HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0609.011 2022-2024 P/Council
bill 107
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Testimony on Bill 107 before the Hawaii County Council 12/20/23
Submitted by: Gary Saito,resident of Kea'au t=rrl .
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ALOHA Council Members: 9y
I want to start out by stating the obvious,by acknowledging what has been known for a decade. (Pima ...T
is the fastest growing community in Hawaii County and in the State of Hawaii. Its growth has been
exponential in the last 5 decades.
The infrastructure in Puna has not kept up with the explosion in the population. Most roads that serve
this vast community are undeveloped and unmaintained. Many are one- or two-lane dirt or gravel roads
that are hard to navigate. The improved roads like Highway 130 that are paved and traverse towns like
Pahoa and Kea'au barely meet the needs of commuters on a normal workday. In a crisis or emergency
like a disaster, it would fail to provide an adequate means of evacuation,of ingress for emergency
vehicles and of egress of fleeing families. The scenario could be a Lahaina all over again.
What we have is the benefit of foresight. We have time to plan for and do something meaningful to
mitigate a disastrous situation. We know the factors that contribute to a crisis such as drought conditions,
high winds,unmanaged foliage, lack of sufficient water resources, population density, and inadequate
transportation routes. We can learn from the experiences of others and try to be better stewards of our
own destiny.
When what MIGHT happen DOES happen,it's too late to say we "should have,we"could have".
We need to begin creating a real solution TODAY. It starts TODAY. We already know the risk factors.
We have seen the devastating effects of inaction, of action taken too late,of being blindsided by disaster
due to negligence in taking meaningful action when it would have made a difference.
I urge this council to approve this appropriation because it will mean we take the first step toward
meaningful mitigation of what could be a devastating yet avoidable crisis.
Mahalo for your consideration,
Gary Saito
Comm. . .
Ref. To:
Ref. Date DEC 2 0 2023