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TESTIMONY ON.INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM PUNA COMMUNITY COUNCIL PAGE 2 (`3 Puna Community Council, consisting of more than 20 organizations, held belief that opendiscussion (with a moderator or is together by the mediator, if necessary) will disclose all concerns about a project -- a hotel, highway, school or shopping center -- in addition to concerns about land use, water availability, desirable population growth and availability of a workforce. The input from community discussion must have an impact on the decision to discussion does not take allow or disallow the project. All too often, place, sequential plans for development increments which have far more impact than the originalone presented to the community are disclosed after the zoning has been changed and the permits allowed. Initiative and referendum are the only remedy which can then be used, sometimes with detrimental results. Even so, we support the retention of initiative and referendum in our Charter. One final comment. In the most recent County initiatives, the nuclear free referendum and the Hapuna initiative, we believe the process worked exactly in the way it was supposed to, but many voters were concerned and confused by the wording on the ballot and did not know which way to vote. Puna Community Council and other citizens' groups would like to suggest that those submitting the ballot action be allowed to choose _ whether the action they desire would require a "yes" or a "no" vote. We would also suggest that voter pamphlets be available prior to and at the polls which would clarify the wording and set out pro and con arguments for voter edification. Submitted by Ron Phillips Don Jacobs Ginny Aste Richard Hahn 553