HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0197.000 2004-2006 ~fY Oi y
d'"""''"+ Phone: (808) 961-8264
IRED G HOLSCHUH. M.D. i,,;
Connri(men~ber Fax: (g~R~ 961-8912
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HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL
County gjHcna~ai'i February 28, 2~(IS
Nou~~ii'i Coun(r Baildln¢ _
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TO: Gary Safarik, Chair, and Council Members `
FROM: Fred C. Holschuh, M.D., Council Member f-~ ~
SUBJECT: Request for Executive Session Briefing on Hokulia Litigation
In the wake of the alarming headline in the February 23, 2005 edition of West Hawaii
Today - "Hokulia Could Bankrupt County: Plaintiffs Threaten $250M Lawsuit" - I urge
you to request Mayor Kim and Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida to brief council
members in executive session on the status of pending litigation at the eazliest
opportunity.
As you may know, Planning Director Chris Yuen, Chief Engineer Dennis Lee and
De~uty Corporation Counsel Ivan Torigoe filed the County's opening brief on January
l8` in the appeal of Walter John Kelly, et al. v. 1250 Oceanside Partners, et al., Civil
Action No. 00-1-0192K, before the Hawaii Supreme Court.
Now, after the Supreme Court's denial of the county's request to expedite hearing of this
appeal and subsequent denial of a Writ of Mandamus filed by Hokulia lot owners, the
firm of Baker, Nahra and Keener, representing 96 Hokulia lot owners, has declared its
intent to seek damages from the county. A meeting with the county administration has
been requested by plaintiffs' attorney Robert Baker, tentatively in eazly Mazch.
Given the pace of these developments and the extraordinazy financial implications of the
pending lawsuit for the county and its citizens, I respectfully urge you to place this matter
on the council's agenda as soon as possible. In addition to a report on the appeal before
the Hawaii Supreme Court and the possible lawsuit by Hokulia owners, I ask that the
administration provide the council with guidance about any bills seeking to resolve the
Hokulia issue under consideration by the state legislature.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this request.
Cc: Mayor Harry Kim
Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida
Camm. fao.,~~~q-~--..
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LOT OWNERS' ATTORNEY TO TYRANNC
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WEST HAWAII TODAY
sloop@~westhawaiitodaycom $ClentlStSSaythey
In abSeriCe Of have recovered
The attorney for gs lot 70-million year-old
owners at Hokulia said he legislation, the lawsuit Soft tissues from ~
plans to file a claim against inside the bone. e
Hawaii County and the state pCOCeSS Will g0 forward. The find included t; ~;p-°
by mid-April, and that his ROBERT BAKER what appear to be r~. ~ t
clients will seek damages of ATTORNEY FOR LOT OWNERS blood vessels, and ~'`i~ J~
at least $250 million. REGARDING $250 MILLION SUIT possibly even ~
Robert Baker, a Los AGAINST HAWAII COUNTY ces,fmma
Angeles-based lawver, had 'I '
hoped the state Legislature ~ Tyrannosaurus Rex.
would remedy the situation ° '
through land use hills defin- lawsuit, a claim mitt be
ing legal developments on made against tho county and
agricultural land -lot nwn- state. He anticipates simul-
ers are cw'rently prohibited tancously filing against the r '
from building by a judicial county and stale in three to
ruling. four weeks. While Baker
But bills advanced out of a indicated in the past his The demineralized
Senate committee clients would seek damages fragment is flexible
Wednesday did not address of about $250 million, he and resilientarrd
the Hokulia quandary and said that figure will be re- when stretched
lawmakers said there is no evaluated. (arrows) returns to
other legislation that would `Tt certainly won't go any onginal shape. ~ "l.,_,
do so this session. lower" Baker said.
"In absence of lel,~islation, County Corporation - The fossil of Tyrannosaurus "Sue"
the lawsuit process will go Counsel Lincoln Ashida the National Science Museum in T
forward;' Baker said spoke Thursday in general tissue, including what may be bloc
Thursday from Los Angeles.
Baker said before filing a ? SEE LAWSUITS PAGE 4A
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