2014-24 Hapai&Pinto Testimony - Ad Hoc Committee Volcano-Pahoa Emergency Road Project

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Communication No. 2014-24 March 17, 2014 Testimony—Ad Hoc Committee Volcano-Pahoa Emergency Road Project Marlene Hapai, Chair, PCDP Connectivity and Emergency Response Subcommittee Approved in January 2013,the PCDP CERSC has been collecting suggestions from community members of the Puna district for alternative emergency evacuation routes and promoting emergency preparedness through: 1. Partnering with Civil Defense 2. Creating and implementing Puna's first PREP Fair which presented the public with interactive exhibits, presentations, and demonstrations relating to: Emergency Routes, Centers/Shelters, Planning, Communications, Security, Services, and Sustainability 3. 2 major take-away goals for the fair were: a. Gather suggestions from the community via mapping activity that asked Puna residents to provide alternative routes they were aware of that might be used should there be an emergency and b. Gather information via surveys to determine family and community emergency preparedness 4. Since August 315Yrs fair have: • Summarized fair mapping and survey data • Shared data with community organizations • Sent surveys to community organizations to determine support for suggestions, anticipate problems, and gather more input • Heard testimony at monthly PCDP AC meetings regarding fair suggestions and received additional suggestions and answered questions • Given presentations to community groups to obtain further support for existing suggestions and gather more input • Updated maps with new input and suggestions • Offered to do presentations for other interested groups • Begun prioritizing suggestions given to prepare 3 lists representing upper, middle and lower Puna to forward to Hawaii County and those responsible for implementation • Begun planning the 2014 PREP Fair to obtain more input on connectivity locations and emergency evacuation routes and address emergency preparedness concerns identified in the previous fair 5. We will be ready for the implementation phase soon. Puna, now larger than Hilo, is overripe for alternative emergency evacuation routes,with some subdivisions with only one way in and one way out and many small connections possible that can serve many people at a low cost. 6. An Ad Hoc committee bringing all 4 council members together that represent the Puna district is timely and urgent to implement desperately needed change 7. It is a different time. People are more open to movement between and throughout private subdivisions due to the need for emergency exits 8. However,the following concerns continue to exist and must be simultaneously addressed:with access should come shared maintenance; shared responsibility; liability; security; no bee-line roads, but staggered ones that eliminate speedy transport throughout subdivisions 9. While short term emergency projects are most important at this time, other projects that address the PCDP that complement these routes should be kept in mind to ensure cost effectiveness and yield stronger inter and intra community relationships. 10. Puna is ready. The time is now. 11. On behalf of the PCDP AC and Subcommittee on Connectivity and Emergency Response,we support the formation of this Ad Hoc committee.