2011-04-07 EXHIBITA - Laserfiche WebLink

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DUERR: Yes, Bob Duerr. KERN: Duerr, name and address, and you may begin. DUERR: Bob Duerr, 99 Honolii, Hilo. And I’m representing today the Kaipalaoa Working Group. I just want to say a big part of this project and why the SMA should be granted is the professionalism of the people who have run this project. You know, Beth Dykstra of R&D has been most professional. She has also helped our group get off the ground, and within a year succeeded at becoming a citizen park. I think the other element of this project is the planning and Mr. Ron Terry. So I think you're in good hands. You've got data you can rely on. I think the other thing has already been mentioned, that, you know, surfers support this and fishermen support this. And as we all know, you know, there are a lot of fishermen on Bayfront, and they bring their families. And right now they’re just coming to a, you know, a gravel parkway. So having this is an ability to kind of reached out to the Bay and teach some valuable lessons about conservation and how to make the future better. And I think the other thing too is, you know, one, we know this will get passed. The tough spot is going to be -. You know, as a former board member of Panaewa Zoo, I thought of Jean Curtis, you know, who passed away recently, she built partnerships between government and local businesses. So you had the Kiwanis Club volunteering and building, you know, the monkey enclosures which saved thousands of dollars. So, SMA gets done, but the key thing is how we're going to fund it and how does it get built. Thank you. KERN: Thank you. Any questions from Fellow Commissioners? Seeing none, thank you very much. Mary Bergier, name and address, and you may begin. BERGIER: Good morning. Mary Begier, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 315. I also would like to acknowledge your volunteerism. I think that there are a number of people who volunteer in our community and some people think that you are being well paid from the taxpayers’ rolls, and it's clear that you’re not. I come to you today to support the Hilo Bayfront Trails project. I became familiar with this project or the need for one like it in many ways. My Rotary Club, the Hilo Bay Rotary Club, was responsible for painting the yellow and blue slippers that are extremely faded coming from the Pier into Hilo. But the number of visitors who thanked us for those, even as worn out as they have become, it really demonstrates that they need them. The children that count those blue and yellow slippers, even faded now, just to, it's really interesting that they would have that impact. I'm also a realtor who owns an office within the area that had the right to file a contested case hearing. So I come before you and say that I have no objections. As a realtor I often have to counsel my clients about curb appeal. And I look at this project as our curb appeal, not only for Hilo but for the entire island. Many come to our island via the airport or the cruise ships. And what are we saying, what are we telling them about what we think of ourselves, what pride are we instilling in our children for their future? So I appreciate your support for this project today. Thank you. 9 EXHIBIT B