Posts Tagged ‘ West Hawaii Civic Center ’

County Redistricting Commission Meetings Start This Week

September 18, 2011
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Just as the State has a Reapportionment Commission to redraw the State House and State Senate lines based on the most current census, Mayor Kenoi has appointed a County Redistricting Commission to redraw the lines for the nine Hawaii County Council districts–based on the most current census.  They will hold public hearings to review their proposals and take public input starting this Friday.  The schedule of public hearings and regular meetings is below. The biggest controversy for Hawaii Island when the State Reapportionment Commission held public hearings last week was their decision to county non-resident…

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State Rep Herkes Weighs in on Reapportionment Issues (audio)

September 14, 2011
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Hawaii State Representative Herkes (D-Ka’u) was in Kona on Wednesday, September 14, to attend the second of two State Reapportionment Commission public hearings on Hawaii Island.  Herkes testified on Tuesday, September 14 at the Hilo hearing. Herkes, as did Hilo attorney Stan Roehrig, reminded the three (out of eight) Commission members that the Hawaii State Constitution is clear on the point that only permanent residents should be included…as specified in Article IV, Section 4 and Section 6.   He reviewed the methodology as specified in the Constitution. Herkes also expressed concern that the Commission has drawn…

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State Reapportionment Meetings Tuesday and Wednesday

September 9, 2011
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The State Reapportionment Commission, which is redrawing State House and Senate lines based on the most recent census, will hold two meetings on Hawaii Island this week  to review the plans and get public input.  The meetings are Tuesday, September 13 at the Hawaii County Council Chamber in Hilo at 5 p.m. and Wednesday, September 14 at the West Hawaii Civic Center County Council Chamber at 5 p.m. The meetings are expected to draw significant interest.  One of the key issues is the Reapportionment Commission’s decision to include non-resident military and non-resident students in the…

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Fire Commission Sets Public Hearings for New Chief

August 17, 2011
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The County of Hawai`i Department of Human Resources has forwarded the names of five Fire Chief applicants to the Hawai`i County Fire Commission for consideration in selecting our County’s next Fire Chief. The qualified applicants are: 1. Aaron Arbles 2. Glen Honda 3. Gerald Kosaki 4. Paul Paiva 5. Darren Rosario Fire Chief Darryl Oliveira officially retired on August 1, 2011, and has agreed to hold over as the Temporary Fire Chief on a volunteer basis until the next Chief is selected. The Fire Chief vacancy was advertised statewide for three consecutive weeks as required…

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Council Committee to Consider New Kona Development Tuesday

August 15, 2011
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Hawaii County Council’s Planning Committee will meet Tuesday at 9 a.m. to consider bills asking classification and zoning changes to allow for a new development just north of Pualani Estates in Kailua-Kona.  Hualalai Partners of Kona, LLC is requesting the classification be changed from agricultural to urban.  And they’re requesting the zoning be changed from 5 acre lots to 10,000-square-foot lots.  The property is 14,968 acres just north of Puapua’anui Road, the main road up through Pualani Estates, going up to Hualalai Road. The proposed zoning and district classification changes were considered by the Leeward…

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Hawaii County Gets Flood Insurance Rate Reduction

August 11, 2011
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Hawaii County Gets Flood Insurance Rate Reduction

The Federal Management Emergency Agency has awarded Hawaii County certification in the National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System which will enable residents to get a 10% discount on flood insurance.  Wednesday, FEMA outreach manager Sarah Owen out of regional headquarters in Oakland, California, presented the certification to County Public Works Flood Plain Manager Carter Romero at the West Hawaii Civic Center. Owen says the certification is presented to municipalities which do specific, above-and-beyond the standards outreach and mapping and establish stricter standards than required for building to avoid flood damage.  Romero and his predecessor,…

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County Sets Meetings to Review Revised Flood Maps (w/audio)

August 7, 2011
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The Federal Emergency Management Area has revised the Hawaii County Flood Maps.  Homeowners with mortgages could be significantly affected, as it’s a federal requirement that any mortgage with an institution backed by federal funds have flood insurance.   And flood insurance can cost several thousand dollars a year.  Hawaii County Department of Public Works is partnering with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to host two meetings so residents can review the maps–and protest if they believe their property is indicated to be in a flood zone but they don’t feel it actually is.  The…

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Hawaii County Installs Photovoltaic at West Hawaii Civic Center (w/video)

August 2, 2011
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Hawaii County Installs Photovoltaic at West Hawaii Civic Center (w/video)

Mayor Billy Kenoi flipped the switch Tuesday afternoon on the 250 killowatt photovoltaic system at the West Hawaii Civic Center.   The San Francisco company Sun Run, working with local contractor REC Solar,  installed photovoltaic panels over the parking lot at the county’s newest building, at no cost to the County.  The County will purchase power from Sun Run, at about half the current electricity rates. The system should generate more than 400,000 kilowatt hours of solar electricity per year—to replace 770 barrels of oil.  The 80,000 square foot complex will use 100 percent solar power during the day—and sell the excess to HELCO.  At…

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Tuesday Marks First Day of Solar Photovoltaic for West Hawaii Civic Center

August 1, 2011
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Tuesday marks a new day for County Government in Hawaii.   At 3:30 p.m. Mayor Billy Kenoi will flip a switch and turn on the new 250-kilowatt solar photovoltaic project which will power the West Hawaii Civic Center.  This will convert the 80,000-square-foot complex to 100 percent solar power.  Hawaii County currently spends around $4 million per year on energy for its buildings and facilities (not counting street and traffic lights nor the Department of Water Supply).  Once the solar photovoltaic system is operational, the County will purchase its power from the outside vendor running the…

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County Offices Close Friday for Furlough

July 28, 2011
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Hawaii County offices will be closed Friday, July 29, the first county employee furlough day for the new fiscal year.  Starting in August, the county furlough days will be the first Friday of each month. Hele-On Bus service will operate on a normal schedule, but the Hele-On Bus administrative offices will be closed.  The Department of Parks and Recreation pools will all stay open Friday, but the pool will close for August furlough day on Friday, August 5. West Hawaii Civic Center and Hilo’s Aupuni Center will be closed on furlough days. The County has…

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Kona Fireworks Still Need Funding

June 22, 2011
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The County of Hawaii has donated more than $14,000 from fireworks fees to the Kailua-Kona Community Parade Association to defray the cost of fireworks over Kailua Bay for July 4–but more is needed.  The total cost of the outside contract to have the ten minute professional fireworks extravaganza shot off a barge in Kailua Bay is around $33,041.  The committee also raises funds to support the Independence Day Parade, needing around $3,000 for the parade, mostly for Special Duty Police, decorations, a newspaper ad.  The committee is all volunteer and all donations go directly to…

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Pilago To Be New County Council Vice Chair

June 9, 2011
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Pilago To Be New County Council Vice Chair

Pete Hoffman, who was named Vice Chair of Hawaii County Council last December as the Council organized itself, plans to step  down as Vice Chair.  The Waimea councilman  introduced a resolution this week to appoint Angel Pilago, representing North Kona, as the Vice Chair.  The resolution will go before the full Council next Wednesday, June 15, at its regular meeting at the West Hawaii Civic Center. Hoffman said this was an agreement he and Pilago reached last year, when both wanted to be Vice Chair.   Hoffman agreed he would hold the post for seven months,…

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County Council Wants Input on Plastic Bag Reduction Bill

June 6, 2011
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Hawaii County Council is considering an ordinance to reduce the use of plastic bags offered by merchants around the island at checkout.  They will have hearings islandwide starting Tuesday. Councilman Pete Hoffman has introduced the bill.  Hoffman says the bill  intends to proactively address the environmental harm resulting from the proliferation of plastic bags.  In the past, directors of the County’s Department of Environmental Management have said plastic bags are a huge problem in the landfill as they blow all over and the County then spends time and money sending people to corral them. In…

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