Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Nov. 5 General Election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.
The following came from Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder, candidate for Hawaii County Council District 5, which covers Upper Puna and portions of Keaau. His opponent is Ikaika Rodenhurst.
Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot.
Matt
Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder
1. What is the biggest issue facing your district, and what would you do about it?
Following the 2018 eruption, Covid-19 and skyrocketing insurance rates/tax assessments, Puna Uka (dubbed the last affordable place to build in the state) is experiencing exponential population growth with little improvement to infrastructure to accommodate our residents.
The surge in population density in our large, agricultural subdivisions is putting tremendous strain on our roads, services and public safety services. Anticipating future impacts, I initiated a new police and fire station, a new mass transit hub and a new community center for our area. This will increase public safety in our community and create new job opportunities in the public and private sector.
I completed improvements to Stainback Highway that are relieving traffic pressure on Panaewa Stretch and provide alternate access during emergencies. I am starting discussions to connect Volcano Highway to Saddle Road.
I need to recognize our Police Department’s impressive service in Puna while covering an area the size of Oahu. To assist their department, I increased our Puna police force by 10 positions to help them keep us safe. These projects are promises I have kept to our community. If provided the opportunity, I will continue to find creative ways to better our quality of life.
2. Overtourism can degrade the environment, threaten biodiversity, contribute to wear and tear on infrastructure, generate traffic and disrupt neighborhoods. What do you think about the amount of tourism on the Big Island and how it’s managed?
During the pandemic, Hawaii residents saw a once-in-a-lifetime glimpse of old Hawaii — vacant beaches, clean reefs and open roads. Our beautiful home is a land of finite resources. As such, the historical model of selling aloha and our dependence on tourism must change. The county is creating a responsible tourism plan — a paradigm shift in how government and residents regain control over tourism by educating visitors in malama aina (caring for environment) and addressing decades of community concerns.
The council is working to shift the short term vacation rental market to favor local families. We must create a sustainable, circular economy that lessens our dependence on outside sources, like alternative energy projects, incentivized agricultural and strong “support local” campaigns.
There is no better time to balance community concerns, responsible tourism and innovative economic structures into a new working model that positively ensures the health of our community while educating our visitors in how to have aloha and pilina (connection) to our home.
We must elect leaders that prioritize the needs of local families — not off-island investors. I am committed to being a fair decision-maker who will ensure that the benefits of tourism are provided to our people.
3. What needs to happen to relieve traffic congestion in and around Kailua-Kona and along the Puna-Keaau-Hilo corridor?
The population of Puna is roughly 60,000, or 30% of Hawaii County. In the last few years Puna Uka, one of the last affordable areas to build in Hawaii, has seen tremendous population infill that is increasing strain upon our limited infrastructure.
The traffic congestion on State Highway 130 and Highway 11 is unacceptable and our elected state representatives are overdue on beginning improvements in District 5. Given the population surge, I am focused on improving current roads and creating new alternate/emergency access routes.
This year, I improved Stainback Highway, funded an alternate access route study for Puna Uka and Puna Mauka and passed historic legislation that creates a way for the county to maintain Private Roads.
My big project that will address traffic congestion and promote alternate access in East Hawaii is connecting Saddle Road to Puna Uka. In regards to traffic congestion during peak hours, I have started the conversation with our mayor and state representatives to consider contraflow for traffic congestion on the Panaewa Stretch, until state funding can be found to improve and widen the “pinch points.” Decreasing traffic is a public safety concern that I will address in the next two years.
4. The cost of living on Hawaii island is rising rapidly. How are working and middle-class people expected to buy a house or pay the rent as well as take care of other expenses? And how can the county government help?
Education, tax breaks and accessibility to home ownership are the keys to addressing the cost-of-living crisis in Hawaii. In the last few years, we have witnessed an unprecedented surge in property values that have caused massive increases in property assessments.
In March, I decreased property taxes for the first time in years. Decisions like this require experience and understanding of our budget and local economy.
Housing in Hawaii is not affordable for local families and neither is most “affordable housing.” Local families need more homes and a means of accessing long-term rental stock. Generational equity is the key to helping our local families overcome decades of off-island real estate investment.
I am working proactively to shift housing to local families and promote access to home ownership with existing programs. Building equity in our local families enhances the socio-economic security of our future generations. Teaching financial literacy in our classrooms improves the well-being of our families by teaching our keiki to understand economy and finance.
Our legacy as leaders is how we leave our community for our keiki. I want to know that my children will be able to afford to live in Hawaii.
5. Do you support the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Mauna Kea?
Given the recent ruling by the Supreme Court over the jurisdiction of the Mauna Kea Access Road, the murky financial backing and community controversy surrounding the Thirty Meter Telescope, I cannot support the project as proposed on Mauna Kea.
We must instead focus our attention on building up small businesses and local families by creating opportunities in sectors that don’t tear at the very social fabric that holds the people of our county together.
6. Homelessness remains a problem statewide, including on Hawaii island. What would you do to come to grips with this persistent problem?
My ohana owns Liko Lehua and we understand the constant struggle to prevent the negative impacts of those experiencing homelessness on local businesses. There is no one-size-fits-all solution — ultimately the cost of prevention is small in comparison to providing remedial care.
In 2020, I helped fund direct support to public and private organizations like Going Home Hawaii and Hope Services; nonprofits that make tangible differences in our community. To defray huge “hidden costs” stemming from response by our county eepartments to homeless related problems, I highlighted the need for greater work to be done in focusing on mental health amongst our homeless community.
Recognizing that many of our homeless are single-parent families without access to housing or extended family or jobs, I am working to increase and prioritize Section 8 housing vouchers for local families — directly increasing affordable housing access for our ohana.
We have approved thousands of units of affordable housing and yet, while we have taken great strides, there is still much work to do to better our community. My next goal is to fund the acquisition of large dilapidated buildings in urban centers and convert them into safe and affordable housing projects.
7. Half of Hawaii’s cesspools are on the Big Island, some 49,300. Seepage from cesspools can make people sick, harm coral reefs and lead to a variety of ecological damage. By law, cesspools must be upgraded to septic systems by 2050. What can be done to help people who may not be able to afford the conversion?
Although many of us may not be here in 2050, recent and concerning studies have shown that low-lying, well-water sources are beginning to test positive for human-based bacteria. This is incredibly troubling as these waters are both a life source for our community and affect our ocean resources.
All new construction is required to incorporate septic systems. The lack of county sewer infrastructure and the cost of converting existing cesspools are now the major hurdle for our residents. My background in electrical opened my eyes to the costs of excavation work in Hawaii given our unique geologic makeup.
To combat these out-of-pocket expenses for our residents, the state currently offers conversion rebates. I am working on conversion legislation that addresses cesspool conversion tax rebates at the county level.
Recently a constituent in Volcano brought to my attention that existing cesspools on small parcels can be used as leach fields when converting to septic systems. Creative community driven ideas like his offer a cost-effective approach to conversion and I am working with the Department of Environmental Management to offer this for all parcels.
8. What is the first thing Hawaii County should do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting to it?
Climate change including sea level rise, unpredictable weather patterns, drought and fires are an undeniable aspect of our future, especially in Hawaii. Given our near-equatorial position in the Pacific Ocean, our major infrastructure (ports, airports, urban/commercial center) are incredibly prone to coastal inundation.
In 2023 we created a department in the county that will address the county’s proactive approach to slowing the impacts of climate change on our community. We are incorporating these impacts into our General Plan and land use/zoning discussions.
Future growth needs to be built away from coastal areas and utilize resilient building techniques. We must support our farmers, ranchers and innovative agricultural methods to provide food for our community during times of emergencies.
Our Community Emergency Response Teams are effective organizations that offer community-centric response during times of crisis. Through a combination of all of these measures, our state stands to weather the future that lies ahead.
9. Should the Hu Honua biomass energy plant be allowed to start operating? Why or why not?
The Hu Honua project continues to flounder and nearby communities are opposed to the project. Now is the time to focus our attention and efforts on positive projects that provide jobs and clean energy without creating unnecessary rifts in our community.
I installed solar panels for close to a decade, prior to my time on the council. We must shift our energy production goals to efforts that decrease fossil fuel dependence, lower overall carbon footprint and limit “dinosaur” energy plant emissions.
Recent large-scale photovoltaic projects with battery storage like those recently installed in Waikoloa are the future of energy in Hawaii. I am an incessant proponent of alternative energy projects like photovoltaic, hydrogen, tidal and wind energy. We in Hawaii should be at the forefront of “green” energy and I will do all that is in my power to ensure that we leave our island home a better place for our children.
10. How would you make the county administration more transparent and accessible to the public?
Working as a bartender instilled me with a deep appreciation for great customer service. The majority of our residents constantly express that it is difficult to access the county for needed services and budgetary information. The county’s duty to its citizens is to be transparent in providing information and accurately accounting for financial obligations.
The county will be releasing a virtual dashboard in Fiscal Year 2024-25 that allows our residents to track our budget in real time.
I will often call the main number for each department and speak to our wonderful county staff and I’m consistently surprised at the outstanding customer service provided. Presently, the amount of filled county positions stands at roughly 65% across the board.
An aspect of accessibility that is rarely touched on is the capacity of the county to provide services and importance of addressing hiring practices performed by various departments throughout the county. This is an area that I will be focusing on throughout the next two years to ensure proper customer service for the good people of Hawaii County.
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Publish date : 2024-09-25 12:06:00
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