Office of Maunakea Management: 16 Years of Stewardship
Hawaii Dairy Farms Publishes Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Meet Col Shirlene Ostrov, Republican Candidate for Congressional District 1
Hawaii honey bee die-off points to likely culprits—Not pesticides, but varroa and viruses
Hawaii Wine Tax: $1.38 Per Gallon
Thanks to Hawaii Legislators, You Can’t Get a Mortgage
ILind: …Did you catch the recent news reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has warned that it will begin the process of cutting off flood insurance for Hawaii Properties next year unless the legislature changes a law that conflicts with FEMA’s requirements.
I saw stories in the Star-Advertiser and KITV, although there could have been others.
A spokesman for FEMA called the risk of a cut-off of flood coverage “real and substantial,” the Star-Advertiser reported.
Both news stories focused on the the loss of insurance and of some benefits to the state in the event of a natural disaster.
However, they downplayed the indirect impact that would put mortgages of properties located in flood zones at risk. That’s because mortgage lenders require flood insurance, and for practical purposes FEMA is the only game in town for such coverage….
read … Your Legislature at Work
State agency is sued over TMT judge
SA: The state Department of Land and Natural Resources is being sued for withholding public records related to the hiring of retired Judge Riki May Amano as hearings officer of the upcoming Thirty Meter Telescope contested case hearing.
Aaron Wills, a consultant hired by Campbell Estate heiress Abigail Kawananakoa to obtain the records, filed the suit alleging the state is not producing the documents within the required 20 business days.
The records being withheld, according to the suit filed Thursday in Oahu Circuit Court, include the former Hawaii island circuit judge’s contract with the state and all other information about the hearings officer selection process.
Richard Naiwieha Wurdeman, attorney for the Mauna Kea Hui petitioners, has also complained about the withholding of records in the case.
Kawananakoa said she has been collecting public records about the TMT and the astronomy operations on Mauna Kea for about a year and is preparing to launch a website that will act as a repository for all of the public records regarding the $1.4 million project planned near the summit of Hawaii’s tallest mountain….
read … Doomed
Caldwell Fails Again: After Six Months Hardly Anyone Gets an ADU Permit
HNN: Town paid a $6,500 for sewer connection fee, and a $2,000 for water connection fee. That's $8,500 in permits alone that are required for the six-figure accessory dwelling unit he's building.…
The city wasn't able to say how many people applied for ADUs or how many were granted. (In January, just one person had been given the OK to start construction.)
But Atta said there's a bill going through the City Council that would reimburse homeowners for those fees.
"The way the bill is set up, we will waive the fees retroactively. So they can pay now and build it already," Atta said. "The reimbursement will take some time, but they will get reimbursed."
read … ADU Fees
Six Months and $750K Later, Still No Homeless Shelter
HNN: …In December, Hawaii News Now got video of crews hard at work making repairs to the building.
But on Friday, little new work appeared to have been done to the building.
State officials say that's because contractors discovered a sewer problem in the shed.
When the project started, the Ige administration put the cost of renovating the shed at $750,000. Now, four months after renovations were to be completed, it's unclear when the shelter will be finished -- and how much the project will cost.
Scott Morishige, the governor's homeless czar, said repairs to the sewer were wrapped up Thursday.
Inside the 5,000-square-foot shed, little additional work has been completed. Also, plans for the layout of the project were only recently finalized.
Amid the project delays, some are also asking whether the shelter plan still makes sense.
When the state pitched the plan for the shelter, its purpose was to temporarily house families, many of whom were living in nearby parks. But over the last six months, the homeless population in Kakaako has changed dramatically.
"If you look back a year ago, there were over 300 people in the Kakaako Maikai area," Morishige said. Now, he said, there are about 50 to 60 people.
Brower said the homeless in Kakaako today are also more likely to be single people, rather than families….
Officials say once the shelter is complete, it will only be in operation for two years.
HNN: Video shows unprovoked attack of Pahoa homeless man
read … $375K per Year just to get the doors open
State PUC proposes credits for renewable-power program
SA: …In exchange for the one-time minimum payment, a ratepayer gets an interest for 20 years in the electricity generated by a renewable project. Participants get a discount on their electrical bill. The value of the discount would vary depending on which renewable energy project a customer buys into and how much of an initial investment the customer makes.
The PUC staff said the setup would be similar to a reverse auction. Those participating in the program would be credited for the energy their share of the project produces according to the credit rate cap for that time of day. The PUC outline proposes:
>> Oahu residents who participate in a community renewable-energy program would be credited 15 cents a kilowatt-hour midday (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.), 17.75 cents a kilowatt-hour on-peak (5 to 10 p.m.) and 17 cents a kilowatt-hour off-peak (10 p.m. to 9 a.m.)
>> Maui residents would be credited 13.75 cents a kilowatt-hour midday, 19 cents a kilowatt-hour on-peak and 15.75 cents a kilowatt-hour off-peak.
>> Lanai residents would be credited 24.5 cents a kilowatt-hour midday, 24.75 cents a kilowatt-hour on-peak and 23.5 cents a kilowatt-hour off-peak.
>> On Molokai, residents would be credited 19.75 cents a kilowatt-hour midday, 20.5 cents a kilowatt-hour on-peak and 19.75 cents a kilowatt-hour off-peak.
>> Hawaii island residents would be credited 9.75 cents a kilowatt-hour midday, 16 cents a kilowatt hour on-peak and 11.25 cents a kilowatt-hour off-peak.
>> Kauai residents would be credited 10 cents a kilowatt-hour midday, 14.5 cents a kilowatt-hour on-peak and 10 cents a kilowatt-hour off peak.
Credits from the program would roll over from one month to the next. Annually, all remaining rollover bill credits would be lost….
SA: First woman to lead state’s utilities council looks back
read … Solar Scheme
ESSA: Leftists Sense Opportunity in Ige’s Education Taskforce
Kaaihue: Convicted Welfare Cheat Running for Congress Angers Community with Signs
HNN: …Angela Aulani Ka’aihue, who's running for Congress against incumbent U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, has posted several signs declaring that she's “healthy and cancer free."
She had previously said she was running for the seat occupied by U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, who will not seek re-election because he's battling pancreatic cancer….
Statement from Dr Eric Hafner, Kaaihue’s opponent in the race for the Republican nomination for CD2:
I was both shocked and saddened to learn that my opponent for the Republican nomination to the United States Congress in the 2nd District of Hawai'i had the audacity to mock a public official with a serious illness. I condemn this unbecoming conduct of someone seeking elected office.
I truly wish Rep. Mark Takai a speedy recovery from his serious illness (pancreatic cancer), and thank him for his public service.
People with disabilities enrich our lives and should be empowered to live a full life, despite a diagnosis.
Hafner website: http://www.erichafner.com/
read … A Cancer
More than 100 Army National Guard Members prepare for deployment to ‘Undisclosed Location’
KITV: An estimated 800 people filled the 29th Infantry Bridge Combat Team's Readiness Center in Kalaeloa to send off 125 soldiers with the US Army National Guard….
… will be sent to Fort Hood, TX before reporting for duty at an undisclosed location. …
read … Undisclosed Location
QUICK HITS: