HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0659.003 2008-2010GUY ENRIQUES
CouncilMember
Council District 6
County of Hawai `i
Office of the County Clerk
25 ~lupuni Street
Hilo, Hawai `i 96720
MEMORANDUM
DATE: January 14, 2010
TO: J Yoshimoto, Council Chair and
Members of the Hawaii County ncil
FROM: Guy Enriques
RE: Communication 659/Bill 189
Phone: (SOS) 961-536
r-aX: ~8os~ 961-~s~lz
F_niail: genriyues a co.Maivaii.hi.us
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Careful review of Bill 189 has brought forward many questions about the rights, costs and
accessibility of water as distributed through the Hawaii County Civil Defense access spigots.
After the presentation of Bill 189 at Finance Committee January Sty, 2010, heavy public
response to my office made it clear we need much more attention to the details of operation,
regulation and management of the water spigots than can be found in the existing scope and
language of Bill 189.
Please find attached my letter to the introducers of Bill 189.
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Serving the Interests of the People of Our !slant!
Hnwai `i County is an Equal Opporhu~ity Provider and Employer
GUY ENRIQ UES
Cozrncil Member
Council DisU-ict 6
County of Hawai `i
Office of the County Clerk
25 Aarpttni Street
1-tilo, /-/ai~nai `i 96720
January 14, 2010
Aloha Mayor Kenoi,
Phone: (808) 96/-8536
Fax: (S08) 961-8912
Enzail.~ genriyuesuco.haivarrJ~i.us
Bill ] 89 raises far too many unanswerable questions to have my support. These questions all fall under the topic of
fair use, cost and accessibility of water distributed at public spigots administered by the Hawaii County Civil
Defense Agency. The majority of residents in my Council District 6 rely on catchment water for home and
personal use, making -ny District the largest consumer of water from public spigots i^ the County. Following the
January 5, 2010, Finance Committee meeting on Bill 189, I received numerous comments from constituents.
I believe this bill is inappropriate during our conditions of economic hardship and serious drought Proposed
regulation of water from public spigots will be divisive and is guaranteed to generate extremely negative reactions.
[ understand and support the Civil Defense Agency's desire to control the potential for abuse of the County water
spigots. But first 1 want to give our communities a better opportunity to present alternative ideas and solutions that
will not only help provide for the protection of public health and safety and but also to strike a balance of fairness
for all residents.
1 am intending to partner with the Civil Defense to assemble a taskforce of community members and vital
stakeholders to search for a fair and equitable management solution for our County Spigots,
For such a sensitive issue, I'm sure that you would agree we should have the best possible Bill to correct and
improve our County Code. I will work to provide a better perspective on these issues, which I expect will result in
amore carefully balanced approach. [ am writing to respectfully urge you to reconsider your administration's
support for Bill] 89, which would regulate the use of public water spigots in the County of Hawaii.
Therefore, I hereby announce that I will move to defeat Bill I89 at the next Council meeting, January 22, 2010.
espectfu ,
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CC: Quince Mento, Dirctor Hawaii County Civil Defense
Nancy Crawford, Director Hawai`i.County Finance
Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Chairman County Finance Committee
Serving the /nterests of the Peop/e of Our /stand
Hawai `i County as mz Fqual Opportu~airy Provider and En7ploi~er