County Council candidates answer

• Lani Kawahara

• Ron Agor

Editor’s note: The following seven questions were posed to the 23 candidates for Kauai County Council. Two candidates a day will have their answers reprinted in their entirety until all candidates’ answers have appeared.

1) Define what future development on Kaua‘i means to you. Please use specifics.

2) What is your vision of the island in 10 years?

3) What specific credentials do you have for being a County Council member? Why are you the best for our county? Again, let’s get specific. What positions of power have you held in the past? What connections do you have that will benefit the county?

4) How will you work with the other six members of the County Council if elected? Would like some specific tactics and strategies you would use to act on the county’s behalf within the larger group.

5) What is your history? Born and raised here? Mainlander? Family? Residence? Career? Education?

6) What does open government mean to you?

7) What is the single, most important issue to you?

Lani Kawahara

1.) Utilize smart growth strategies to provide new tools for our Planning Department and Planning Commission that can be used to enforce current regulations, streamline permitting without cutting corners and pace development at an acceptable rate. Better align growth with community development plans and the General Plan. Restrict number of new visitor units allowed to be built annually to what is called for in the county General Plan. Enact “Use or Lose It”; bill (Sunset provision for zoning approvals) that would require developers to start construction on approved projects within five years of receiving their permits. Find effective methods to respond to the impact of increased second-home demand on the availability of affordable housing for residents. Future development must provide tangible benefits to our residents.

Balance management of our built environment, clustering new development around existing communities and maintaining the four-story height limit. While still a major visitor destination, Kaua‘i will maintain its rural character.

Increase impact fees on resort developments to help fund the needed infrastructure improvements that these projects require. Move forward quickly on funding and building infrastructure improvements (traffic infrastructure, water and sewage treatment, and affordable housing) needed to deal with explosion of new resort/vacation unit developments.

2.) In 2018, Kaua‘i is on its way to creating a sustainable future through the implementation of initiatives that deal with solid waste and sewage; increased use of alternative energy resources and energy efficient systems; protecting the environment; increased food self-sufficiency; and a diversified economy.

Expanded bus service uses alternative fuels or electricity generated from alternative energy sources. Landfill waste, agricultural waste, and food service industry waste are used to produce biofuels — turning garbage problems into energy solutions. A materials recovery facility and curbside recycling make achieving a zero waste future a real possibility.

Creation of affordable housing for our workforce is built into smart growth management of new developments. Protection of beach and trail access is too.

Adopting smart growth policies to guide our decision-making maximizes the efficient use of infrastructure dollars. Small business is the foundation of Kaua‘i’s economy. We will be engaged in diversified agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture; and knowledge and innovation-based industries such as high tech, health care, biotechnology, film and digital media; outdoor recreation, with environmental tourism and sports facilities. These are important components of a sustainable Kaua‘i economy.

3.) Over 12 years of policy, administrative and budgeting experience with the Hawai‘i State Public Library System (Lihu‘e, Princeville, Kapa‘a branches).

Hawai‘i State Public Library System’s legislative representative to U.S. Capitol, May 2008 — met with Hawai‘i’s congressional delegation.

Legislative aide, 2005 and community representative 2004-2007, for state Sen. Gary Hooser, 7th District.

Master of Library Science, UCLA — gives me excellent information seeking and analysis skills, well-suited to researching issues and analyzing the information gathered.

4.) I have worked closely with Senate Majority Leader Gary Hooser as a legislative aide at the state Legislature (2005) and as his community representative here on Kaua‘i since 2004.

As such, I have developed solid relationships with Kaua‘i’s community leaders, unions, county and state representatives and elected officials. With such a base, I understand the pressing issues of the community and can connect the community to the council.

I will help the council work closely with the state Senate and House to secure state funding for county priority projects. Contacts made with Hawai‘i’s congressional delegation as a library legislative representative at the U.S. Capitol in 2008 can help secure federal funding for county priority projects.

As an administrator at Kapa‘a Public Library, I have seen first-hand the challenges we face on Kauai. I work with thousands of individuals from all walks of life who come into the library for information and help with issues we face daily. The skills honed from being a library administrator will help me listen to community concerns, gather and assess accurate information, then work with my fellow council members to make well-informed decisions.

5.) I would find common ground with my colleagues and work collaboratively and respectfully with each council member to serve our community and improve the quality of life on Kaua‘i.

My work with council members would be about the community and building consensus — and not about personalities or conflict.

I would focus on measures that promote benefits to our communities and our island. I would also seek joint state/county projects and state and federal funding for county projects that most effectively move us closer to realizing our shared vision for a sustainable Kaua‘i.

It is also important to acknowledge the reality that many problems will only be successfully dealt with through a combination of county, state and federal government resources. It is vital to Kaua‘i’s future for the council to work cooperatively with Kaua‘i’s state senator, state representatives, and Hawai‘i’s congressional team.

One such joint project would be the creation of two new high technology centers on Kaua‘i — one for media and film/TV industry technologies, the other for diversified agriculture, aquaculture and non-crop biotechnology, like using algae to create biofuel.

6.) My family moved to Kaua‘i from California in 1971, when I was five years old. I’ve lived here all my life, except for my time away at college. I graduated from Kapa‘a High School.

The Itokazu/Takaesu side of our family has lived on Kaua‘i for three generations. My father, Delano, was a biology teacher at Kapa‘a High for 29 years and my mother, Marcia, was a social worker.

I have a master’s degree in library and information science from UCLA. I have worked as a librarian/administrator on Kaua‘i since 1996.

7.) It means honoring the spirit and the letter of the Sunshine Law. It means keeping meetings open and accessible to the public in all formats, except in rare circumstances specified in the law.

It means making the county attorney’s legal opinions on matters of law available to the public on a timely basis. Open government means transparent government.

8.) Strengthening the Planning Department to better manage growth on Kaua‘i. The No. 1 quality-of-life issue facing Kaua‘i is the need to insure that new developments are in tune with the county’s General Plan.

Decreasing traffic congestion, preserving beach and trail access, increasing affordable housing, diversifying the economy and improving infrastructure require improved planning, vision, and resolve. I believe the county must do a better job of planning by focusing on properly funding, staffing and training planning department staff.

The 1972 CZO must be updated to provide guidance on definitions of ag land and other lands. We must initiate and complete a comprehensive build-out analysis to assess what permits are outstanding and initiate infrastructure and other discussions with permit holders.

Our way of life and our quality of life demand we focus our attention on cultivating public service-minded professionals in the county who understand how planning must be done on a small island with limited space, resources and infrastructure.

This requires the county to take a proactive, sensible and long-term stand for Kaua‘i’s residents in terms of any present and future development on the island. Any future development must show tangible benefits for our residents.

Ron Agor

1.) I look at future development on Kaua‘i as a means to address the inevitable growth that we are faced with. We must identify and evaluate the trends of the population that will make up this inevitable growth and take advantage of it.

If we identify a trend of a middle class retired population wanting to retire on Kaua‘i, for instance, we should decide where this population should live.

For example, a retirement community could be placed in Waimea where the town is struggling economically and the community suffers from great social problems. A retired population would make great economic contributions to the small businesses in Waimea by spending their retired income in that town.

Retired people can also contribute to solving social problems by volunteering in tutorial, mentoring and storytelling for our latch key children.

2.) My vision of Kaua‘i in 10 years is having the county well on its way to implementing infrastructure build-up plans in our town cores. Infrastructure is the fundamental duty of government and our county has been less than diligent in this area. Only with adequate infrastructure can the vision of our General Plan manifest in our town cores. Only with adequate infrastructure can we develop housing and expand businesses in our town cores.

I also visualize the shifting of our workplaces to where our workforces live.

I also see more government offices and private businesses going to a staggered four-day work week.

I further see more of our students use the bus system as their mode of transportation.

These are real solutions to our traffic problems, to reducing the dependency on fossil fuels and reduce harmful emissions.

3.) I have been educated as an architect and have been planning and designing working and living environments for the people of Kaua‘i for the last 22 years.

In my work, I have become familiar with evaluating and mitigating the economic, social, traffic and environmental impacts of projects throughout our communities.

By working with most of our major nonprofit organizations, I have also become familiar with the social problems that exist on Kaua‘i.

As a Department of Land and Natural Resources Board member, I have made decisions affecting the use of all state lands throughout the state. In particular interest to Kaua‘i, state agricultural lands, Koke‘e State Park, conservation lands, harbors, and rivers and streams. As the Kaua‘i board member, I have supported the late Mayor Baptiste in turning over state lands to the county for homeless shelters, potential drug treatment centers, the proposed fire station in Kapa‘a and various affordable housing projects.

The late beloved Mayor Baptiste had a special relationship with Gov. Lingle and various state department heads that benefited Kauai greatly. As a Kaua‘i County Council person, I can fill the shoes of the late mayor in being an effective advocate to the governor for the county.

4.) I sit on the state Land and Natural Resources Board with six other members. As I do on the land board, I will make a point of finding out the objectives of each council member on each issue that faces our county.

If I agree with their objectives, I will show full support for them. If I disagree with any one of their objectives, I will respectively work with them to find common ground that I could support.

I will be open to lending my advice to all council members on my fields of expertise in development, permitting and state land use. Overall, I will treat my fellow council persons with openness and respect.

On issues of contention, where we find ourselves in front of two competing interests, I will work hard to reach out to my fellow council persons to foster co-existence amongst the two parties.

I will help my fellow council members to avoid making decisions where one party wins and the other loses. It is time that the people of Kaua‘i start thinking in terms of co-existing on this island and quit fostering winners and losers. We all can win with a little compromise.

5.) I was raised on the Westside in the Kekaha plantation environment with my parents, seven sisters and three brothers. I graduated from Waimea High School in 1966.

After working in O‘ahu for a few years, I decided to go back to school to become an architect. Married with two children and at the age of 28, I moved my family to California to start my education in architecture. I studied architecture at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and became a licensed architect in 1983.

My family and I moved back to Kaua‘i in 1986 and I have been a small business owner as an architect ever since. I now reside in Lihu‘e with my wife Anne.

6.) Open government to me means that elected and appointed officials of our county should always make themselves available to the public. The council hearings should always abide by the Sunshine Laws. Executive sessions should be held at a minimum.

7.) The most important issue that faces Kaua‘i to me is the prosperity of our families and small businesses. I believe in building strong communities throughout our county by strengthening our families and small businesses.

I want to make it abundantly clear that every decision I make on issues facing our county will be based on how well the solutions to the issues serve to strengthen our families and small businesses. I believe that with strong communities, we all can solve the issues that we face.