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and his argument is kind of, you know, if the Banyan Drive didn't exist, are we better off? I
<br /> mean there's a reason why it was created. There is a reason why things were reached, you know,
<br /> occurring with blight as the description. And you know, Gordon doesn't hold all the purse
<br /> strings, right? Yet DLNR is the land owner there. And so we're, you know, we can go round
<br /> and around over who should pay for the EIS, but the plain truth of last year, the County
<br /> committed to the $250. I don't know how else to sit there and say we committed 50 percent to
<br /> get it going, and we got right to the finish line and it was yanked. And so that was really
<br /> disappointing. Whether or not we can cross the finish line this year with the same kind of
<br /> request, we'll see. Clearly the County's in a different position of having to put $250 up this year
<br /> with all the losses we're seeing and the budget deficit we received coming from the lava event.
<br /> So, we're not better off this year. I think it demands that DLNR and the County try to be
<br /> creative where we can. You know, clearly I think folks will present the same, similar type of
<br /> bill, we continue to pursue that, but behind the scenes we need to be working on other ideas that
<br /> might push an EIS forward.
<br /> GADDIS: You want to make any comments on, since we're still in discussion, you want to
<br /> make any comments on you know, items that you mentioned, having the Planning Commission
<br /> review things, you know,practicality and liability of that, you know, since he brought that up as
<br /> a concern?
<br /> YEE: You know, I don't see it as a concern. If we need to take it into the Planning Commission
<br /> or the Council, I would see quick adoption with the resolution if that was necessary. Cause
<br /> again, we only needed to drive this to very conceptual ideas which a consultant can start an EIS.
<br /> They don't need details, they don't need to have a housing plan for everybody who'd be
<br /> relocated. That would always come in later in the steps. So, you know, it gets back to the basic
<br /> thing, is how do we fund an EIS? That's, we keep coming back to the same question and how to
<br /> fund it. You know, until we answer that question we're just going around in circles.
<br /> GADDIS: Well, any other comments from anyone seated at the table at this stage?
<br /> TANIGUCHI: I have a question of Mr. Yee. What are the changes of County committing again
<br /> $250, even if, given the situation?
<br /> YEE: Frankly speaking, there's a huge deficit currently. Unless there's an additional quarter
<br /> percent GET passed again, I think there's almost zero chance. Whether or not the County can
<br /> even pass another quarter on top of the quarter they already approved, I don't even know that's
<br /> even a legal question. So I don't see it being very likely, but certainly not impossible. I know
<br /> there are Councilwoman Lee Loy is, and her staff are here today, has been very much willing to
<br /> try to find a way to fund the EIS through the County cause she wants to see it happen. Whether
<br /> or not she can garner enough votes on the Council to pass it is a whole other question, but I know
<br /> she's been a pretty strong advocate to seeing that the County get this done, like you said, because
<br /> it's the right thing to do still.
<br /> TANIGUCHI: What if the County, I mean could they, the County go to the lessees and say,
<br /> "Look, you guys want to help, maybe you come up with the $250 and let the State come up with
<br /> the other $250." The State get more money than the County, I agree.
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<br /> Banyan Drive Hawaii Redevelopment Agency
<br /> September 24,2018 Minutes
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