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From: Council Testimony (councittestimony~co.hawaii.hi.us)
To: hawaiicountycouncil~yahoo.com
Date: Tuesday, November 2Q ?007 8:10:03 AM
Subject: FW : Comment on Bill 51, Draft 6
From: Charles Flaherty [mailto:oneheart@abha.net~
Sant: Tuesday, Navemtxr 70, 2007 1:27 AP4
To: counciltestimony@co.hawaii.hi.us
tc: 'Ford, Brenda'; 'Hoffmann, Pete'; '(bnaki Ikeda'; jjaco@co.hawaii.hi.us; shiga@co.hawaii.hi.us;
enaenle@co.hawaii.hi.tK; KAPJ! AC+Q@r'n.hawaii.hi.us;'Tkrnin~ Y~rnrg'; jynchirnntn~tlm.hawaii.hi.uc
Subject: Comment on Bill 51, Draft 6
Aloha mai Chairman Hoffmann and members of the Hawaii County Council,
Well, congratulations...you've made the NFIP deadline. But my congratulations stop there because the
Hokuli'a settlement deadline was over one Year ago and nothing has been done to reduce flood risk in
our county.
An article in Sunday's West Hawaii Today trumpeted Bill 51, Draft 6 as exceeding minimum National
Mood insurance i'ragram (Null'} standards. 13ut a8er Council member Fcxd's incredible effort to
educate this Council and the general public about flood control, I hope you understand that article was
nothing more than propaganda. If there were a race between Bill 5 i, Draft G and minimum NFIP
standards, it would be a photo finish.
I hope this Council realizes that Bi1151, Draft does absolutely nothing to protect the numerous
community members who have testiticd before this Council about their personal Hooding experiences.
If the 50-foot buffer zone proposed in this bill had been in effect 20-years ago, it still would have not
have prevented these people from flooding. Their homes lie far outside of the buffer zone. And this bill
does nothing to prevent mare community members from being Hooded by future development. Anyone
who says otherwise is simply playing politics at the expense of the public's health, safety, and welfare.
Futthcr, this bill dc3chs nothing Co raise our oounty's rating withiai the (;ominunity Rati~~g System. it will
not reduce flood insurance premiums.
I would like to remind this Crxmcil, MaycxKin~, arxl tkpartment of Public Works ilirectcx 1lruce
McClure that you have already committed to a Joimt Council-Administration effort to reduce flood risk,
protect the public health, safety, and welfare, and minimize property damage. I and other members of
the public cxpc;c;C yrx~ to follow-thrrwgh with that con~tuitmcnt...a~id saxi.
I also expect certain members of the professional engineering and architectural community who have
practical eslx:rioru:c: wNh A<xxling in <xu <xunnxrnity to u~mc fat t.h with specific legislative language to
correct existing problems caused by ineffective government tegulatiom and imappropriate development in
flash flood risk areas.
lvlahalo,
Charles Flaherty
Comm. IVo. • ~-~-5-
Ref. To: h~~U-
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Ref. Date RUd 0~
http://us.mg2.mail.yahoo.com/dc/launch?.rand=11ka8791agens 11/20/2007