Still spinning from a whirlwind of campaign events leading up to the election Tuesday, the trio of tyros chosen to serve on the Kaua‘i County Council for the next two years said yesterday that they will be prepared to navigate
Still spinning from a whirlwind of campaign events leading up to the election Tuesday, the trio of tyros chosen to serve on the Kaua‘i County Council for the next two years said yesterday that they will be prepared to navigate through the storm of challenges facing the island when they take their seats Dec. 1.
But first a day of rest.
The four returning members said they will assist the freshman class — Derek Kawakami, Lani Kawahara and Dickie Chang — in its transition to public office. The County Clerk’s Office will also help by briefing the new lawmakers on pending bills and executive session matters.
The neophytes attributed the significant shift in the council’s makeup, although largely due to three incumbents not seeking reelection, to the change residents want to see in the island and the “Barack effect,” as Kawahara put it.
“There was a whole bunch of new voters out there because our next president, Barack Obama, inspired them to get out and vote and take part in the democratic process,” Kawakami said. “I was a beneficiary of that. People connected with me.”
The 30-year-old Lihu‘e businessman, the youngest candidate elected to the council, said his supporters recognized his ability to “bridge that gap” between people of different age groups and people and government.
Kawakami was the second highest vote-getter overall with 12,638 votes, trailing Council Chair Jay Furfaro by just 200 votes, according to the official results released yesterday.
“People really wanted to see something new and some changes, which I think they’re going to get,” Kawahara said. “It’s a better-balanced council.”
The 42-year-old Kapa‘a librarian finished eighth in the Sept. 20 primary election. She slid up three spots Tuesday, bumping off senior Councilman Ron Kouchi by 446 votes.
“I was told he knew a lot of the history of the council, was very smart and would guide things … but I’m glad we have some new faces,” Kawahara said, noting the give-and-take of the shift.
She attributed the boost to personal door-to-door campaigning with a focus on Lihu‘e and Hanapepe.
Furfaro said the changes in leadership reflect the nature of the democratic process.
Chang, 49, of Puhi, said he is ready to apply his visitor industry experience at the council level. The “Wala‘au” TV show host said he hopes people feel comfortable approaching him with suggestions as he works together with the council to “identify the problems … and move ahead.”
The first order of business next month for the council is organization.
Furfaro, 59, said he is prepared to offer himself as chair. The council unanimously appointed him to the post after Bill “Kaipo” Asing stepped down to temporarily fill the mayoral vacancy created when Bryan Baptiste died June 22.
Asing, the most senior councilman, was reelected Tuesday. The 72-year-old Lihu‘e resident earned 12,018 votes, the fourth highest in the race.
As with the choice of who will chair the various committees, the decision is the council’s as a whole.
Kawakami declined to say if there were any roles he planned to seek, saying it is a “collective process.”
Furfaro said a good starting point for the council would be to participate in some sort of “visioning,” identifying goals and plans to achieve them.
The 59-year-old Princeville resident said he will help the new members become oriented with some key items on the radar screen, particularly the proposed tax package, siting the new landfill and a Public Works project that will include a materials recovery facility.
“I will be as cooperative as possible to get them up to an understanding of those issues and how they interact with the goals and visions that we might set together,” Furfaro said. “Clearly, with those big issues there needs to be an opportunity for them to understand all the parts.”
Over the next few weeks, he said he thinks the incumbents would reach out individually to the newly elected members to share information and points of view.
Kawahara said she will be familiarizing herself with the “everyday logistics of the council.”
Kawakami said he will be basically taking “a crash course of the issues that we’re going to have to pick up and run with.”
After the swearing-in ceremony Dec. 1, Kawahara said a top priority for her will be ensuring that the council works to align county planning with the General Plan.
She noted the charter amendment voters passed that effectively mandates paced growth, adding that this is a major reason she ran for office and it is “what people want.”
Kawakami said solid waste is a big item the council must tackle.
Chang declined to cite top issues he plans to address, saying it is important “to all get together and move forward … and not procrastinate.”
The three newcomers heaped praise on their supporters, their families and the other 11 candidates.
“I have so much optimism and hope,” Kawahara said. “It’s hard work but people do do it without selling out and do it nobly. Not everything is a scandal.”
• Nathan Eagle, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or neagle@kauaipubco.com
