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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0064.208 2010-2012William P. Kenoi Mayor County of Hawai i 25 Aupuni Street • Hilo, Hawai`i 967200 (808) 961 -8211 • Fax (808) 961 -6553 KONA: 74 -5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy., Bldg. C • Kailua -Kona, Hawaii 96740 (808) 324-4444 • Fax (808) 323 -4440 January 17, 2012 Members of the Hawai`i County Council 25 Aupuni Street County of Hawai`i Hilo, HI 96720 Dear Council Members: William T. Takaba Managing Director Walter K.M. Lau Deputy Managing Director The Hawaii County Council adopted a plastic bag reduction ordinance (Bill 17, Draft 2) on December 21, 2011, and delivered it to me for my signature on December 30, 2011. Following lengthy discussions with members of my administration and community members for and against this measure, I have decided to sign Bill 17, Draft 2, pursuant to the provisions of Section 3 -12 of the Hawaii County Charter, to reduce the use of plastic bags on the Island of Hawaii. Although this legislation strives for an important milestone on the County's path toward Zero Waste, my decision to sign it is not without reservations. Testimony at public hearings and comments received over the past few weeks reflected valid arguments on both sides of the issue. Plastic bags certainly are unwelcome as litter on our landscape, and they can be dangerous to marine mammals that mistakenly ingest them as food. Yet the testimony and comments leaned in favor of vetoing this bill, and I agree with those who say that charging fees for bags may have been a more effective course of action, and with those who say that education and voluntary private /public recycling programs are better ways than government mandates to deal with the littering problem associated with plastic bags. With increasing education, more people already are opting to take their own reusable bags to the markets for shopping without the intrusion of new laws that govern individual behavior. User fees for bags also could help businesses with administrative costs and establish a public fund for community outreach, education and cleanup programs. Yet this bill holds the promise of keeping our island clean, healthy and safe and we need to finish the job. As mandated by the ordinance, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) will form a working group that will include a variety of viewpoints to prepare administrative rules for implementation of the ordinance within 180 days of County of Hawai`i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer. Comm. No. o ' • Zo 7 Ref. To: Ref. Date JAN 1 1g" _ . The Honorable Dominic Yagong and Members of the County Council January 17, 2012 Page 2 the date it takes effect, which will be one year from its signing. Public hearings will be held before the new rules are implemented, and the prohibition of bags at checkout counters will not begin until one year after the bill takes effect. My signing of this bill today also presents opportunities for the broader expression of our County's commitment to Zero Waste. I look forward to the Council's cooperation and adoption of an organics recycling bill and a recyclables hauling bill that will further our efforts along the path to Zero Waste. In the end, this bill is not about plastic bags, politics or the Hawaii County Council. It's about protecting our beautiful island. While I may have preferred a slightly different version, I will sign Bill 17, Draft 2 because it is about the values we hold as a community to provide a positive future for our children. It is a solemn reminder that we are responsible for the decisions we make today for a better tomorrow, and that we all must be mindful of the responsibilities we have as trustees of the land to do everything we can to protect our Hawaii Island home. Aloha, yOz0)()-t, William P. Kenoi MAYOR Enclosure County of Hawai' i is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.