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CHARLES FLAHERTY <br />(At this time Charles Flaherty came forward to address members of the Commission.) <br />MR. FLAHERTY: Aloha members of the Redistricting Commission. I also wanted to thank you <br />all for your hard work and dedication to this very difficult process. I guess what I wanted to share <br />with you all, I have been looking at the different maps and the different issues with the different <br />maps, but I haven't really come to an opinion at this time. I hope to be able to share that when <br />you all go to Yano Hall in South Kona, where I am currently residing, in Honaunau, in South <br />Kona. One of the things that I wanted to share with you all when we drew our maps back in <br />2001, was that we looked at the what was the driver of the different economies, because the <br />economy is something that would be continuing into the future; like agricultural, resort, <br />transportation, urban. In addition to that, and with regard to those strange census blocks on the <br />coastline, I think the representative of the conservation district, the SMA area that runs along the <br />coastline - -and you see that in our plans - -as far as like there is a proposed shoreline park that runs <br />along the North Kona shoreline, and there is one proposed for Ka'u and for South Kona as well. <br />Then the other thing I wanted to ask you, and you probably have done this. and maybe someone <br />has already testified about it but, I think it would be important to look at the County General Plan. <br />since that is how growth is supposed to be directed for us and also at the different community <br />plans. I will say that when the Kona Community Development Plan, which was the first <br />community development plan that was done, I had asked the Mayor at that time, Planning <br />Director Chris Yuen, to split South and North Kona because I felt that they were different as far <br />as their economic base. They didn't agree, and kind of lumped us together, but what I wanted to <br />share with you all is if you look at the Kona Community Development Plan and the General Plan, <br />you'll see that the mauka South Kona area along the highway is considered like a contiguous rural <br />village area. I realize that given the needs of other areas that it might not be possible to prevent <br />this particular area from being split. On that I would hope that you would consider that just from <br />being my home place that you all consider that as well, as I'm sure you will. I did want to just <br />reiterate that we do have the development plans and the general plan processes that have been <br />vetted by testimony. And in prior testimony, and what not, and Bo's very intimately involved <br />with that for sure Thank you for your dedication to that process as well. So, thank you. <br />CHR. SIRACUSA: Thank you. I have no more testifiers, however if any of you in the audience <br />now feel moved to come up and have a word, it is not too late. You can go up to Karen over there <br />and quickly fill out a sign in sheet. We do want to hear what you have to say, we want to get as <br />much input as possible. You know your areas much better than most of us. If you wake up in the <br />middle of the night with a flash, this is not the end. You can submit email testimony, and Karen <br />will tell you how to do that. You can submit snail mail testimony, and there is a Yano Hall public <br />hearing coming up Thursday, and there will be more opportunities to testify and to provide your <br />input, so please avail yourselves of all those opportunities and if there is nothing else, then I need <br />a motion to adjourn. <br />9 <br />