HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm. 014 - 2021-09-29 (testimony) Ford, Brenda: for Sept. 30, 2021, explanation of census blocks in districtsCOMMUNICATION 014
Brenda Ford
Redistricting Map #20
Testimony for 9-30-21
Explanation of Census Blocks in Districts
A. In all cases, I followed the HCC Chap 36 & the Hawaii County Charter, section 3-17.
B. I tried to keep the number of residents as closely equal as practicable per HCC Chap 36-
4.(1). My total deviation is 3.49.
C. Currently, the commission does not know if the nonresident military personnel and their
dependents, nonresident students, and foreign nationals are included in the population
numbers or in what districts these persons were placed or removed. I must assume that
these were extracted as they were in the last redistricting. However, that needs to be
verified. Additionally, the prisoner population information is a mess, and it is unknown
if this will be rectified or even if it can be rectified or if the State Reapportionment
Commission is willing. HCC Chap 36-4.(2).
D. There are trails and roads which cannot be seen without enlarging the maps immensely.
Where at all possible, I kept census blocks ("CB") in the districts where the roads or trails
"originate" or "terminate" or where there is no other way to access the trail without it
being in the district in which I placed it. This is especially true in D2. This follows the
rule HCC Chap 36-4.(11).
E. I have NOT considered where any incumbent council member lives per HCC Chap 36-4
(6) & (7) & the County Charter 3-17 (f)(1).
F. I have kept communities of interest together as practicable per HCC Chap 36-40).
G. I have kept council districts as compact as possible per HCC Chap 36-4.(9). While some
districts have "expanded" in geographic size, it was due to trying to keep parks, roads,
and trails together or for purposes of equalizing residents. Many of the CBs interior to
the island have no residents so I relied on roads and trails for my decisions per HCC
Chap 36-4.(11).
H. I believe that it is important for this commission to identify every CB that needs to be
split (coastlines, large populations, CBs encircled within other CBs, large CBs etc.), and
submit those findings to the Elections Board with appropriate maps, CB lDs, and an
explanation of how these CBs should be corrected by the U.S. Census Bureau. These
corrective action requests should be part of this Commission's Final Report AND a copy
of the letter sent to State Census Board be attached to your Final Report. Request that the
State "Census Board" provide the County Elections Supervisor, the County Clerk, the
State Office of Elections, and this Commission with written documentation on what the
Board did or did not do AND why. These unreasonable CBs have caused problems for 20
years and need correction. Do the work on splitting or correcting CBs before you
submit your final plan. You authority ends once your final plan is submitted.
District 1
1. Border between D1 & D2 in Hilo follows the Wailuku River in the interior but dips into
Hilo along Waianuenue Ave. Census blocks in this area of Hilo are used to equalize the
number of residents in D1. D1 does not go all the way to Hilo Bay because the census
block attached to the Bayfront Hwy extends northwest into the area of D1.
2. In the northwest of D1, there is a large census block ("CB") that includes much of
Honokaa and extends to the Waipio Valley. The road to Waipio Valley is the only access
from Honokaa.
3. The Kohala Forest Reserve continues to be part of D1 copying the 2011 redistricting
map.
4. The Hilo Forest Reserve, the Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, and the Hilo
Forest Reserve are all contained in D1.
5. The communities of interest are maintained in D1 with the exception of those areas along
Waianuenue Ave used to equalize residents.
District 2
6. See D 1.1. for explanation of the border between D 1 & D2.
7. The border between D2 & D3 bisects these two districts by following Komohana St. to
Haihai St. and then turns east on Haihai St to Kilauea Ave. There is a "dip" in the CB for
an unknown reason which was established by the Census Bureau.
8. D2 turns southwest along North Rd which forms a "V" for some unknown reason and
continues along D5 to 13 Mile Rd to Old Airstrip Rd. which continues to Huina Rd.
9. D2 turns southwest on Huina Rd to N. Kulani Rd then turns southeast to Ana Rd to N.
Lauko Rd. Unfortunately, the subdivision surrounding Ana Rd had to be split to equalize
the number of residents. The subdivision contains perhaps 700-800 people or up to 1138
in the CB.
10. D2 turns SE on N Pszyk Rd and continues to the Volcano Hwy.
11. The boundary then turns SW and follows the Volcano Hwy to N Glenwood Rd and turns
NW to follow a jagged boundary line around the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There
are trails in the Upper Waiakea Forest Reserve and the Mauna Loa Forest Reserve that
can only be accessed through D2. Whether these trails are walking trails or jeep trails is
not known to me. You must enlarge the map sufficiently in ERSI to see these trails
12. Once D2 reaches its extreme western boundary along D6 and turns north, it continues
across the "Saddle Rd" (Daniel Inouye Hwy).
13. The far eastern boundary contains a large portion of the Mauna Kea Forest Reserve and
contains the Mauna Loa Observatory Rd in its entirety. The boundary between D2 & D9
is adjusted to equalize residents.
District 3
14. See D2.8. for information along Waianuenue Ave.
15. D3 from Waianuenue Ave heads south on Komohana St to Haihai St and turns east to the
Hawaii Belt Hwy-Kanoeluhua Ave and then turns "south" toward D5 going almost to
Macadamia Rd, then follows the CB NE before following the D5 boundary. It is
unknown why the CB did not follow a CB boundary.
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16. There is a very large CB in D3 which "dips" down and encircles part of D5. There are no
residents in this CB but Kopoho Rd in this CB starts in D3 and D3 is the only way to
reach the road; therefore, this CB MUST be in D3.
District 4
17. District 4 was challenging due to HPP which has 14,583 residents; however, D4
continues to include all of HPP.
18. Pahoa is still split as it was the 2011 redistricting map.
District 5
19. Please read D4 for further explanations for the D4-D5 border.
20. I placed several CBs in D5 in order to keep Keaau, Kurtistown, and Mountain View
together as individual communities of interest.
21. D5 contains the Wao Kele O Puna Forest Reserve and those subdivisions along Pahoa
Kalapana Rd & the Kalapana-Kopoho Rd that equalize residents. This matches the 2011
redistricting map.
District 6
22. I placed the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park in D6. I kept the communities of Volcano
region together as much as possible while equalizing the resident numbers.
23. See D2. (12) & (13).
24. Kealakekua Bay is still in D6 but due to the ridiculous design of CBs surrounding the
Bay, part of an elongated CB wraps around the northwestern part of the Bay. The
northern end of this bizarre CB actually contains residents and is part of a subdivision
where homes are being built. Those residents had to be part of D7 since the only road to
access them originates in D7 and the only access to that area is in D7. Since no residents
live in the elongated part of the CB that wraps around the Bay, I left the CB in D7.
25. The Village of Kealakekua has to be split northwest -southeast along the Hawaii Belt
Hwy with the mauka areas in D6 and the makai portion in D7 to equalize residents.
District 7
26. I kept Kailua Village makai of the Queen Kaahumanu Hwy together. Kailua Village is a
commercial -tourist area. The rest of Kailua-Kona had to be in D8 to equalize residents.
27. For some unknown reason, there is a CB in the middle of a subdivision that has 25
residents. This CB is located at the intersection of Bishop Rd-Mana Opelu Ln. This small
CB is encircled by the much larger CB. This needs to be corrected.
28. I made D7 more compact by putting the Maua Loa Forest Reserve in D2 because of trails
accessible only from D2.
29. I placed several mauka CBs above Kealakekua into D6. Those CBs can only be accessed
from the Hawaii Belt Highway through D6. There are no residents in those CBs.
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District 8
30. I made D8 more compact by putting PTA in D9 and including more mauka CBs in D9
along the "south" side of the Daniel Inouye Hwy. These CBs have no residents but are in
the "mountainous" area of the island.
31. Kailua-Kona had to be split due to large population sizes. The industrial areas, the Kona
Airport, many of the resort areas along the coast, and the expanding residential areas
between the Queen Kaahumanu Hwy and the Hawaii Belt Hwy (all part of Kailua-Kona)
are in D8.
32. All other changes were to equalize residents.
District 9
33. I moved the Pohakuloa Training Area ("PTA") CB on the Daniel Inouye Hwy into D9. It
has no permanent residents. It seemed to me that PTA is closer by roads to Waimea than
to Kona and is in the "mountainous" area (saddle) of the Daniel Inouye Hwy. Waimea is
also in the "mountainous" area. While this move elongated D9, it affects no permanent
residents.
34. Resort populations along the northern coast of West Hawaii are placed in D9. See D8.30.
35. I kept CBs along Waikoloa Rd that are only accessible from D9 in D9.
36. All other changes were to equalize residents.
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