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Mav•22. 2007 1 53PM KONA KOHALA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE No.1335 P• 2 e'g'g r. ~ Tc., KOMA-KOIIAL~, • ~ ?'75-5737 KUakiniHwy.,Suite208 CH/A~MBER ,^;rui (~l;:i t~~'I q Kailua-Kana,Ni9674o CiF CVMMERCE ~ Phone:808-329-1758 fax:808.329-8564 vaww,ko~a-kohala.com info@kona-kohala.com ;i=; , . . May 15, 2007 _ ~ - Hawaii County Couna7 i Public Works Ps Intergovernmental Relations Commitice , ~ $renda Ford, Chair 25 Aupuxii Street Hflo, HI 96720 w c~ Re Bill 51 Draft 2; Proposed Amendment 1p Chapter 27 of the HCC N Dear Chairperson Ford and Members of the Public Works Committee, 'Chia teatimo~ is on behalf of the Koss-Kohala Chamber of Commexce. The Kona-Kohala chamber of commerce (I~CCj represents nearly 750 business and individual members and is the leading businces advocacy organization on the west side of the Hawaii Is]and. The KKCC alas actively works to enhance the environment, unique lifestyle and quality of life in West Hawaii through sound growth politics and propez' P~g- The Chamber aerngnizes the rialrs and issues concerned with flooding an the Big Island and tar West Hawaii given the topography and the posabflity of heavy rainfall, albeit a relatively rare occurrence. We fully support the effor4s of the Public Works Department, and all branches of County adm3nisixation and the Coung7, in acekipg appropriate salieguarda, both adtministrative sad Prachcat, in reducing the potential for damage W property and m]mY to PcePti in the event of severe raztrfali. However, we also recognize the lark of effective flood cone mapging and inadequate igfarmatioa on which to base good Policy acrd Plamutrog in this area We uuden>6and the original intent of Siil 51 was mainly administrative is order ip firlflIl the req~riremeats of the National Flood Insurance Program and we strongly support this intention as a matter of urgerrey- Thus we support the passage of this revised (oxiglaal) admivistra*.eon draft immediately. Tire issue of flood control policy and regulation does need to be addressed seriously and in depth. We believe tlris requires much better information (mapping, etca and critical ingot front proiesbional engineers and flood control experts. Without this fmrudstion for review, any pr+aposed chaos may either present the potential for inadequacy or prove so onerous that they become unreasonable. Either scensu'io could poet major unintended consequences for the area We have been advised that engineers will confirm the level of parrd volume required to contra the water from a 100 year/24 hour flood becomes very large (2200 sq ft and 5 feet deep on a 1 acre lotj said since the watershed area is above almost all development, the grogerty and the properties below it wr71 still be subject m water flow. Du the Hilo side the pond area required wa71 be around 3 times as large, but in a severe storm the water will st~Tl flaw. Tire Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce believes answers to this must Mrr7te from engineer's and experts rather than well intentioned laymen. ~ ~ 6.38. Prbesfs-_7_ ~ vu!1G_ ~r j Red. ~61l~~ 1 2007