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REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON PLANNING <br /> DATE: November 19, 2019 Re: Comm. No. 613 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Kailua-Kona, Hawaii <br /> TIME: 9:09 a.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawaii County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br /> Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Communication No. 613, reports as follows: <br /> Communication No. 613, transmitted by Mayor Harry Kim on October 31, 2019, submitted for the <br /> Council's review his nominee for the Water Board, Benjamin Ney of Council District 9. The <br /> communication noted that Mr. Ney is a Licensed Plumbing Journeyman/Contractor and small business <br /> owner with approximately 15 years of experience. A lifelong resident of Hawaii Island, Mr. Ney is a <br /> member of the Lions Club and has previously served on the North Kohala Community Development <br /> Plan Action Committee. <br /> Appearing before Your Committee was the nominee, and via videoconference from Hilo, Mayor's <br /> Executive Assistant Rose Bautista to introduce him. Mr. Ney thanked Mayor Kim for nominating him, <br /> stating that he very much wanted to fill the vacated position. He went on to discuss how water is a daily <br /> necessity and that Hawaii Island was fortunate to have access to clean water, applauding the <br /> Department of Water for their good work. He stated that he was interested in utilizing his time in this <br /> capacity to address the challenges of an aging infrastructure, and to work on being progressive and <br /> aggressive with new technologies to avoid costly incidentals. He appreciated that customers have <br /> affordable rates and wanted to keep it that way with proper investments. <br /> Council Member Herbert M. "Tim"Richards, expressed his support for the nominee, stating that he <br /> knew Mr. Ney, and he believed him to be a good fit for the Water Board. <br /> Committee Vice Chair Susan Lee Loy thanked Mr. Ney, and wanted to understand his experience with <br /> water at the state level and as it relates to the Commission on Water Resource Management, given his <br /> role as a plumbing contractor. Mr. Ney stated that he has generally dealt with water from an end user <br /> perspective of the customers he has served and advocated for. He stated he had gone to the Department <br /> of Water in the past to raise concerns from clients around good water use practices, extra allowance of <br /> water,pricing controls, and so forth. Vice Chair Lee Loy expressed her appreciation for Mr.Ney for his <br /> viewpoint and stated she wholeheartedly endorsed him. <br /> Council Chair Aaron Chung brought up that he had once served Committee Vice Chair Lee Loy's <br /> district and wanted to discuss the ongoing situation with the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and <br /> water service. He explained that water departments in the state had been "running interference"with the <br /> Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which makes clear that water is to be free for Hawaiian Homesteads. <br /> PC Report No. 37 <br />