HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0608.033 2020-2022 u^' '-
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From: Francine Roby
Sent: Wednesday, February 16i20228:15PK4
To: Council Testimony
Subject: Support for Bill 1ZO
iurge your support topass Bill 120tnamend the County code t0allow for the enforcement mfACT 75.
My name is Francine Roby& my husband Steven Roby and | live in Ahua|oa, HaOlakuB District. We own only one
vehic/e, a 2018 Nissan Leaf, estimated max. range 150 miles per charge, which we depend on for medical and
essential supplies runs. Ahualoa is 90 miles roundtrip to &from our Kaiser Hilo clinic, and 106 miles to &from our
Kaiser Kona clinic. If we go uphill, use headlights, defroster, and wipers, we use more battery energy than just
mileage.
We rely on 5fast charging stations for essential driving between our regular destinations:
-Waimea KTA HELCO Greenlots—Greenlots says that station's uncompleted work order is from Oct or Nov—it has an
out oforder sign.
-HELCO Hilo, Kilauea Ave—often not working, no out of order signs posted. Recent street repairs made it
inaccessible for months.
-HELCO Greenlots, Shops at Mauna Lani—seems like every time we stopped by in 2 years, not working, No sign.
-HELCOmain office Grp2nlotsKailuaKona—MOST REL|ABLEH
-Greenlots Papaaloa Country Store—broken handle took it out for months. Without this, we would not make it to
and from Hilo.
We've had 3 close calls when out of order chargers, and no other back up chargers along our route, took us almost
to the limit ofour car's capacity:
1) Kona Costco run—their single slow charger was occupied, severe rain (headlights, defroster, wipers, uphill drive
hmnle>. Knew vveneeded 10charge atWaimea KTAtmmake ithome, but itwas broken. Got home un7Y6battery,
learned there are warning lights that say "charge noxv!"
2) Hilo Kaiser Clinic--HELCO Hilo not working, went to Hilo Nissan dealer, single mid-range charger in use. On Belt Rd.
homebound, Jsevere road accident closure over 1.5 hr. stuck intraffic. |fvvehad toreroute over Saddle Road, xve
would not have made ithome.
3\ Attended County hearing atWest Hawaii Civic Center, drove 3other people touse our energy-efficient vehicle.
Rain On return trip,wipers, defroster, headlights, uphill drive. Again, VVairne8 K7QA not working. Went to local park
trickle charger, took 45 mins to get less than 10% more charge—got home with 9%.
If your EV runs out of charge, and you call roadside assistance, towing on a flatbed is recommended but they'd have
to tow us all the way home to reliably charge, as a flatbed tow truck couldn't get us to any charging station lot
spaces near enough Loreach the plug. Not sure itwould get upour driveway either.
Comm.
Red',
1 Ref. Dat
THE IMPACT: We don't just take a drive anymore. We don't offer to drive Mainland visitors,family or friends around
the island. We don't go10 favorite places like Hawaii Volcanoes National Park OrSouth Point. We don't take a drive
towest side beaches oruptQHavviordown toPuna. VVecharge athome upto afull 1OO96before vvetake off,
knowing that full charges shorten battery life, because we cannot trust having public chargers available on this
island.The unreliability and dearth of public charging stations causes harm to the life of our car's battery and
reduces our access throughout Hawaii Island.
If Hawaii's State mandate is less fossil fuel use, more alternative energy vehicles, and the State allows EVsto be sold
here, then our County must ensure reliable infrastructure charging stations are all around the island and must be
able to hold accountable those businesses that have enough public parking to require charging stations by law, and
have enforcement for the spaces, and ensure HELCO and others reliably maintain these essential infrastructures.
| urge you 10 pass Bill 120.
N1AHAL[}.
Francine Roby
Honok8'a (Ahu8loa) H| 9G727
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