HomeMy WebLinkAbout01/24/2018 Public hearing minutes on BILL 2680 PUBLIC HEARING
JANUARY 24, 2018
A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to order by
Arryl Kaneshiro, Chair, Budget & Finance Committee, on Wednesday,
January 24, 2018, at 1:40 p.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201,
Historic County Building, Lihu`e, and the presence of the following was noted:
Honorable Arthur Brun
Honorable Mason K. Chock
Honorable Ross Kagawa
Honorable Arryl Kaneshiro
Honorable Derek S.K. Kawakami
Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura
Honorable Mel Rapozo
The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following:
"Bill No. 2680 —A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 5-2.3,
KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO MOTOR
VEHICLE WEIGHT TAX,"
which was ordered to print by the Council of the County of Kaua`i on
December 20, 2017, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on
January 3, 2018.
The following communications were received for the record:
1. McMahon, Kevin, dated January 16, 2018
2. Mohamad, Ana, dated January 24, 2018
The hearing proceeded as follows:
SCOTT K. SATO, Deputy County Clerk: We received one (1) written
testimony in opposition, one (1) testimony providing comments, and we have two (2)
registered speakers. The first speaker is Alice Parker, followed by Glenn Mickens.
Committee Chair Kaneshiro: Again, I believe this may come through the
Committee Meeting for receipt.
ALICE PARKER: I reiterate, do not decrease taxes anywhere
until our roads are smooth as can be. We need all the money we can get to fix our
horrible roads. Thank you.
Committee Chair Kaneshiro: Thank you.
Mr. Sato: The next speaker is Glenn Mickens.
PUBLIC HEARING 2 JANUARY 24, 2018
BILL NO. 2680
GLENN MICKENS: For the record, Glenn Mickens. I really do not
have that much more to say. I pretty much said it before. When the meeting is called
back to order, I would really like to hear a dialogue between you people to know how
you feel about paving our roads. They are in horrible shape; there is no doubt about
that. It is going to take money to do it. I think the figure was over one hundred
million dollars ($100,000,000) to be able to do it. I know you folks came aboard
after-the-fact. This has been going on for a long time. We have not been taking care
of it. Again, the moneys that we take in for that purpose is going to have to be locked
in a box someplace. Even with that twenty-five million dollars ($25,000,000), if you
were honestly saying that money is there and it is going to pave our roads, people
might believe it. But when you look at the history, you will see that the money is not
going...people come into those baseyards and use the gasoline and stuff for other
purposes other than our roads. Where is the oversight? Who is there to oversee it?
Anyway, that is my testimony.
Committee Chair Kaneshiro: Thank you. Anyone else wishing to testify?
Mr. Sato: We have one (1) final speaker, Jerome
Freitas.
JEROME FREITAS, SR.: Good afternoon, Council Chair Rapozo, Vice
Chair Kagawa, Councilmembers, and Staff. Like I said before, we have twenty-five
million dollars ($25,000,000) a year from the tax that would be for the roads and the
buses. Now they say, "Well, let us cut down one cent ($0.01) per pound." Who will
benefit are the business people, like Kaua`i Freight and all of the big companies that
have semi-trucks running on the road, which is what causes the most damage to the
roads. I think we should leave it as it is. The more money that comes in, then lucky
for us. We can use that for the roads or bus transportation. I think just leave it as it
is. I do not mind paying one cent ($0.01). So I believe they should leave it as it is.
That is about it. Like I said, the only people that are going to benefit are the people
with the big cars and big trucks, businessmen, and the companies like that. I think
I am against that. Thank you very much.
Committee Chair Kaneshiro: Thank you. Anyone in the audience wishing
to testify? If not, this public hearing is now adjourned.
There being no further testimony, the public hearing adjourned at 1:45 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
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SCOTT K. SATO
Deputy County Clerk
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