Ka`u News Briefs March 20, 2012

Mayor Billy Kenoi spoke to a full house at Na`alehu School last night. Photos by Julia Neal

A FULL HOUSE AT NA`ALEHU SCHOOL CAFETERIA greeted Mayor Billy Kenoi and many of the department heads last night as they took the county to the community. Kenoi said the purpose was to “to listen and to learn, to help, assist and to follow up.” The mayor said he brings county staff into each community at least once a year because Hawai`i County has 4,028 square miles, bigger than Delaware and Rhode Island and about the same size as Connecticut. “We have to bring the government to the people, so everybody feels connected,” he said.
      Among county chiefs attending were directors of planning, water, public works, parks, police, transportation, civil defense, information, housing, finance, environmental management and economic development, as well as attorneys working for the county. Kenoi said he would “stand here take any question on any topic related to government, and will stay after until all questions are answered.”

Billy Kenoi's administration reduced consulting contracts
by $12 million, he told citizens attending the talk story,
where co-sponsor Jessie Marques of Ka`u Rural Health
Community Association talked to the mayor.

THE BUDGET was the mayor’s main focus during his presentation. He noted that the county had 2700 employees when he took office and now has 2500. He pointed to property taxes remaining the same as when he took office. He said he and his staff reduced the budget from $403 million to $364.5 million, without raising taxes and while maintaining such services as police, fire, transportation and senior programs. This was a time when the county weathered four of the most economically challenging years in county history, the mayor said. He noted that Tom Brown and the county transportation department started its free Hele On Bus service with Ka`u High School, providing after school service so that students could stay for sports and other activities “to keep them safe.”
      The mayor also said he targeted county consulting fees when he took office taking them from $16 million a year to $4 million. More work is done in house now. He pointed to a road project with much of the engineering and management of the project done by county employees, allowing the county to build “twice the road for the same amount of money.”

Several community members last night
said they are afraid to go to Kawa,
which recently became county land.  
Photo by Geneveve Fyvie

THE FUTURE OF KAWA drew the most comments and questions from the public. Now that Kawa is in public ownership, the mayor said, his staff is meeting with local families and other members of the public to help plan its future and the stewardship of the land. Several native Hawaiian families, including members of the Apiki clan, said with people living on the county property there, they don’t feel safe going to Kawa and they fear that historic sites are being damaged. Several members of the public asked for county help to make Kawa open for everyone.
      The mayor vowed to work on the issue and said he didn’t want to evict people, who could be fined $25 and come right back to Kawa. He said he wanted to work out a long-term solution and asked for continued patience. “Our goal is to transfer ownership, stewardship and management to the people of Ka`u,” the mayor said. He said that the acquisition of Kawa was “paid for by all the people.”
      Paul Makuakani, of Wai`ohinu, offered to take anyone concerned about Kawa to visit Abel Simeona Lui who lives there with friends and family, himself a resident for some 20 years. Lui has claimed the property belongs to him in the face of court decisions allowing for his eviction.
      Rancher Kyle Soares asked for more protection for people going to Kawa. “When we go down to Kawa, the police stop at the border as if it was border between Texas and Mexico,” he said. Several others said they had been harassed by people at Kawa and asked the county to take control of the area.
      The mayor said Kawa involves complex cultural issues, not just a “series of arrests, evictions, more arrests and evictions.” He said his vision is "a transition and transfer from what it is to what it is going to be."

BETTER COMMUNICATION FOR POLICE was another issue brought forward. Police Chief Harry Kojiri said one initiative is to provide mobile data terminals in every police vehicle that allow police officers to file reports and interact with the Hawai`i Police Department. He noted, however, that to a communications line at the Ocean View Police Substation would cost $1,000 a month. The mayor said that a $30 million project for communication towers to help with civil defense and other county services around the island is in the works.

Ola Kochis asked Public Works Director Warren
Lee about water for Green Sands subdivision.

AGRICULTURAL AND DOMESTIC WATER were both addressed by the public. Making water available to Hawaiian Home Lands at South Point from Mountain House and Ha`ao Springs in Wai`ohinu was suggested. Rancher Kyle Soares proclaimed “Supress a person? Cut off their water or don’t develop water.” He said that water development would help with the creation of housing in all of the subdivisions that already exist – instead of cutting up more land for more subdivisions.
      The mayor asked Soares to organize people from Ka`u with water concerns to meet with the county.

MIKE DUBOIS talked about the new Ocean View water spigots expected to be available to the public May 1. He recommended that the speed limit be reduced on Hwy 11 to 30 miles an hour near the water station and also to make the drive through the Ocean View commercial area more pleasant and more likely for visitors to stop in and use local businesses. Public Works Director Warren Lee said he would talk to the state Department of Transportation.
      Dubois also asked if overflow water could be used to create a community garden on the grounds of the water station. Mayor Billy Kenoi said he supports the idea.

Marie Burns

MARIE BURNS, who is running for County Council, asked how the county takes care of trimming trees at county parks. The mayor explained that the county parks department has its own crews, as does the county roads division. The Department of Parks also takes care of 33 cemeteries. Burns commented that private contractors are hired for emergencies, like trees falling. It may be more prudent to maintain more regular maintenance than pay for emergency care of trees by private contractors, Burns said.

A COUNTY OFFICE for Ka`u where citizens can participate in County Council meetings remotely and take their concerns was brought up by a member of the public. Kenoi asked Nelson Ho from the office of council member Brittany Smart about the project, which was one of her campaign promises. Ho said that her staff is working with the state to release a section of the old Na`alehu Courthouse, which is not being used, in order to create the regional council office.

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL holds a meeting tonight, 5 p.m., at Pahala Community Center. Public is invited to help the coffee farmers celebrate their new industry and thank the community through this annual event to be held on May 12.

HULA HALAU KE `OLU MAKANI O MAUNA LOA performs tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Donations are accepted, and park entrance fees apply.

Ka'u experienced unhealthy air quality this morning. The
proposed shelter gym could have two rooms with air
cleaning equipment. Image from hiso2index.info

COMMENTS ON THE KA`U DISTRICT Gym & Shelter Draft Environmental Assessment are due Friday. One of the issues is how much space will be cleaned by air cleaning equipment. Preliminary plans call for possibly two rooms separate from the gym to be air-conditioned for vog. Together they would hold less than 300 people. The main gym would hold some 1,500 people, but is not planned for air cleaning.
     The Draft Environment Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and online at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html. Comments can be sent to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813 or faxed to 808-523-1402. Comments can also be sent to County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works, Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 or faxed to 808-961-8630.

Ka`u News Briefs March 19, 2012

The double-decker Hele-On bus may attract more passengers as gas prices soar. Photo from Office of the Mayor

THERE IS MORE REASON to carpool or take the Hele-On bus this week. Gas prices continue to soar. In Pahala this morning, Ka`u Gas sold regular for $4.80 a gallon. In Na`alehu at the Wiki Wiki, it sold for $4.69. Kahala Gas in Ocean View sold regular for $4.60. Ocean View Market declined to give out its price, and Kahuku Country Mart had the lowest gas prices in Ka`u at $4.55 a gallon.

      Statewide, the price for regular was $4.64 in the Neighbor Islands, $4.65 in Hilo. Nationwide, regular gas prices averaged $3.84 a gallon this morning. Prices across the country rose more than 20 percent in the last month, going up every day over the last nine days. The historic high nationwide was $4.11 a gallon in July of 2008.
      The county bus, which is free for seniors and students and $1 for everyone else, travels to and from Ka`u to Kona and Hilo several times a day. See schedules at www.heleonbus.org.

GOVERNMENT TRANSPARENCY in Hawai`i is poorly enforced, ranking 44th among all the states, according to the recent State Integrity Investigation on transparency, accountability and anti-corruption. Civil Beat, which helped conduct the study along with other organizations nationwide, reports on the “enforcement gap” in Hawai`i, where there are laws on the books to protect the public from lack of transparency and accountability. However, these laws are lacking in their enforcement. States scoring lower in this area were Texas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, New York and Maryland.

Hawai`i's overall Corruption Risk Report Card
gives the state a C.

        Civil Beat editor John Temple said that his news organization has faced challenges in gathering information from state government. He said reporters have “been blocked from reviewing court records and seen huge price tags put up when we’ve asked to review documents. Many government officials appear to have taken a code of silence after taking office, except when it comes to cutting ribbons or sharing happy talk,” the editor wrote.

      Overall, Hawai`i received a C grade on the Corruption Risk Report Card. The State Integrity Organization suggests that citizens email the report card to public officials. The Hawai`i Report Card can be seen at and directly emailed from www.stateintegrity.org. See more at civilbeat.com.

SEN. GIL KAHELE, who represents Ka`u and South Kona, will face County Council member Donald Ikeda in this year’s run for state Senate. Kahele, however, would be representing Hilo, as the political boundaries recently changed with reapportionment. Running to represent Ka`u, so far, are Sen. Josh Green for the district extending from Honu`apo to Kona Airport and Rep. Bob Herkes, from Punalu`u through Puna. Herkes faces opposition from former County Council member Gary Safarik.

NO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT would be required for exploratory geothermal well drilling anywhere in Hawai`i, in a proposal before the state Board of Land and Natural Resources. Hawai`i Reporter’s Big Island writer Sydney Ross Singer puts it this way: “Once a good site for geothermal energy production is found, the EA process would then apparently kick in. Of course, after money and time are invested in finding a potential geothermal resource site, there will probably be enough steam to roll over any public opposition.” 

Potential geothermal sites in Ka`u extend from Mauna Loa
slopes to South Point and the Ka`u Desert.
Map from U.S. Dept. of Energy

      Singer writes that “getting geothermal energy from a live volcano may entail awesome technology and be a great way to wean ourselves from fossil fuels. But the public has been burned by geothermal energy in the past. With the proposed exemptions to allow exploration well drilling without an Environmental Assessment, the public is again being marginalized….”
      The Environmental Council, under the state Office of Environmental Quality Control, is studying the proposed exemptions for geothermal. It could either agree or fail to “concur” and return the exemption proposal to the BLNR. A public 30-day comment period ends April 6. Possible geothermal sites in Ka`u include Kalae and the Ka`u Desert. Comments can be sent to www.environmental.council@doh.gov.

MAYOR BILLY KENOI COMES TO KA`U tonight to listen to the public and answer questions. The meeting, which will also be attended by county department chiefs, will be held at the Na`alehu School Cafeteria beginning at 6 p.m.

VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX ASSISTANCE is sponsored by Goodwill Industries of Hawai`i. The help is for households earning less than $50,000 in 2011. The nearest site to Ka`u is in Kona at Goodwill Industries of Hawai`i on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. until April 5 at 74-5599 Luhia Street, F-4. Call 430-0608.

The Ka`u Gym & Shelter Draft Environmental Assessment says drywells will be installed to control runoff.

COMMENTS ON THE KA`U DISTRICT Gym & Shelter Draft Environmental Assessment are due this Friday, March 23. 

      At a community meeting held in November, one Pahala resident expressed concerns about flooding problems, saying that, during heavy rain, water quickly runs off of the grassy area where the shelter and gym are planned and floods neighboring yards and streets.
      According to the draft EA, to dispose of additional runoff generated by impervious surfaces such as roofs and pavement, drywells will be installed. The drywells will require an Underground Injection Well permit.
      Mitsunaga & Associates’ Civil Engineering Report, included in the draft EA, states, “The proposed building will have roof drains connecting to the new subsurface drainage system. Existing drainage patterns will be maintained, as much as possible, runoff will sheet flow across the site to landscaped areas, or to proposed drainage structures.”
      The Draft Environment Assessment is available at Pahala and Na`alehu Public Libraries and online at hawaii.gov/health/environmental/oeqc/index.html. Comments can be sent to Tammy Kapali, Planner, PBR Hawai`i & Associates, Inc., 1001 Bishop Street, Suite 650 Honolulu, HI 96813 or faxed to 808-523-1402. Comments can also be sent to County of Hawai`i Department of Public Works, Attn: David Yamamoto, Aupuni Center, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 7, Hilo, HI 96720 or faxed to 808-961-8630.

Meleana Ulrich-Manuel

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL will hold its meeting tomorrow at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center. Public is invited to help the coffee farmers celebrate their new industry and thank the community through this annual event to be held on March 12. 

HULA HALAU KE `OLU MAKANI O MAUNA LOA performs Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park’s Kilauea Visitor Center Auditorium. Hawaiian entertainer Meleana Ulrich-Manuel, a native of Kilauea, and her halau perpetuate Hawaiian culture, protocol and history through song and dance. Donations are accepted, and park entrance fees apply. 

VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.

Ka`u News Briefs March 18, 2012

Sen. Gil Kahele looks on as the Senate's only Republican, Sam Slom, pushes for lower taxes and less government.
Photo from Sam Slom

AN IMPROVING ECONOMY means more tax revenue for the state and no major increases in state taxes or fees at the Legislature this year. The only major hike is punitive, one that would tax more kinds of tobacco the way cigarettes are taxed, reports Civil Beat in its review of money bills at the state Legislature. The new tobacco tax would increase the general excise tax to $3.20, or 70 percent, of the wholesale price (whichever is higher) on most cigars and pouch tobacco. The GE is already $3.20 per pack, or 16 cents a cigarette. “Cigarettes are selling for about $9 a pack these days,” Civil Beat reports, noting that “cigarette and tobacco taxes brought in more than $106 million in revenue for the state last fiscal year.”

A SUGAR TAX proposed by Big Island senator and physician Josh Green stalled. Green proposed distributors pay a penny tax for every teaspoon of sugar contained in a beverage, syrup or powder for sale. This could have led to taxing approximately ten cents per can of soda. Green announced his campaign for the new Senate District that will include Ka`u through Ocean View, Na`alehu, Discovery Harbour, Green Sands, Kalae and Honu`apo.

BUDGET PROPOSALS are making it through the Legislature, which is pau by May 3. An $11.16 billion dollar state budget passed the House of Representatives for debate in the Senate. The spending bill is approximately $54.5 million above Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s proposed budget for 2012-2013. Last year the Legislature passed an $11.05 billion budget. Civil Beat reporter Nanea Kalani sums up other important budget proposals:

The State of Hawai`i and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs are
attempting to settle land disputes by the end of the
2012 Legislature.

OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS would receive compensation for state-held Hawaiian lands by accepting urban land in Honolulu at Kaka`ako. The bill crossed over from the Senate to the House for final consideration. 

 
THE INVEST IN HAWAI`I ACT “is an aggressive $500 million general-obligation-bond-funded capital improvement plan intended to spur the economy, create jobs and tackle maintenance backlogs,” Kalani reports. It “aims to streamline the building process by exempting contracts of $1 million or less from the state procurement code, as well as exempting projects from county-level permitting and licensing requirements…. Not surprisingly, the bill has strong support from construction and subcontractor groups. The Sierra Club opposes the measure, calling it misguided.”

A Clean Economy Bank would help finance clean energy
projects. Photo from Good Environment

A CLEAN ECONOMY BANK is proposed “to lessen the burden on the state and other participating entities to finance qualified renewable energy,” Civil Beat reports.

THE STATE BANK, which could help take on mortgages in cases where homeowners qualify for making payments, passed the House and is under consideration by the Senate. Ka`u Rep. Bob Herkes sees it as a way to keep money in the state and people in their houses, particularly those whom he sees as victims of unfair banking practices that helped create the recent countrywide recession. North Dakota has such a bank, which was founded by farmers to help their local economies. Private banks oppose the measure. Another measure to help homeowners would set up a state Housing Finance and Development Corp. program to purchasse mortgages in trouble, Civil Beat reports.

BIODIESEL JOBS are being offered by Pacific Biodiesel during a job fair at its Kea`au plant in the Shipman Industrial Park on Saturday, March 24 from 8:30 a.m. until noon. The company is looking for a facilities manager, plant operators, shift managers, shipping and receiving agents and an administrative assistant. 

Singer and songwriter Jack Johnson supports the
sustainability model of Pacific Biodiesel founders
Kelly and Bob King. Photo from Pacific Biodiesel

      Pacific Biodiesel received the Green Jobs award last year and was voted one of the best places to work by Hawai`i Business Magazine. It promotes small-scale renewable energy development. The job fair is co-sponsored by Hawai`i Community College, Workforce Hawai`i and the Hawai`i Economic Development Board. The new biodiesel plant is expected to produce five million gallons a year. 

OVER $4,000 WAS RAISED for scholarships at Ka`u Hospital Charitable Foundation’s auction and rummage sale this month. Any resident of Ka`u enrolled in health or medical education classes may be eligible. Applications can be downloaded at www.facebook.com/kauhospital?sk=notes. Board members express their gratitude for all the hard work and support from members of the Ka`u community who made this event a success, said the event organizer Ursula D'Angelo.

HELP FROM THE Hawai`i Small Business Development Center is available to Ka`u residents who are starting or running small businesses. The organization provides business consulting, business-related research, workshops and training. It works with pre-venture exploration of business ideas, start-up operations and existing businesses. 

      Senior business consultant Hazel Beck recently held a free workshop in Na`alehu and will hold another on April 19 at Yano Hall in Captain Cook. To sign up, contact Jane Horike at 961-8496 or jhorike@co.hawaii.hi.us.
      To request counseling services, visit www.hisbdc.org.

MAYOR BILLY KENOI and directors of county departments meet with Ka`u residents tomorrow from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Na`alehu Elementary School. The talk story is hosted by Hawaiian Civic Club of Ka`u and Ka`u Rural Health Community Association.

KA`U COFFEE FESTIVAL meeting takes place Tuesday at 5 p.m. at Pahala Community Center leading up the festival on May 12 and an education day on May 13. Members of the public who would like to help the farmers promote their award-winning coffee and put on the event to thank the community for their support can join in.

 
VISIT OUR SPONSORS AT WWW.PAHALAPLANTATIONCOTTAGES.COM AND WWW.KAUCOFFEEMILL.COM.