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<br /> Wednesday, May 30, 2007 1:15 PM Nancy Burns (808) 325-1065 p 02 <br /> May 30, 2007 <br /> 1 <br /> Honorable Pete IIoffmann, Chairperson <br /> Hawaii Cotutty Council <br /> 25 Waupun St. ~ t'.' <br /> Hilo, Hawaii'i 9(i72U <br /> 'lcstimany on Rill 51,1)xaft 3 Pro~tisecF Amendment; to Chatrter 27 of the HCC <br /> L)eaz Chairperson Tloffmann and Members of the Hawaii County Council, <br /> There have been many statements made at C.`ounty Council committee meetu,gs ahn r. flu ~d'urg. o.u tlra <br /> island of hlawaii. Has anyone investigatul the reasons for the Il<xrding? Is it trail}~ iu:: br i vtctequaG; <br /> codes oc could it be that l'<tlks have constructed homes and businesses in areas tksat a, :'f i1 ur a1 <br /> watercourses ~ 13cforc we make sweeping changes W the codes that ali'ect all lar.+<I:I `;r 5r.~~ her or nut they <br /> have drainage problems, perhaps we should investigate further the causes of"the Fl~:ic:, i.n.,;. <br /> We should also look at whether the entire island has flood problems or if it is onl`- .r ?:p. xitic lur,,:.tior.:~. <br /> if frequent flooding only occurs at specific locations, perhaps those locations neevi x r.;. tlale<i <br /> dit~erently front areas that do nal experience flooding. i was under the imprr~ssi+,, fl.+a. I;luxptcs- 2'7 v+ae er <br /> code that was meant to mguiate areas shat experience fregfrenl flooding. 'Phe am:ui:3 r u:r t„ proposed turn <br /> this code into a regulation that tncats all areas as flaod plains with no technical, c:o:,,r,•:i; ter sc.:rntif:c <br /> basis. <br /> If floodwaters arc coming from mauka areas such ac the vast watersheds above t- l i:lu 31~;u ~ ~ ur~l <br /> Kealakekuft, requiring developments to coutsin al), their runoff from the 100-year, ~ m~ at storm on-site <br /> will not prevent flood datnagc. These containments will not handle the vast quau~.itire; ~ 7aar from tl,r•. <br /> mauka watersheds and could very well lxe:u:h causing more harm than good. "fhc hu; ;l aeu,lition o1' <br /> water from the upstreattt watersheds cannot be stoppexi. What would pn:vent ftutllea• !+u<; bletns is to <br /> clearly map stream channels and make sftre that they are allowed to flow unimpe: a i. <br /> 1 bclicvc that Chapter 27 was originally meant to be a code that assures that no strt rl t rcu trf built within <br /> floodways. A gotxl effort has been made to hY to determine the location of strewn _,tm;uas and r,any <br /> of the major stream channels are shown on the current Fli2M maps. It appears ob v:.o ~ s t in: ~ t e F'i R~ N <br /> maps need to be updated to identify additional fl~xxiways. i bclicvc that the ident licatlan oi's~~catn <br /> channels along with good drainage design (no structures in these areas) is what i:~ rr.a+l ,+x;e sutry'[o <br /> prevent flood issues. <br /> In locations where folks have already unknowingly constructed hurtles and husines~e3 in r tKics f.~.aod <br /> prone areas, mitigation to protect these structures is required. This needs to be ~~~c:.+rh :a+led ry <br /> govenunutt agencies through Flood C'onArol projects as hati been done in the past in sf rvi rat fu~eas ~+i+fi.in. <br /> the County of Hawaii. Relying on future private developments to remedy the cxisti r.? I'fl3' ur regxntnl <br /> Flood problems will not resolve these ongoing flooding problems and they will n::al::fi a zis :la.us quo `nrilJt <br /> the potential for future damage hoing unchanged. In some inntanceti where the ftoc:aiif.,v~ s tniuar, <br /> <br />