9/25/19 County Council District 5 Update Last night, District 5 Councilman Matt Kanealii Kleinfelder hosted a community meeting at the Pāhoa Community Center. Matt reviewed his priorities for the community and progress on multiple projects to date. A brief recap is below. For those who missed this meeting, Matt will be hosting another one this Friday (Sept. 27) at the Kea'au Community Center behind the Bay Clinic building, from 6-8pm. Questions can be directed to Matt @ matt.kanealii-kleinfelder@hawaiicounty.gov Also, don't forget about the Kilauea Eruption Recovery Speakouts coming up in October! (County Council District 5 includes the neighborhoods of Kehena, Kaimu, Pāhoa town, Ainaloa, Orchilands, Hawaiian Acres, Kea'au town, Kurtistown, Fern Acres, Eden Roc, Fern Forest, and Mountain View) Meeting update recap: CRIME: Funding has been secured to add two more officers per beat in Puna. HPD is currently in the process of recruiting more officers. ROADS: ---The Puna Connectivity Group is working to improve roadway connectivity between Puna subdivisions. These interconnections are important but need to be thoughtfully planned. The public is welcome to join the group; the next meeting is Oct. 10 at the conference room at the Mayor's office in Hilo. ---Most of Puna's subdivision roadways do not meet dedicable standards, meaning they cannot be taken over by the County. One avenue for road improvement is via creation of an "Improvement District," under which long-term county bonds can be secured for funding. These districts can range in size and come with pros and cons; it is important that the affected community be on board. Matt is learning more about Improvement Districts and wants the public to be involved. ---Continuing to look into alternative access roadways, including the potential for an alternative to Highway 11 that would provide direct connection from Pāhoa to Volcano. MASS TRANSIT: There is currently come exciting overlap between the Mass Transit Master Plan finalized last year (http://heleonmasterplan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/180813-FINAL-FULL-REPORT-reduced.pdf), the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP), and mass transit funding available from GE tax revenues. The mass transit plan includes among other things development of improved public transportation systems (i.e., bus transit)—proposing centralized hubs between which larger buses will travel (think between towns), with smaller buses providing access between the central hubs and localized neighborhoods. For Pāhoa, Matt sees the Puna Kai/Malama Marketplace area as ideal for lower Puna's central hub, because that area is already developed. Matt wants the public to have a voice in how best to develop this system. Matt is also looking into bringing the use of hydrogen power to the County—first with the use of hydrogen-powered buses. COUNTY PARKS: ---Pāhoa Park: working on securing FEMA funding for repairs, but the County is contesting the amount FEMA says they can provide. Matt sees a huge potential for the park to be a thriving center for the community. The County is actively planning for establishment of a farmer's market there on the weekend, but there are still logistics to be worked out and people needed to help recruit vendors and run the market. The County is trying not to step on toes of existing farmer's markets in the area. ---Glenwood Park: the County has received a new water tank to replace the one stolen some months ago, but it will not be installed until better security can be worked out. ---Kurtistown: work continues on the Kurtistown Skate Park. ---Mountain View Gym is hiring. ---Shipman Park: Some work is needed there including resurfacing of the basketball courts and addressing an increase in homeless at the park. --Kea'au Pool: a Kea'au HS sophomore is petitioning for a pool in Kea'au, to be located on State land adjacent to the high school. There is currently no funding for this project. The pool would provide increased opportunity for keiki and general public sports and recreation. KILAUEA ERUPTION RECOVERY: Matt is working closely with District 4 Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz to guide the recovery process. He feels strongly that recovery funds should be spent in Puna.