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BALLOT RESULTS. The latest ballots have been counted. All 5 candidates for the Board of Directors were elected, the $75 paving assessment (to be billed in October) passed, the recommendation that 10% of the paving fund can be used for maintenance on existing pavement passed, and the change to Article I of the Bylaws passed. The official tally is posted on our File Downloads page under Ballot Results.
Events and Meetings
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Update! Res. 321-10 has passed first reading. Through the efforts of FoPF, Emily Naeole-Beason and other council members, this resolution will go forward to full council for 2 more readings.
Right now, this bill needs the support in the form of letters of support and coming down to the hearing to testify in favor of this bill. Council members need to see and hear what is going on in our communities as far as road conditions, and more importantly, how it impacts safety. Again, I urge you get involved and support this bill.
You can check out the article at: http://www.bigislandchronicle.com/?p=16332#more-16332
Or come to one of your board mtgs. at Blanes Drive-in for more information. Check out the calendar for dates and times.
Want your roads fixed? Want road signs? Help support Res. 321-10. This is a Grant-In-Aid for non-profit organizations like OLE to help with maintaining roads. We don't want to see our MRMA's increase yet we expect the Association to do something about our roads. This is the association "DOING SOMETHING" - we can't do it alone! We need at least 20 people to show up at the hearings to support this bill and at least 100 letters from owners of OLE. For more information on friends of Puna's future and Res. 321-10 http://friendsofpunasfuture.blogspot.com/
Contact OLE through the website, http://www.orchidland.org/index.php
Direct your e-mail to Derek Shimizu (your new VP) to see how you can get involved. You may also see me handing out flyers on the road, I'm on 35th and Laniuma doing battle with the cane grass!
This may be our ONLY chance for relief folks! We need the support now!
FUEL TAX REVENUE
Friends of Puna’s Future (FoPF) is a non-profit organization that has been set up to provide a cumulative voice for the residents of the sub-standard subdivisions on the Big Island (not just Puna). For decades the County and State of Hawaii have collected our tax monies and have given us nothing in return. This has been a very sweet deal for the government coffers, at our expense. FoPF is working to expose and correct these inequities. The current target in their sights is the Fuel Tax Revenue (FTR).
The short story is this: with each gallon of gas we buy, a percentage is taken as FTR and is divided up between the State and Counties to be used for road maintenance. When we drive on our private roads, we are paying into the FTR fund, and we are entitled to our fair share of those revenues. Also, when the general public drives on our roads, which they do on a regular basis, they too are paying into the FTR fund, furthering our case for entitlement. Of course, our county officials have gotten quite used to the “sweet deal” over the decades, and will not simply hand over our entitlement without a very strong showing of support from the community.
FoPF has drafted Resolution 321-10, which would allow us to collect our fair share of the FTR. The first presentation of this resolution to the County Council was tabled for re-wording, but it appeared that there is some support. An ad hoc committee is being formed and there will be public meetings. We will try to keep our calendar updated with the dates and locations of these meetings and the results.
A strong showing of support from the community would greatly enhance the chances of this resolution being passed. If you cannot make it to the meetings, a letter, e-mail or phone call to the County Councilmembers would suffice. Here are 3 sample letters, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail addresses for all of the Councilmembers to make it as easy as possible for you to give your support, or you can write your own and use the contact information listed below. The Resolution is also included for your review.
Please take a few minutes to offer your support for Resolution 321-10. Our Councilperson is J Yoshimoto, but you should send to the others as well. Mahalo.
SAMPLE #1
To: [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ];
Cc: [ email ]
Dear Council Members:
I strongly support Resolution 321-10 for a grant in Aid Program to assist communities in maintaining their publicly accessed roads. Improving maintenance of private roadways throughout the Big Island will benefit ALL drivers. We urge you to vote in favor of this Grant-in-Aid program.
Sincerely,
(Your Name & Community Name)
___________________________________________________
SAMPLE EMAIL #2
To: (your representative's email address here)
Cc: (all other representatives' email addresses added here); [ email ]
Aloha (Your Council Member’s Name),
I am writing as a resident of ___(your community name)___ in support of Resolution 321-10 for a Grant-in-Aid program to assist communities to maintain their publicly accessed private roads. This program would make a big difference for the road conditions in our community. We urge you to vote in favor of this Grant-in-Aid program which would allow us to better maintain our roads – not only for our residents but also for the emergency and business services that regularly use our roads, as well as the general public.
Mahalo,
(Your Name & Community Name)
___________________________________________________
SAMPLE EMAIL #3
To: [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ]; [ email ];
Cc: [ email ]
Aloha Council Members,
I am writing to express my support for the Fuel Tax Revenue Grant-in-Aid program resolution now at council. Our roads are in desperate need of attention. We pay our fuel taxes every day as we drive but for decades have received no benefit on hundreds of miles of county sanctioned private road systems.
This is an issue of equity and I look to you to vote in favor of this Grant-in-Aid program.
Mahalo,
(Your Name)
Council Testimony: [ email ]
Individual Council District contact information:
1 Dominic Yagong (808) 961-8225 Fax: (808) 961-8912 [ email ]
2 Donald Ikeda (808) 961-8225 Fax: (808) 961-8912 [ email ]
3 J Yoshimoto, Council Chairman (808) 961-8225 Fax: (808) 961-8912 [ email ]
4 Dennis "Fresh" Onishi (808) 961-8225 Fax: (808) 961-8912 [ email ]
5 Emily I. Naeole (808) 965-2712 Fax: (808) 965-2707 [ email ]
6 Guy Enriques (808) 961-8225 Fax: (808) 961-8912 [ email ]
7 Brenda Ford (808) 326-5684 Fax: (808) 329-4786 [ email ]
8 Kelly Greenwell (808) 327-3642 Fax: (808) 329-4786 [ email ]
9 Pete Hoffmann (808) 887-2043 Fax: (808) 887-2072 [ email ]
A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE HAWAII COUNTY
COUNCIL THE OPTION TO DESIGNATE A PORTION OF
THE DISTRICTS FUEL TAX ALLOCATION TO BE UTILIZED
FOR A GRANT-IN-AID PROGRAM FOR NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE PURPOSE OF ROAD
MAINTENANCE ON PRIVATE STREETS AND
ROADWAYS.
WHEREAS, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, §243-6, in pertinent part states
that fuel tax fund “shall be expended for the following purposes, for
the island for which the tax revenue is specially indicated, or, if none,
for the county for which the tax revenue is indicated”; and
WHEREAS, it states in Hawaii Revised Statutes, 243-6 Fuel Taxes
Disposition, section (2) “For acquisition, designing, construction,
reconstruction, improvement, repair, and maintenance of county main
and general thoroughfares, highways, and other streets…”
WHEREAS, this section indicates that the fuel tax revenues can be
expended for improvement, repair and maintenance for roadways
other than designated county roads, and
WHEREAS, private, non-dedicated, substandard streets exists in the
County of Hawai‘i, and are open to the general public; and
WHEREAS, road maintenance of private, non-dedicated,
substandard streets will provide a roadway accessible for authorized
emergency vehicles which include fire and rescue vehicles, police
vehicles, ambulance, ocean safety vehicles, public safety law
enforcement vehicles, and conservation and resources enforcement
vehicles; and
WHEREAS, the Hawai‘i County Council recognizes that during the
1960’s, county government approved large subdivisions particularly
in the region of Puna which contain miles of
non-dedicated substandard private streets and roadways maintained
by the community; and
WHEREAS, according to the Department of Finance Motor Vehicle
Registration Division, Puna being the fastest growing region, has
24,000 registered vehicles which represents nearly 17% of the
vehicles registered on the Big Island; and
WHEREAS, having the option to designate a portion of the districts
fuel tax revenues to be utilized in a grant-in-aid program allows for
home rule in the distribution of fuel tax revenues, as well as providing
thousands of residents that live in government approved private
subdivisions the benefit of their fuel tax contribution; and
WHEREAS, this option would grant the Hawai‘i County Council the
choice of designating a portion of the fuel tax allocation to help
provide funding support to legitimate non-profit organizations through
a grant-in-aid program, which would serve thousands of island
residents that pay in to the fuel tax system but fail to get the intended
maintenance benefit; and
WHEREAS, an ad hoc committee will be formed by the Hawaii County
Council by a separate resolution to set forth the process, general
criteria, and qualifications of the Grant-in-aid program and shall submit
its recommendation to the full council for approval and
implementation; and
WHEREAS, concurrently the ad hoc committee shall suggest
language to the State Legislature to amend HRS 243-6 by adding a
new item (9) to read as follow, “Highway funds from the County of
Hawaii fuel tax may be allocated by the Council through an ordinance
for a Grant-in Aid program for use by a private non-profit corporation
road maintenance fund. Funds shall be used by such corporations in
a manner consistent with (2) above.”; and
WHEREAS, this authority to set aside a portion of the county fuel tax
allocation would apply to all districts in the entire County of Hawai‘i;
now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I,
that the approval of this resolution authorizes the option to designate
a portion of fuel tax revenues to be utilized for a grant-in-aid program
for non-profit organizations for the purpose of road maintenance on
private streets and roadways.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the council shall set forth the general
criteria to qualify for the grant-in-aid road maintenance program and
shall oversee the awarding of the grant applications. Criteria could
include: nonprofit 501(c) (2), (3) or (4) or other government status
deemed appropriate by the Hawai‘i County Council; roadway must
serve a minimum amount of residential lots; documentation that a
specific percentage of the residents living on the roadway agree to
accepting funding for maintenance of the private roadway; priority
funding to organizations that provide community matching funds; and
other criteria deemed necessary by the Hawai‘i County Council.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that organizations that receive funding
through this grant-in-aid program shall provide a complete financial
reporting of the expenditures to the Hawai‘i County Council no later
than 1 year after the grant has been awarded.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an ad hoc committee will be formed
by the Hawaii County Council by a separate resolution to set forth
the process, general criteria, and qualifications of the Grant-in-aid
program and shall submit its recommendation to the full council for
approval and implementation.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED concurrently the ad hoc committee
shall suggest language to the State Legislature to amend HRS 243-6
by adding a new item (9) to read as follow, “Highway funds from the
County of Hawaii fuel tax may be allocated by the Council through an
ordinance for a Grant-in Aid program for use by a private non-profit
corporation road maintenance fund. Funds shall be used by such
corporations in a manner consistent with (2) above.”
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that implementation of the Grant-In-Aid
Program for non-profit organizations for the purpose of road
maintenance on private street utilizing fuel tax revenues shall not
precede without the appropriate language change to HRS 243-6 or
any other section of the state fuel tax code.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall transmit a
copy of this resolution to the Honorable Mayor William P. Kenoi; the
Director of the Department of Public Works; the Director of the
Department of Finance; the State Director of Taxation; State of
Hawai‘i, Department of Taxation, P.O. Box 259 Honolulu, HI 96809;
and to the State Director of Finance, State of Hawai`i, Department of
Budget and Finance, P.O. Box 150, Honolulu, HI 96810.
Dated at ___________, Hawai‘i, this ______ day of
______________________, 2010.
Orchidland Community Association
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