HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0608.007 2000-2002 Testimony before I~awaii County Council 3-23-0~ ~t"~~"'
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Subject : Support for Sill X20 ~ Sill X13 as written r_~~~~,i
My name is Richard Soyd and I'm a 10 year resident of I~awi in North
Kohala. Tonight I'm speaking for Kakoo. Kakoo is an environmental non
profit of about 300 families based in North Kohala and around the islands.
In X000 there was a millennium reunion in North Kohala. This celebration
was organized by old timers . Sy that I mean those who were born and
attended school out in North Kohala. ~urin~ that reunion attended by old
timers and new comers alike, there was a vision plan put together. We met
in small groups and identified the priorities as presented by participants.
When the small group meetings were pau there was a large gathering and
the priorities were tallied. The number one and two concerns were
access and cultural and historical preservation. 1`his is important because
it is the only time such a cross section of our community sat down together
and put forth their hopes and ideas. In my tenure in NK I never heard of
another such gathering. No one ethnic group dominated and people
spoke honestly and without fear. Access and preservation. Those were
the two most important concerns. So in reality tonight l may be speaking
for a lot of those same people.
The two bills before you will close loopholes in the existing laws that
would have made the task ahead for us in North kohala a lot easier. It will
also help those in I~amakua and Kau facing the same issues soon if not
already. The break up and sale of large tracks of land. More owners,
more access issues.
The old law was bent, twisted and perverted by unscrupulous speculators
and developers who milked every lot possible out of large tracts of land.
You can't blame speculators and developers for using whatever the law
allows to milk as much profit out of an investment as they can. And they
are good at it. On Oahu I was both a realtor and contractor so l know
there is a different mind set with these people. Sut tonight is your chance
to close the loopholes and bring and end to these if not unethical at the
very least immoral practices. I urge you to pass these two pieces of
legislation before you as is........please no last minute amendments.
Thank you
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