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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0042.047 2004-2006 i ~~o ~ My name is Morton Bassan. I reside on my South Point Road Ka'u Gold Orange Orchard. My perspective on this General Plan is warped by the lack of law enforcement's attention to crop theft and other kinds of agriterrorism. I closed down my orchard operations over a period of years reducing my work force from 55 to zero people. The cost of security without meaningful law enforcement exceeded the value of the crops I was able to protect and harvest. I support this general plan based on the ability to make interim amendments (per page 422) after it's adopted. The following are the amendments I think are needed to improve this General Plan. Ka'u Courses of Action page 66 The County shall assist the further development of agriculture in the area. To really help agriculture we need to change law enforcement's mindset regarding agriterrorism. It's one thing when a family steals a few oranges to feed themselves but it's altogether a different story when armed thieves steal truckloads of oranges to make a living. None of the people caught with or without police present were prosecuted. Somehow ag theft falls through the cracks within our law enforcement system. STANDARDS page 221 2.5 police officers per 1,000 resident population. Page 221 This type of allocation of police officers without regard to area patrolled allows rural areas to harbor criminals. Since Hilo and Kona have substantial populations they have a large enough police force to push criminals towards areas like Ka'u with only 2 policemen on duty per shift. We need a police officer allocation system that includes land area patrolled, as well as population. Particularly in Ka'u with only 2 police officers on duty per shift at any one time there just isn't adequate backup for the officers to arrest criminals. With this current County police standard the citizens and County end up tolerating crime. (Read newspaper article.) W ~ 4"t+ ?n o•o P o 1 ~ ~ w e' t 1 hetb~N. e ~ e ~vo Stc.ftf tiY a{~'•r.~0yl~ ju4.leJ~ d" Pr: jeHS, Ka'u Profile pages 225 and 230/_ In addition to the 14 Ka'u police officers available (allowing only 2 per shift) we need 3 officers per shift increasing police officers in Ka'u to 21. Since we don't have any full time police detectives in Ka'u any detective work requires a 3 hour round trip drive for a detective to come from either the Hilo or Kona police stations to Ka'u. As such we need 2 full time detectives assigned to Ka'u, with one specializing in rural crime. Ka'u Profile page 254 Pursue groundwater source investigation, exploration and well development at Ocean View, Pahala, and Waiohinu. The moratorium on water meters from Kiolaka'a to and along South Point Road is not based on an inadequate water supply -the Comm. No. Y2' Ref. To: Preseete/ C~ Ref. Date moratorium is based on Ha'ao Springs distribution pipeline being only 4 inches in diameter and so old that it can't tape any added water pressure. The distribution pipe is so old and weak that when. there's a break the water supply repair personnel have to repair the pipe with water running; if they close a valve the water pressure builds up bursting trae pipe. We simply need a-new larger diameter pipe capable of carrying the already existing water from Ha'ao Springs. agriculture INTI~ODiJCTION AND ANALYSIS, page 343. Distinguish between "important agricultural and other agricultural land°° page 344. GOALS page 345 °°Preserve and enhance opportunities for the expansion of Ilawaii's Agricultural industry. POLICIES page 345 Much is said about assisting agriculture grow but the County encouraging rural law enforcement, including a policy on prosecuting crop thieves as well as buyers and distributors of stolen produce, is simply not addressed. I~a'u Profile page 353 The lack of an adequate water supply is one of the major limitatations to further agricultural development iii the district. I drilled a well but my Ka'u Gold Orange farm was basically put out of business by organised crop thieves with a complete distribution and marketing network. My yields before and after my water development remained about the same. I'm not saying we should disregard water - I'm saying we should focus on protecting crops from th=~.criminal element as the crops we plant come ready for harvesting. We also need- to change the mind set about crop and other agricultural crimes from 'Thegr aren't really crimes' to 'X"es, they're very serious crimes.' Ka'u Profile pages 364, 365 Commercial activities in the I~a'u district are concentrated in the communities of Pahala, Naalehu, and Waiohinu and in the area of the Iiuva~aii Volcanoes National Park....... Centralization of eoYnmercial activity in the communities of Pahala, Naalehu, and Ocead View aa~d in the area of the Volcanoes National Park-shall be considered. With the opening of I-Iawaii Volcanoes 1~Tational Park Kahuku entrance we need to plan additional commercial activities arising from the Kahuku entrance down along South Point Road. I~a'u Profile page 407 Tourism activity in the Ka'u District has been limited to Punaluu and the Volcano areas. We need to now include the Kahuku Volcano and South Point areas in Ka'u Tourism. Finally On the LUPAG Ag. Map 18 "ORCHARDS TO IMPORTANT AG LANDS, KAU" and 19 "ORCHARDS TO EXTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL LANDS, KAU" I see inconsistent application of going from orchard to important /extensive agricultural land. The existing orchard land above the junction of the main highway and the South Point Road is proposed to become "Extensive Ag Land" while the land below composed from the same lava flows with considerably less rainfall and more wind is proposed to become "Important Ag Land". The entire area should be "EXTENSIVE AG LANDS". Boogie boarders get ready to leave Hapuna beach as the sun sets. ncess~onaire eac co State hopes to privatize some of the pa By DAVE SMITH located between the Mauna Kea and Mauna ible regart Tribune-Heraldstoff writer Lani resorts. could inch The state is ready to look for companies "It's looking at pretty much [he whole new restro that want to prepare and operate camping undeveloped area," he said. The most likely Hapuna's h facilities at Hapuna Beach State Park. areas for camping would be just south of aging A-fra The Division of State Parks today will ask Hapuna, on both sides of the old Puako road. Quinn sa the Board of Land and Natural Resources for While the concession is expected to bring West Hawai permission to seek proposals for camping and [he state some revenue, Quinn said the real "We have other concessions at the popular South Kohala value of the proposal is to provide badly need- ties along th park. ed recreational activities. Camping Dan Quinn, head of the state parks division, Officials have acknowledged that the cash- state parks o said proposals should be in keeping with a strapped state is struggling to maintain exist- side of the Bi 2001 master plan for expansion at Hapuna. He ing facilities, let alone establish and maintain said proposals will be entertained for the entire new ones. Hapuna's Spa 464-acre Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area Quinn said the state intends to remain flex- Ka`u patrols Senn Police in remote area i~`~~_~~ are far from any backup A&E D, Today's weather Low-income By KARENIWAMOTO Classified Fl Page AZ houses plan Stephens Media Group - vacant land If it weren't for the sign on the Comics F,ll ll highway, you could easily drive past Commentary A6 ey JASON ARMS' the Naalehu Police Station. z Tribune-Herald sta. The unobtrusive, single-story Crossword D3 ' A $5.4 million hou building is usually staffed with just Dear Abby D3 for very low-income two police officers and a captain dur- Horoscope D3 planned for vacant la ing the day. Those officers patrol County owns in Hilo. Ka`u, a district [hat encompasses Movies D2 The nonprofit Hav more than 40 linear miles and obituaries A2 Community Developn includes Pahala, Naalehu, Waiohinu, public notices Fz has proposed building t South Point, Discovery Harbor and Kinoole Senior Reside. Ocean View. Sports Bt one-acre site at Kin Kahao ea streets. While it's often difficult to cover Stocks E8 ~ P the entire area effectively with only - Purchased by the c two officers on duty, the station's cap- _ . - y, - 1983, the property once t fain said his district gets very few - ° S7.2p}reT1S II I I I building converted for calls, especially in comparison to Hilo idl~'~ t.S women's shelter. It has si and Kona. GrOU demolished. p 0 58551 00050 5 See PATROL Page A8 See SENIOR wnwiuwue~, ~ caunor tnmK of a sne said. ttons Public Charte[ School at Hunter Bishop con he reached a[ better way to share our aloha," Floral, a native of Detroit, the invitation of principal John hunter@hawaiirribune-herald.com. l~ATROL From front page TREE FOR THE TROOPS "It's slow, it's definitely the officer there. slow here," said Capt. Robert Kaaua said most calls tend Kaaua. "The only districts to originate in Ocean View, an ~,gw" more quiet than us are North area he said has seen tremen- Hilo and North Kohala." dour growth in the past two "What 1 really enjoy about years. He estimated at least my job is the quality of time it 4,000 people living in Ocean affords me to spend talking View and about 5,500 living in as r,. with people in the community," all of Ka`u. ~ j he added. "If I were in Kona, Kaaua, who grew up in y ~ ttking call after call, I wouldn't Pahala, graduated from Ka`u have the time that I have het." High School and lives in Hilo, " , Tuesday, there were fewer said Ka`u has changed drasti- ~ ' ~ than 10 calls tot' the two otti- catty since he was child. cers on the day shift. Common complaints his By mid-morning, the offi- officers receive include bark- ~ cers had responded to about ing dogs, all-terrain vehicle five minor calls, which include riders on public highways, complaints and traffic viola- [heft of farm products and lions. One caller reported gun- gasoline. ~ shots in Ocean View -but He said he's already t told the police dispatcher the received six reports of stolen ~ gunshots occurred three days gasoline from one station alone ago and she hadn't bothered to - a high number for his dis- call in a complaint until Tnes- trio. c day. "But the thing you have got In such cases, officers can to understand is that everything c~ do little more than take down shuts down early here," he the complaint, Kaaua said, added. "If you're coming from At theTribune-Herald's office on Wednesday. office manag- because there aren't enough Kona after 5 p.m. and you run er Kathy Hiqaki, left, executive secretary Haunani Ogata, officers to search for the person out of gas, nothing's open" center,and advertising manager Alice Sledge,right,putthe w who may have done the shoo[- There is little to do in genet- finishing touches on a Christmas tree honoring U.S.troops. na ing. al, he said, and few economic ]3 If the person calls when the opportunities-. S f7 ~ ~ ~ y ~ ~ shooting is in progress, officers "h takes a special kind of V ~ ¦ YY ¦ j./ et ds tre dispatched and have abet- officer to work in Ka'u," Kaaua The Tribune-Herald has a troops in the tree. If you er chance of finding the sus- said. "It needs to by somebody special Christmas tree in its would like to bring a photo, sc reel, he added. who can communicate with the lobby this year. The tree is please make sure it's a dupli- n But sometimes, the officers community and work out a decorated with dozens of Cate as photos will not be da re Corced to make tough deci- solution instead of just imme- yellow "support the troops" returned. ce ions due to a lack of manpower. diately arresting the person, ribbons to honor the men and After the holidays, the Rt As an example, Kaaua because you never know how women serving in Iraq and Tribune-Herald will publish escribed an incident when one the situation might turn on you Afghanistan. Among them is a full page of photos con- fticer patrolling Pahala spot- and you only have one other Tribune-Herald employee taining all of the pictures ;d a man wanted on an out- officer backing you up" Brendyn Valensona, whose submitted by the public. The anding warrant driving up When high-pressure situa- photo is nestled in the tree, images also will be placed ne of the sheets. The officer lions requiring the immediate The Tribune-Herald on theTribune-Herald's Web arced to follow the cur, but attention of many officers invites the public to visit its site, so troops stationed ter cai pit when a domestic distur- arise, off-duty patrol officers office at 355 Kinoole St. and away from home can enjoy State V race was reported in Ocean and officers from Kona are hang photos of other U.S. them. ?ear th~ iew. He instead went to assist called in to assist. Can. a half . R A C u parks it 1'1J(~ From front page none is coastlin South 1 rsat.io left his girlfriend's Accord at Ketnoelehua Avenue Rosario came to the Big Island ing off in their father's car. Hapuna .~_i_ ~_v.' _ rr.. ..tee ..e.~L:.... c__.,..__