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and youve provided a good experience, I think, in starting on that road. I guess Id like to know
<br />from you some ideas about -. The concern that I have is that, you know, I think the Council and
<br />the Department, the government, you know, really should get behind some specific proposals to
<br />help implement some of the ideas that you have here, together with the developers and all the
<br />other shareholders, in the process. And so I understood the comment about, you know, this is
<br />like a step towards getting something more specific in terms of what were calling community
<br />development plans and that, my understanding of that is thats going to be law, it will be a
<br />County ordinance. So, if you can, Id like further comments about what steps you anticipate
<br />taking going down that road.
<br />MOON:Well, we from the beginning have, you know, working with the Planning
<br />Department has been just a Godsend, really. I mean Susan Gagorik, all of the folks who have
<br />supported us in the Planning Department, it gave us kind of an inside track, so to speak, with
<br />other County Departments. Ill just give you a little example. Im a pretty small business,
<br />micro-business,andwhenIgooutandaskforsupportofsomethingpeoplekindofgo,oh,well,
<br />who are you, you know, where youre from, whats your -? You know, theyre looking at me as
<br />though kind of a small business, I dont really know who you are. In partnership with County
<br />agencies or departments, when we go and say we are Friends of Downtown Hilo and we are
<br />supported by the Planning Department, people listen.
<br />The other point Id like to make is that all along the way weve had the support of the Mayor,
<br />weve had the support of the two Councilmen who share our district - Stacy Higa, of course, has
<br />the majority but Donald Ikeda has a small sliver of Downtown as well. They have come to our
<br />workshops, they have attended our meetings; we have gone to them and presented information.
<br />Also the department heads, the various department heads, Pat Englehart and Pam Mizuno of the
<br />Parks and Recreation has been very involved. The Department of Environmental Management
<br />has been involved. Public Works, Bruce McClure, and Jiro Sumada have been very, very
<br />involved in all of the processes. At some points along the way, you know, they have said, okay,
<br />well take that project. So were identifying them in the action plan for a specific action. Some
<br />of them were self-identified. So weve had that support from, and Im missing a few Im sure,
<br />Research and Development, Jane Testa, from a real strong group of the County Department
<br />Heads. So I think when it comes to taking the action, on one hand some of the things are already
<br />happening. Some of the things that were developed in the plan have already gotten started. On
<br />the other hand, some of these items may not ever come to fruition because these people are going
<br />to be the ones who, the lead solution partners are going to be the ones to determine is this a
<br />feasible project.
<br />So the community has spoken and said this is our vision; and now its up to the lead solution
<br />partners and the implementation committee. And we do have an implementation strategy in
<br />place; and thats something else that was fairly unique about this plan, about this process, is that
<br />we built in the succession, so to speak, of the Friends of Downtown Hilo for implementation. So
<br />part of the implementation plan is to go out there and secure the rest of the lead solution partners
<br />in developing these actions. I dont know if that answers your question or not.
<br />IWASHITA:It helps.
<br />8EXHIBIT B
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