Save Kauai brings together current information about Kauai and web-based tools that allow you to take action. If we want to affect the future of Kauai in a pono way we must organize and begin implementing solutions, not just fighting the problems.
Aloha 'Aina, Imua Kakou!
Excellent article:
From: http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/11/16/news/kauai_news/doc491fd91...
"A template for Lihu‘e tomorrow"
Visiting architects offer plan for sustainable town
By Luke Shanahan and Michael Levine - The Garden Island
Published: Sunday, November 16, 2008
"Community leaders and concerned citizens this week welcomed a team of architects from around the country for a workshop on sustainable design ideas for Lihu‘e, with three days of work summed up in a presentation Friday evening at the Kaua‘i Veterans Center.
The Sustainable Design Assessment Team program, which aims to provide broad assessments to help frame future policies and sustainability solutions, featured presentations on five main areas — land use and smart growth, transportation and transit, housing affordability, economic development and renewable energy — in setting up a “template for Lihu‘e’s tomorrow.”
Over three days, SDAT members, working in conjunction with the American Institute of Architects and traveling to Kaua‘i from as far away as New York and Washington, D.C., spoke with community members to get up to speed on design and development issues particular to the island in general, and the Lihu‘e area, specifically from the Wailua River to the Tree Tunnel road.
Kauai General Plan Strengthened by Kauai Voters
The CRG group did a great job with this. See attached comment below for a complete list of participants in this campaign. Politicians at all levels should take note, these people and their larger group of thousands of friends are capable of anything they set their minds to. Carl gives a good interview below:
http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/11/12/news/kauai_news/doc491a7bef711...
"General Plan gets teeth"
By Nathan Eagle - The Garden Island - November 12, 2008
"Speaking loud and clear with their ballots, Kaua‘i voters last week told county government that they want the General Plan to be more than a guiding document collecting dust on shelves.
By a nearly two-to-one margin, voters said “Yes” to a County Charter amendment that will limit the development of hotels, timeshares and vacation rentals to a prescribed growth rate.
As newly elected officials prepare to implement the law, expected to go into effect Dec. 4, questions continue to arise over the “devil in the details.” While the intent of responsible growth remains clear, concerns have been voiced publicly and privately over legal and logistical aspects.
“A lot of people are tired of irresponsible government,” said Carl Imparato, one of some 100 residents who worked to put the amendment on the ballot through a citizens’ petition and then campaigned behind it. “They want the plan to be more than a vision; they want it to be a reality.”
General Plan gets teeth
http://kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/11/12/news/kauai_news/doc491a7bef711...
While Kaua‘i’s South Shore is seeing the most growth right now, both photos above, a county charter amendment that passed would apply a more strict formula to development. Photos by Dennis Fujimoto/The Garden Island
By Nathan Eagle - The Garden Island
Published: Wednesday, November 12, 2008 1:14 AM HST
Speaking loud and clear with their ballots, Kaua‘i voters last week told county government that they want the General Plan to be more than a guiding document collecting dust on shelves.
By a nearly two-to-one margin, voters said “Yes” to a County Charter amendment that will limit the development of hotels, timeshares and vacation rentals to a prescribed growth rate.
As newly elected officials prepare to implement the law, expected to go into effect Dec. 4, questions continue to arise over the “devil in the details.” While the intent of responsible growth remains clear, concerns have been voiced publicly and privately over legal and logistical aspects.
“A lot of people are tired of irresponsible government,” said Carl Imparato, one of some 100 residents who worked to put the amendment on the ballot through a citizens’ petition and then campaigned behind it. “They want the plan to be more than a vision; they want it to be a reality.”
http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/10/30/opinion/kauai/doc490958711...
"It’s time to implement Kaua‘i’s General Plan"
By David Dinner October 30, 2008
"Eight years ago, after two years of effort, dozens of meetings and extensive public input, the County Council adopted the Kaua’i General Plan. The General Plan provides a 20-year vision for Kaua‘i. It is intended to serve as a roadmap for future development on Kaua‘i and as a guide for county government’s actions, including the issuance of development permits. It balances Kaua‘i’s need for jobs and economic development with protection of Kaua‘i’s environment, cultures and quality of life.
The County Charter requires the council to periodically adopt and update the General Plan, but it does not require that the council make sure that the General Plan’s vision becomes reality. Now, the lack of that formal requirement would not be a problem if the County Planning Commission — the body that grants development permits — used the General Plan to guide its decision-making.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case. Under the high growth scenario of the General Plan, a need was projected for 2,500 additional tourist accommodation units (hotels, timeshares, resort condominiums and the like) over the 20 year period 2000-2020. That’s 1,000 additional units over eight years. But over the past eight years, the Planning Commission has allowed the construction of more than 4,000 new tourist accommodations.
"Protect Kaua’i’s environment, jobs, economy, and future."
Vote YES on the Charter Amendment to Implement the Kaua’i
General Plan (the last Charter Amendment on the ballot).
Eight years ago, the Kaua’i County Council adopted the Kaua’i General Plan, a roadmap for future development on Kaua’i. But County government has completely ignored the Plan: over the past 8 years, the Planning Commission has approved tourist units (such as hotels, resort condominiums and timeshare units) at a pace 4-to-6 times the growth rates envisioned in the General Plan.
Ignoring the General Plan is creating enormous impacts on Kaua’i: loss of open space along our shorelines; overloaded infrastructure; traffic and highway congestion; overcrowding at parks and beaches; unsustainable demands for groundwater, wastewater treatment, landfills, energy resources and emergency services; and the loss of Kauai’s character, pace and quality of life.
Compared to steady, well-paced growth, overly-rapid growth hurts the economy. The local construction industry is harmed because much of the new construction is done by workers who are brought in during the building boom; but after the boom busts, there are few jobs left for local workers. Overly-rapid growth also means that Kaua’i needs to import many new service industry workers to meet the demand (increasing the shortage of affordable housing); but overbuilding ultimately leads to low hotel occupancy rates, so during periods of economic stress, tourist industry workers see reduced work hours, pay cuts and job losses.
http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/10/22/news/kauai_news/doc48fedb4...
"Top county officials fatten Carvalho coffers"
By Nathan Eagle
Published: Wednesday, October 22, 2008 12:17 AM HST
"Locals and non-residents, political insiders and outsiders, worker unions and business owners have given money to the mayoral candidates seeking election Nov. 4 on Kaua‘i.
The hundreds of thousands of dollars pay for advertising, yard signs, brochures, banners, T-shirts, bumper stickers, headquarters and fundraisers, supplementing volunteer efforts and grassroots initiatives.
The most recent state Campaign Spending Commission disclosure reports, filed Oct. 10, reveal details about how much cash JoAnn Yukimura and Bernard Carvalho have raised and spent in their campaigns and where that money has come from.
“A candidate cannot run a large, highly visible campaign without money,” Yukimura said last week in a written response to questions sent to both candidates. “A candidate cannot rely on the news media to get the message out in a way that represents the candidate well, so a candidate must do advertising.”
Spending is equally important, she said, because “you want to get the biggest bang for your buck and you want to use your supporters’ money well. Like taxes, it is a matter or responsibility and trust.”
Carvalho shared similar thoughts on the weight of campaign contributions.
http://www.kauaiworld.com/articles/2008/10/18/news/kauai_news/doc48f9a12...
"Planning Director slammed over setback issue"
Agreement with landowner sent to attorney general for review
By Nathan Eagle - The Garden Island October 18, 2008
Kaua‘i County Council members JoAnn Yukimura and Mel Rapozo on Wednesday hammered county Planning Director Ian Costa for an agreement his department made with a private landowner to permit nonconforming structures without requiring a state-certified shoreline survey to determine the setback zone.
Four years after issuing notices of violation to the Burmeister Family Trust and making it clear in 2006 that a shoreline setback must be determined before special management area permits would be considered, the Planning Department retreated and in January signed a “Memorandum of enforcement and settlement agreement” that brings the Ha‘ena property into full compliance.
Rapozo said the biggest issue for him is where the county found the authority to enter into an agreement that apparently circumvents the law.
“So all the landowner has to do is resist complying and the county Planning Department will back off?” Yukimura asked Costa during the morning session at the Historic County Building.
The council approved a motion to ask the state attorney general and county Planning Commission to review the legality of the agreement.
Councilman Ron Kouchi said if the attorney general, Mark Bennett, finds the agreement to be “incorrect,” the county charter would immediately void the action.
Monday, October 13, 2008
For all clickable links see: http://alohaanalytics.blogspot.com/2008/10/looking-at-waste-to-energynot...
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste-to-energy
"...Concerns regarding the operation of incinerators include fine particulate, heavy metals, trace dioxin and acid gas emissions, even though these emissions are relatively low[2] from modern incinerators. Other concerns include toxic fly ash and incinerator bottom ash (IBA) management. Discussions regarding waste resource ethics include the opinion that incinerators destroy valuable resources and the belief that they reduce the incentives for recycling and waste minimization activities."
Bernard Carvalho's prepared response regarding Waste to Energy:
"I also believe that there will still be enough waste left to support a WTE plant that will not only increase our landfill diversion by about 80%, but will also provide a form of renewable energy. KIUC recognizes WTE as a part of their preferred renewable portfolio and that can translate into all kinds of benefits for our island. I’ve visited a WTE plant on the mainland and was impressed with how clean it is and how much electricity they produce. Again, I think we need to maximize all components of the plan and implement it as quickly as possible."
JoAnn Yukimura's response regarding Waste to Energy:
Sunday, October 12, 2008
As events unfold from afar, first with energy prices and more recently with financial markets, I cannot help but wonder if Kauai is prepared for what lies ahead.
These economic events began in earnest in August 2007, and since then I have been watching closely what the community of Kauai is doing.
What I have seen is the people of a beautiful place mostly continuing about their daily lives and not expecting nor demanding significant changes from public nor private sector leaders. The people of Kauai appear to have been comfortable and happy with things the way they have been.
That comfort level may change from here on out.
For the community, a good place to start is with the upcoming election. Both of the Mayoral candidates seem to be good, kind people, but Kauai will need more than that, and soon.
As the election approaches, I hope all of the voters will truly consider which one of these two imperfect Mayoral candidates has the experience and intellectual interest to help solve the complex problems set to rain down upon the island.
Crisises are never easy to deal with, but JoAnn Yukimura is the only one of these two who has shown the experience and knowledge on the issues to help solve the complex problems up ahead and bring the community together.
No matter what, Kauai will get through this hurricane, again. We are living in some of the most interesting of times. Let's make it a better place and community on the other side.
Aloha, Brad
Council bandies bill to make county attorney opinions public
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by Nathan Eagle - The Garden Island
A bill co-introduced yesterday by Kaua‘i County Council members JoAnn Yukimura and Tim Bynum would require the county attorney to make certain legal opinions public.
The proposed legislation unanimously passed first reading. A public hearing was scheduled for Oct. 22 at the Historic County Building, the week before Bill 2288 is to be heard by the Committee of the Whole.
The proposed legislation nearly mirrors the state law regulating the release of legal opinions by the attorney general.
It calls for the same distinction between two types of opinions. The first are “opinions on questions of law” submitted by public officers on matters connected to their public duties. The second is “advice and counsel” to public officers on matters connected to their public duties.
As the bill stands, the proposed legislation says: “When requested by the mayor, council or its members, department heads or board or commission members, the county attorney shall give opinions upon questions of law submitted. The county attorney shall file a copy of each opinion with the county clerk within three days of the date of its issue. Opinions on file with the county clerk shall be available for public inspection.”
