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Pari$, Charlotte
Sent: Monday, November 01, 2005 3.10 PM
To: Hoffmann, Pete
Subject: drart letter of testimony, for your input
(Thank you for our chat. This is a rough draft of a letter, however I'm now seriously considering turning it info a
speech and basically reading it in tomorrow's testimony period, from your office. You are a very persuasive manl
Please give input on what to keep, toss, or edit - I'd very much appreciate your confidential guidance on the
content and strategy. I thought Linda had a wonderful point the more I thought about it, so I threw In a coupe
sentences to reflect that too.
Dear Councilman Hoffman,
I, and many of our neighbors, joined you and spoke at a citizens' forum in October 2005 in V~Jaimea to express
serious concerns about flood conditions in Waimea and about proposed residential building in our
neighborhoods.
This testimony is to state strongly that, before one more home or development is approved by the County fC~ the
Waimea area, the conditions MUST be fixed that presently and historically cause for our homes to flood. hlr~re
structures will increase the terrible problem that has already damaged many homes and threatened human ivc s.
It would be negligent of the County to allow more homes to be developed before fixing a problem we clearly
have. You have heard hours of testimony on these problems. Let's not pretend they don't exist.
Our own experience: Steve and 1 own a home on just under six acres south of Mamalahoa by Hohola Street In
March 2004, and again in April 2004, in rains that initially were rumored as "100 year" but eventually were d~~flred
as "25 year rains," a section of our home was flooded in fast rivers of water. The flow was so strong that an aeult
fit male residing in an adjacent property tried but could not cross to help us. The road was blocked to all trafric.
Clogged culverts above us with huge amounts of accumulated debris were photographed by another Height ar,
reflecting inadequate protection and poor County maintenance It took us several months, and more than se>vera!
thousand dollars, to recover from the incident.
This was the first time in history that our property had ever flooded, to anyone's knowledge or by any recordv.
Our particular home and property structures are not located within agovernment-designated flood zone. As such.
we never anticipated such flooding on our property, and to our knowledge it never occurred previously on C~ s
parcel.
Through the events that followed, Steve and I came to understand that this problem would most likely have ievar
occurred had the County more responslbry done Its job in recent year in maintaining Culverts and granting (c r I
should say not granting) building approvals on plans to develop housing in the hills above us. with scanty
drainage provisions.
The Federal Agricultural Department walked and studied our property and the sunounding area for damage
shortly after the storms. They sent in their local staff (Gerry Williams and others, stationed here on our Island; as
well as supervisors and specialists who flew in from Honolulu. We were told in absolute terms that the flootl!nc
was caused by housing having been developed in recent years in the hills above us (on the north side of the
highway) without proper planning by the government and by developers. It was explained that as housing aid
structures go up. more and more impervious land surfaces are created, and that, simply stated, building approvals
were given without the necessary provisions for proper drainage to protect what already existed. When nett Ovate'
has no land to soak into or planned avenues to flow, It flows to lower points, and homes (dr markets, or stree~~ }
flood. That is what happened to us, and others.
At the time of the 2004 floods, our daughter was seven years old. There is no question that a child could
potentially drown In water conditions that are so severe that strong men cannot pass due to the intensive ru::h of
the water. As a mother, this is perhaps where my deepest concerns fall. We do have videotape of the rushing
Comm. No.__ ~'f q 3.3
11/8/2005 Ref. TosPresestwd ~ -
Re#. Uate,~iOV R ~nn~
• - Page ~ of
water if it would be of fielp to you and your fellow council members to reconstruct these conditions. Memory cen
be short. Other families at the October zoos citizens' forum In Waimea also testified to terrirying conditions ,vita
children, caused by these and other floods and the poor planning at the County level for proper drainage in nur
neighborhoods, and tha poor County maintenance of culverts and drains.
WithOUt lasing lives, we have enough evi~Ience from our collective experiences in this region to tell us that
approvals for subdividing land for residential development could endanger the health and safety of xcupams. It
is not a safe thing to do. Our region is subject to periodic inundation off water. We do not have adequate systems
in place to contain waters from our periodic strong storms here in Waimea.
Steve and I chose not to sue the County or seek other avenues for remuneration. Rather, at our own expense, wF
secured professional consultation after our property flooded, and we spent thousands of dollars to efficiently
improve our own land conditions and to redirect waters from our living area to disperse within our privatelyc wneG
large open pasture, in preparation for future heavy rains. Our intervention seems to be working well so far. Our
immediate neighbors (the Johnstons), who own 21 acres, did a similar treatment on their property. We and the
Johnstons are examples of residents who proactively spent dollars and effort to protect our properties and
families, even though the problem was created by poor governmental planning. Likewise, we have met as <
group of families (representing approximately ten or twelve propenies) to see how we can help protect ourselves
and one another.
We are now asking that the County Council step in and do its job to wrrect the problems that have come about
from permitting building to occur without proper regartl to water management, and from other such events
Specifically, we are requesting that the County allocate funds and take immediate steps to develop and
implement a responsible strategy for the Waimea neighborhoods at large for water containment. We are IikNwisa
requesting that the County not approve further housing developments in our area of Waimea until this problF=.m is
fixed, in accordance v~ith professional standards. After existing conditions and appropriate drainage systems (and
maintenance for them) are in place at the County's expense, perhaps any further local development could Sava
sound plans at the developers' cost to ensure proper drainage and could carry the relevant liability to ensure that
our properties and families are not damagetl as a result of their building.
Gerry Williams of the referenced federal ofFice testified in the recent community forum and speaks from yetns ut
knowledge on this topic. Between Gerry and others, we have the intelligence on our Island to understand the
need for appropriate water wntainment and do the right thing about it. It is certainly time to do it.
Thank you Tor your concern.
Sincerely,
11 /8/2005
Page 1 0!' r
Paris, Charlotte
Sent: Montlay, November 07, 20053;13 PM ~.~~I~ ~ I; ij~ ~
To: Hoffmann. Pete
SubJect: P.S. re Gerry W
rJC~Y.
P.S. I located Gerry Williams' number in my records in case you want to call him. I agree that his testimony
would be of great impact. His number is 608 B85-6602 x 104.
Mahalo,
Post•iP Fax Note 7671 °ats, l pa°ges~
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CO pt. ~ Co.
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11/8/2005