Carvalho stays busy with travel, conference

Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. traveled to Washington, D.C., last week to participate in the U.S. Conference of Mayors 86th Winter Meeting. The mayor met with federal agencies and the Congressional delegation to discuss priorities for the County of Kauai.

The meeting included over 250 mayors from across the nation. Carvalho participated in group sessions on topics such as homelessness, affordable housing and climate change.

The mayor met with Rear Admiral Jon A. Hill, Deputy Director of the Missile Defense Agency, and was briefed on their capabilities against all ranges of enemy ballistic missiles in all phases of flight.

The Navy briefed the mayor on the significance of the Pacific Missile Range Facility on Kauai and the critical role it plays in testing and training, “which it must continue to perform for the protection and defense of Hawaii and the entire United States,” according to a press release.

The mayors of Honolulu, Kauai and Maui on Tuesday pledged to help make the state more climate resilient at a leadership forum presented by Hawaii Energy and Chamber of Commerce Hawaii on Oahu.

Honolulu City &County Mayor Kirk Caldwell, Kauai County Mayor Bernard Carvalho and Maui County Mayor Alan Arakawa shared their perspectives on how to best make the state more resilient in case of a sudden, destructive event.

“The people of Kauai know all too well the catastrophic effects of a direct hit by a hurricane. While the road to recovery was long and challenging, it gave our community an opportunity to prove our resiliency. As an island chain, we have to be realistic about our vulnerabilities,” Carvalho said. “By working together to update our building codes, increase our shoreline setbacks, and improve the way we design our streets and neighborhoods, we can better prepare ourselves for the effects of climate change and the potential impact of a natural disaster.”