The HTA (Hawaii Tourism Authority) wants more secrecy with respect to how it spends it money... to start with it probably would rather not advertise it spends one quarter of its 70 million dollar budget on administration, and it spends $95,000 for legislative lobbying. (Consider that these lobbying funds are likely used to ensure that that State takes from the Counties' portion of the TAT (Transient Accommodation Tax) revenues, rather than reducing any of its 34% take of these TAT revenues. (Pacific Business News December 25, 2009, page 1 article about the HTA)

Anyway here we have a fatboy of an government paid for advertising company.  I suggest HTA's portion of the TAT funds should be reduced to 0%. The responsibilities of this ad agency should be shifted back to the Counties and the local business and the constituency.  Time for all of these hotels to be forced to work with the Counties and with the folks who live on these islands.  In general object to its over all marketing strategy and I don't like its slick advertising. I suggest tourism businesses can do creative advertising and work with County level organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce.

Where was Governor Lingle in the fall of 2008 when the economy fell off the cliff, thanks to Bush and cronies? Recall she was off on the mainland campaigning for John McCain and Sarah Palin. Then on March 27, 2009 when her Finance Director faced the Senate Ways and Means Committee and was asked how the State would fund its budget shortfall other than by furloughing and cutting employees, there was a pregnant pause.  Then when asked by Senator Chun about new revenue streams again there was no answer – just possibilities of moving designated state funds to the general fund.  What I mean is there was  no plan whatsoever about raising more revenue.  It seemed as if the Governor believed if she could just get the unions to their knees, we could easily weather these economic hardtimes. Most anyone could have told her otherwise.

 

Re: Parker School Expansion:
At the November 2009 Planning Commission meeting, the Commission postponed voting on the Parker School School Expansion and asked Parker School to work on consensus with the Community concerning the various issues raised by community members. (The school is located in an area that already is plagued by traffic congestion, so any increase in the student body is of concern. The Kapiolani Road campus is on a narrow road winding road in a rural neighborhood. The Parker School is proposing a 70% increase in students at the Kapiolani Road campus.)
In an effort to address community concerns, CArl Sturges,  Parker School's headmaster, met with me (Margaret Wille) and we worked up a "working draft". After that the Parker School Board and its consultants weighed in and now the community at large has the opportunity to discuss this working draft.

On Thursday February 4th at the Waimea Community Association meeting Parker School presented revisions to its earlier plan. . 

Then this evening, 2/5, the WCA Planning and Design Review committee met at the Parker School and reviewed the proposed changes. The key concern was the gym -- and the substantial impact this facility would have on the rural neighborhood -- especially in light of the School's request to allow for commercial use of the facility for non-Parker School functions.

The Planning Commission meets to vote on the Parker School Expansion on February 26th. Attached below are the minutes from the November 2009 Planning Commission meeting -- with respect to the Parker School proposed use permit amendment.

Re: Parker Ranch:

The Schedule: If the Hele-On Bus to and from the South Kohala Resorts is going to run on a schedule that exclusively caters to the hotels' labor needs, with little to no service at other times, then you know what, the hotels should be charged a fee. That way maybe we can afford better bus service with a bus schedule that doesn't solely provide for the hotel staff schedule.  

Two years ago when it appeared the plastic bag ban was going to go into effect (prior to veto by the Kim administration) I spoke with a manager of one of the large grocery chains about his take on putting the ban into effect.  He said he did not see a problem from the point of view of the store -- and in fact it would be more profitable -- BUT he said I can't do this without having the law to stand behind: Sort of like we got to all take the plunge together. Share the burden of caring for our island environment and critters.     So sad that majority of our Council members are so short-sighted.

Early this morning, I read West Hawaii Today’s front page article about the demise of the Hawaiian monk seal, wishing there were something I could do to help reverse the near extinction of this fellow species.

Please be advised there will be a meeting of the Waimea Planning & Design Review Committee Meeting on February 5 at 5 p.m. at Parker School.  At the meeting we will review the proposed  revisions to the Parker School Use Permit Amendment  and the timeline for implementation of the proposed permit conditions.

For your review, attached is the agreement Carl Sturges, (headmaster of Parker School) and I have been drafting --with some modifications to address additional community comments. 

When on the mayoral campaign trail, Billy Kenoi spoke of his “together we can” philosophy. On several occasions, I chided him that this philosophy is easy when all constituencies favor the same course of action.  I would then ask what will you do when your constituencies are at odds over a particular issue? He said he would not hide from difficult issues (as did Mayor Kim) and instead it would be his job to lead and do what was right.  On one occasion (at a Kawaihae mayoral debate on traffic issues) he added that if he did not know what was right, he would get the concerned constituencies together so each could appreciate the other groups’ concerns and he could make a better decision.

Today the Solid Waste Management citizen advisory commission met with Mayor Kenoi, then statements from the public (Kareen Forissier, Margaret Wille), then went on to its agenda shown below -- including a presentation by Dora Beck "Sustainability of Big Island's Waste Management System Using An Asset Management System".

 

Re: Reed's Bay Park: For those interested, below is the Planning Department's recommendation to the Planning Commission for the redevelopment of Reed's Bay Park -- including the removal of many of the banyans and other trees. By a vote of 4-1, the Commission approved the Planning Department's recommendation but removed a few trees from the chopping block (at least temporarily) -- but still condemned "Big Mama" banyan along with a dozen or so other trees. Sounds like the drama in Avatar -- but for, in Avatar, the Mother Tree is at last saved.

Here is the Big Mama. See her before she is lost history.  (Hey maybe they will leave a placque in her memory -- like a lonely tombstone: Here is where the Big Mama  banyan lived and died)