HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1155.011 2004-2006
November 20, 2006
Hawaii County Council
Council Chair Stacy Higa
Councilman Elect Yagong
We are the working families of O'okala. Most of us have been here for several
generations. We lived through the loss of the sugar industry and the economic hardship
that followed.
Like most people, we want a good future for our children, yet there is very little to keep
our kids in the town that we love. Much of our community now is retired and many of
the younger folks have moved away in search of better jobs. In the sugar days we had
hard jobs, but we also had a theater, a store, a school and a park. All of that is now gone.
We are now watching our nearest school (at Laupahoehoe) cut programs and lose
students. The threat that the school will soon close seems very real as young families
keep moving away.
It may be true that unemployment is low, but what few people seem to notice is that if
you are making minimum wage and driving 100 miles a day you are spending half of
your money on gas and car expenses. Some O'okala residents are working more than one
job just to make ends meet. When both parents must be away from home for 12 hours a
day or more, who is looking out for the keiki?
The prices of houses has gone up so much young working families have little chance to
buy a home. If our sons and daughters cannot buy a house here who will buy the houses
and what will become of our town?
We do not want to go back to the sugar days but there are many of us who are in favor of
responsible development, which could bring good jobs near our homes and create new
life for our town. We want to work with companies who offer good local jobs to make
sure that the development and the jobs they bring are as good as they can be for O'okala.
Our rural community was initially developed to house the workers of the Kaiwiki Sugar
Mill, which many refer to as the O'okala Sugar Mill. It was a thriving community and
was never intended to be a town deserted from economic development. After the demise
of the sugar industry, many of the workers were able to purchase their properties for
$1,100 (house and lot) because the roads, the water system and the homes were under-
developed and not in compliance with the Hawaii County Code. We, Ookala, then
became designated by the federal government as "Slum and Blight", which allowed us to
receive federal dollars to repair our roads, water systems and our homes. Others who
came from the outside to move into our community were also fortunate to be able to
purchase property and homes at a very low price because of the recent demise. They
were all aware that they were moving into a community that was under-developed and
that the properties that they recently purchased surrounded the defunct sugar mill.
Everyone was aware that our properties surrounded an area that was zoned for industrial
S .
Comm. No. l 11;
Ref. To: ressseled 14S G
Ref. Date
use. Now it is a time to bring life back into this community that was originally designed
for its economic development. Now it is time to rejuvenate and create educational and
recreational opportunities for our children. Now it is the time to create jobs for our
people so that they are given the opportunity to remain in their own community. Now is
the time to build healthy families in a healthy community.
You may have heard from some people who do not want a veneer mill and co-generation
plant in O'okala. We think that Tradewinds is working to do the right things for the
workers and for the environment. We want to hold Tradewinds accountable for the kind
of industry they have promised. We want to continue to work with them to make the jobs
and our town as good as it can be.
We do not want anyone to create issues to divide us. The time is here for a better life on
the Hamakua Coast and we ask your kokua in making it happen.
All of the signatures attached hereto are adults, 18 years and older, residing in O' okala.
By signing, I am acknowledging that I am a participant of this letter
to the Hawaii County Council dated November 20, 2006
PRINT NAME: / SIGNATURE:
3. e na q , _ r lbe)
be-Ply
,Uradre~
v s a l o z
1U ~rv`s~- ~-c!o z~
I I. men I-
12. , Azlo
13 44 ek
By signing, I am acknowledging that I am a participant of this letter
to the Hawaii County Council dated November 20, 2006
PRINT NAME: SIGNATURE: Lo 8,j=1
22, 6~WWQA PA CftY
23.
Zlv plvra 140%.Owl
21. fLc D C• G ~d .
2-1. ~S0ZC
21-
~1. r r I~,.JO,S~-„S
32' Sopt~i~ CGtbral_M~i;Kwi
33 ~ Ka NA OA ~v
I°~i~p I ER ` ~y
3~l Cl
By signing, I am acknowledging that I am a participant of this letter
to the Hawaii County Council dated November 20, 2006
PRINT NAME: SIGNATURE:
N'\ I
38 ~~A~ Gawt~ro~
4o. ~eron;cra M. vn UUIExiC4/
42.
;ell
49 a~
\IJ
e i C<,