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Daniele to step outside until we are finished with agenda Item 91. But, sorry, if Commissioner <br /> Cross could you make just a brief statement about your recusal, please. <br /> CROSS: I used to be Land Manager for the Edmund C. Olson Trust and I think that <br /> connection was too significant even though I do not work for the Trust anymore. I'm quite <br /> attached to the lands, and I do provide consulting services now as an independent. So, I do <br /> receive funds from the Trust. <br /> LIN: Thank you Commissioner Cross. Vice Chair Daniele if you could make a <br /> brief statement regarding your recusal. <br /> DANIELE: Yes, good morning. I'm the General Manager of Ka`u Coffee Mill on <br /> Olson Trust land that encompasses the site of the first agenda item. <br /> LIN: Thank you so much. If the two Commissioners could please step outside <br /> until we are finished with agenda Item 91. <br /> [At 9:30 a.m. Commissioner Cross and Vice Chair Daniele left the Council Chambers] <br /> LIN: Sorry, we're just going to check outside if the speakers are on or not. <br /> Okay,just letting everybody know and those who are on Zoom that the two Contested Case <br /> Petitions were withdrawn. So, noting those two have been withdrawn, I will now move on to <br /> public testimony for agenda Item 91. The first person I have here in-person is Geoffrey Bower. <br /> If you'll please raise your right hand. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth on this matter now <br /> before the Windward Planning Commission? <br /> BOWER: I do. <br /> LIN: Please press the microphone button and speak directly and clearly into the <br /> microphone. Begin your testimony by saying your name and the area you reside in. You have <br /> three minutes. <br /> BOWER: Okay, thank you. My name is Geoffrey Bower, and I live in Hilo. I'm the <br /> Chief Scientist for ASIAA based here in Hilo. We're a small astronomy research group. We are <br /> connected to a larger research group you may be familiar with our work on the Black Hole <br /> Powehi. Which received international attention several years ago and we were involved in the <br /> Hawaiian naming of that. We're here today for this project to study fast radio bursts. This is one <br /> of most exciting areas of astrophysics. It's an opportunity to study distant exploding stars that <br /> are sending radio waves to earth and that probe the history of the universe and the structure of <br /> the universe and there's a global activity in this area. <br /> Hawaii is a special place to carry out this research in the Wood Valley location is in particular a <br /> very special place for this because as optical astronomy suffers from light pollution. Radio <br /> astronomy suffers from radio frequency interference and so an isolated location shielded from <br /> television, cell phone, all sorts of communication devices your iPhone. By the mountain walls that <br /> surround the valley makes it very special. We've done studies around the island, and it is a unique <br /> 2 <br /> EXHIBIT B <br />