COMM. 53.8 from M. Wille re COMM. 55.1

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MARGARET WILLE Attorney at Law 6S -1316 Lihipali Road Kamuela, Hawaii 96743 margaretwille @mac.com November 30, 20011 To: County of Hawaii Redistricting Commission Re: Re: Comm. SSA Suggestions for Inclusion in Final Narrative Report Given that the Commission's Draft Final Plan is based on the 11 -1- 11 version of Plan 40, here are the policy considerations that went into the configuration of that 11- 1- 11draft Plan: 1. The goal of keeping communities of interest together is important, but regional balance is also important consistent with the Commission goal of allocating the Districts as follows: 2 Hilo Districts, 2 Puna Districts 2 Kona Districts, 1 Hamakua District, 1 Southern District, and 1 Northern District. This arrangement recognizes the six historical political districts on this island. 2. Individual residential communities were kept in the district of preference except where that was not possible to do without undermining this regional balance. 3. During the past decade there was a general sense that the County Council District Plan was skewed to the advantage of Hilo at the expense of a Puna seat (such that Hilo effectively had three rather than two council seats.) A reoccurrence of another lop -sided plan was avoided by ensuring that the two Hilo Districts were located principally between the Wailuku River and Stainback Highway, and did not include a minority rural voting block in either Puna or up the Hamakua Coast. 4. Historical watershed Districts were observed with a preference for mauka makai orientation of Districts. For example the Wailuku River watershed including all of the Piihonuanua ahupua'a is generally all within District 2. Likewise the greater Pelekane Bay watershed is all in District 9. The area where the Upper Hamakua Ditch is located in East Waimea was included in Hamakua District 1. S. Attention was paid to mauka areas even where there is no population so they are located in the most logical District: For example the Saddle Road is in Districts that constitute the most immediate communities of interest using this road (primarily District 2(Hilo) and District 8(Kona), versus Districts 1 (Hamakua) and District 6(Kau) which currently run up to the Saddle Road). The junction of Mamalahoa and Saddle Road is however included in District 9 (Kohalas) ,which District also has a nexus to that road and this intersection, and the community of Waikii is there. (Note: The Waikii community associates itself with Waimea, and there is no reason to instead include that community in Kona District 8. (There is still legal road connectivity between the Saddle Road portion of District 8 and the main portion of District 8 by way of the jeep trail on the South side of Waikii community.) 6. Pohakaloa Base, traditionally in District 8, continues to be primarily in District 8. 7. The mauka portion of Mauna Kea, previously in District 1, was switched to Hilo District 2 (to provide a nexus with the University of Hilo). 8. No community is "split down the middle" - so that even if there are some residents in a community who are in a separate voting District, there is a "critical mass" of each community of interest concentrated in a single District. All individual residential subdivisions communities are within a single District (to my knowledge). COMM. 53.8