Ka`u News Briefs Oct. 15, 2012

Two Percent Land Funds were used to help purchase land at Honu`apo along the Ka`u Coast. Two amendments to the law are on the Nov. 6 ballot. Photo by Julia Neal

SIX COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENTS will be on the ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 6, along with the election of a new Mayor for County of Hawai`i, County Council members, a county Prosecuting Attorney, Office of Hawaiian Affairs Trustee, state and U.S. senators and state and U.S. members to the House of Representatives, as well as President of the United States of America. Sample ballots are available at www.hawaii.gov/elections.
      Absentee ballots arrive in the mail this week, and walk-in voting begins a week from tomorrow. On Tuesday, Oct 23, voters will be able to walk in from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mondays through Saturdays through Nov. 3. Locations are Aupuni Center Conference Room in Hilo at 101 Pauahi St., West Hawai`i, Civic Center Building G in Kailua-Kona at 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway and Waimea Community Center in Kamuela at 65-1260 Kawaihae Road.

A proposed charter amendment would give hunters and game management
officials a forum to interact and make recommendations regarding hunting.

A GAME MANAGEMENT ADVISORY COMMISSION would be established if voters vote yes to this charter amendment. Proposed by County Council chair Dominic Yagong, it attempts to give hunters and game management officials a forum to interact and make recommendations regarding hunting when public policy issues and new developments arise. Issues discussed at public hearings on the proposal included aerial hunting of sheep and game, rather than allowing local hunters to eliminate invasive species from protected areas. 

CHANGING REQUIREMENTS FOR PUBLIC NOTICE of County Council, Boards and Commissions meetings is another ballot issue. The charter amendment would eliminate a requirement for six days notice for meetings online and on radio, which is seen as a hurdle when emergency meetings are required.

SPECIAL FUNDS MANAGED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL could be set up without the mayor’s approval through another charter amendment on the ballot. It was initiated by Council member Brenda Ford, who said the council, as policy maker, should be able to create such funds when needed.

INTEGRITY OF REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONERS is a charter amendment that would prohibit commissioners from running for County Council the year following the redrawing of the district lines. The amendment would affect redistricting in 2021, following the 2020 U.S. census.

A charter amendment on the ballot would set 0.25 percent of real property
tax for maintenance of lands, such as Honu`apo purchased with
Two-Percent funds.

PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL RESOURCES law would be amended by two charter amendments. They include establishing a measure that would prohibit the county from selling off or leasing out protected lands for commercial operations. The proposed amendment says the property “shall be held in perpetuity for the use and enjoyment of the people of Hawai`i County and may not be sold, mortgaged, traded or transferred. It also restricts the funds, which come from dedicated tax revenues to the county, from using the money for other than purchasing easements and land. However, other language would set 0.25 percent – a quarter of one percent of real property tax income – for maintenance of the protected land, capping the fund at $3 million. 

      The charter amendment would allow nonprofits to apply for grants to help the county take care of the preserved lands. Additional language would ensure that two percent of property tax income is set aside to purchase the easements and land for preservation.

HAWAI`I ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY has scheduled a power outage from 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 16 to 4 a.m. Wednesday morning, Oct. 17 to allow HELCO personnel to safely perform maintenance repairs in the Hawai`i Volcano National Park area. It will affect customers in Hawai`i Volcano National Park and Volcano Golf and Country Club area. HELCO recommends unplugging any sensitive equipment prior to the outage.
 Customers dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment should make necessary arrangements. For more information, call 969-6666.

KA`U FARM BUREAU holds its annual meeting today at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Special guests are Rep. Clift Tsuji, chair of the committee on Agriculture for the state House of Representatives and Scott Enright, deputy director of Hawai`i Department of Agriculture. The meeting includes election of the Board of Directors and potluck dinner. For more information, call Ka`u Farm Bureau president Chris Manfredi at 929-9550. 

COOPER CENTER IN VOLCANO VILLAGE is the site of today’s candidate forum with District 3 state Representative candidates Fred Fogel, Marlene Hapai and Richard Onishi meeting the public at 5:30 p.m. Prosecuting Attorney candidates Lincoln Ashida and Mitch Roth follow at 6:45 p.m. Another forum at Cooper Center is scheduled for next Monday, Oct. 22, with County Council District 6 candidates Maile David and Brenda Ford. For more, visit lwv.org. Both are sponsored by the League of Women Voters.

IN SPORTS, Ka`u junior varsity girls volleyball team lost to Kohala on Saturday. After taking the first set 25-19, Ka`u lost 21-25 and 10-15. Trojan junior varsity beat Pahoa 25-8 and25-14. Varsity Trojans went four sets, with Kohala losing the first 17-25 and winning the next three sets 25-12, 25-18 and 25-12. Trojan women beat Pahoa in 3 sets, 25-14, 25-13 and 25-21. Girls volleyball team travels to Christian Liberty for a match on Wednesday at 6 p.m. Also on Wednesday, Ka`u’s bowling team battles Pahoa. 

LITO ARKANGEL shares his original compositions and other Hawaiian favorites Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park. The event is free, and park entrance fees apply.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS AT PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM. KA`U COFFEE MILL IS NOW OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK.

ALSO SEE KAUCALENDAR.COM AND FACEBOOK.COM/KAUCALENDAR.