LIHU‘E — Nearly 100 government officials and association members attended the 2009 Hawai‘i State Association of Counties annual conference that was hosted by Kaua‘i County, June 18-19, at the Hilton Kaua‘i Beach Resort, a county news release said Friday. The
LIHU‘E — Nearly 100 government officials and association members attended the 2009 Hawai‘i State Association of Counties annual conference that was hosted by Kaua‘i County, June 18-19, at the Hilton Kaua‘i Beach Resort, a county news release said Friday.
The theme for this year’s conference, “Holo I Mua – Moving Forward,” highlighted key community issues for each county and the state, including affordable housing, solid waste and the visitor industry.
Kaua‘i County Councilman Derek Kawakami, who is currently serving as HSAC vice president and will become president on Wednesday, moderated the conference and urged HSAC members to work together during a challenging period for Hawai‘i.
“As counties, it is important to remember at times like these that we must work together to move forward,” Kawakami said in the release. “We must stimulate our economy by making informed decisions and spending wisely. We must support our family, friends, neighbors and local businesses. Most importantly, we must look to the future by learning from our past. If we can remember to do this, we can get through this difficult time and arise as a stronger, unified state.”
Special guest speakers at the conference included Sue Briggum, vice president of federal public affairs, Waste Management, Inc., who presented on environmental justice and W. Roger Gwinn, Kaua‘i county federal lobbyist, The Ferguson Group, LLC, who provided an update on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
In addition, industry experts participated in individual panels on the status of affordable housing, innovations in solid waste/energy and the visitor industry throughout the state, the release said.
The HSAC Executive Committee and HSAC General Membership held individual meetings to elect the new executive committee officers and to approve the HSAC budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Serving on the 2009-2010 Executive Committee is Kawakami, president; City and County of Honolulu Councilmember Nestor Garcia, vice president, County of Hawai‘i; Councilmember Dennis “Fresh” Onishi, secretary; and County of Maui Councilmember Joseph Pontanilla, treasurer.
“I would like to thank the Council Services and Elections Division staff who did an excellent job in organizing and staffing the conference, and I would also like to extend my appreciation to the Department of Parks and Recreation and Transportation Agency for their wonderful assistance in helping the conference run smoothly,” said Kawakami.
Councilman Daryl Kaneshiro serves as the alternate for HSAC and its affiliate, National Association of Counties. NACo is the only national organization that represents county governments in the United States.
In addition, Councilman Dickie Chang is the Western Interstate Region representative, which is the western affiliate of NACo and is dedicated to the promotion of Western interests within NACo, including public land uses, community stability and economic development, and the promotion of the western way of life.
HSAC was founded in 1959 on Kaua‘i and consists of the members of the four county councils and mayors, as ex-officio members, in the state. Its purpose is to coordinate county programs in the best interest of the people of Hawai‘i through cooperation of the legislative bodies of the four counties of the state, provide a single source of information on all four counties to the governor, the Legislature and other officials and to make general improvements in the policies and conduct of county government.
