2021-12-09 Redistricting Commission minutes (9th Session)

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additional financial burden on the County to pay retirement. Council members get very decent retirement plans after eight years. So, please consider the financial burden you're putting on the County while they're sitting members, and while they're going to be potentially retired. On number three (3) on the agenda, legislative amendments, I would appreciate the chance to comment again, if necessary, at the end of the meeting. Since I wrote the Code, there may be information that I have that you might not have on why I did something the way I did it. If that's possible, I'd appreciate it. Thank you very much. KAUKA: Thank you, Ms. Ford. Our next testifier is Mr. Amedeo Markoff. Mr. Markoff, please unmute yourself and you may begin. AMEDEO MARKOFF MARKOFF: My name is Amedeo Markoff. I don't know what agenda item it is. I don't have it in front of me, but I'm speaking to the boundary lines. Aloha, members of the Redistricting Commission, my name is Amedeo Markoff. I'm the president of the Mainstreet Pahoa Association (MPA). The Mainstreet Pahoa Association is a 501(c) (6). It was formed about twenty-seven years ago to advocate on behalf of the Pahoa Village businesses and the surrounding community. MPA membership is comprised of forty businesses representing hundreds of community members. We have been the voice of Pahoa for a very long time. I'd like to thank you guys for efforts thus far and recognize the challenging nature of your work. I think it's a very important task that you've undertaken. The folks who live here in these districts are going to be dealing with the effects of your decisions for many years to come. Bearing that in mind, there are choices that are directly impact our community, and I want to take this opportunity to ask you to leave the lines separating Pahoa Village into two separate districts as it stands now. That's right, we want two County Council's representing us. This Commission must recognize that Puna is vast and needs all the help it can get. Puna comprises the most underserved in Hawaii County, as far as County services and infrastructure, and yet has the highest percentage of poor and unemployed. As Census data has shown, it's the fastest growing community within the State. Therefore, it is imperative to our community that we receive more representation in council, not less, as our community continues to grow, even today. In addition, we have been severely impacted by the eruption and the COVID shortly, thereafter. And continuity is crucial to our recovery. We are very thankful to our current and past council members and are very grateful to have two folks fighting on our behalf. From a mathematical perspective, each of the nine councilpersons represents twelve and a half percent of the overall vote. Obviously having two folks advocating on our behalf, representing twenty-five percent of the vote is considerably better for our town and the rest of lower Puna. MPA has a larger list of reasons to advocate for this position, but as testimony time is limited, I will conclude that we understand that some community members have said that we need to unify Pahoa town into one voice. But Waimea town has two council seats, and it has proved equally advantageous for them. We're a big community and we need a big voice. Sometimes many voices are better than one and we hope you hear us as we humbly make this request. Mahalo for your consideration. I'm pau. 4