HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-02-28 Letter to Nicole Albright re Follow-up to Helicopter NoiseHarry Kim
Mayor
County of Hawaii
Office of the Mayor
Wil Okabe
Managing Director
Barbara J. Kossow
Deputy Managing Director
25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720 • (808) 961-8211 • Fax (808) 961-6553
KONA: 74-5044 Ane Keohok8lole Hwy., Bldg C • Kailua-Kona, Hawaii 96740
(808) 323-4444 • Fax (808) 323-4440
February 28, 2018
Nicole Albright
c/o crownofisis@juno.com
Dear Ms. Albright,
RE: Follow-up to Helicopter Noise
Thank you for contacting my office with your concerns related to helicopter tour
flight paths and routes. I appreciate your desire for immediate action.
As a long time public servant and lifelong Hawaii Island resident, I have dealt
with countless contentious issues, emergencies, and all manner of challenges that span
jurisdictional responsibilities. As your Mayor, I use that experience to guide my
decisions and choice of actions. Please understand that Federal Aviation
Administration regulations are beyond my control. No amount of letter writing from my
office will change FAA regulations. I was in Civil Defense when we worked with
Congresswoman Mink decades ago on a similar path and did not prevail. As your
Mayor, I choose to use County resources toward projects and solutions that 1 have the
authority to influence.
This does not mean that I am dismissing your concerns. I am committed to public
safety and work hard to consider all the needs of residents on this beautiful island,
including peace and quiet. I too, cherish natures calm.
In my experience, the most equitable results come from people working together
to work out solutions together. When I called the local helicopter tour companies to my
office, I asked that they provide solutions to the noise problem. After that meeting the
industry invested in a noise complaint system that is intended to track and mitigate
problematic flights. This web -based and telephone reporting system is still new, and I
am not naively under the impression that I have closed the book on this issue.
County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.
February 28, 2018
Page 2
However, I ask that we give it a chance to work and use this as a starting point to get
better.
Please utilize this system and issue complaints that you have online at
https://www.planenoise.com/hha/, or use the toll-free hotline: 1-800-370-1060. You may
also engage the Hawaii Helicopter Association online at
http://www.hawaiihelicopterassociation.orq/.
Please also continue to relay concerns to Hawaii's federal elected officials who
are invested with the responsibility of enacting federal laws.
Res•ectfully,
Harry Ki
Mayor
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County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.