Third round of Mayor's Ka Leo O Kaua'i meetings to start

Kaua’i County officials are scheduled to start the third round of Ka Leo O Kaua’i (Voice of Kauai) community meetings in May to find out about community issues and to work with residents toward solutions.

Through two earlier rounds of meetings, held islandwide, residents raised concerns about police services, traffic, drugs, speeding vehicles, excessive dog noise and programs and activities for island youths, and made recommendations on how to deal with them.

Mayor Bryan Baptiste initiated the program as a way to build communities, “where communities will come together to help prioritize these concerns, and then work together to be a part of the solution,” said county official Bev Pang.

Public comments will be sent to Hawaii’s congressional team, Gov. Lingle and the state Legislature “so that they know what our island wants and needs,” Pang said.

She said the first order of business will involve addressing short-term issues like fixing potholes and tree trimming.

Long-term issues that are sizable and costly in nature will take more time to solve, but Baptiste’s administration is determined to solve them as well, Pang said.

Pang, Gordon Doo and Vida Mossman work with facilitators at the meetings. Pang works with communities from Wailua Homesteads to Koloa, Doo covers the North Shore and will be replaced by Tim Bynum May 12, and Mossman covers meetings in west Kaua’i.

Doo and Bynum will lead the North Shore meetings on the following days in May:

May 6, Hanalei/Ha’ena, Hanalei School.

May 7, Wailua Houselots, Wailua Houselots pavilion.

May 13, Kilauea, Kilauea Neighborhood Center.

May 14, Anahola, Anahola Clubhouse.

May 20, Kapahi, St. Catherine’s Church.

May 21, Princeville Prince Club.

May 27, Kapa’a, Kapa’a Neighborhood Center.

Pang will lead the central district meetings:

May 6, Lihu’e II (Nawiliwili, Niumalu, Ulu Kukui, Ulu Ko, Ulu Mahi, Pua Loke, Pua Koa), Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall.
May 7, Wailua Homesteads, Kapa’a Neighborhood Center.
May 13, Lihu’e I (Isenberg Track, Camp 6, Molokoa, Lihue Town Estates, Kalapaki Villas, Lihue Court, Lihue Town Houses, Kupolo), Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall.
May 14, Hanama’ulu, King Kaumuali’i Elementary School, portable building 2.
May 20, Puhi, Kaua’i War Memorial Convention Hall.
May 21, Koloa, Koloa Neighborhood Center.
May 27, Po’ipu, Koloa Neighborhood Center.

Mossman will lead meetings in west Kaua’i:

May 6, none.
May 7, Kalaheo/Lawai, Kalaheo Neighborhood Center.
May 13, ‘Ele’ele / Hanapepe / Kaumakani, Hanapepe Armory.
May 14, none.
May 20, none.
May 21, Waimea, Waimea Neighborhood Center.
May 27, Kekaha, Kekaha Neighborhood Center.

All the Ka Leo O Kauai community meetings start promptly at 7 p.m. and end at 9 p.m., and are being conducted by the Kaua’i County Office of Economic Development.

Meetings will be ongoing throughout the year.

Because island youths will be the direct beneficiaries of solutions to community problems, Pang urged residents to bring their children to the meetings. For more information, call 241-6390.

Staff writer Lester Chang can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) and mailto:lchang@pulitzer.net

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