October 22, 2016 FINAL SC Minutes

Home

Ms. Gomes ended the meeting overview portion of the meeting by covering public testimony protocols. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: There were eight written testimonies submitted. 1. James Weldon —9.29.16 2. James Weldon —10.10.16 3. John Kaye —10.20.16 4. Marissa Harman, Kamehameha Schools — 10.21.16 5. Susan Forbes —10.21.16 6. Michael Johnson —10.22.16 7. Richard and Faith Jones —10.22.16 8. Ken Forbes —10.22.16 Written testimony submitted to Steering Committee members can be viewed and downloaded in its entirety from the following website: http://www.hawaiicountycdp.info/hamakua-cdp/steering-committee/steering-committee- meeti ngs/2016/october-22-2016/october-22-2016-written-testimony There were five people who signed up to testify. [Please note that all testimony has been recorded exactly as presented.] 1. James Weldon, representing himself providing testimony on Property Designations: Good afternoon, Madam Chairman, fellow Committee Members. My name is James R. Weldon, otherwise known as Jim. I live at 35-2120 Hawaii Belt Road. That's directly makai of the Laupdhoehoe swimming pool. I've lived therefor the last twenty-two years and I have quite a stake in Laupdhoehoe and Hdmdkua Coast. It goes back financially to the mid -50's, or I'm sorry, mid -80's, at which time I donated a computer system and most of the services for the Laupdhoehoe Library System, working with Bart Cain, the State Librarian to internet and tie in with the rest of the Library Systems in the State, that particular library as well as Honoka'a, with the State Library System. Subsequently, about two or three years later, I also contributed major computer systems and software to a company, fledging company at that time by the name of Verifone in Laupdhoehoe where they started the business and today, it is, as some of you may know, an International Fortune 500 Company. If you've ever processed one of your credit cards, you have probably used one of their machines. Consequently, there was a lot of high-tech developed out of that and it was subsequently moved over to Silicon Valley. Time passed, I was able to finally get a well-earned retirement, I think. My wife and I chose to move to Laupdhoehoe. Why? Because obviously the wonderful people here, the environment here and the opportunity to live on a place similar to where, the way we grew up actually on a small farm. A compelling reason for buying this particular property was it has 6.3 acres and macadamia nuts, was a very young orchard at that time. It only had about four years of age. It's now I might add about twenty-seven years old, very healthy and quite candidly provides macadamia nuts for folks up in this community here. Specifically why I'm here today is to request the Committee to take another look at their preliminary decisions for the categorization of the property because I think the last decision was made with — without all full facts and knowledge of the — the associated circumstances. What I'm referring to is, the property in your preliminary decision was given the designation Open for all the property and I respectfully request you reconsider that and assign the macadamia nut portion, the orchard, an Agricultural Page 12