Fred Blas Report Card

[Obie]

James

Here is the ordinance :

http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/Weblink/0...Page1.aspx

Note that it says the funds can be used for public purposes.HPP's roads are private and funds can't be used for private roads.Need some playground equipment for your public park ?

Here is a link that will lead to a pdf of how Emily used the funds.

http://tinyurl.com/72bp8p2

Please point out the ones that you believe were for "political patronage".

In the meantime it sounds like more sour grapes.

Edit to add link to ordinance

[Rob Tucker]

James, I am asking a serious question. How would you use/spend/allocate the Geothermal Community Benefit Funds? What community based structure?

How would that work? Public referendum?

I have my own ideas on the subject but as you are running for council I would like to hear yours... specifically.

[james weatherford]

We are off topic for this discussion -- except that Fred received the same information I give below from the same sources I received it from.
But, it's your forum. OK.

Keep in mind, this idea was brought to me from two different sources -- a community leader/elder and three veteran Council members. I understood the matter and respected their concerns. When I am in a position to develop details, I'll be seeking their counsel.

A few general points are possible at this juncture based on my interpretation of how it was presented to me.
A group ("board", "panel", whatever label works best) of citizen volunteers. This group would function perhaps a bit like the Open Space Commission. Receive proposals, set priorities based on what the ordinance says the funds are to be used for; then make recommendations to Planning Dept (they are now responsible for the fund); and then the Planning Dept sends recommendations to Council for approval of funding.
Referendum was never mentioned and I would never have thought of it.

[Rob Tucker]

Thanks for the answer James. Something to think about. Not the way I'd approach the topic but so what... The Geothermal Relocation and Community Benefit Fund can have it's own topic soon enough.

As for straying off topic:

Keeping to topic on a forum has never been a requirement here. Most human conversations stray off original topic. What has been a requirement on Punaweb is to keep the topic related to Puna and/or Hawaii. That is something I try to enforce as best I can.

A number of things broached under this topic heading will be worthy of their own topics come the first of the year when the election forum reappears. They can all get explored in more depth and hopefully in a more organized manner in a few weeks.

Mahalo

[james weatherford]

Geothermal in our community, including the relocation and community benefit fund, is an issue. A conversation to be had.

Thanks for raising the topic of "connectivity".
All discussion and proposals for an "alternate route" Puna-Hilo are explicitly for a "major rural collector".
Smaller "connector" roads that are intended for "connectivity" may not be able to get Federal money -- in the world of the Hawaii County Planning Department, getting Federal money is an end in itself. Whatever it takes to get that money, they're prepared to create a justification for. Keeps 'em looking important.

[Rene Siracusa]

Even before the creation of the new version of the geothermal asset fund, in the original permits for the project, there is an area referred to as 'the impacted area'( I seem to remember that it was called Rule 12). The funds were designed to mitigate the negative impacts of geothermal development on the surrounding community. There was a very specific radius of impact spelled out: 4.1 miles from the plant boundary. So Pahoa is included in the area. During the blowout, there were lots of dead birds lying in the streets of Pahoa, as though to underscore the accuracy of that radius. Leilani and Nanawale are also within the area impacted by geothermal. HPP is not.

The geothermal funds should be for public projects not otherwise in the CIP budget. Thus, Puna should get our share of CIP money PLUS the geothermal money for use in the impacted (4.1 mile) area.

Now here comes a spanner that I gratuitously throw into the works: with 2 Puna council districts, both of which have portions within the impacted area, our elected councilpersons will have to work together (and not at odds with each other) to decide on projects. It seems to me that the fairest way to do this would be for D.5 councilperson to choose projects in FY 2012-13 and D.4 councilperson to choose in FY 2013-14 - unless they decide to choose a project that will span both districts.

I am really concerned about James' idea of an advisory committee, because a lot depends on who selects the members, who the members are, and their agendas. This could be a real political football. For example, if someone from HPP were named to the committee, he would not necessarily support projects in the impacted area. On the other hand, if the 2 Puna councilpersons work together, they can be held accountable - either by corporation counsel or by the voters themselves.

[james weatherford]

Thanks for that history, Rene.

Regarding the Geothermal Relocation and Community Benefits Fund,
Hawaii County Code, Chapter 2, Section 2-181
"Expenditures for public purposes including road improvement, water infrastructure, land
acquisition, parks and recreational facility needs, civil defense, and mass transit improvements.
(A) Funds shall be expended in Lower Puna, which is defined as extending from Hawaiian
Paradise Park subdivision to Kalapana and including Orchidland Estates, Ainaloa, Hawaiian Beaches, Hawaiian Shores, Kapoho, Pahoa, Nanawale, Leilani Estates, and other
communities proximate to Pahoa.
(B) Expenditures under this subsection shall be made in accordance with appropriations adopted by the Hawai‘i County Council after receiving recommendations from the planning director."

As I said before, the proposal, more or less like I described it, for a community based group to set priorities was brought to me first by a community leader/elder in Pohoiki, and then, separately, by three veteran Council members.
The core goal is to remove it from political influence.

[james weatherford]

The concept of a group as briefly explained above is the same as currently done with various County committees and commissions, including some on which Rene has served / will serve on, e.g.,
Planning Commission,
Community Development Plan Action Committee -- the Mayor appoints and the Council approves.
Nothing new.

[Zendo Kern]

The Puna Geothermal Fund is a great topic and very important to Puna. My belief is that the council members from both Puna districts need to work together as Rene said and that is true for our entire island. We need to work together to create a strong sustainable Puna and Hawaii island.

I would like to hear from more members of our community, before I take a final stance on this subject. As I have said many times in is all about the community and it should never be about one person or entities agenda. If a council person has that in mind he or she will make the right decision on how to spend the money and a committee, panel, or board would not be necessary, the less layers of potential bureaucracy the better in my opinion. Every two years the community gets to decide whether or not there council member did their job and a job is what it is. If a council member does a poor job they get fired - hopefully. I like that accountability!

[james weatherford]

Look forward to working with you, Kern.

Indeed, in Puna, when the word 'geothermal' is pronounced, the room lights up. So to speak.
Seriously, when I talk with my constituency in Leilani Estates, the discussion is about the sights, sounds, and smells. Gas masks.
Who has 'em? How long will the canister last?
Is $1,000,000 minimum balance enough?

Geothermal in our community.