HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0620.043 2022-2024 p/Cou.nci l
112-2S
COMM.WO
From: Janice Glennie
Sent: Sunday, December 03, 2023 1:14 PM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Villegas, Rebecca
Subject: Vote "no" Resolution 372-23; County must protect Public Trust Resources
r i .�
77.
Deny Reso 372-23 ° cp
Aloha council members, °f;
Too many times in my 40-plus years living in Hawai'i, the public has been tasked with forcing the state ors.'
county governments to do what they were meant to do: uphold the Public Trust Doctrine and the St?e ..•
constitution. (The Hawai'i Supreme Court described the public trust doctrine as "the right of the people to have
the waters protected for their use [which] demands adequate provision for traditional and customary Hawaiian
rights, wildlife, maintenance of ecological balance and scenic beauty, and the preservation and enhancement
of the waters . . .").
Taxpayers should not be asked to pay to fight against efforts to protect their well-being as is the case in the
lawsuit brought forward by Earth Justice on behalf of Hui Malama Honokohau. This group and its legal team
are working on behalf of citizens of this county who want to stop the County administration from
discharging millions of gallons of illegally treated, substandard sewage water into our aquifer and, in particular,
groundwater deemed critical to the well-being of our host culture.
As we've seen, this same kind of appeal by the county of Maui led to a big, time-and resource-draining fight
that wouldn't have happened if the county had just done their job to begin with. Why have a Hawai'i County
sequel that could cost taxpayers far more than $200,000?
Please deny the request for legal funds asked for in Reso 372-23. Instead, use your power to insure that the
administration does the work it is entrusted with and paid to do: Protect the people of Hawai'i and uphold the
State Constitution by bringing the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant up to legal, healthy and sustainable
standards.
Mahalo and best,
Jaince palma-glennie
Kailua-kona
Comm. No 0.4
Ref. To: JII U(MI
Ref. Date DEC - 6 2U?3