NAWILIWILI — The Kaua‘i County Council met for the first time Wednesday at the Nawiliwili Council Chambers after being sworn in last week and is already showing signs that the next two years will be nothing short of exciting. The
NAWILIWILI — The Kaua‘i County Council met for the first time Wednesday at the Nawiliwili Council Chambers after being sworn in last week and is already showing signs that the next two years will be nothing short of exciting.
The three newcomers in the new council formation seemed quite at ease during the meeting, being more outspoken than the incumbents and hinting at a chemistry that could become explosive any time.
Freshman Nadine Nakamura took third-term Councilman Tim Bynum’s seat. She showed strength and objectiveness in her first meeting as the chair of the Planning Committee, despite making some trivial procedural mistakes.
Sitting alongside Nakamura, and occupying the seat that once belonged to Lani Kawahara, Planning Committee Vice Chair JoAnn Yukimura displayed the same grace and vitality she had when she used to be a councilwoman.
Yukimura, always polite, seems to never keep smiles on a budget. But the small-framed woman is a giant when it comes down to arguments, never backing down. It’s arguable if Yukimura fits the profession of a politician, or if the profession fits her personality.
Either way, the experienced councilwoman blends in well with the crowd while simultaneously standing out.
Like Yukimura, Mel Rapozo is also returning to the body he once belonged. Rapozo is now sitting where the current chair, Jay Furfaro, used to sit — between Dickie Chang and Derek Kawakami.
On his first meeting, Rapozo, a noise-maker who says what’s on his mind, was already comfortable, vehemently defending the chair from nitpickers’ comments.
Speaking of nitpickers, Glenn Mickens and former council candidate Ken Taylor were there again, just like in almost every single council meeting last term, picking apart bills and resolutions and occasionally praising public servants.
For those who have been following the council in the last three decades, it might have been a little awkward not to see Kaipo Asing at a meeting.
Furfaro took the seat and the gavel that once belonged to former Chair Asing, and will preside over the council for the next two years, unless a supermajority of the council decides otherwise mid-term.
Asing had served 28 years on the council, and despite saying he would retire at the end of this year, the veteran lawmaker ended up seeking re-election.
After a dog-fight in the primaries against incumbent Chang for the seventh and last council seat, Asing slip into ninth place in the general election, saying goodbye to an impressive and long political career, at least for now.
Together with Furfaro, Kawakami, Chang and Bynum were the four returning councilmembers.
Kawakami kept his seat by the chair’s left side. Kawakami, always using wise quotes and deliberate speech, was unusually quiet during most of last Wednesday’s meeting. But expect him to rise in the next two years as the young lawmaker grows more comfortable in his role.
Chang and Bynum were also quiet for most of last meeting, which was not a surprise in Chang’s case, but in Bynum’s case it was quite unusual.
Sitting in the same seat he did last term, TV showman Chang is not a man who usually wastes words, seeming to speak only when necessary.
Bynum, however, is not shy when it comes to saying what’s on his mind. It was a surprise to see him quiet at the corner of the table, now sitting to the right of the chair, a seat once occupied by rancher Daryl Kaneshiro.
For the last couple of years, Kaneshiro used to lean back in his chair, elegantly dressed as the cowboy he is, and sport a sly smile, which would never give away his thoughts. Three random pictures of Bynum showed an interesting carbon-copy of Kaneshiro’s smile.
While it may seem like the meetings over the next two years of the new council formation will carry on business as usual, since there’s only one true rookie in the council, the result will probably be otherwise.
Looking at the strong and outspoken personalities in this new formation, fireworks may soon ignite. If that happens, the winners will be Kaua‘i residents, who will see many different and passionate opinions crafting laws that will represent varied sections of the island.
The downside is that with many outspoken councilmembers, and a lot of work to be done, meetings may drag well into the wee hours of the night.
With that said, Furfaro’s unanimous choice for the chair was undoubtedly the best. His extensive career in hotel management will likely come in handy when dealing with this explosive new council formation, along with his ability to straddle both sides of an issue and reach compromise.
• Léo Azambuja, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 252) or lazambuja@kauaipubco.com.
