HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0377.000 2022-2024 t , os
Mitchell D.Roth LJ u i Michael Doolittle,Chair
Mayor1,„< Marcia Brinkley,Vice-Chair
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Minoru Hanato,Member
�3 JUL I �,'' �'; Debra Lewis,Member
�,F•p�•N'N Isaac Nahakuelua,Member
George Sheridan,Member
(�, John Hiduchick-Nakayama,Member
County ountp of TOaWa[ I Antonio Gaspar,Member
Douglas Gora,Member
VETERANS ADVISORY COMMITTEE Tom Wojszynski,Member
101 Pauahi Street,Suite 6 Hilo,Hawaii 96720
(808)961-8311 •Fax(808)961-8411
Dear Honorable Mayor and Hawaii County Council,
The Hawaii County Veterans Advisory Committee is writing to encourage you to (1)
extend public access hours to West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery (WHVC) to align with
other properties managed by Hawaii County Parks & Recreation (P&R) department;
and (2) increase personnel resources and funding to better manage, operate and
maintain the growing cemetery. This letter summarizes three motions which were
unanimously approved by the Committee on May 24, 2023.
Extend Public Access Hours
Currently, WHVC posted visitation hours are 8:00 AM - Noon, daily. Standard hours for
all properties managed by Hawaii County are 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM, daily. Extending
hours will not only align WHVC with other County-managed properties, more importantly
it increases visitors' availability to honor the memory of their Veteran or Family Member.
To help facilitate this approach, the Committee recommends representatives from
Hawaii County P&R negotiate a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with
representatives from the State of Hawaii Division of State Parks to assume
responsibility for the daily locking of the roadside gate at the entrance of WHVC. As
shown in Attachment 1, the entrance gate to WHVC is located directly across Queen
Ka`ahumanu Highway from the entrance to Kekaha Kai State Park, and the park closes
at 7:00 PM nightly. By negotiating an MOA, State personnel can lock the entrance gate
to WHVC at the same time they lock the gate to Kekaha Kai State Park.
Increase Personnel Resources and Funding
While the primary tasks of cemetery personnel are related to interments and
inurnments, they're also tasked with general Operations & Maintenance (O&M) of
cemetery grounds. These tasks include removing flowers, mowing grass, trimming
headstones, trimming Row / Column markers, and other ongoing O&M tasks. However,
with a growing cemetery population, associated O&M responsibilities also grow, yet
personnel staffing has remained stagnant since 2010. By increasing personnel
resources, County personnel can continue to provide a positive experience for our
global visitors. Comm. No. J�
Ref. To:
Ref. DateUL 1 3 2023
Finally, the Committee requests Hawai'i County assume responsibility for funding the
monthly maintenance contract for a portable toilet recently installed at WHVC beginning
on June 1, 2024. The current location of WHVC comfort stations, see Attachment 2,
makes it difficult for physically challenged visitors to use the comfort station. The walk is
approximately 300 ft long with a rise of 20 ft. Guests can drive to the comfort station, but
the issue becomes most acute during a funeral ceremony. A physically challenged
person would need to leave the ceremony, walk to a car, drive to the comfort station,
return to the parking lot, park again, and then rejoin the ceremony. To better meet our
visitors' needs, the West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery Development and Expansion
Association (WHVCDEA) funded the installation and one-year maintenance of an
ADA-compliant portable toilet for placement behind the committal shelter. The
Committee recommends the County assume this funding upon contract expiration.
If you have questions about this request, or require more information, the Veterans
Advisory Committee Point of Contact is Tom Wojszynski, tom.wojszynski(c�gmail.com,
or 334-717-3709.
Sincerely,
•/
Michael Doolit e
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
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Attachment 1
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West Hawaii-
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Figure 1. Location of Kekaha Kai State Park and West Hawaii Veterans Cemetery along Queen
Ka`ahumanu Highway
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Figure 2. Sign Identifying Operating Hours of Kekaha Kai State Park
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
Attachment 2
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Figure 1. Location of Committal Shelter and Comfort Station at WHVC.
Looking Up to Comfort Station While Standing in Front of Committal Shelter
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Figure 2. Location of Outdoor Toilet
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.