2012-07-19 Leeward Exh B - Bill No. 255

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vendors have stopped attending the market because it was just not economically feasible for them because some of them come as faraway as, we used to have people come as faraway as Hilo. They would because there’s something special that they knew so well in South Kona, and they would drive all the way around. And when we moved up to the land on the Kealakekua Ranch Center, it just didn’t make any sense for them; they weren’t making enough sales to even justify the gasoline. So being back in front of the Amy Greenwell center would be terrific. And really we have a very special relationship with them. Many of our members of the market are also members of the Garden. And it’s pretty terrific that way, the way it works out. One of the items that you were addressing was the traffic. And I can speak from experience on this that when the market is full of customers, the cars just continue on down the road. Usually we are getting people who are regulars, of course, that come in, and they come in and do their shopping and they hang out for however long that they hang out, and then they leave. But the additional traffic that comes from the tourists, if they don’t see parking, they just continue on down the road. So it will not really impact the traffic in any additional way. It’s kind of a self-regulating mechanism. It’s kind of a benefit there. We have a very specific mission with the South Kona Green Market. Our motto is “From the Land – By Our Hand,” and that means it’s got to be your thing; you’ve got to make it, grow it, paint it, pick it – it’s got to be yours. And we are very specific about who is allowed to vend at the market based on the criteria. With that in mind, however, there are a couple of categories that are not necessarily addressed by the wording of this ordinance as it is. In the final sentence there where it begins with “for the purpose of this condition,” if we were to make a change in where it says “and/or raw produce,” if we were to change the word “produce” to “food,” that would cover a handful of food preparers at our market. And also in the section where it says “local homegrown and homemade products,” if we were to say “homegrown and homemade products, and locally designed art ….” Because there are several artists who in addition to having their paintings and drawings for sale, also have prints that are not necessarily produced by them; they are printed off-island and brought in. We also have a couple of authors who have displayed at our market, and obviously they don’t print their books here on the island. And the way we address that is to find out where the mana is in the product. And, you know, the person is not buying the book because it’s a book; they are buying it because it’s the person’s book, the one that they wrote. They are not buying the art card just because it’s a card; they are buying it because they like the art that was created by the person that’s on the card. So I would like you to consider that. And also -. I think that everything else is addressed in there. Thank you. BOWMAN: Thank you. Commissioners, any questions of the testifier? Or staff, any comments? ARAI: I’m sorry, could you repeat that question? BOWMAN: Okay, he had a couple of concerns to add – let me get – “limited to the sale of local fresh -.” ARAI: Oh, I see. BOWMAN: The additions that he had. 10 EXHIBIT B