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<br /> <br /> Oct 31 06 08:46a Elli Heritage-Mench 808-885-5583 P.1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> As a business owner with 2 locations in Kawaihae and as a member of the South Kohata Traffic <br /> Safety Committee and a member of the Advisory Board for the Hawaii Superfery, I wish to give <br /> this testmony to the County Council of Hawaii Island. <br /> Resolution 432-06 is a redundant piece of legislation fostered by one agency of our government <br /> not talking to another. <br /> It was originally announced by State DOT Harbors that work on a new Master Plan for Kawaihae <br /> Harbor, including an EIS, would be initiated this year, but plans were changed to doing the Master <br /> Plan at Kahului Harbor first with the consideration that Hawaii Superferry would commence <br /> service there first in 2007. The plans were announced as I recall at the Govemor's council <br /> meeting in Waimea some months ago by Barry Fukunaga, as best as I can recall. Hilo Harbor is <br /> also scheduled for an update on the Master Plan there. The process will include input from the <br /> community, businesses, county, all harbor users and residents, and it will at this point also have t <br /> addressinfraslructure changes due to the recent damage at Kawaihae. <br /> In speaking with Terry O'Halloran, Director of Business Development at Hawaii Superfarry, he <br /> indicated to me that Hawaii Superferry is in favor of and supports DOT Harbors in updating its <br /> Kawailhae Harbor Master Plan and all of the updates for Harbor Master Plans throughout the <br /> state, including having an EIS done at all affected harbors as a part of the 2025 Master Plan <br /> update. <br /> As reported in pacific Business News on October 4, 2006, the update process has begun in <br /> Kahului with the hiring by DOT Harbors of a consultant team including Beft Collins Hawaii and <br /> TEC Inc. These contractors have been directed to forecast marine activity through the year 2030 <br /> and figure out what facilities are needed to handle it. <br /> I was notable to reach Barry Fukunaga or Ian Bimey this morning to reconfirm the plans for <br /> Kawaihae Harbor, as both men are at a convention meeting in Kona at this time, but in light of <br /> there already being a plan in place to have this EIS performed by Hawaii DOT Harbors, I believe <br /> this legislation is narrow in scope, does not address the issue of the entire harbor, and is <br /> essentially redundant when an update of the Master Plan for the entire facility is already in the <br /> works. <br /> This information could be easily confirmed with a call to State DOT. <br /> Thank you for giving me an oportunity to testify before the council. <br /> Aloha, <br /> Q <br /> Gunner Mench <br /> PO BOX 6050 c-Z) <br /> Kamuela, HI 96743 Z -r t <br /> 808-885-5583 w <br /> w <br /> <br /> S` <br /> r Q <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 1 omm. No. VD <br /> Ref. To: Prev±eq-t A-A& <br /> Ref. Uate a 31 2446 <br />