2021-11-23 Redistricting Commission minutes (8th Session Part 1)

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KOSSOW: Thank you, Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: Oh, one more point that I haven't been able to KOSSOW: Mr. Yoshina. YOSHINA: You know that area in Waimea-Kohala? Where that road there's that you have to leave a district to get into the district again, I'd make that correction up there. Thank you. LUL Commissioner Kossow? KOSSOW: Ms. Lui. LUL I just wanted to ask a question of Lehuanani. In all of these maps, you know, there are various Hawaiian Homeland communities. I'm wondering just how she's feeling about any issues around consolidation of representation for Native Hawaiian communities. AH NEE: Aloha. Permission to speak. KOSSOW: Go ahead. AH NEE: Mahalo, Commissioner Lui. I appreciate it. I am still learning, very new to this process. Trying to run these numbers also as we're speaking. So, forgive me for my silence. I am just trying to make sure that I speak with knowledge of what I can garner since my inception here into this Commission. I agree with everyone else. There's not no one perfect map. I do want to say that I think where this particular map, that we're currently looking at, and I believe this is 9—forgive me if I'm wrong on how to read this properly but—this particular map that's up on the screen, as probably one that has caught my attention more than any other so far. Being a part of Council District 3, I didn't want to split Keaukaha and Pana`ewa. Specifically because of that you have these families that within those districts that vote together. And I think that comes out later. I know that this Commission is very—it's only in every ten years so I appreciate that. But looking at where Waimea and that split on the north end on the island. I think having that discussion and just listening to everybody has helped me try to understand where these things fit or don't fit. And so I can see where there would be a bit of an issue on splitting Waimea in half. I, myself, don't agree necessarily with it splitting in half either. But I do understand that these numbers here on the bottom part of the screen, does determine where and when we can fudge a little to the positive or fudge a little to the negative. I think this map, out of all the maps we've covered today, has probably the best lines drawn. If that makes any sense. But I do want to say that I agree with Commissioner Akamu in Ka`u, with the relationships between the families going into south Kona. And that whole distinction of Keauhou mauka in Volcano, is very much related to Keauhou on the west side. It is its own kind of distinct pattern, traditionally and then also with natural markings, and natural boundaries. So, I do definitely agree with that. I also do agree that maybe Eden Roc, as 24