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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0554.001 2022-2024P / soured comm.554 North Kohala Tool Library S4-3842 Akoni Pule Highway Kapa'au, HI 96755 david@nktoollibrary.org Hawaii County Council Office of the County Clerk W ZS Aupuni Street � Hilo, HI 96720 w 0 counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.gov Aloha to our County Council Members, N I am submitting the following testimony IN SUPPORT of Res 327-23 for the "GRANT TO FRIENDS OF THE FUTURE TO ASSIST WITH EXPENSES RELATED TO THE NORTH KOHALA TOOL LIBRARY". After two plus years of thinking, planning, discussing, meeting with and surveying the community, acquiring the space and tools, developing the necessary infrastructure (space, storage, organization, inventorying, recruiting and managing volunteers, fundraising and website) and refining the practical and operational details in order to specifically fit our Kohala community needs, the North Kohala Tool Library (NKTL) is officially open as of October 2023. We have been looking forward to this and are eager to serve the North Kohala community. Our Mission NKTUs mission is to build community capacity by providing its members with affordable and convenient access to tools and equipment as well as opportunities to learn new skills. Our vision NKTL envisions a thriving, resilient and sustainable North Kohala, where residents receive support to make and fix what they need for their homes, cars, and gardens. A successful and thriving tool library will empower individuals, connect community members to one another, help members save money, reduce negative environmental impacts, and serve as an educational hub for residents to teach and learn valuable skills. It will also create a space for community members to donate quality, underused tools for broader community use. Our Values NKTL strives to be welcoming, inclusive, empowering, eco-friendly, educational, and sustainable. We care about improving local resilience, community connection and contributing to economic, environmental, and food security. Comm. No. ss R.I. To: Ref. Date riuv - 1 NKTL is "membership by donation' program and memberships are available to residents of the North Kohala District. The suggested donation is $30 per year, however, no one will be turned away if they choose not to make a donation for any reason. Like its name suggests, NKTL operates much like any library and most tools are free to check out for up to two weeks. Memberships, loans and inventory are managed through an online tool library software. At the moment, NKTL has over 400 tools in its inventory, all of which have been donated by the community and donations continue to arrive. NKTL strives to provide a variety of tools other than just the stereotypical "construction' tools. We also have automotive tools, party hosting equipment and hobby equipment, to name a few. We encourage folks to think of tools as "equipment that helps one to complete a project, task or activity." We are grateful to the Councilmember Evans and the County Council for considering us for this Contingency Relief Fund grant. This $3,000 grant will cover much of our budget, and specifically, the exact cost of N KTCs rent for 12 months. This will help to ensure that we are able to keep our doors open for our first operational year and do what we have worked so hard toward for the last two plus years, to serve our beloved North Kohala community. Mahalo for your consideration, v ✓ David Gibbs Founder / President North Kohala Tool Library 808.987.3116 david@nktoollibrary.org