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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0605.032 2010-2012 Page 1 of 1 P/Pusuc /MG Murashige, Laura Gouty cis From: Fran Tabor[drfrantabor @gmail.com] Sent: Monday, April 30, 2012 9:57 AM To: counciltestimony©co.hawaii.hi.us Subject: Public Hearing Written Testimony for May 01, 2012: Hawaii County Operating and Capital Budget Attachments: public hearing.pdf Aloha to All the Honorable Members of the Hawaii County Council and other Officials: Attached is our testimony with regard to the Hawaii County Operating and Capital Budget for July 01, 2012 to June 30, 2013. Along with our attached written/e-mail testimony, a petition in opposition to the Waimea Trails and Greensways, containing 889 signatures, was submitted to Councilman, Pete Hoffmann, on April 27, 2012. This petition with its 889 signatures is submitted for the public record as part of this e-mail written testimony. Fran L. Tabor, O.D. and Carmine DiPronio III C) i)-1 3 Comm. o S. y Ref.To: Ref. Date MAY 0 1 2012 4/30/2012 P. O. Box 2045, Kamuela, HI 96743 April 29, 2012 To: Honorable Hawaii County Council and other County Officials in attendance: RE: Public Hearing on May 01, 2012. Written Testimony Concerning the Hawaii County Capital and Operating Budget for Fiscal Year July 01, 2012 to June 30,2013. With this e-mail we,the undersigned, express our opposition to any appropriation of Hawaii County funds to the Waimea Trails and Greenways (WTG). In support of opposition to the WTG, a petition with 889 signatures opposing the WTG was submitted to Councilman Pete Hoffmann on Friday,April 27. 2012. We submit this petition with its 889 signatures for the public record as part of our written testimony. We, and others of the Waimea community, raise the following issues and express our opposition to the use of any County, State or Federal funds for this project for these reasons: 1. Removal of over 357 trees in Waimea town leading to the loss of the Waikoloa Stream riparian buffer zone, causing extensive flood damage to commercial and residential properties. For example, the flood of March 2004 caused extensive financial damage to commercial and residential properties along the Waikoloa Stream, and that was with the trees in place. 2. The cost of the WTG is expected to be millions of dollars plus significant yearly ongoing maintenance costs. Residents of the Big Island and nationwide are clamoring for wise spending to address more pressing and serious issues that face our County, State, and nation. The building of a 4.8 mile bicycle path in a rural town where there is major opposition is bad policy. We are in a time when many are out of work and struggling to survive. The County should be setting it priorities to address more critical needs. The WTG is wasteful County spending. 3. There are enormous environmental risks. The Waikoloa Stream, identified as an impaired river by the Environmental Protection Agency, enters the Pacific Ocean. Some environmental risks include: flood hazard, destruction of watershed, soil erosion/embankment destruction, loss of riparian zones, fire risk,toxins/bacteria in the Waikoloa Stream, killing of ocean reefs from the use of herbicides and possible health risks from breathing these substances while on the path. 4. Some other major issues include: safety/crime(there have already police reports of crime along the path route); lack of police patrols, loss of privacy, loss of property values, loss of ambient scenic beauty, loss of Hawaiian heritage and culture,lack of parking,possible archeological site desecration,use of concrete and other unacceptable building materials, loss of crop safety for the Lalamilo Farm Lots, noise pollution, rubbish/debris in the Stream(would worsen with access). 5. Hawaii County Code, Chapter 27 requires flood plain management. The County is not in compliance. This law it is being ignored with regard to the Waikoloa Stream. 6. The County Parks and Recreation Department does not properly maintain the parks it already has(major cracks in the tennis court surfaces in Waimea Anuenue Park is a good example). Building of the WTG misrepresents the use of this proposed this path as"alternative transportation." In fact, it is too steep a grade into the routine 15-20 mph Trade,Winds and rain to make it practical to commute using this path. Further, it is questionable whether its steep grade it would meet ADA requirements. Residents of Waimea have submitted the following"Opposition to WTG" documents In addition to the 889 signatures on the opposition petition to the public record with this e-mail: Letters to the Editor; Letters to the consultant,Kimura International; Letters to Mr.Abraham Wong of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Division; Letters to James Komata and Director Bob Fitzgerald of the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation; Hawaii County Mayor Kenoi; Hawaii County Council members; State Representative Cindy Evans; U. S. Representative Mazie Horono and others. Respectfully submitted and electronically signed : Fran L. Tabor and Carmine DiPronio III (I am off island and have been read the above statements. I concur 100%with what is stated. My address is: 66-1310 Ko Uka Ct., Kamuela, HI 96743. My cell phone is 808-756-3508).