HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0325.012 2016-2018 PiPVVPI2c,
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Murashige, Laura
From: Brad Kurokawa <BradK@kiconcepts.com>
Sent: Wednesday,June 21, 2017 11:13 AM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: 'Brad Kurokawa'
Subject: Bill 47 testimony- Committee on Public Works & Parks and Recreation meeting June
22, 2017
Attachments: Bill 47 letter of support_170621.pdf
To Whom it May Concern,
Attached please find my written testimony for tomorrow's Committee on Public Works & Parks and Recreation
meeting. The testimony is for agenda item pertaining to Bill 47.
Mahalo,
Brad Kurokawa
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1 Ref. Date
P.O. Box 402
Honomu, HI 96728
brad.kurokawa@gmail.com
June 21, 2017
County of Hawaii Council
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
, District 1- Ms.Valerie Poindexter
District 2-Mr.Aaron Chung
District 3- Ms. Susan Lee Loy
District 4-Ms. Eileen O'Hara
District 5- Ms.Jen Ruggles
District 6- Ms. Maile David
District 7- Mr. Dru Kanuha
District 8- Ms. Karen Eoff
District 9-Mr.Tim Richards III
Dear Honorable Chairperson Ruggles and members of the Committee on Public Works& Parks and
Recreation:
Mahalo to Councilmember Poindexter for introducing this bill and for looking at how we can encourage
farmers markets for our entire community. I am writing to respectfully request that you vote in support
of Bill 47 with some amendments. I ask that as our elected representatives of our community you
consider the following reasons for voting in support of Bill 47.
1. Allowing community based farmers markets at our county parks makes good sense with no
apparent reasons not to. Farmers markets support the local economy by providing our
community with additional venues for local farmers and entreprenuers to sell their produce,
food and other value added products directly to our community. Farmers markets allows us to
keep the circulation of money here in our community. Farmers and vendors also get to keep
more of the money in their pockets.
2. Farmers markets support farmers and local agriculture.
3. Farmers markets support healthy communities by providing locally grown fresh food and social
connection, part of the formula for healthy living.
4. Farmers markets at county parks build community. County parks are for the community! It
makes sense to use available county parks to provide further opportunities for our community
to gather, socialize and deepen connections between each other and especially with those that
endeavor to grow food that feed us.The Hamakua CDP encourages farmers markets and I
believe that would hold true throughout our island.
I also request that you consider amending the bill as written to make it easier for any County
park that is suitable to host farmers markets to do so without having to go through this
•
legislative process of amending the schedule of county parks that allow farmers markets each
time that a community want to create a farmers market in their community. I believe there are
other communities that have county parks that may want to have farmers markets in the future.
Honomu Park is an example. I live in Honomu and there is ongoing community discussions about
farmers markets somewhere in town. Essentially I request that you make it easy for any
committed community effort to initiate farmers markets on county parks where it is
appropriate.And as far as the administering, I respectfully request that fees and other charges
and requirements be kept simple and affordable to encourage, not discourage community based
farmers markets at our county parks.
S j
We look forward to vibrant farmers markets sprouting up in all our communities around Hawaii
island and contributing to our quality of life.
In gratitude with Warm Aloha,
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Brad Kurokawa