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expansion of economic opportunity, with conditions, in order to <br /> promote the general well being of the people and to keep their <br /> families together. <br /> <br /> All of these recent efforts of visioning the future were attempts to try to <br /> come to an understanding of what the people who live in the geographic <br /> area actually wanted-at present and for their future. The conflicting <br /> findings from these three efforts led to the hiring of mediators to conduct <br /> a listening project in the Ka u District. <br /> Conclusions <br /> The people want a future that secures the natural environment and <br /> increases their economic opportunity to enhance the quality of their <br /> lives. Neither of the two major options on the table-Resolution 169-07, <br /> or accepting the Sea Mountain Five proposal in its present state--moves <br /> the community to where it wants to go. Further, the forced choice of <br /> having to choose between only these two options is out of sequence with <br /> the proposed Ka' u Community Development Plan. <br /> Recommendations to the Countu Government <br /> 1. Proceed to implement a consistent and predictable process that <br /> honors citizens' effort to balance the dual goals of protecting their <br /> environment and their families' futures. <br /> From discussions with the citizens, there appears to be no point in <br /> passing Resolution 169-07 at this time since Sea Mountain Five <br /> has not offered to sell the coastal part of its property. The County <br /> has publicly said that it does not have the money to purchase it, to <br /> develop requisite infrastructure, nor maintain it. Moreover, the <br /> Hawaii County Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources <br /> Preservation Commission has already established a list of priorities <br /> for the purchase of open space, of which Kawa a Bay is listed as #1 <br /> and Punalu'u is listed as #4. <br /> 2. Change the process for obtaining citizen input. <br /> Formal meetings don't work for two reasons: They are not part of <br /> the cultural practices of much of the population, and the <br /> disruptive tactics by the few have made people feel unsafe. Instead, <br /> rely on individual and family meetings, chat sessions, and <br /> neighborhood meetings to do talk story in small groups-before <br /> ¢ The Ka u Listening Project <br /> <br />