To the editor:
As assistant dean of the University Graduate School at Indiana University-Bloomington for 38 years, I guided many students through the process of looking at both sides of an issue before making an informed decision. I was shocked to hear members of the Brown County zoning committee admit that they didn’t read a 15-page document that was given to them two weeks prior to the May 28 meeting regarding a zoning request made by Zoo’Opolis, an exotic petting zoo moving from Bartholomew County to Brown County. The document given to zoning committee members included fact sheets from national animal welfare organizations such as the Humane Society of the United States, and websites from the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control discussing the nationally controversial issue of petting zoos.
When asked at last night’s (May 28) zoning committee meeting, Carol Bowden (chair) said she didn’t receive the packet while other members said they did. Not one committee member said he/she read the packet in its entirety. This is very concerning since it contained pertinent information related to public safety dangers of petting zoos.
Members of the zoning committee did visit Zoo’Opolis at their current location in Bartholomew County and the location in Brown County where the petting zoo would like to move. Over half of those visits were “scheduled” rather than impromptu visits. Bravo to the zoning committee members for taking time to make a site visit — this gave them information from the Zoo’Opolis point of view. But, zoning committee members completely missed an opportunity to balance their decisions by not reading the opposing point of view.
If we, as concerned citizens, take our time to research topics to present information to our governing bodies, shouldn’t members of these bodies take their time to read and consider them? If not, are these governing bodies simply talking heads who vote willy-nilly to move things in the direction they would like for them to go? Shouldn’t we as taxpayers demand more of those who sit in power?
Cathi L. Eagan, Nashville
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