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<br /> Gb/ 1 177 ( Ltl [ LJ tlOtlJ LJGI Ltl ~ I RRIYHJO~J I Cwh~R i i e-,~~ v. <br /> HOUSE OF REPRFSENTATIVES ~ <br /> fiE NINETEENTH LEGISLATURE ~ ~ ' • <br /> ' STATE OP HAWAII <br /> STATE CAPTrOL ~ <br /> 17 June 1997 HONOLULU.HAWA11sK8U r.-. „ ~.,w.a~ <br /> TO: County Council Chairman James Arakaki <br /> ' ~Yd 18 F 17 'i 7 <br /> FR: Representative s7avid Tarnae <br /> District 6: North Kona, South Kohala ~'L2%~ f' • ~ - ' <br /> COUNT; !~;q~i?P,!I <br /> RE: Resolution Calling for Special Legislative Session on Privatization Issue <br /> Aloha. <br /> As the state representative of North Kona and South Kohala, i have strongly <br /> advocated for a special legislative session to deal with the privatization issue. I urge <br /> you and your colleagues on the County Council to pass the resolution before you <br /> which also calls for a special legislative session. As you know, in the wake of the <br /> February 28 Supreme Court decision on the Puuanahulu landfill, county contracts <br /> were suspended and the county has refused to pay on invoices for services conducted <br /> .since then. This is resulting in a very significant economic disruption in this County. <br /> Our community is already trying to cope with a depressed economy, high <br /> unemployment, and heavy financial stress on our families. Now, because of the <br /> privatization aontrover>ay, many small businesses are being foned t0 lay off <br /> employees aad close their doors. We can not continue with this economic chaos. I <br /> understand that there is great legal debate about whether the County should or <br /> should not be suspending contracts. $ut rather than let this drag out in the courts, <br /> the legislature can resolve this. The legislature has the responsibility to respond to <br /> this crisis. We must do it as soon as possible. This resolution sends a clear message <br /> that we at the legislators should resolve this issue in a special legislative session. <br /> In addition to creating an economic crisis, the cancellation of county contracts has <br /> created situations that threaten public health and safety. For example, the county is <br /> currently in violation of state and federal environmental laws because the contracts <br /> for monitoring the sewage treatment plants have been cancelled. The county can't <br /> even bring the sewage sludge to the landfill, because it can't pay a private laboratory <br /> to analyze it. The situation has gotten out of hand. <br /> Please peas this resolution calling for a special session. Judging by the steady flood of <br /> calls and letters I am receiving, many citizens around the ielaad feel the same way. <br /> We neighbor islands may hurt the most now, but this is definitely estate-wide <br /> economic and political crisis. <br /> We must acknowledge the seriousness of the situation and respond to it quickly and <br /> effectively. To delay action would be a betrayal of our responsibility to our <br /> constituents. Surely, we members of the state legislature have the ability to <br /> hammer out a compromise that will work. Let us provide government with the <br /> flexibility to contract out for services if the contract meets certain criteria of <br /> performance, price and public benefit. Let us resolve this issue and prevent this <br /> crisis from undermining any hope for economic recovery in flue county and state. <br /> ti(IIDiL lK0. ~ O <br /> P1l® IYo. l-~ <br /> Presented CouAh,~~ <br /> H,ef. 2b1 <br /> het, T?sEe.~.IlALL.~i...l?OXiA....« <br /> <br />