The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0020.000 2000-2002 r<~ Or M~ ~•L~ Ham' Kim - _ Dlxle Kaetsu 4layor ~ ~ ' i Hanagmg Duector +n Yeier T Young _ Deputy' 4lanagmg Duector (~uunty of ~~t~ai`f' 25 aupum SVaeL Room 215 • Hilo, Hawai t 96720-42'2 • (SON) 961-8211 • Far (808) 961-6??3 AO\ q 7?-<706 Kuaktm Htghwa)', Suite I OJ • Kailua-hona, Hawai t 96740 (808)729-5226 . Far (ROS}726-?667 December 6, 2000 The Honorable Chairman James Y Arakaki And Members of the County Council County of Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Dear Chairman Arakaki and Members It is my pleasure to submit for your confirmation the appointment of Christopher ] Yuen as County of Hawaii Director of Planning pursuant to the Charter of the County of Hawaii This appointment was effective at 12 00 noon on Monday, December 4, 2000 Mr Yuen has been in private practice of law since 1987, and served two terms as the Hawal'i Island member of the Board of Land and Natural Resources, from 1990 through 1998 Mr Yuen will serve a term co-terminus with my tenure, which will end on December 6, 2004 Thank you for your favorable consideration of this appointment If you have any questions about this matter, please feel free to call me Aloha, I~, Harry Kim MAYOR Attachment COUNCIL ACTION DUE BY Feb, 5, 2001 (LATcST SCHEDULED GCUIVGIL t:Er.TII:G - Jan. 24 , 2001 ) Comm \o. ~0 L'ile No w r:al. Tc Hef. Date DEC U ? 2000 Christopher J Yuen EDUCATION William S Richardson School of Law Juns Doctor, 1982 State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Master of Science, Environmental Science, 1980 Stanford University Bachelor's Degree, Human Biology, 1974 Saint Joseph High School Hdo, Hawan PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 11/87 to Present Private Practice of Law Representing clients m state and federal court, primarily m civil litigation 1982 to 1987 Office of the Corporation Counsel. County of Hawaii Deputy Corporation Counsel Represemed the County ur civil cases, and advised departments 1978 to 1979 National Park Service Interpretive Naturalist Wrote mterprelrve plan for Kalapana section of Hawar i G'olcanoes Natrona! Park In 1977 Hawaii 2000, Inc Planner Prepared laird use plan for Hawar'~ 2000 Outdoor Education Cen[er LAND-USE RELATED ACT/VITIES 1990 to 1998 Board of Land and Natural Resources. State of Hawaii Hawaii Island Member Member of the execupve board admuusteru:g state departmen[ responsible for /he land use plmrntng and regrdanon of 2 mtllrw: acres of conservatton land, and management of 14 mrllron acres of stnte land Mayor acpvrhes NegottatedAwake'e-Manun'owah land exchange Revrsro» of conservatrorr district rules Approval of Strategte Land Management Plnn for state agrrcrdhrral lands C'orrservahon District Management Plan Review of more thmr 600 Conservation Dtstrrct Use Permits Ftrral deersrwr-ma/nng ar all major crew uses ut the conservation d~slrrc[ Approval of master plans for Kekaha Kar State Park and Kealakekua Bay State Htstorrcal Park 1995 to 1998 Task Force planning Kekaha Kar State Park 1998 to Present Ka `Ahahur o Pu'uwa'awa'a Vice President (,ommunrty group preparvng a multi-use plan for the -!0, 000 acre uhupua'a of Prr':twa'awa'a Hawaii Stream Assessment Project Member of group which advised the Nax~ar'r Scream Assessment Project on plamung for streams ar the island of Hawar'r Friends of Makalawena Organizer of a group to preserve coastal arms nr West Hawar'r x~htch culmtrrated rtr the Kekaha Ka[ Stale Park, a -1.i mile long, 1, 300 acre coastal park 1987 to 1989 Citizen's Advrsor~Panel to West Hawaii Plan Coordurated crtrzerr's group advrsrrrg the Office of State Planning on the West Hawar'r Plarr 1974 to 1977 Kalapana Community Organization Chair of Planning Commrt[ee Puna Community Development Plan Committee member Orgarazed campaign to protect Keaukaha shoreline ui 197/, which led to the County's parchase of Richardson and Carlsmrth properties for parks Aloha Fttends Counctl Chairman Arakaki , Hawau County Counctl ~ ~ i 2J Aupum St Hilo, Hawau 96'20 Fay 961-5912 Dzar Mi Arakakr, The Hawatl County comnmmty supports Mayor Ktm's appointment of Chris Yuen as Planning Duzctor The past years have been a vial for [hose of us who had to work with V trgmia Goldstein and former Mayor Yamashiro's Planning Commission Sunshine laws seemed non existent Many dectvons have been m clear conflict with the County Genzral Plan and comnrumty wishes e'v'e feel strongly that Mr Yuen will be fay minded, and will take appropriate sups to curtail mappropna[e development Mi 1'uen's eligibility is being attacked by development interests, m spne of his dzmonsva[ed quah£cahons for thz fob He was instrumzntal m the planning and creation of Kona Coast State Park at blahamla He was a member of the state Board of Land and Natural Resources from 1990 to ] 998 He also has served on a number of environmental and planning orean¢auons, including the Hawau Sveam Assessment Project and the Vv'est Hawau Plan Quzeii s Advisory Panel As a pmate attorney, he successfully argued a property tights cast before the U S Supreme Court m 199, Chas 1 uzn Mill do an ez~ellent fob And he wdl bruig credibility back to [hz Count} planning process Please urge the County Council to confirm Chus Yuen s appointment l rv ould like to add that 1've seen Ctvis Yuen speak at public hearings and have ahvays found him to be fay minded and well mfomted as to law• and procedure I have not always agreed wnh the position that he has taken on every der zlopment, but the things that he has said havz always been pertinent and important 1 cannot imagine a bener appomtez for this posnwn Smcerek \amz ~ ?moo ~ Address ~O Phone Vtmber ~o~ 3 Z~ -.-~j-~I Gomm. No. 20• IPile \o Kef. To Aef. Date UEC 0 8 2000