HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0176.146 2006-2008 Page 1 of 2
Murashige, Laura
From: Beverly Halling [hailing@hawaii.rccom] ~~j f.~t _1 ~ (~~i
Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 7:38 AM y~ J
To: GeoMike5@att.net; counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: Ford, Brenda; Naeole, Emily; Pilago, K. Angel; Hoffmann, Pete;'Hig~; 'Stacy; Yagong, Dominic;
Ikeda, Donald; jyashimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us; Jacobson, Bob
Subject: Re: Bill 51 Flood Control
County Council of Hawaii,
I could not have said it better than Mike Reimers did in his email message to you!
County Council Members who pretend to have the best interest of this Sacred Island and her people at heart, but
continue to play politics and allow certain developers the ability to run slipshod over the rules and regulations and
over other property owners need to give serious thought as to whether or not they belong on the County Council.
What is the main purpose of the County Council? Is it to make sure rules and regulations are not put into place
and/or not enforced by the County Departments that will adversely affect the pocket books of the developers??
No! The main purpose of having a County Council is to protect this special island and her citizens from improper
development caused by certain developers whose prime concern is not the well being of this island but the well
being of their coffers!
Wake up and smell the Kona Coffee folks! Pass Bill 51 and its drafts and amendments. Prove that you have a
sincere interest in common sense protection of the citizens of this County and her land. Put into place, then follow,
up and see to it that the County Departments enforce Bill 51, its drafts and amendments on all developers.
The property between Ali'i Lani and Ali'i Gardens Market on Ali'i Drive is a prime example of allowing developers
to proceed without any oversight by the County Departments in charge. Until one of the Ali'i Lani residents made
an issue with the County powers that be, this property was being grubbed without proper permits, etc. It was only
after a citizen made a fuss that the proper County Department stepped in and put a stop to it. This was months
ago. The project has been at a standstill ever since. They must have broken a lot of rules to sit idle for months
and months. We now get to look at a huge black plastic wall along Ali'i Drive between Ali'i Lani and the Garden
Market and across from the Resort Hotels along the other side of Ali i Drive. This wall is supposed to hide the
destruction of stone walls, trees, etc.
For the ultimate good of Hawaii County, please pay attention to what we citizens are telling you. Hopefully the
rains coming down from a sky that literally opened up this morning will give you a clue as to what lack of proper
flood control could do. Maybe the Goddess Pele' ordered this downpour to wake up the County Council to the
problems they create when they side with developers against the good of Her Sacred Island.
Aloha,
Beverly Halling
Original Message
From: GeoMike5@att.net
To: counciltestimonvCcaco.hawaii.hi.us
Cc: bford(a~co.hawaii.hi.us ; enaeole co.hawaji.hi.us ; kaoilaao, co.hawaii.hi.us ;
phommann@co hawaii.hi us ; shioa@co.hawaii.hi.us ; dyagon~c co.hawaii.hi,us ; _dikeda co.hawaiihi.us ;
jyashimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us ; "aco co.hawaii.hi.us
Sent: Sunday, July 22, 2007 5:37 AM
Subject: Bill 51 Flood Control
Comm. No. ~ 7G
Ref. To:~~
7/23/2007 Ref. Dote,,,,_~~_~.
Page 2 of 2
Aloha, County Council Members:
I am providing testimony on Bi1151 and its drafts and amendments on Flood Control.
I urge the Council to pass this legislation without delay.
You have heazd the testimony with the preponderance of evidence showing how Bi1151 will protect
the residents of the Island and how it will meet the requirements of FEMA and flood insurance issues.
You have been given examples of violations of both FEMA and EPA requirements of certain
developers and numerous broken promises on providing engineering reports and maps after they have
been given approval by various Commissions and even the Council to proceed. You have seen
examples where developers proceed without proper permitting.
No district of the Island is free from flooding dangers. Development in or rerouting flood plains
requires special engineering attention to prevent worsening flood potential. It is not unreasonable for
those issues to be addressed. The developers and their support groups all complain that it will cost
them more money to develop properties if Bi1151 passes. Realistically, the cost will be in the
engineering design and application to meet the requirements established in Bi1151. Simply put, it will
require some land to be set aside for flood control measures. That may result in a fewer but a small
number of homes or apartments being built on a pazticular property b ut there is no doubt that it will
protect citizens from flood problems and, in the long run, will not only lower flooding risk but be
fiscally prudent.
The Council already has made numerous compromises in favor of the developers and now it is time for
the Council to protect the citizens of this Island from the blatant disregard for law and regulation, and
the property, safety and well being of the citizens.
If the Council does not pass for Bi1151 and its amendments, then it is doing the Island Community a
great disservice and our hope after the last election has gone the way of the Hawaiian Akialoa* -
extinct! We the people will have been undercut in favor to the special interests by the same
representatives we elected and depend upon to protect us.
Pass Bi1151.
Sincerely,
Michael Reimer
Kailua-Kona
GeoMikeS cr a_tt.net
July 22, 2007
*The Hawaiian Akialoa was an avian species of honeycreeper endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It was
a small bird with olive green feathers, and a large curved bill. It was last seen on Hawaii in the eazly
1900s and Kauai in 1967. Habitat encroachment is thought to have played a role in its extinction.
7/23/2007