All the reasons why to vote for Margaret Wille for District 9

Submitted by margaretwille on Thu, 08/09/2012 - 10:19pm

West Hawaii Today endorses Margaret Wille and here's why...


County Council Dist. 9

"Waimea attorney Margaret Wille is another candidate who has been involved in county political processes for much longer than her candidacy. She has drafted legislation for and litigation against the county. Wille would be an effective representative for the North Hawaii region, increasingly so as she focuses and distills her efforts, understanding that sometimes, less is more."

Link to review the entire article of West Hawaii Today endorsements: HERE



Wille: Increase effectiveness, revenue sources


<p>Wille</p>

                         Margaret Wille

1

By Nancy Cook Lauer | West Hawaii Today | ncook-lauer@westhawaiitoday.com

Hawaii County government isn’t as effective as it could be because it’s trying to do too much with too little, says Waimea resident Margaret Wille, a candidate for the open Hawaii County Council District 9 seat.

“The county has very little money with a lot of responsibility,” Wille said.

Wille, 64, proposes the county focus on its core responsibilities and bring in more revenues through outside funding such as federal and private grants. She cites her work lobbying for $3.3 million in state funds for North Hawaii Community Hospital as an example. The county should also work with state lawmakers to cut funding to the state Hawaii Tourism Authority and return more of the transient accommodations tax to the counties, she said.

In the area of energy, Wille said the county “should put our foot down” with Hawaiian Electric Co., the parent of the Big Island’s Hawaii Electric Light Co., and require it to put more renewable energy sources into the grid. The county, through working with the state Legislature and the Public Utilities Commission, should also require HECO to disclose more information about its costs and profits, she said.

“HELCO is acting as a very profitable monopoly,” Wille said. “The county and state need to work together. We just need to take a more hard-line position.”

Wille says the county needs to increase recycling, and she says it’s insulting to imply that the public is too lazy to sort materials more before throwing them out.

“We must look at our trash as an asset,” Wille said, citing Maui County’s success soliciting proposals for a comprehensive waste stream management process that resulted in 60 proposals.

The key is to make it comprehensive, she said, so contractors don’t cherry pick the most profitable components and leave out the rest.

“Don’t give one little part to one contractor,” she said.

There’s no need to truck East Hawaii’s garbage to the West Hawaii landfill, she said, stressing that a comprehensive approach needs to include the Hilo landfill, as well.

Wille opposes furloughs and she’d look to cut staff through attrition in departments that have less work because of the economic downturn, on a case-by-case basis.

“People start thinking their government job is a part-time job and there’s a different mentality about it,” she said. “There are a lot of other ways to balance the budget and I’m not in favor of furloughs generally.”

Wille said it’s incumbent on each council member to know the concerns of his or her district, while acting in a way that benefits the county as a whole. Other issues will be countywide ones that require a thorough understanding and collaboration, she said.

“I would support our districts in the context of islandwide needs,” Wille said. “North and South Kohala’s interest is what I’d bring to the table and I would expect others to bring their interests to the table, too.”

Link to read entire article: HERE


Link to the entire list of State wide candidates  HERE



North Kohala District 9 Candidate Forum



       Waimea Traffic Safety District 9 Candidate Forum


            Waimea Traffic Safety District 9 Candidate Forum 

Waimea Middle School Candidate Forum


Margaret Wille's Accomplishments


Here are a couple issues relating to education that Margaret has been involved with.

1. As a member of the South Kohala Community Development Plan Steering Committee, Margaret drafted many provisions that are now part of that Plan enacted into law in 2008, such as on issues relating to increasing higher education opportunities and increasing the authority of the SKCDP action committee.

2. Helping Waimea Middle School Community cope with the firing of beloved principal John Colson and assisting in hiring new principal Matt Horne.





Hawaii County Redistricting Plan


Margaret’s proposed County Council Redistricting Plan was selected as the final base plan for the County of Hawaii. Margaret drafted her Plan in consultation with community members around the County to challenge the Commission’s previously preferred Plan that was lop-sided in favor of Hilo. Following island-wide community support for her Plan was selected.

Blogs on redistricting you can find here.


Emergency Preparedness and Resiliency

Submitted by Margaret Wille on Mon, 02/20/2012 - 17:30

While a Director on the Waimea Community Association Board of Directors, Margaret organized and facilitated an interactive community meeting on Emergency Preparedness and Resiliency.

Read more here.


   
   Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 5:00pm - 8:00pm             

  FIRST DRAFT FOR RESILIENCE AND EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS PLANNING

Step I. ASSESMENT AND PLANNING


-Assess and identify our Community's risks/identify our assets and strengths by risk category [WE

WILL DO NOVEMBER 5TH
-Share examples of emergency plans that already in community - including for households, businesses, schools, government and non-government agencies. [WE WILL DO NOVEMBER 5TH]
- Encourage everyone to participate in at least one risk category network or planning group.[WE WILL

DO NOVEMBER 5TH
-Draft risk reduction action plans by risk category [WE WILL BEGIN TO DO ON NOVEMBER 5TH]
-Build website for the community resilience action plan. [BEGINNING NOW]

Step II. REDUCE RISKS:
Identify key entities by risk category: e.g. Firewise Organization– for wild fires; CERT – for all sudden events.
Identify essential capacity building with goal of community self-sufficiency [think about Waimea surviving completely off-grid]
Seek and obtain funding as needed to implement risk reduction and self sufficiency strategies.

Step III. RESPONSE READINESS:
Identifying key communication networks by risk category.
Make available the emergency notification systems now in place.
Draft plan to prevent road congestion and prevent crashing of communication systems.

Step IV. RECOVERY: Draft and make available contact lists for assistance.

THE WHOS THAT NEED TO INTERCONNECT
A. Encourage families/individuals/neighbors to make list of who to call for help in emergencies, and who may need your help.
B. Identify key business organizations by asset groups: e.g. water, food, fuel, medical.
C. Identify key community networks: e.g. WCA, CDP action committee, subdivision associations, neighborhood watch groups, civic organizations, DHHL communities.
D. Identify key individuals with resources, e.g. food, farms, water, vehicles, tools, knowledge.
E. Identify high risk groups – elderly, disabled, kids.
F. Identify non-profits, churches, and quasi-publics e.g. schools, hospitals, public transportation entities; which could help provide shelter or transportation or other assistance to large groups.
E. Identify resorts and hotels –contacts and visitor sector needs.
E. Identify key government organizations: county, state, federal: e.g. civil defense, police, fire departments, state agencies such as agriculture or DLNR (e.g for dams), military contacts.
F. Identify key communication networks: e.g. radio, tv, websites, twitters, blogs; email lists.

THE RISKS CATEGORIES.
SUDDEN EVENTS: Pandemic illness (e.g. swine flu), earthquake, flooding and landslides, shortages -food and fuel, hurricane, wildfires, and other emergencies including those that may occur in neighboring communities e.g. tsunami, volcanic eruption.

CUMULATIVE EVENTS: Drought, water/soil/air pollution, including vog, wide spread invasive infestations e.g. fire ants, biodiversity species losses, climate change; cumulative social issues -from crime to lack of educational and job opportunities.

ASSOCIATED RISKS: Prevent actual and potential emergency situations from being used as opportunities for those in power to take control over key sectors e.g. prevent domination of communication networks, prevent reduction of civil rights; prevent invasions of privacy; prevent non-transparency in government, prevent restructuring of government that inhibits informed public participation; prevent “GMO” companies from taking over agriculture.





County Charter

Margaret submitted various amendments to the County Charter (our County’s Constitution) that as adopted by the Charter Commission were approved by the voters in 2008. Her amendments included the new “Public Trust” Charter provision to protect and preserve Hawaiian cultural sites and practices and environmental natural resources. The Charter Commission also adopted amendments she made to provide Internet notification to the public about county government meetings.





Parker Ranch Connector Road

In a pro bono legal action, Margaret successfully represented Waimea community members to force the County of Hawaii to require Parker Ranch to carry out its obligation to construct the Parker Ranch Connector Road as had been promised in the 1990s. As the result of these legal actions, the Parker Ranch Connector Road (2 phases) was completed in 2008.

So.... to the Legacy of Richard Smart: Waimea is one step closer to the opening of the intra-Waimea road Richard Smart promised our community back in the late 1980s and early 1990s!  

NOW A  FINISHED ROAD:




Six months or so ago:
 

This past Thursday the County Council approved the Resolution from the County's Public Works for the approval of the Parker Ranch Connector Road.  The vote was (of course) 9-0. (Attached at bottom of page are the Council Resolution and accompanying Communication)

Councilman Pete Hoffmann graciously acknowledged that construction of this road at this time was largely due to the legal action I brought (challenging the County's failure to enforce the Rezoning ordinance requirement that this road be constructed concurrently with development of the surrounding areas). He suggested the road be named Wille's Way or Margaret's Place.  THANKS PETE FOR THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT!  

LISTEN TO THE BIG ISLAND NEWS COVERAGE OF THE COUNCIL HEARING:HERE     

(BIGISLANDNEWS.COM) 

or listen to the full tape of the meeting --- attached below: "PR CR 408 10mp3"

Before the road opens there will be one more County Council approval and sign-offs by Parker Ranch's Trustees and Mayor Kenoi. Otherwise all that is left is final mowing of grass and removal of the temporary irrigation lines.. At that point: out of the way temporary barricades! Exciting!  Well most exciting of all is the spectacular view from this roadway.   So when you are feeling lazy but know that you need to take a walk ....consider heading over to the connector road... the views of Waimea are inspiring.

  And, hopefully, before too long Parker Ranch will convey to the County the land for the District Park -- which will be located off this Connector Road not far from the location of the Parker Ranch headquarters.  When that happens,   after walking along the new road,  some day we can all meet  at the Park for various outdoor activities --from yoga to aerobics to ball games.

Note the District  Park was another condition of the Parker Ranch 1992 Rezoning Ordinance -- as promised by Richard Smart long ago.       [Read the first couple pages of Richard Smart's  "Parker Ranch 2020 Plan" to appreciate his vision and his legacy. Here are  pages 1 and 2 of the 2020 Plan.]






On the following diagram it is phases 1 and 3 of the Connector Road that are now completed (Phase 1includes Pukalani Road).






Here are a few photos taken during the construction:

1. Of the Connector Road, while still under construction, near to Holoholo-ku residential development:





The next two are of Pukalani Road -- while under construction:











Regional Transit Hub


As a member of the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee, Margaret recently suggested the construction of a regional transit hub on Lindsey Road extension adjacent to the Waimea Post Office to provide for a multi-modal transit hub and information facility.  With the support of Councilman Pete Hoffmann, in December 2011, the County Council unanimously voted in favor of placing this project on the County’s Capital Improvement Project List.


Possible Regional Transit






Parker School expansion

In another pro bono legal action, while co-chair of the Waimea Planning and Design Committee, Margaret reached a settlement with the County and Parker School in the context of the school’s planned expansion in order to provide for increased pedestrian safety, and mitigation of traffic congestion in Waimea in the area of Lindsey and Kapiolani Roads.
You can read more here.











Intra-Waimea Shuttle Bus


While participating in a meeting concerning traffic safety at the Waimea public schools, Margaret proposed the original idea of the intra-Waimea shuttle bus service from Lakeland to Kamuela View Estates, which with the help of Parker School representatives, the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee, and Council member Pete Hoffmann, this is now a part of our island-wide hele-on service.




Trails and Greenways Project


As part of the Parker Ranch Connector Road settlement, Margaret negotiated with Parker Ranch for additional easement land to be given to the County at no cost for the Waimea Trails and Greenways project --so that the trail would not be fenced up against residential lots.



Hōkū‘ula pu‘u


As co-chair of the Conservation Subcommittee of the Community Development Plan Committee, Margaret, along with Bob Hunter and other Waimea residents,successfully lead the effort to remove the one-acre zoning across the face of Waimea’s Hōkū‘ula pu‘u. Margaret is now seeking to increase public access rights across state lands to forest reserves.








Little Red Ants species spreading


While participating in a community County Agricultural Plan, Margaret organized the participants in an effort to immediately draft and lobby in support of county legislation to address the frightening problem of the little red ant invasive species spreading across the island. With the help of Councilman Pete Hoffmann, the resulting County Council resolution passed 9-0.