Council candidates go through first debate of election season

LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i County Council candidates have already gone through a series of public meetings during this year’s election season, but Tuesday night was the first time they participated in a debate leading to Nov. 6 General Elections.

Despite the event’s format providing opportunity for candidates to add fuel to somewhat loaded questions directed at specific council members, politeness and respect prevailed among the nine candidates vying for one of the seven council seats.

The event hosted by the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce took place at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu‘e.

Besides being allowed one minute for an opening statement and another minute for a closing remark, each candidate was asked two questions, with two minutes allowed on each answer. Each candidate was also allowed three opportunities to add a 30-second comment to questions addressed to other candidates.

A short, opinionated statement preceded each question tailored to specific candidates.

Council Vice Chair JoAnn Yukimura was the first to answer one of the questions prepared by the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce. Moderator Jan TenBruggencate went out of his way to make it clear that he was not the one who prepared the questions.

“Your positions on development and the environment have labeled you as an environmental activist and anti-growth,” said TenBruggencate, right before asking Yukimura how her actions have affected positive changes in the local economy and how would she support business through her role on the council.

Yukimura said small businesses are the heart of the economy, and there is a way of supporting them, as well as big businesses. Keeping energy affordable, providing effective transportation and expediting business permits are some of the solutions, she said.

Councilman Mel Rapozo was next in line: “It seems that you have often been at odds with the administration’s actions,” TenBruggencate told Rapozo. “What have you done to bridge the divide that exists between the council and the administration? If reelected, how do you plan to improve the situation?”

Rapozo said it’s not his job to agree with the mayor, but to make sure the county spends taxpayers’ money properly.

“If we disagree, so be it,” said Rapozo, whose biggest concern was with the administration’s “reckless spending.”

TenBruggencate asked Councilwoman Nadine Nakamura what she recommend for the county to expedite the building permit process.

Nakamura said it’s a “very challenging situation” when potential projects are held up, and sometimes state agencies are the ones to blame rather than the county. However, it will take the county to identify the problem, she said.

Rapozo said as long as there are several steps versus a shotgun approach, the county will not address the problem.

More work

The following question was for Councilman KipuKai Kuali‘i. When asked how would he suggest distribution of permits for transient vacation rental — among large and small projects — within Visitor Destination Areas should be determined, Kuali‘i paused for a few seconds and said this was the one area he needed more work on.

“I know that it’s important that we regulate and limit the growth, and it’s control growth and green growth,” Kuali‘i said.

Yukimura said controlling growth of Transient Accommodation Units is very important. A 2008 charter amendment limits TAU growth, but the county had already permitted 4,000 units that haven’t been built yet.

“I’m not sure we should have any system for any new ones at this point,” she said of visitor accommodations.

Council Chair Jay Furfaro said the council has drawn the line on the sand in regards to allowing growth of TVRs on ag lands (by passing legislation grandfathering those operating legally before March 2008).

Rapozo had said twice at a forum in Waimea Monday night that he would introduce legislation to void TVR permits on ag lands once the property is sold. Current county law states permits run with the land.

If Rapozo’s words on Monday had any resemblance of empty promises, Furfaro’s statement on Tuesday evening proved otherwise.

“We will be supporting a bill that will start amortization of those who have the permits,” Furfaro said. “So if they sold their house, they couldn’t extend the permit with the sale.”

TenBruggencate asked Kagawa if he would be in favor of dividing the election of council members into different districts around the island.

Kagawa supported the division into districts, citing adversity of campaigning islandwide. He also said an elected council member would be able to concentrate on issues pertaining to his or her district.

Councilman Dickie Chang was against it, saying that on O‘ahu the council is divided into districts, and it’s “brutal.”

Kuali‘i said he supports a mix of at-large and district-elected council members, with staggered terms of four years.

Candidate Gary Hooser, a former councilman and former state Senator, was next: “While you were in the state Senate, some of Kaua‘i residents and businesses did not feel their interests were properly addressed,” TenBruggencate said. “Please share information on legislation you authored, passed, and/or supported while in the Senate that directly benefited Kaua‘i?”

Hooser said he has always had an open door policy. He said he provide funding for the East Kaua‘i Water Cooperative, funding to the Kilauea Cafeteria, help to the Na Pali Coast trail restoration, assurance that the lease for Koke‘e cabins would be fairly distributed and legislation requiring solar water heater systems in new houses throughout the state.

Lawsuits

TenBruggencate said there seems to be little done to hold government officials responsible for actions that generated “extremely costly” lawsuits to the county.

“What have you done as a council chair to ensure responsible parties are held accountable? How do you rate your result in this respect?” he asked Furfaro.

Furfaro said he was very disappointed where the county stands on the matter.

“I have to tell you, the success rate to stem (lawsuits) has not been very good,” said Furfaro, adding that evidence are presented to the council in executive sessions. “Training is the piece that is missing in our standard operating procedures as a county.”

If the county settles a complaint and the plaintiff is willing to disclose his or her particular position, he said, the council’s vote on executive session becomes public record.

Councilman Tim Bynum said when he was first elected a council member he was appalled by the amount of settlements, and that county managers didn’t go through standard procedures about how to deal with employee complaints.

TenBruggencate asked Councilman Dickie Chang what legislation, initiative or actions he, the chair of the council’s Economic Development Committee, has taken to help struggling businesses.

Chang said that for the most part the visitor industry has rebounded. He said he created a lot of awareness among people on how important visitors are.

“For example, the Kaua‘i Made, the Kaua‘i Grown, many of our local farmers that go to these farmers markets on a daily basis, the visitors go there because they can get bananas for a buck, papayas for a buck,” he said.

Capital improvement projects are ongoing and local people are working, Chang said.

Hooser said the fundamental, most important thing the county can do for the island’s economy is to keep Kaua‘i, Kaua‘i, to preserve and protect the island’s natural resources.

TenBruggencate finished the first round of questions by asking Bynum what businesses he believe are economically feasible in Kaua‘i’s future.

Bynum’s answer was economic diversity.

“We’ve been depending on this kind of one-stop shop, first ag and then tourism,” he said. “I’m very pleased that we are now putting actual energy into looking at the feasibility of diversifying the economy.”

Nakamura also praised the county’s latest efforts in diversifying the economy, and Hooser talked about the importance of small businesses.

Kuali‘i said he wants to support an arts and culture initiative.

“I met with (Office of Economic Development Director) George Costa, and we talked about how to expand the Kaua‘i Made and Kaua‘i Grown with something like Kaua‘i Art,” Kuali‘i said.

Second round

On the second and final round of questions, TenBruggencate asked about beach erosion, ag tourism, county parks maintenance, road signage, tourism growth, economic development, support for local farmers, illegal TVRs and sustainable growth.

Yukimura said the county shoreline setback law is the strongest in the country.

Rapozo said if tourism activities on ag land are connected to the ag activities, he doesn’t have a problem with it.

Nakamura said the reason the county can’t do a better job at maintaining its parks is a combination of a funding problem and poor management.

Kagawa said we should keep tourism taxes down and take care or our assets.

Hooser said the county needs to focus on its core business, tourism and channel tourism dollars into small businesses. Energy and food are also two areas of economic development that need attention, he said.

Furfaro reiterated the importance of identifying Important Ag Lands, a project almost finished on Kaua‘i. He said IAL will raise a question of providing workforce housing.

Chang said the council has funded the county Planning Department to hire people to enforce illegal TVRs, especially with an abundance of online advertisement for illegal TVRs.

TenBruggencate asked Kuali‘i if he thought if there should be a plan to review and improve signage, especially in the visitor destination areas.

“We should find out from tourists if it’s working or not, right? I suppose,” Kuali‘i said. “We can do better with signs.”

The last question of the night went to Bynum: “What are your thoughts on growth on Kaua‘i and what role it plays in sustaining our island economy?”

We need to grow incrementally and manage the growth, Bynum said. But we need to focus on towns, not on ag lands.

“We haven’t had invested in our cute little towns like Kapa‘a, Hanapepe and Waimea, where the business opportunities should happen,” he said.

The debate was organized by the Kaua‘i Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by the Kaua‘i Board of Realtors, the Hawai‘i Lodging and Tourism Association, Kaua‘i Chapter, the Hawai‘i Crop Improvement Association and media partners.

There will be a candidate forum from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. today at the convention hall, hosted by the Kaua‘i Development Disabilities Council.

• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@ thegardenisland.com.