‘Speed dating’ the candidates

PUHI — Many of the 150 people who attended Thursday night’s mayoral candidate forum at Island School wondered how the format was going to work.

Even some of the candidates said they were novices to the “speed dating” format, in which the crowd was split into six groups and the six candidates rotated through them for 15 minutes at a time.

“I thought it was going to be hard to hear, but it’s working,” said Laurel Brier, of Anahola.

Derek Kawakami, Debra Kekaualua, Ana Mo Des, Lenny Rapozo, Mel Rapozo, and JoAnn Yukimura all presented their platforms as mayoral candidates in the 2018 election for three minutes each before they split up to address individual groups.

Candidate Clint Yago did not participate.

Affordable housing and homelessness, infrastructure and traffic, environment and agriculture were all up for discussion in a format that allowed people to ask questions and connect with the candidates.

Councilmembers Mel Rapozo and JoAnn Yukimura both highlighted their traffic solutions, with Rapozo pushing the implementation of the Short-Range Transportation Plan. That plan focuses on making every part of the existing transit system efficient.

Examples include working to create temporary bypass routes to take vehicles off the main highway.

Yukimura touted her Kauai Multimodal Land Transportation Plan, which outlines expanded services for the Kauai Bus and creating walkable, bikable communities.

Candidates addressed different questions depending upon the group they were addressing.

Rapozo fielded questions about agriculture and pesticides, for example, and his position on their presence on the Westside.

“I support hemp growth (and) viable crops to provide farmers with opportunity,” he said. “With pesticides, (all we can do is) put pressure on the state to investigate in a timely manner.”

Rapozo said the county needs land to make more housing available.

Yukimura also addressed affordable housing while answering questions about her multimodal plan, pointing out affordable housing should be close to job locations.

“Put the housing with the jobs so everyone isn’t driving as far to work,” she said.

Councilmember Kawakami and Parks Director Lenny Rapozo both fielded questions about the state parks and ecotourism, with Kawakami pointing out his work with the Legislature to make sure the plan for Haena State Park moved forward after the April flooding.

“There’s going to be a limit on parking and people will have to take a shuttle to see these special places,” he said. “But when I travel and have places I want to see, many times I have to take a shuttle, too. It is what it is.”

Kawakami also answered questions about his position on the Hawaii Dairy Farms dairy aimed at Maha’ulepu, pesticides, and agriculture.

“I support ag and most people we talked to are against where the dairy is located, not the dairy,” Kawakami said. “I recognize that stream (Waiopili Stream) is polluted and we need to address that source.”

Lenny Rapozo pointed out his hands-on experience with the county parks system.

“The new Ha’ena is Pine Trees. The new Ha’ena is the pavilion,” he said. “The system is overloaded.”

Kekaualua put the current administration in the spotlight and advocated a complete evaluation of all the county departments, with a complete rehiring of department heads.

“I would get managers delegated out and a kupuna council,” she said. “I would embrace what I feel is the right road. It’s all corporate right now and Hawaii isn’t even a state.”

She suggested collecting a tax from corporations to fix traffic and said she plans to choose a team of educated, honest people to work alongside her.

Newcomer to the race, Ana Mo Des, also pointed out a need for a change in the way the county is run, saying it’s wrong to “profit from exploitation in capitalism” and citing “general economic oppression” on Kauai.

“This administration doesn’t think about the little guy,” said the Kalaheo woman, who moved to Kauai 11 years ago “I am the little guy, except I’m not so little.”

She fielded questions about the balance between development and infrastructure, highlighting the need for sustainable building on Kauai.

“We live in paradise and shouldn’t be destroying our land or air or sea to live here,” she said. “Attention to infrastructure is paramount. I’m not shaming any business for operating. What I’m requesting is innovation in sustainable ways.”

By the end of the forum, attendees said they liked the format because it allowed them to get involved in the conversation instead of sitting in an audience and watching a heavily moderated table debate.

“It allows people to ask questions,” said Marghee Maupin, a family nurse practitioner from Kalaheo. “It’s a good format.”

•••

Jessica Else, environment writer, can be reached at 245-0452 or at jelse@thegardenisland.com.