LIHU‘E — Mayor Derek Kawakami proclaimed Thursday to be Lee Steinmetz Day on the retirement of the planner who has been with the county for at least eight years.
Normally working remotely from his home in Hanama‘ulu, Steinmetz came out of his remote office to enjoy a picnic lunch with the county’s Planning Department and other officials and employees in the recently-renovated Kalena Park that is currently engaged in Fitness Week in the Park, where he received his proclamation announcing his day.
“I would like to express a warm ‘Aloha’ to Lee Steinmetz on his retirement,” Kawakami said in the proclamation. “Lee and I are like-minded, and have shared many beautiful memories over the years.”
“Lee’s great work and vision brought new life to our island,” the mayor said. “Lee started work at the County of Kaua‘i with the commitment to make Kaua‘i’s roads safer and more accessible to bike and pedestrian traffic with the Multimodal Land Transportation Plan.”
Through Steinmetz’s efforts, the revitalization of the Lihu‘e town core, the pop-up skate park behind the former Lihu‘e Big Save Market, Laukona Park, the West Kaua‘i Plan, Safe Routes to School and numerous other projects that aim to better Kaua‘i were realized, Kawakami said.
Bev Brody of Get Fit Kaua‘i said Steinmetz will continue to help the island get better.
“He’ll be working remotely,” Brody said. “He’ll continue working with those kids from Laukona Park to see it through.”
Lee and his wife Noreen had shepherded a group of young Pacific Islander kids, bringing them to a work day at Kalena Park, where the keiki got a taste of what is involved in building a park — their park, Laukona Park, where they were involved in a recent food distribution.
Larry Feinstein of the Kaua‘i Beer Company, which provided a special lunch order for Steinmetz’s celebration, said the county will probably spearhead the construction part of Laukona Park after Steinmetz secures funds.
Steinmetz, a landscape architect by trade with extensive experience working with parks and recreation as well as transportation issues, arrived with his wife Noreen in June 2011 from California. Lee interviewed for the county transportation planner position in May 2012, and was hired with about two hours before Steinmetz was to board a flight to move back to California after not hearing anything about the job interview for months.
