Getting Ready to Organize a Coqui Frog group

Kona Coastview, Kona Wonderview, Kona Palisades, Kona Highlands.....
Do you hear couqi frogs at night?
Ready to join a group of neighbors to get rid of the frogs?

The County is doing NOTHING, the State is doing NOTHING.
Now it is time for action.
Baking soda worked for us. Now lets go to where they are and getem'

Call if you are interested in joining this group. 325-7576

Comments and responses from you on Floating the Bond -County of Hawaii.

Aloha,

Today, a majority of the council voted to have a public hearing on the Reconsideration of Bill 311 ($56 Million bond).  This positive action allows the incoming council to weigh
the public’s comments. The new, incoming chairperson will set the hearing
date. 

After the public hearing, Bill 311 will come back to the new council. At that time, the new council may be able to get more information from the administration on the project status to be able
to decide what to do with the potential bond issue – wait until the council
knows what the next budget deficit looks like, pass the bond in part or in
total, or vote down the bond issue in its entirety. 

It was very difficult for me to vote against the potential bond issue when two extremely important projects in my district (La’aloa Street Extension to Kuakini and the crosswalk in front of
the Kona Bali Kai) were on the chopping block as well, but the greater public
good was at stake.  However, now the council will have the time to analyze
and match all of the projects against the upcoming fiscal budget to
determine which ones, if any, get bonded. I will continue to work for the
La’aloa extension and the crosswalk in front of the Kona Bali Kai.

Mahalo for your understanding.

Brenda Ford

-------------------

Strong
points.

Josh Green

--------------------------

I too wrote to the Council and Mayor.

I want to know "How many jobs and where" will
they be created.  There is already $36 million waiting to be spent and the $56 million takes the county to the edge of their good credit rating.  Any more and the interest rates would go up
and the Country rating would go down.

Mike Reimer

----------------------------------------

Susan,

Good letter! I concur completely with your observations
and recommendations. Thanks for taking the time to write and share it with the "Aye" team in Hilo.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Curtis Tyler

---------------------------

 

 

Who did the Kona Coastview Water system???

Let’s get the story straight.


After Joe Fagundas’sattempted to do the water without success, I stepped in and organized the neighborhood. No we don’t have a homeowners association so It was by mailing, calling and setting up email correspondence so we can work together. My help researching and putting this project together came from Bonnie Goodell of Volcano. She was my first point of guidance. She came out and walked the subdivision and worked on solutions. I could talk to her and trouble shoot.

My core group was Contractor David Livingston, Jim Williams, Margaret Marceron, Julian and Karen Silva, Jake Jacobs. David wanted a private system but we needed the Federal funding in order to do it and the County fought for a deductible system and it had to be their design. We had an engineer do his Masters degree on our system for ¼ the cost of the county system. The water from the Mamalahoa crashing down the hill ran the entire system without any power (OIL), It had metal tanks and heavy duty PVC type of pipe (they have been using over the past 2 decades, due to iron pipes breaking down and leaching shards of iron into the water system. The research showed Concrete tanks were NEVER used in a seismic area due to cracking and huge maintenance and repairs). The County wanted the concrete tanks and iron pipes, and the county was the only one that could sign for the USDA Federal Funding (Clinton Water 2000), (I found calling Washington D.C.).

The original thought was to complete a fire station at the same time as the water system so our homeowners insurance would go down (within 5 miles of a fire station) and cover the $65.00 cost of the new system. The Matsumoto water company was in the rears for our water for more than a decade. Harry Kim and Curtis Tyler signed a contract to get 1 acre of Matsumoto’s land (between Palisades and Coastview) for the fire station. Due to the lack of follow up from both Harry and Curtis we lost the land because the contract they signed stated the County had one year to survey the land. They failed to do it and it was sold to Bolton.

Then comes time for the County to offer their design and it comes in at over $16,000.00 a lot. We knew people couldn’t afford it if it was over $10,000.00. So we found Attorney Alan Tuhy to work pro bono. He told me to order the Kona Coastview subdivision file from Hilo through the County building department. 2 weeks later it comes in and the file is almost 4 inches thick. I was told it is .10 per copy, so I had a $20.00 in my purse and just starting copying away. I took all my copies to Alan and he began looking through it and asked if I could order the whole file again so he could come down and review it. The file comes back form Hilo and now it is less than ½ inch. It lost weight between Hilo and Kona??? Go figure. By the grace of God I had copied the County dedication of the roads dated 1963. But when the file came back that was gone! So the water department had to redo the figures and take out the $860,000.00 they were charging for the cost of our roads. Then the figures came back under $10,000.00 per lot.

Harry and the water department failed to add all the of costs in the Water Improvement (add in meters and hook up into the USDA funding) so when it came time to hook up we had up charges ( in the thousands) of a new meter, water pipes (and standards to hook up? None provided and what about those that couldn’t afford it?.) We had a meeting with at my house with plumbers, back hoe operators, and George Wilkins (water board volunteer), no I didn’t see Harry, or Angel there. I fielded call after call asking what are the standards to hook up? What if I can’t afford it??????? I helped dig holes and find pipes to give those that couldn’t afford it. No Angel wasn’t there.

After all that work do you think the County (Angel at the time) would step in and help those in need. NO he was not there. Finally I had it. I was exhausted, not being paid for hours and hours of work and I told people to call your county council man (Angel) and let him do the job he is being paid to do. Then and Only then did Angel’s office field the calls (Karen Eoff). As I said before Angel was not there in the time of need for his constituents. For him to claim he did the water system in Kona Coastview is laughable.

Susan McGeachy

Warren Lee responds regarding Coastview/Wonderview Roads

Aloha Warren,
I have a couple of comments.

1. Don't you think the dead end sign and private road sign on Keo Keo should be removed? After all it is no longer a dead end.yes, holu - keokeo is no longer a dead end. the sign will be removed this week. the private road sign will remain until pending litigation is completed.
2. Jake Jacobs 73-1165 Ahulani was the home owner on Ahulani that WANTs the speed bumps. You don't have any pink hash marks near his house. Those on Ahulani above Holu and below Kie Kie ALL VOTED it down. NO SPEED BUMPS ON OUR BLOCK; Four Homeowners don't want it in front of our home. Please move the pink mark up in front of those that want and feel we need it.
speed humps will be installed in front of hose residences that have requested speed humps.
3. How is the Holu to Highlands connector coming? I see they are finishing the drainage the corner of Holu and Wonderview. What is the time line for Holu to open?
engineering work is proceeding. hopefully holu will open late this year.
Thank you for your follow up. The neighbors will have this forwarded.
Susan McGeachy
mcgeachy@hawaii.rr.com

Keo Keo and Holu are NOW OPEN! Outstanding JOB! Warren pulls it Off.

A Special Thank you to Warren Lee for his great work connecting Kona Coastview to Kona Palisades.
and a special thank you to Aaron Stene for helping us hunt it down. and most off all THANK YOU the  people of Kona Coastview and Kona Wonderview that gave the support we needed to get the job done.

Convience does NOT trump Safety

The County created the problem of safety when they put in speed bumps on Ahikawa. I had one CRAZY lady call me at 10:00pm last night to rant on and on about safety. Well try living on Ahikawa or Ahulani. You are totally correct. there is a HUGE safety issue with the volume of cars now on Ahulani to avoid the Ahikawa speed bumps.
The reality is some 10 years back the County had plans for open 4 connector roads. This crazy lady sounds like a newbie to the neighborhood. What about the poor homeowners on Nana St? What about the poor homeowners on Ahulani? There is a real problem. It is called even traffic flow.
We had an Engineer from the mainland walk the entire road on Holu/ Keo Keo from Palisades to Coastview. His comment is there is NO I repeat NO sight problems on Keo Keo. The sight problems he saw was on the cross streets on Ahikawa.
The County has been in litigation for years, the judge (Ibarra) has made the decision to open this road as per the County plans. All of the people are waiting for this opening. One idiot is holding it up.
Please call Warren Lee and give him your opinion.
Warren Lee (Director, Hi Co. Dept. of Public Works) call 961-8341
or email wlee@co.hawaii.hi.us

1 idiot called to complain
8 homeowners called to OPEN THAT ROAD.

15 County Vehicles on the Job and NO OPEN STREET???

Over a dozen guys cleaned up Holu Road and are Waiting for HILO Bob Yunaba, to give permission to open this street.

Good Job on the landscaping NOW WHAT ABOUT OUR ROAD OPENING.

Warren Lee just as bad a Bruce McClure? Come on County of Hawaii

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Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Tuesday, Please feel free to Call Warren directly if you don't see action on Holu and Keo Keo St. These are your roads. They have junked up 7 speed bumps in 2 bottom blocks of Ahikawa. Now Ahulani has become a high speed freeway. Open ALL connectors and there won't be a need for these bumps. Open Holu- From highlands to palisades.

Warren Lee (Director, Hi Co. Dept. of Public Works) call 961-8341
or email wlee@co.hawaii.hi.us
Take action or pay the price.

Aloha, Susan

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Warren,

You knew there was a 30 day waiting period. What seems to be the problem? The residents of Kona Coastview, Kona Wonderview, Kona Highlands, and all of the subdivisons north of Highlands are all WAITING! Is it poor communication skills? Incompentance? or just torture for the west side paying a MAJORITY of the taxes that keep this County a float? I am sincerly disappointed. I heard such good things about you Warren, unfortunelty you are not living up to it.

Ladys and Gentlemen, Friends and Neighbors. This is Bruce McClure's replacement.
Same s***t different person.

Let's see if they open the road on Tuesday. When the only two guys in the County that know up from down can come back from vacation and make a few rocks disappear.

Sadly waiting for action.
Susan McGeachy
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Aaron-It appears the road will not open until Tuesday, January 12 due to internal miscommunication. Altho not intended as an alibi, nevertheless, the absence of Stanley Nakasone and Ben Casuga(both on leave status) have not helped the communication situation. In addition, due to my personal oversight, I did not transmit the Director's 12/30/09 e-mail to HWY MAINT., as requested by HM at the 1/7/10 meeting, until noon today.


I apologize for my error.Please call if you have question.Aloha-Boby.
Bob Yunaba
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The road should be open the first working day after the 9th of january barring any unforseen emergencies.

Warren.

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Aloha Warren,

Are we still on schedule to Open Holu St. from Kona Coastview to Kona Palisades for 1/9/10? This was your last correspondence and I am assuming it is still on track. We would like to get a photo of the opening. What time are you planning on moving the rocks/ barrier?
We are also inquiring about the Opening of Holu St. to Kona Highlands? This will cut down some of Jake Jacobs problems on the corner of Kie Kie St. and even up the traffic flow.
There are 3 water mains on this connector road that belonged to the late Carl Matsumoto Water system. The lot was cleared years ago for the new road but Matsumoto’s water mains had to be removed. When our new water system went in 5 years ago, they never followed up with the opening of this road.
The more traffic can flow down various streets the smoother the traffic flow will be.
The speed bumps/humps will be an accident waiting to happen when the cars are speeding and become airborne. Especially on the steeper parts of Ahikawa and Ahulani.

7 speed bumps in 2 blocks is WAY too many! Please ask a qualified Engineer to review the entire subdivision and place them evenly.
Thank you for your follow up.
Susan McGeachy
mcgeachy@hawaii.rr.com
http://www.hawaiicountyissues.blogspot.com/

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Susan. Sorry to disappoint you with the delay. We are not perfect but I understand there are a few.

Keep the faith. Warren.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Warren,

We are not asking for perfection. Just consideration.
We will see your actions on Tuesday.
I have had 4 calls already. The public is not going to sit by for more B.S. delays.
They have to drive these roads daily.
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Subject: Concerning Kona Coastview Subdivision faulty road planning Ahulani St/Holo Holo St. speedway/noise machine
Attention Please Warren Lee (Director, Hi Co. Dept. of Public Works)

Please take action and open up Holu and Keo Keo St. to ease up on the noise and traffic that has created a monster all because of bad planning with the County directors or whoever is responsible for more trashing of the Kona Coast and our subdivisions.
Most drivers on this side of Hualalai mountainside / above the Kona Airport are now using one road to enter and exit the lower Kona Coastview Subdivision and that road is Ahulani St. , the road where my home is located.
Since Ahikawa St. is now filled with speed bumps, all traffic avoids those bumps and heads over here on Ahulani St. to do their racing/driving up and down.
My name is Teresa Jean Aipia and I live in Kona Coastview Subdivision near the bottom of the road between Ahulani St./Nana St./HoloHolo St .
I built this house upon my property over 30 years ago with my family , raised my kids here and now my grandchildren ...... What was once a nice quiet area is now within the past year a very noisy speedway for loud engined vehicles speeding their way up and down and this has become a horrid nightmare
Only Ahulani St. is now bombarded with all the speed and noise driving us all crazy 24 hours a day.
I wear earplugs in the evening and still hear the noise of the vehicles who stream from a few subdivisions to bottle neck down here in front of my home to enter/exit using the Holo Holo St.
Please help us improve our area back to what was by opening up Keo Keo St. and Holu St.
Thank you for you time,
Teresa Jean Aipia

Someone in Kona Coastview is burning their trash at 12:00 midnight?

This is a Plead to all that live in the Coastview area. Please be on the look out for some careless rubish burner. We are all breathing toxic fumes at night when the fire is going. We will wake up and hunt you down. Call the Police and then let the neighbors linch you.
This is NOT a JOKE. We are serious. Let me know if you know who the guilty party is.
Thanks, Susan mcgeachy@hawaii.rr.com

South Kona Fires! Money or know How? Why is no one putting them out?

From a local resident…

________________________________________

From: Emily Burt [mailto:eeburt@earthlink.net]
Subject: South Kona Fires

Hi fellow smoke inhalers,

The County of Hawaii is not putting out the south kona fires. As of 8am this morning they didn't even have any fire fighters on the scene. Please call your officials and ask, plead, or demand as your mood dictates that these fires not only be contained but also be put out. This experiment in our health needs to come to an end.

The county is pleading that there is a lack of resources so if you have time for more than one phone call, include the state in your efforts to get some attention for south kona.

I talked to civil defense and to the mayor's office this morning, and their phone numbers are 935-0031 and 961-8211, respectively. Let us see if we can't make as much noise as the fireworks did on New Year's eve.

Thank you for putting up with this mass emailing, I'll try not to abuse the priviledge.
Aloha, Emily Burt
via Charles Flaherty

Speed Humps on Ahikawa all placed within 2 blocks? None on Ahulani!

Dear Warren Lee,
We are all a little concerned about Gary Polhumus's speed bumps on Ahikawa.
There is in fact a need for speed bumps but not 7 in a one to two block radis. It should be evenly placed up and down Both Ahikawa and Ahulani.

You have now created a SPEED FREEWAY ON AHULANI with the speed humps on only Ahikawa. Don't you have a quailifed Engineer on Board?

We are still waiting for Holu Street (middle connector road from Coastview to Palisades) to open. It has been years. We understand the Judge has made a final ruling and it is OK to open this road. So now what are we waiting for?????

Please respond back to the people of Kona Coastview/ Wonderview and let us know what is happening. I can post your response on my blog so all can track it. http://hawaiicountyissues.blogspot.com
This letter will be forwarded on to more of the home owners on another listing.

Thank you for your prompt response.
Mrs. Susan McGeachy
mcgeachy@hawaii.rr.com
808-989-4182

==================================
From: Lee, Warren [mailto:wlee@co.hawaii.hi.us]


Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 12:55 PM

To: mcgeachy@hawaii.rr.com

Subject: response to your email





Susan..in response to your email below.

1. yes, the county of Hawaii, department of public works has qualified engineers on board.

2. the court order becomes final 30 days after the ruling. so the plan is to remove the barricade soon after January 9, 2010.
..take care. warren lee, director, public works

====================================================
Dear Warren,


So what about the speed bumps/ humps???
Here are a few responses from my neighbors.
Susan
===============================

Hi Susan!

Thanks for bringing this to the attention of a lot of people. I, too, wondered why all the bumps were in one place! I live on Ahikawa, just downhill from the Kiekie intersection, and people hit this intersection and then seem to fly into the air at super speeds…..it’s like watching a ski jump!!! The 25 MPH speed signs on either side of this intersection do not seem to make a bit of difference.
Keep up the good work on behalf of our community! I value your concern and efforts.
Merry Christmas and take good care!
Carolyn Newman

===============================

Thanks again Susan, I just talked with Vicki who came by with a petition for bumps. You and I are on the same page, why so many?

I told Vicki "NO" on bumps they spill everything in my truck and drive me NUTS, just shoot the offenders with paintballs and don't punish everyone else

Tom Pyne
===============================
Susan,

Thank you for doing this! Also it should be mentioned that KieKie has become a race track, garbage dump, etc since being the only road open to Palisades. I unfortunately live on this road and it has gotten horrible. Beside the fact that the corner of Ahikawa and KieKie is a death trap. It is next to impossible to see the cars that are heading up the hill and I have almost been hit a number of times by people speeding up the road.

Please let me know if there is anything that I can do to help expedite the opening of the other roads.
Thanks again,
Sue Hams
==============================
Susan..the objective of the speed humps are to slow down vehicles before they hit the humps. hopefully, the speeders will soon realize this and make the road a safer place for the public and themselves.
as to why 7 humps were located in the particular location, I will have the traffic engineer respond.
..warren.

================================
Aloha


I would like to add to the conversation here and would like to know why all the cross streets between the top of Ahikawa and the bottom have not been opened up to Kaiminani, if we had a true engineer on this project this option would have been done first. This would reduce the amount of traffic on both Ahikawa, Ahulani and Kei Kei, (where I live and has become a supper highway since being opened up to Palisades) it would distribute the traffic evenly and almost eliminate the need for these speed bumps. It seems that once again they are reacting to the few and ignoring the many. Again I am not against speed bumps if they do more than move the problem to someone elses street.

Please forward this to all so we can get some real fedback from all concerned
Aloha
Mark Hams
============================================

Aaron Stene responds to Stop the Development Letter to Editor

I do not believe that stopping all new development is the answer for fixing West Hawaii's infrastructure crisis. Tourism, construction, and real estate is our economic bread and butter. These three industries have been hard hit by the ongoing economic crisis. Thus, the state and county do not have enough funds to improve our woeful infrastructure.


There is some possible win/win solutions that would help alleviate this issue without harming our economy. For starters, the county needs to hold these developers more accountable to help mitigate the impact from their projects. This won't be popular with the developers. However it's a much better option than imposing a full-blown moratorium on all new developments.

The county needs to be held accountable for their actions as well. It boggles my mind how the county pushed the mid level road through all the bureaucratic hoops while other projects like the Mamalahoa

(Hokuli'a) bypass, La'aloa Street Extension, Lako Street Extension, Ali'i Parkway, and the Lalamilo Connector Road are stalled.

I would bet if all these roadway projects were completed there would be less outcry against the supposedly evil developers. Thus, the residents of West Hawaii need to step up to the plate and light a fire under the county to get these roads built.

I would like to hear some feedback regarding my thoughts about this issue. Please feel free to either visit my blog http://thekonablog.wordpress.com/ or e-mail me at aaron@hawaiiantel.net

Aaron Stene
Kailua-Kona

Kona Coastview/ Kona Palisades Roads WAITING for Judge Ibarra

The connector road from Keo Keo St. in Kona Palisades and Holu St. in Kona Coastview is under litagation.

The County of Hawaii verses Matsumoto Case  condemnation  #3CC06141K

You can contact the Judge and ask What the hold up is at 322-5910.

The agreement was once the upper and lower roads have been opened that the middle road Keo Keo/ Holu would be opened.
Please contact the Judge and let them know we are all waiting. Thank you Aaron Stene for the information.
Susan

Kona Coastview/ Palisades connector Roads

The County is actually acquiring ownership of the roads. There are 4 connector roads between Palisades and Coastview/Wonderview. These roads are:
1) Nana/Holoholo – opened
2) Kiekie/Iliili – opened
3) Keokeo/Holu – pending condemnation litigation
4) Ahiahi/Kauhale – pending quiet title action, the County has yet to take
action as no road is built from the Coastview side.

For the first three, the roads were already built, so it was a mater of getting control and taking down the barriers. We are hoping to have Judge Ibarra rule in our favor or settle with the residents for roadway improvements, but 2 of the 4 proposed connections are now open.”
Aaron Stene
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Once the speed humps (Gary Polhamus rallied for)  (pink marks are already on the road where the speed humps are going to be installed.) are put in on Ahikawa and Ahulani we will NEED the middle road  Keo Keo/ Holu to be opened. The road is COMPLETE. You would think for the greater good and traffic flow they would open it.


Do you know what Judge Ibarra is waiting for? Please I urge everyone to call the court house (322-5910) and ask the Judge what is the hold up. Perhaps public pressure will move the process along. All of the people that use these streets in Kona Coastview, Kona Highlands, Kona Wonderview, and all subdivisions north of Palisades are WAITING!
Susan