
When Rovito said commissioners would not respond to comments, Ruiz and some of the others in attendance got agitated.
"Why won't you respond? Because you don't have an answer or you have no one to push it off onto," Ruiz said.
Ruiz kept speaking when she was told her time was up, prompting commissioners to have Police Chief William Carpenter tell her to sit down.
Carpenter attended the meeting as usual with two other police patrolman outside the door for crowd control.
Karpinski complained Rovito took up most of her time questioning her about her name, drawing Welsh's ire.
"Don't say that he used up her time, or you will be removed?" Welsh said.
As Ruiz's husband, Raymond Ruiz, was finishing up his remarks about obtaining the number of complaints, Karpinski commented again, saying "They're the complainers, that's why."
Welsh asked police to remove Karpinski from the meeting, which resulted in complaints from the crowd. About half the crowd followed him.
Debbie Ruiz gave the parting shot for those against the ordinance, putting her young granddaughter before the board.
"Explain to her why we have to get rid of the pig, when she says to me, 'Nana, he don't bite.'," Ruiz said to the board. "Still no answers, still no answers, because there is none."
In other business, the board appointed Jean Fetterman as a Coal Township representative on the Shamokin-Coal Township Public Library Board of Trustees to a three-year term, starting June 1, 2012. She will also fill the remainder term of the late Pat Rosini's term, which expires May 31.
A bid of $2,100 plus costs was approved for the sale of 1327 W. Mulberry St. to Kevin and Michelle Eltringham, on a request from the Northumberland County Tax Claims Bureau.
Renee Snyder was named to the Coal Township Police Civil Service Commission, succeeding Dr. Edward Twiggar, who resigned last month..
The Lower Anthracite Regional Recreational Committee will hold its second annual golf tournament July 28 at Knoebels Three Ponds Golf Club.