Limiting/Closing NELHA to the public? What!

BY ERIN MILLERWEST HAWAII TODAYemiller@westhawaiitoday.com
West Hawaii’s state senatorsays state officials don’t thinkthe Natural Energy Labratoryof Hawaii Authority has thepower or right to limit beachaccess.Sen. Josh Green said hecontacted Departmentof Business, EconomicDevelopment and TourismDirector Ted Liu after hearingfrom county residentsworried about the potentialgate closure after 4:30 p.m.on weekdays and all weekendlong.“Ted Liu told me that theywill not allow decreasedaccess,” Green said.Further, Liu told Greenthat NELHA ExecutiveDirector Ron Baird did nothave the authority to limitaccess to business hours andthat the Department of Landand Natural Resources wouldlikely intervene if NELHAclosed the gates at 4:30 p.m.Baird said earlier this monththat the failure of the stateto approve and execute anew security contract meansthat NELHA won’t havesecurity guards to monitorthe entrance gate on QueenKaahumanu Highway afterbusiness hours. The areaneeds guards to protect theroughly $150 million worthof investments tenants of theenergy lab area have made.NELHA is the landlordto 45 tenants who use thefacility for commercial andresearch purposes.Liu and DLNR DirectorLaura Thielen did notrespond to requests for commentMonday.Baird said nothing hadchanged since he announcedthe potential closure a fewweeks ago. He said he doesnot know if he has the authorityto close the gate.“The attorney generalhasn’t told me yes or no,” hesaid, adding that he has notasked that office if he canclose the gate. “They’re awareof what we plan.”Baird told West HawaiiToday previously that thelack of a new security guardcontract was one of severalissues that arose afterthe Legislature moved theauthority’s funding to the stateDepartment of Accountingand General Services, butleft the personnel attached tothe Department of Business,Economic Development andTourism. Green said Liuassured him that his departmentwould do its best toexpedite a new security contractto help prevent the gateclosure.“They can’t just lock itdown just because he no longerhas this contract,” Greenadded.