Hawaii 24/7

Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann issued the following statement after the County Council failed to veto Mayor Billy Kenoi’s budget: Happy New Fiscal Year (2011-2012) to you all. The County has managed to stumble into July and has survived the budget struggles of the past two months. Permit me a few observations on the results and […]

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Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann issued the following statement on the county budget: Using the recent budget discussions as a background, I had hoped that the Mayor would recognize the opportunity that presented itself for establishing a cooperative relationship with the Council. Unfortunately, that didn’t occur. I’ll admit I’m wasn’t completely surprised, but I am disappointed […]

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Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor The first in a series of six public hearings is slated Tuesday, June 7 in Keaau as the County Council mulls an ordinance that prohibits most plastic bags. The bill, introduced by Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann, looked set for a final vote in March, when Hilo Councilman Dennis ‘Fresh’ […]

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Special to Hawaii 24/7 by Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann The most recent phase of the County’s annual budget skirmish concluded May 18 with some interesting outcomes. Regardless how one views the Council actions this year, I feel we’ve done a little better than our normal “rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic” routine. Hours of […]

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Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann released the following statement on the ADP: On April 19, the Council’s Agricultural, Water and Energy Sustainability Committee recommended approval of the long-awaited Agricultural Development Plan (ADP). Prepared by The Kohala Center, the ADP is really not a plan – as Councilman Angel Pilago correctly reminded us. The document the Council […]

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Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann issued the following statement Thursday, March 24: There are times when one wonders whether anyone listens. Part of the problem may be a lack of communication, or perhaps a lack of understanding of perhaps a lack of leadership. You decide which of these applies in the recent tsunami siren debacle. In […]

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Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann released the following statement Monday, March 4: The Mayor revealed his budget proposals for the coming fiscal year (2011-2012) this past week at a press conference with a delightful dash of fanfare and self-congratulatory remarks. For the third year in a row, the overall County budget slid lower; from a high […]

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MEDIA RELEASE West Hawaii has a severe shortage of infrastructure and public services, like connecting roads, neighborhood parks, police and fire stations and sewer facilities. How can increased shortages be prevented when new developments are built? What are Impact Fees and how do they work? How will the infrastructure improvements which have been identified in […]

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Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann issued the following statement on the county budget: We are currently in that ‘never-never-land’ that prevails immediately prior to the publication of the first draft of the County budget. When good years reigned, few people bothered with the specifics. A sense of optimism surrounded the process, and while budget discipline might […]

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Karin Stanton | Hawaii 24/7 Editor A bill to reduce the number of plastic bags on the Big Island is heading to the County Council after approval Tuesday by the Environmental Management Committee. The bill, re-introduced by Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann, passed with a 5-3 vote and will move up to the full council for […]

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MEDIA RELEASE “Would I have to pay an impact fee if I built a dog house on my lot?” Don’t laugh! It’s a legitimate concern raised by a Hawaii Island resident recently during a discussion about what impact fees would mean to Hawaii County. The answer: No! But questions will be encouraged during the Waimea […]

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UPDATE, 12:15 p.m. 1/19/11 Pete Hoffmann’s office reports as of Wednesday morning (Jan 19) the councilman is still in Honolulu at the hospital. Hoffmann is stable and in good spirits.

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Councilman Pete Hoffmann has released the following statement: The County Council action to delay final approval of the administration-proposed $56M bond float so that the in-coming Council can discuss the matter is a proper decision in my opinion. Although I am a firm advocate of using the bond-issuing power of County government, so long as […]

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Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann issued the following statement: The Forest City exemption legislation (Res. 405-10) is approaching second and final reading. There are too many ‘red flags’ associated with this effort at the moment and, although I believe all current Council members would agree with the project, the deficiencies associated with the exemption list and […]

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