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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-10-25 Redistricting Commission Public Hearing minutes (District 5) 2021 HAWAII COUNTY REDISTRICTING COMMISSION COUNCIL DISTRICT 5 PUBLIC HEARING Portion of Puna(Western) Monday, October 25, 2021, 6:00 p.m. Kea`au Community Center 16-186 Pili Mua Street Kea`au, Hawaii 96749 OPENING REMARKS: HUSTACE: Aloha and welcome to our fifth public hearing for the 2021 Hawaii County Redistricting Commission. Today is Monday, October 25h. My name is James Hustace. I am the Vice Chair for the Redistricting Commission. I'll just read a brief announcement here. Because of the Coronavirus Emergency and State and Federal guidance on large meetings or gatherings, and pursuant to the Mayor's Proclamations regarding COVID-19, the Redistricting Commission has limited gathering for our public venue this evening until further notice. Members from the public may approach the microphone here and provide testimony or join us via the Zoom platform. To request this information, you can always email redistrictingcommission@hawaiicounty.gov for more information, to provide testimony and provide any information or insight to the Commission itself. Thank you for your time and understanding this evening. Grateful to have a couple of our commissioners join us here on the call as well. We hope to have members of the public join us and give us some feedback on our progress and process here. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC HUSTACE: This evening our site for Council District 5 is at the Kea`au Community Center. That's where our remote site will be viewed. And if anyone calls in, they're welcome to provide testimony. We'll give you three minutes. Hoping we can have some nice conversation and feedback from the community. So, mahalo. Relley, I'll pass it over to you if we have any guests or members from the public that are willing to jump in here and share some mana`o. ARACELEY: Thank you so much, Chair. We do not have anyone in the Zoom room, but we do have some members of the public here present who may wish to testify. HUSTACE: Wonderful. Well, we encourage all that can join us to jump on in and give us any feedback on our progress and process. So, thank you, Relley. EDWARDS HUNT: Hi, Tiffany Edwards Hunt. I'm a resident of District 4. First of all, I'd like to thank Cori with the Elections Division for trying to help me navigate the proposed maps tonight. I do want to say for the record that it's really difficult to navigate and I don't even know if I saw the right map. She said there's eleven proposed maps. I've only been able to, on my phone, look at one. I would like an email of the map, proposed maps, sent to newswoman@mac.com. I don't know whose idea it was, but we have the proposed—or we have the census numbers on the current council district maps here enlarged, but we don't see any of the maps here. And everybody is really kidding themselves if they think that the County website is easy to navigate. It's not. But I do want to tell you that, the one map that I saw, is a proposal to split Hawaiian Paradise Park on the makai side. So, that essentially will affect me. I'm not going to state my address because I really don't feel comfortable doing that. But I want to tell you that I don't think that Hawaiian Paradise Park and the rural district of Pana`ewa really have much in common. I know that this is a challenge. I've witnessed it before as a reporter. Trying to make sure that you have the blocks lined up and that you want to make sure that your communities are compatible. And this is going to be a huge challenge to try to compensate for the fact that Kea`au and Mountain View have grown by 7,000 people since 2010. And we need those three council seats because we have seen the fastest growth. I'm sorry for Hilo, that they're only going to have two council members, but this really, really is very important. And it's sad that so few people can access this meeting and the information because it's going to have profound effects on their lives. I know firsthand how important this really is for the next ten years. And so, if you can do your part in trying to spread the word by giving maps, by making the websites easier, then I think we can help spread the word a little bit more. I don't know how many meetings you're having, but it sounds like they're very sparsely attended. In part because of the pandemic, and in part because people don't really understand what this is about. And that's the sad story. Also concerning to me, is that we have 24,000 people in Council District 5, Puna. And I'm out of time but I want to tell you that it's extremely just difficult for that district to wrap around all the way down to Kalapana when it represents upper Puna. So, I think that anybody who actually drives that district knows that that would be an imposition. And it would, I think, not give equal representation under the law. So, thank you for allowing me to provide my input. I know that my time is up. Aloha. HUSTACE: Aloha. We appreciate your time and your testimony. Thank you. (Pause) Aloha! CERMELJ: Aloha, kakou. HUSTACE: Welcome. Thanks for joining us. We'll give youIf you could state your name and the district you live in, or general community if you'd like to, and Relley has a timer there for three minutes. We'd love to hear from you. Mahalo. CERMELJ: Alohalani Hope Cermelj, District 5. Matthew's our council person at this time. I have many questions. Number l: Who are all the Commissioners names? Where 2 can we find that? Number 2: This is the 2010 census map, correct? How does one find the eleven maps for proposal? I believe what Tiffany said is probably right. That it is hard to navigate where they're at. We have the right to see all eleven changes. How many meetings have the Commissioners have had? And if this is the fifth public hearing and you're soon to be deciding redistricting, maybe it's too premature. Where are these eleven proposed maps? Hawaii county.gov and there—Then where do you go? You didn't say how we get to the redistricting information. God bless Hawaii nei. HUSTACE: Mahalo. CERMELJ: How do I get my answers? HUSTACE: Ma'am, unfortunately because this is not an actionable meeting, we're only hearing public testimony this evening. We're holding a full meeting, and I'll announce it at the end of tonight's meeting, on Thursday where we can address some of your questions and provide more detail. CERMELJ: Thursday of this week, sir? HUSTACE: That's correct. CERMELJ: Where? HUSTACE: It will be held virtually, but we're also meeting in the Hilo and Kona Chambers just for the Commissioners. But it'll be virtual for everyone to join in and listen. CERMELJ: So, can I ask my council person, as well as Ashley, to have it Zoomed in our little County Council meeting room in Puna for everybody to attend? HUSTACE: Absolutely. I don't see why not, ma'am. CERMELJ: Mahalo nui. HUSTACE: Mahalo. (Pause.) MATSON: Aloha! HUSTACE: Aloha! Welcome. MATSON: Shannon Matson. There's only three of us signed up to testify. I'm not sure if anyone else is planning on testifying hasn't signed up yet. But first I would request that I have longer than three minutes if I need it. And also, that Tiffany be able to come back if she needs it, unless there's something else planned for tonight that I'm not aware of. But it seems like everyone who's made the time and effort to come out here should have a chance to speak fully. But I'm assuming I'm only getting three minutes so I'm gonna 3 keep this quick. I am a resident of County Council District 5. And I wasn't sure what to expect this evening, but I haven't had a chance to review all the maps in full either. And I don't see it anywhere posted in this room, with like detailed clear maps of what we're even discussing. So, I was hoping I was going to walk into a room where we were going to get some sort of presentation. Maybe get some information. Have maps to look at. And then be able to have a like legitimate discussion and give some testimony. So, I'm feeling a bit frustrated. I'm somebody who has access to the internet. I have a college degree. I should be able to navigate this sort of stuff and figure it out. But I am struggling, and I know this is decision needs to be made quick. I know that it's not anybody's fault here regarding COVID and all other extenuating circumstances. Yet, I don't feel like the public is getting their chance to really understand the process. I believe on your meeting on Thursday, which I'm planning on attending if I can, that there's $20,000 that you were budgeted to be able to advertise to the public. I've heard zero advertising on the radio (indiscernible. Audio cutting in and out.) This is something that I'm following closely. Full disclaimer, I ran for office in 2020. I'm planning on running again in the future. So, this of course is very salient to me. Oh, it says your internet connection is unstable. That's a big problem in our district too—is lack of internet. So, I don't feel like people in my community were made aware of this meeting. I don't feel like they have any idea, what's going on and what the process has been so far. And I know that the Chair and Vice Chair, and the rest of the commissioners, have done their best to keep this as transparent as possible, but I don't feel like that is really happening. So, my suggestions are that we need to have this round of meetings all over again, after we have had adequate time to really get the word out. That there needs to be some newspaper articles. There needs to be a really big push publicly on the radio. That I would love to see that whole $20,000 spent on advertising before we have these meetings. And I would love to come into this room and have the proposed plans on the wall really clear for us to see, for us to know what we're talking about. My last comment, I'm wrapping up, is because of the rural districts that we are discussing tonight, the areas that most of us live in, we really don't want to see our subdivisions split. It's so challenging for us to get the representation we deserve already. And if our large subdivisions continue to get divided up across representation, we are just not getting our voices heard. It's really, really challenging. So, I would encourage whatever decisions are made that you all do your absolute best to keep all the large subdivisions together. And that's my time. Mahalo nui. HUSTACE: Thank you. ARACELEY: Chair, we have Brian Ogawa in the Zoom room. If he'd like to provide testimony. HUSTACE: Thank you, Relley. OGAWA: No. I just listening. Thank you. HUSTACE: Mahalo. We'll give it a moment here. If there are other people that want to give testimony either, you know, new testifiers. And we'll see if anyone else would like to join us. And then for the last bit of time we can go back to some of the guests that 4 already joined us, if they'd like to say a little bit more, I'm willing to do that. But we'll see if anyone else new would like to join us at first, any other different voices. Then we can jump back to some of the previous testifiers. Maybe give it about five minutes or so here, to ten minutes to see if anyone else joins us and then I'll welcome some other time with those that provided input. Welcome to hear more. (Pause.) Aloha, welcome. If you could state your name and the district you live in and then we'll give you some time to share some input and feedback for the commission. That'll be great. Mahalo. HEDRICK: Hannah Hedrick of Fern Forest, District 6. And I have been very active for 25 years in all of my community issues. And I want to emphasize what Tiffany said about, I don't understand how this was not on my radar screen. I read every County Council agenda for all the committees, the County Council. I'm on the distribution list for five or six people and I only found this in a link, I think, that was involving you and Deb, Tiffany. And so, my plea is the same. Please help us get the word out. I'm not asking you to do much more except communicate with people who were involved in developing the Puna Community Development Plan and all of the other community development plans. You have invested so much in these communities and as far as I know, they have not been reached out to. Because usually when something involves this, I email or text staff and 15 or 16 other people. And I didn't even have time to do that. For me, this issue is of paramount importance. More on the mainland. More in Texas, where voting rights are really an incredible issue, that I hope it never comes to that here. But really being very transparent in these decisions that you're making and listening of what people have to say and not intentionally disempowering particular groups. I'm saying more on the mainland, not here. But this is an extraordinarily important issue. One last comment. Many of the community associations, some of which are still dysfunctional, but I'm pleased to announce that since 2014 we look like we're going to have a pretty functional board. We should be getting them involved and getting their communications and their websites and so forth involved in this important endeavor. So again, please help us, help you. HUSTACE: Thank you for your testimony. (Pause.) Aloha and good evening. If you could share your name and the district you live in. That'd be wonderful. Thank you. KAYE: Sure. I'm Springer Kaye, and I came all the way from District 9 because Kea`au Community Center is much closer to where I live than the Waimea Community Center at the other end of our very long linear district. I think you're getting the message loud and clear, but since I'm from a different district, I just wanted to affirm that we knew nothing about this. I'm the community association president. I am very engaged. I hounded my council member until she managed to find somebody's homemade photograph of the list of public hearings and got that to me. And then I spent like quite a while Googling trying to find the community hearings. And finally, about an hour before the meeting I go like, okay I found the notice. I've got the address. I can get there. So, this really is quite a widespread problem. It's not just in the Puna district. We're all not hearing about this. And unfortunately, there's no other testimony we can give you because we don't know what the proposed maps are to operating feedback on them. So, thank you for your work. I'm sure this is a complicated process. And as soon as we can see the maps and 5 understand what the proposals are, I'm sure we'd love to offer feedback and help make those as fair and tidy as they can be. Thank you. HUSTACE: Mahalo. ARACELEY: Chair, I believe that is everyone in the physical room who has signed up to provide testimony. HUSTACE: Thank you, Relley. I'm willing to give those that wanted to say a little bit more an additional three minutes if they would like. ARACELEY: Okay. (Pause.) HUSTACE: Aloha. Good to see you again. EDWARDS HUNT: Hi. Tiffany Edwards Hunt. I just want to reiterate, please email me these proposed maps: newswoman@mac.com. I'd also like to participate in Thursday's meeting via Zoom. So, I'd love a Zoom invite. What I can see,just on looking at the Redistricting Commission map from 2011, and looking at the numbers, is most definitely Council District 7 should take Captain Cook, kind of go down a little bit further. Because that's always been an issue actually, is that District 6 wraps all the way around its (indiscernible) Volcano and goes all the way into Captain Cook. But if District 7 could go down a little bit—District 8. I know that this is really hard, like I said in my previous testimony. And I also want to correct the record. The Council—The County website is awful. This is very challenging. The State website is what I'm looking at on my phone. It's very challenging. Even though CoriI gotta.compliment Cori for helping me. I still can't figure out what map I'm on. But every single map that I think I'mI think I'm on a different map. I see that Council District 4 isor excuse me, District 3 is taking part of Hawaiian Paradise Park, the lower part. If there is another one, it's trying to split up Paradise Park. I have a lot of reservations about that. I do think that it is a challenge for District 5 to take Kalapana. I would venture to say, if you're going to try to do a mauka makai thing, then make District 4 include Kalapana. Because I think that if we could ever get our roads back, they will actually be contiguous, and that lower community would be able to relate to each over. More so than the upper Puna. It's always been a really ridiculous district, District 5, when it wraps all the way down into `Opihikao. I can't remember where the actual line is, right past Sea View maybe. But it's absolutely ridiculous and I hope it gets corrected this time. If you have to split Pahoa in half, make it the mauka to makai in order to save some of the subdivisions from being split up, then I think you should do that. But, we need the three districts. Puna needs the three districts. And I don't know where you're gonna find your boundary for Council District 3, but I believe that Puna rightfully is getting that third council seat because of the massive growth. I mean I look at the numbers and you can just see the massive growth, so. He just gave me my time out, so I have to leave after this. I have my owner timer and I'm going to pass the baton to Hope now. Thank you. Aloha. HUSTACE: Mahalo nui. 6 CERMELJ: Aloha, kakou. I believe everything that Tiffany said is exactly true of what we need to do, but to split up HPP—wow. That's not cool. Where are these maps? We have the right to see. If we miss these other public hearings, folks, we might need to have more because right now we have a lot of intelligent people in this room. People from boards of different subdivisions. Maybe people are watching at home. Where are these eleven maps? And on Thursday's meeting, what will be next after that, sir? In God we trust for Hawaii nei. HUSTACE: Mahalo. (Pause.) MATSON: Shannon Matson, back in front of you again. I just have a question, really. And I know this isn't a meeting where we're having much of a dialogue, it's just testimony but, will there be a presentation on these different options? Or are you guys just taking testimony? Is there going to be, like before your next meeting, is there any plan to provide a public explanation of what these different maps are? Like are we narrowing it down to our top three picks and then we're presenting that out? Are you able to enlighten any of us on the process a little bit more? HUSTACE: I can share some information with you. You know, there was a period where we kind of had a cut off for public and map input. And at this point going forward, it relies on the testimony from yourself and other people from the public to guide the commissioners on where we draw our boundaries. So, the maps that are being submitted at this point are from the commissioners and the work that we hear from our—from each other during our full meetings and also from the public. And so, our upcoming meeting will be discussing as many of these maps as possible. A lot of them are new, so you have not been had a chance to see them. A lot of the commissioners haven't seen them yet too. So, we're going to be really diving into those, as many as possible. I hope that helps a little. MATSON: No, that does. And then, is there another round of public testimony at that point once you narrow down the map options? HUSTACE: Right. So, the current round now, we're required to meet in each of the nine districts. And that's really—and even in the past, you know, these meetings may not have had a prepared map. But it was a time for the community to provide input and just guidance and an overall kind of bird's eye view of where they feel they should live and what district, those sorts of things. Following these, the commission will be building and drafting a map to then present to the communities. Wherein there will be two large public hearings for the community to provide that final sort of effort and push and input. MATSON: Okay. Like an east side, west side meeting that will be held as you are now, in public in-person and via Zoom? HUSTACE: That's correct. 7 MATSON: Okay. And then after that, after that final round of public testimony, then you, the commissioners, decide on the ultimate final boundary lines? HUSTACE: Yes. Yes, and then we also provide evidence and write up documentation about why the changes we made and so forth. MATSON: Okay. Thank you, James. I really appreciate that. I have nothing further. I don't know if anyone else does. HUSTACE: Thank you, Ms. Matson. MATSON: Mahalo. HEDRICK: Hi, Hannah Hedrick, again. I intend to leave this meeting and take information and public and publish it on the Fern Forest Bulletin Board, Big Island Thieves, and every place I can find. And I would like a succinct statement about the guiding principles. So concerned again about what's going on in Texas when the redistricting is done to intentionally deprive people of the right to vote. And so, I would like to know what your guiding principles are. And then my only other comment is, two meetings are not enough. If you're even sincere at all about your outreach, we should have a meeting in every district. You cannot expect people in Puna, an impoverished subdivision, to come to a meeting like this with gas prices of$4.26. And Zoom—forget it. So, I'm asking you,please, if it's just one person, doesn't have to be this fancy set up. Someone with a little thing like that, take input by hand, doesn't have to be this expensive kind of electronic thing. But just let people come together and discuss these issues. So once again, what are your guiding principles? And can we have more access to you consultants and to you experts? HUSTACE: Mahalo. (Pause.) ARACELEY: Chair, it's being asked if you could recite the website where people could go and see the proposed maps. HUSTACE: So, my best recommendation, if you have like very technical questions about the maps is to really email the Commission, and the County staff will be responding to you. This email address, once again, is redistrictingcommission@ CERMELJ: Hold on! ARACELEY: redistrictingcommission@hawaiicounty.gov HUSTACE: So, that's the email address that you would use to request any sort of, you know, feedback, to provide testimony at the large public meetings. You know, this is really just a public testimony, and I've really kind of stepped outside my bounds to speak about these things. But it's really to hear from you, but I wanted to, you know, share some of the questions you had and try and provide some guidance. That is public 8 information already. And it really is just the agenda we've set forth, but the information if you want to join our Zoom, our meetings on Thursday via Zoom, that would be your request. To go to require, you know, request that you'd like to join those, and you get the Zoom link for Thursday's full meeting. The other information, if I can get it up quickly here off of the County website just give me one moment here. (Pause) There also is some information available, specifically our calendar. And you can also find in there, all the agendas and other things that are published. So, the maps that are being inquired about are—will be made available in those folders at some point after it's gone before the whole commission. And that's really on the hawaiicounty.gov website. And if you look at the Boards and Commissions, under the mayor's page, there is information there about the calendar for this particular commission, and information there. Commissioner Akamu, did you want to add anything on that? AKAMU: Yeah. Mahalo, Commissioner Hustace. I found that an easy way for the public to access the information is to go to YouTube. Go to COH Redistricting Commission. That's the Redistricting Commission YouTube channel. You'll see all of the meetings we've had. Also, if you click on the About tab on that YouTube channel, it has the direct link to the Redistricting Commission folder. So, if you can access the YouTube channel, click on the About tab. That I found, is the easiest way. It has the Redistrict Commission link. You can click on it. Go directly to the 2021 Commission folder. And you'll see all of the public documents and information. Yeah. Thank you, Commissioner. HUSTACE: Mahalo, Commissioner Akamu. Appreciate that insight and guidance for the public. That's wonderful. CERMELJ: On YouTube of all things. (Indiscernible.) Are the maps in there? HUSTACE: I don't believe they're there yet. As I said, they have to be presented in front of the full commission as an agendized meeting, for public reference and frame. And we will discuss as many as possible on Thursday. Commissioner Akamu, anything else? AKAMU: Yeah. Just to clarify also, the maps that were submitted, were submitted from the public during the time period where the public could submit maps. So, the commission has not yet drafted any maps. Right now, we're just listening to feedback from the community. And part of that feedback are these maps that have been submitted from members of the community. They will be shared at an upcoming commission meeting, so the commissioners can discuss them. Also, the public can sign up to give testimony at these meetings. And the commissioners can only discuss the maps at these meetings. So,just to let you know that there aren't maps yet that the commissioners have kind of looked at and started working on. Right now, we're just listening to public feedback. And part of that public feedback was the public being allowed to submit their own thoughts about maps. So, that's the eleven maps that have been submitted so far. And the commission yet, hasn't yet formally looked at them at our—and that will be coming up at an upcoming meeting. Yeah. So,just wanted to clarify that. Thank you. 9 HUSTACE: Mahalo, Commissioner. A question for Relley, are there any attendees that would be willing to provide testimony this evening? ARACELEY: Chair, it seems like that's everyone EDWARDS HUNT: Can I say something now that I know that? ARACELEY: There is someone who'd like to state one final thing it seems. HUSTACE: That's fine. Absolutely. EDWARDS HUNT: Tiffany Edwards Hunt. I'm really relieved to hear that we're at this point. I wasn't really very clear when I came to this meeting tonight. So, thank you very much. What is your name? The Ka`u Global Learning Lab? AKAMU: Aloha! My name is `Rina. I'm the Commissioner representative for District 6. Aloha. EDWARDS HUNT: Okay. Thank you so much for that clarity, where it is. It is a relief to know that we're at the early stages like this. So yeah, everything I said before, yes. And I can't wait to see what you guys pull off. Knowing all of those details about our Puna community. Thank you. Aloha. HUSTACE: Aloha. (Pause.) ARACELEY: Chair, it seems like that's all the testifiers you have for tonight. HUSTACE: Okay. Thank you, Relley. Well, I'm grateful, as our other commissioners, for the input and feedback from the public. We really value your time and coming to these meetings. We look forward to having you join us at any and all of our upcoming meetings if possible. We really value public guidance and input on this process. It is a challenge for us, given the time constraints we have. And we really are grateful for all that you can do for us. ANNOUNCEMENTS / CLOSING REMARKS HUSTACE: Before we close, I just wanted to announce one last thing here. We are meeting on—As I mentioned, we have a full agendized meeting for the Redistricting Commission this Thursday beginning at 9:30 a.m. If you'd like to request the Zoom link or any information about our process and the commission, once again please email redistrictingcommission@hawaiicounty.gov. We do have a YouTube page. We do try and we are live streaming these meetings, as we are tonight. That same evening, we will also be holding the sixth public hearing for Council District 6 at the Rodney Yano Memorial Hall. That will begin Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. 10 CERMELJ: Where? HUSTACE: This is at the Rodney Yano Memorial Hall. CERMELJ: And that is located where? HUSTACE: That's in Captain Cook. CERMELJ: Thank you. HUSTACE: So, that will be Thursday evening. But we look forward to those who can join us online or in person. We appreciate your attendance and your support. Mahalo nui. Have a nice evening. Aloha. Respectfully Submitted, "--_ Nicole Bello, support staff to the Commission 11