Exhibit 9 - New District Boundaries and Communities of Interest (individual commissioner statements)

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Hustace Page 2 its population deficit and limit the splitting of Waimea further, this boundary line shifted to the edge of the Pu'u Nani subdivision. The plan also places the upper reaches of the Kohala Watershed Forest Reserve in one singular district and maintains similar boundaries along the eastern edge in an effort to keep the Pu'ukapu Hawaiian Homelands together, which was an agreed upon priority. Additional Comments: Included in 2021 Final Report is a sample of the census blocks that posed challenges to the redistricting process. Census blocks saw little to no change from the 2011 County of Hawai'i Redistricting Plan. These static census blocks continue to cause issues with their size, irregular shapes, spans across different communities, spans across multiple subdivisions, and even instances of crossing over roadways and other physical boundaries. Until these issues are addressed, the redistricting process will be impeded by an inability to create clear boundary lines and limit the generation of new map options for consideration. With population growth centralized in specific areas across the County, current political districts will continue to be stressed and pushed towards the limits as allowed by the County of Hawai'i Code. This will require a new approach to generating these divisions, and the problems with the census blocks will need to be addressed in order to reach future goals. It is to the understanding of the 2021 Commission that these census blocks and any irregularities could be addressed in five years, at the midpoint between the decennial censuses. It will require community members to return to this topic well before the 2031 Redistricting Commission and present their findings and even request adjustments to the appropriate agency. Among the challenges relating to the census blocks, additional constraints can determine the outcome of the process. Beyond keeping communities of interest together, these additional constraints include deviation limits and maintaining a balance of representation across the County. Further, districts must follow contiguity and connectivity guidelines. All parts of one district must be accessible by road without passing through another district. These limitations were adhered to when generating a final product. Throughout the 2021 redistricting process and given the late start due to the delay in the census data, the County of Hawai'i Redistricting Commission sought out and made public transparency one of its top goals. Given the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission pushed for and were supported by County agencies to provide a venue in which the public could attend and provide testimony. The Commission was able to broadcast and record its meetings, and for the scheduled public hearings, members of the public were presented multiple options to participate. Further, the monies allocated toward the Commission were predominantly used for the purpose of advertising the opportunities for the public to comment and provide feedback on the process. It was the wish of the Commission to have the public involved in the redistricting effort and contribute towards an end goal. The 2021 Commission also encouraged future redistricting work to incorporate more training opportunities with the mapping software, as well as informational sessions that would provide the necessary tools of understanding the purpose of redistricting and the constraints and challenges that can impact the process for benefit of educating future commissioners and members of the public.