HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0488.065 2008-2010
i
County Council 9 AM Wed. Nov. 3, 2009
Ben Franklin Bldg, Hilo
Ms. Cory (Martha) Harden, PO Box 10265, Hilo, Occupied Hawaii 96-21
808-968-8965 mh~interpac.net
Support Bill 132 for transparent land sales
Imagine, if you can, that instead of Billy Kenoi, our mayor is Angel Pilago. Imagine that
instead of Nancy Crawford, our finance director is Debbie Hecht. Is everyone still okay with
the administration doing land sales using the current system? Does everyone still feel there's
enough checks and balances? Is anyone wishing County Council could have a bit more say
in large land sales?
Coming back to reality... it appears a request to remove Bill 132 from today's agenda may
not have been properly handled. By one account, Mr. Yagong asked that the bill be taken off
the agenda, but was told it was too late because the agenda was already posted. But when
the agenda was released, the timestamp was about two hours after his phone call.
By another account, Mr. Yagong left a phone message for Mr. Goodenow that wasn't picked
uo till too late.
If there are lingering questions; please defer Bill 132 till your next meeting.
j About Councilmernber Naeoie's absence, I'm deeply disappointed, because it looks like she
holds the swing vote needed to pass this bill.
Some testifiers said the extra two to six weeks needed for sales under Bill 132 slows things
down too much. But for the Hamakua lands, they've been unsold for 15 years. I think the
extra time is well spent to ensure that we have the right buyer, the right price; and the right
use.
Some testifiers said Bill 132 would scare buyers away. But those may be buyers we didn't
want anyhow--perhaps bad actors, or buyers that would spark tremendous controversy.
The fate of large tracts of land will change the character of our island for generations to
come. We should err on the side of giving the public more say in our future, not less.
Comm. ;No. Yon. 6S
Ref. To,_ P,7Zat Z l
Rof. Date.. QV 0 4, 2002