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| Hawai`i County Council delays the vote to override the Mayors vetos on plans, emergency readiness and putting geothermal revenues into health and other community funding. Photo from hawaiisenergyfuture.com |
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| Mayor Billy Kenoi. Photo from hawaiicountymayor.com |
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| County Council member and mayoral candidate Dominic Yagong. Photo from conforhawaii.com |
Last month, the geothermal evacuation bill passed the entire County Council 7 – 2, and the bill on redirecting royalties passed 6-3. County Council chair Dominic Yagong introduced both bills but Mayor Billy Kenoi signed vetos, saying that evacuation plans by Civil Defense are sufficient to handle emergencies and that royalties for geothermal are already helping the community.
Council members Donald Ikeda, Fresh Onishi and J Yoshimoto supported the mayor’s veto with Ikeda arguing yesterday that the council delayed the vote on the override because Puna councilmember Fred Blas was missing from the meeting. Ikeda argued that some council members may have violated the Sunshine Law, which Yagong disputed.
The vote will be taken again on Aug. 1. Yagong is running against Kenoi in the Democratic Primary Election on Aug. 11.
Ka`u’s County Council member Brittany Smart and Kona Council member Brenda Ford, who is seeking Smart's seat, have long insisted that the retiree health insurance payments should be paid ahead of time.
County Council candidates for the Aug. 11 primary in Ka`u weighed in this morning.
Ka`u’s County Council member Brittany Smart and Kona Council member Brenda Ford, who is seeking Smart's seat, have long insisted that the retiree health insurance payments should be paid ahead of time.
County Council candidates for the Aug. 11 primary in Ka`u weighed in this morning.
BRENDA FORD said regarding the two geothermal bills, “the most important thing we can do as a council is to protect public health, safety and welfare, which is why these bills were brought forth. We need to have access temporarily to money to buy gas, water and particulate monitors and for medical studies on people. We want to place monitors throughout the community and along the east rift zone. We must determine whether problems are coming from the geothermal plant, natural venting from the volcano itself, or something else. We don’t now know why these people are becoming ill.”
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| County Council member Brenda Ford. Photo from County of Hawai`i |
Ford said: “It is very sad that the mayor disapproved of these bills putting these studies at risk. These are going to be multi-year studies. We need to do this now.”
Regarding paying ahead for medical plans for future retirees and county employees who already retired, Ford said, “We pay our bills as they come due. We don’t kick them down the road to the next administration who may be forced to raise taxes to pay the bills.” She contended that “The mayor has said over an over again that he has lowered the cost of government, but the truth is that revenues are less than before. People are losing their homes, assessed values have dropped and we are not getting as much tax revenues in. He had to adjust his budget in accordance with the law that requires a balanced budget. Paying those actuarial estimates for post retirement benefits is part of balancing a budget and he is not doing it.”
Regarding paying ahead for medical plans for future retirees and county employees who already retired, Ford said, “We pay our bills as they come due. We don’t kick them down the road to the next administration who may be forced to raise taxes to pay the bills.” She contended that “The mayor has said over an over again that he has lowered the cost of government, but the truth is that revenues are less than before. People are losing their homes, assessed values have dropped and we are not getting as much tax revenues in. He had to adjust his budget in accordance with the law that requires a balanced budget. Paying those actuarial estimates for post retirement benefits is part of balancing a budget and he is not doing it.”
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| County Council candidate Maile David. Photo from Maile David |
MAILE DAVID, who is running for council in Ka`u, said she is ok with the retiree health insurance payments being delayed as long as the county’s finance ratings are in good standing and not in danger of going down, at least for the 2012-2013 budget. Regarding the geothermal royalty funding –it was meant for the safety and potential relocation of the people. She said she would defer to the people of the district to determine how it would be used.
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| County Council candidate Lee McIntosh. Photo from Lee McIntosh |
LEE MCINTOSH, who is running for County Council in Ka`u, said that he supports the mayor’s position to delay paying ahead on the retiree health insurance for two years, so that public services would not have to be cut back. Regarding geothermal, he said that the state has already done studies on the effects of geothermal and that the royalties are going to good use such as a county council satellite office and paving roads.
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| County Council candidate Bradley Westervelt. Photo from Bradley Westervelt |
BRADLEY WESTERVELT, who is running for County Council in Ka`u, called the argument over the retiree health insurance payments a “niggling detail.” He said that “Hawai`i County is in way better condition in terms of funds being paid ahead for various programs than many counties across the country. While it is not a perfectly balanced budget, it is the only thing that Mr. Yagong can bring up to Mayor Kenoi and say you’re not perfect in your finances. I don’t think it is fair to pick on the administration regarding that particular fund.” Regarding changing the way geothermal royalties are spent and coming up with a new geothermal disaster plan, Westervelt said, “these are unnecessary expenditures.”
KICK ICE sign waiving takes place today from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in front of Na`alehu School gym.
RECYCLING MATERIALS ARE ACCEPTED AT NA`ALEHU SCHOOL TOMORROW, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the school gym. Sort HI-5 by type and receive five cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. For more, call 929-2413, ext. 230.
A VOLCANO HISTORIC HOMES TOUR at 9 a.m. tomorrow in Volcano Village is lead by Boone Morrison and William Chapman, director of the UH-Manoa's graduate program in historic preservation. The tour is $40 per person, and includes transportation within the village and a light lunch. To sign-up or for more information, email volcanocommunity@gmail.com or call 967-7366.
KICK ICE sign waiving takes place today from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. in front of Na`alehu School gym.
RECYCLING MATERIALS ARE ACCEPTED AT NA`ALEHU SCHOOL TOMORROW, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., in the school gym. Sort HI-5 by type and receive five cents per container and additional 20 cents per pound on all aluminum. Atlas Recycling donates 20 cents per pound on all aluminum redeemed to the school. For more, call 929-2413, ext. 230.
A VOLCANO HISTORIC HOMES TOUR at 9 a.m. tomorrow in Volcano Village is lead by Boone Morrison and William Chapman, director of the UH-Manoa's graduate program in historic preservation. The tour is $40 per person, and includes transportation within the village and a light lunch. To sign-up or for more information, email volcanocommunity@gmail.com or call 967-7366.
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| Seven panels of dye on silk with wax resist sewed over acid free foam core and slotted into a mango wood base. Forest Spirals by Patti Peace Johnson |
BEGINNING & INTERMEDIATE SILK PAINTING classes are taught tomorrow at Volcano Art Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Patti Pease Johnson leads the workshops. The beginning class includes an introduction to color theory, tips on mixing color, a lesson on stretching silk on a frame and more. The result is an 8" by 53" silk scarf.
The intermediate class includes lessons about painting on silk using wax and tjanting tools to create resist lines for dyes to achieve more realism. Students bring design concepts from original photos or from plant materials or objects.
Beginning and experienced artists ages 10 and up are welcome to sign-up to either class at $65 per person, $58.50 for VAC members, and a $10 supply fee. For more, call 967-8222.
SOCIETY OF CREATIVE ANACHRONISM, a medieval recreation group, meets tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. to talk, plan events, do handicrafts and more. Call Michael at 895-8013 for the location.
OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BBQ is hosted tomorrow at the community center from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more call, 937-7033.
A NIGHT OF CHICAGO JAZZ WITH ELENA WELCH starts at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Entrance is $15 per person. For more, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.
The intermediate class includes lessons about painting on silk using wax and tjanting tools to create resist lines for dyes to achieve more realism. Students bring design concepts from original photos or from plant materials or objects.
Beginning and experienced artists ages 10 and up are welcome to sign-up to either class at $65 per person, $58.50 for VAC members, and a $10 supply fee. For more, call 967-8222.
SOCIETY OF CREATIVE ANACHRONISM, a medieval recreation group, meets tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. to talk, plan events, do handicrafts and more. Call Michael at 895-8013 for the location.
OCEAN VIEW COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION BBQ is hosted tomorrow at the community center from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more call, 937-7033.
A NIGHT OF CHICAGO JAZZ WITH ELENA WELCH starts at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at Volcano Art Center's Niaulani Campus in Volcano Village. Entrance is $15 per person. For more, call 967-8222 or visit volcanoartcenter.org.
