HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0183.014 2020-2022 COUNTY CLERK P/PC
COUNTY OF HMiAI'I COMPi.I?D
RECEIVEDd
Time 9:111 Q.M. By
Date MAR 3 1 2021
Attention Hawai'i County Council Planning Committee:
I'm writing to express my dismay that you have before you
Communication 183, a letter presumably from Mayor Mitch
Roth, urging your consideration of the removal of Mark Van
Pernis from the Leeward Planning Commission.
There is a part of me that wants to believe that Mitch Roth
didn't write his own letter. But I guess this is who we
elected, someone who is willing to resort to such nastiness.
In reading through Roth's letter to you about Van Pernis, we
see quotes suggesting he "behaves as if he is opposing
counsel performing cross-examination" and "badgers'
applicants that do not answer questions to his liking."
You know what? It sounds to me like Van Pernis asks hard
questions of the administration and the applicants Who are
proposing rezonings or looking to wiggle out of development
conditions. Of course a pro-development wanna-be dictator
isn't going to like such dissent!
These kinds of lowbrow aspersions are commonly whispered
in break rooms and over pau hana drinks.. But to put this on
the County of Hawai'i letterhead and come before council
members and try and kick a curmudgeon to the curb? This is
low class and just gross. It's the anti-thesis of aloha.
Yeah, Mr. Van Pernis can be brash and even crusty. He used
to be one of my sources when I was a reporter for the West
Hawaii Today. I don't always personally agree with him. I
don't always personally agree with the Hawaii County
Council either. But in a democracy we honor the diversity of
people willing to step up and serve on a board or
commission. We don't reject people who have volunteered
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Ref.To: lib 6 2021
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their service, and who we already appointed, simply for the
fact that we don't like their style.
I cannot believe this is our mayor. Look closely at the
headlines. The deputy director of Public Works walked away
from his position. We all want to know the story behind that
story. The planning director is calling for the removal of
"community" in community planning. Now we are trying to
get rid of one of the commissioners who isn't a YES! man?
Mark my words, the planning director and the mayor are
going to try and fill that position with someone like a realtor
or a wanna-be developer who is going to help them make it
really easy to pave paradise and put up a parking lot,
someone who is going to be loving the mayor's attempt to
raise real property tax revenue by turning Kona more into
Levittown than it is.
Mark Van Pernis knows planning; he knows the law. He has
good ideas. He is community-oriented. He has a hard time
articulating himself due to a speech impediment that is
getting increasingly worse. What should be concerning to
council members is the appearance of discrimination of Van
Pernis' disability.
I would suggest, rather than get rid of someone who may
have a difference of opinion, council members recommend
to the mayoral administration and its departments to get
some training on tolerance and ADA, because abelism is
rampant.
Tiffany Edwards Hunt
Kea'au, HI
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