2009-01-15 THAWAIIAN RAINFOREST - Laserfiche WebLink

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know, it’s not clear to me that they would. What you have in front of you does not include something that Public Works has made requirements on to this point. So -. WATANABE: You also mentioned that agricultural theft. Are you saying that if this measure goes through that agricultural theft would increase in the vicinity? WALTER: My concern is that it would. And the reason for that is that right now you don’t, there is no business reason or a particular reason for someone to come down into that area. They may come for schools, they may, you know, there are few reasons to come in there. But in general the population does not come into that area. The more people you have, casually or for whatever reason, pull into the area -- and this would pull people into the area -- that’s the more people who become aware of it, and the greater probability that some of those people will then say, hey, you know, look at what’s beyond this, let’s go for it. So, you know, that is a set of assumptions on my part. I believe they’re reasonable. And all I can tell you is that indeed agricultural theft throughout the County is a problem. It is certainly a problem to us and our lessees. DOMINGO: On the other hand, you know, as I look at it, any thief planning to conduct that illegal act will certainly not go where there is heavy traffic or where people would go. They’d look at a place where, you know, less amount of people travel and less people would be present. And that’s what, that’s the way thieves react. And I think your argument that this will certainly encourage agricultural theft with the reasons you’ve given doesn’t sit well with me; and I tend to disagree with that. WALTER: Yeah, good point; and I appreciate that. Let me clarify on that point. Yeah, certainly if there’s a certain level of traffic, while the traffic is there, people going forward to break in and steal things or cause vandalism is likely to be reduced. The issue is that what happens after, say, 6 o’clock at night when it’s closed? What happens on Sundays when people have come down and became aware of it? Business Parks are likely to be, as with most of the industries in Hilo, are very quiet, probably few if any people there; and it’s at that point that we have the concern. It’s those after hours where people become aware of it. DOMINGO: So what you’re saying is that this development will bring people into that particular area thereby exposing the lands below this development? For people who have the mind to steal, they would be more informed of what’s down there, thereby it’d be easy for them to go down because they know what they’re going after, what they’re going to steal? WALTER: Yes. In essence that’s true. It’s what happens after the park is closed, and the familiarity with the area. As I say, most people have no reason to go into that area today and are not particularly aware of what’s going on. DOMINGO: What preventive measures have been taken now since the night thefts and since the lands below there belong to Shipman and leased to farmers, I guess? WALTER: Good question; and, again, I appreciate it. I can tell you that within the year 2008 we spent considerable monies rebuilding gates throughout our agricultural area, resetting rules so that now all of our gates are kept closed 24/7, even during the day which is a pain, you know, to our agricultural lessees. It’s a pain to me cause I live at the end of all that. EXHIBIT A 16