Make land accessible
Speaker of the House Scott Saiki and Reps. David Tarnas, Mark Nakashima, and Dee Morikawa came to speak in Waimea Tuesday, on the same day WHT published a story about another group of people getting rescued at Anna’s Pond. I gave them a copy of the paper and explained to them that this is never going to end because people around here have nowhere to hike that is legal. If the hike to Anna’s Pond were legal, access could be controlled and warnings could be posted when flash floods are expected.
Another resident at the meeting pointed out that we have a huge, beautiful, state forest reserve (Puu o Umi Natural Area Reserve) just a couple of miles above town, but access to it is denied to everyone except hunters. I explained to the legislators that the DLNR website shows 40 legal hikes on Oahu, but only one (Pololu) on the entire Kohala Mountain, which is about the same size as Oahu. They said they would do look into it. Let’s see what they do.
If we want people to appreciate and protect our forests and natural areas, residents need to be able to go there are see what is so special about them. Inviting visitors to Hawaii to experience our great natural wonders and then having them blocked by concrete barriers at the airport lava tube and confronted by “No Trespassing” signs everywhere else is really deceitful.
Matt Binder
Waimea
Streamline rather than raise rates
I read in the Feb. 27 WHT that the water board wants to raise rates by 5 percent and add six more positions. Rather than raising the rates for water and sewer, the county should look at what can be done to streamline an antiquated process.
Currently, we send our payments for water and sewer to two different billing addresses. Why can’t one office process both of them? With today’s technology it should be simple. Most municipalities on the mainland bill you for water and sewer on a single billing form. This could reduce the cost associated with office space, utilities and the amount of employees. The reduction of employees could be through retirements rather than immediate layoffs.
Water usage is metered so the county can determine what your usage is. However, how does the county determine who is paying or not paying for sewer other than you first advising them? If you don’t contact them, how do they know or track this? How many dishonest or unaware users are out there and how much is the county losing in revenue?
This could generate the money the county is asking for to upgrade, modernize and reduce the amount of cesspools. Everyone who uses public water for their home or business generates sewage and should be responsible to pay their fair share to protect the aina. The county needs to look at what they are losing rather than raising rates. Out of the tap, down the drain. Let’s all do our part.
Larry Ostini
Kailua-Kona