Meeting convened at 7:05 PM
Treasurer’s report by Diane
Holschuh :
(Diane, please fill in here your numbers went by too fast for me.)
Diane also reported that she modified the mailing list she has base upon the many returned mailings of our last newsletter. She said that list dates back to the old ‘Ginger Line’ newsletter that ended when the Hamakua Times publication started.
Self introductions of attendees present followed:
Laura Carrillo, Deb Pun Discoe, Ben Discoe, Pete Sparks, Doug Hogan, Connie Fay, Diane and Fred Holschuh, John Fishback, Teresa Lee, Lynn Higashi, Eric Johnsen. Bill Beach and Julie Wiskind arrived later.
Membership.
Fred Holschuh said it is important to build membership so that when addressing issues there is more influence.
Connie suggested that at the next board meeting we should set responsibility for a newsletter that would aid in the membership drive.
Phone and internet access.
Eric Johnsen reported on the improvement of phone and internet access provided by the new Verizon cell tower. Good coverage is now available in upper Waimea side of Ahualoa.
Damaged Bridge.
Connie Fay said that the adjacent church would not cooperate on trimming the Kukui tree that hampers visibility. She did say the county responded to a request to trim the grass clumps.
Waltham Johansen told Fred Holschuh that he had a close call on the turn. Fred said he doesn’t know why the repair wasn’t done years ago because he thought FEMA funding was available them. Fred said that he would mention the issue to the Hamakua Safety Council. Eric Johnsen said that the association had sent a letter to the council some time ago.
Trails.
No formal report was available. Pete Sparks said that the Mauka-Makai Access group still is active. Ben Disco said he is involved with the Waimea trails effort and that it is progressing. Fences or gates across paper roads were mentioned as concerns. Laura Carrillo said she was hassled by Bob Yurth when she attempted to ride her horse on the Puaono ‘paper’ road when accessing from Kalehua road.
A motion was proposed and adopted that Pete Sparks should write relevant authorities about blocked roads.
Community Response.
Connie Fay reported that she called to see if we could get someone to help us regarding the Community Response efforts that have been undertaken by some communities. She said no one returned her call.
Fred Holschuh said Community Response began in the Dept of Civil Defense. He volunteered to look into it.
Julie Wiskind said she thought it had some connection with the Dept. of Homeland Security. Fred Holschuh said the community effort is not.
Speed Reduction Zone.
The association was asked to consider supporting a ‘Speed Reduction Proposal’ presented by Bob Hogan, a developer of land fronting and Makai of the Belt road in the Honokaia area Waimea side of Ahualoa. The written proposal by Mr. Hogan, to reduce speed for a few miles along the highway was read aloud by John Fishback.
Discussion ensued and there were arguments both ways; to support and not.
It was finally moved and passed 6 to 2 that the Association would support the proposed speed reduction.
Immediately after that, a motion to reconsider was proposed and passed. After further discussion it was proposed and approved to add that “the Association supports the speed reduction with the reservation that the developer should contribute to the costs associated with re-marking the area to accommodate Mr. Hogan’s subdivision and that the reduction should include new lane marking to provide entry and exit acceleration/deceleration lanes in the area of the Kupuna road.”
Lynn Higashi said that there may be a public input component to any subdivision process that may be occurring in connection to this issue.
ATVs:
It was noted that though Bill George could not be present, he wanted it known that ATV activities of an annoying and perhaps illegal nature were occurring again in Ahualoa. Pete Sparks said he would talk to Bill about that.
New surveying technology:
Ben Discoe reported that in his current position employed in the field of 3d computer modeling, he was provided with a device that could make very accurate mapping of landscapes and features, while simply driving by. The device uses laser measuring and GPS signals to place information. He said he had driven the roads of Ahualoa recording the positions of the road and adjacent features.
The next meeting dates:
Board meeting will be May 12, 2011
General meeting will be August 11 2011
Meeting adjourned at 8:20
Addendum:
Not specifically discussed to any conclusion in terms of responsibility or volunteers was the idea of putting out a regular newsletter to be published in the Hamakua Times. All seemed in favor.
Respectfully submitted by,
Eric Johnsen