Our region is South Kohala region of the island of Hawaii. The region includes Waimea, Waikoloa, Puako, Kawaihae and the Kohala Coast resort area.

An informal telephone survey of 100 residents and leafleting of about 400 homes by the Waimea CDP Committee in August 2005 revealed that only about 3 in 100 people in our region are aware that a CDP readiness process was underway. In order to solve this problem, we plan to organize groups that reflect important segments of our region. The roles of the groups are as follows: to inform the people in their social and economic networks that a CDP will be initiated by the County next year, to initiate two-way communication about planning issues and tools, to give each group a voice in the planning process, to ensure that a plan that reflects a consensus within the community is adopted, and to monitor the implementation of the plan. It is expected that the social and economic networks of some of the groups will overlap. The groups involved in the project and the makeup of each group are as follows:

Kupuna: the elders of the communities involved

Businesses: the owners and employees of local businesses or business with significant local impact, such as Bragado Trucking, Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope Corp., Deluz Trucking, HPM Building Supply, Hawaii County Mass Transit Agency, Hawaii Electric Company, Inc., Jacks Tours, Hawaii Forest and Trail, Kamuela Trucking, Keck W M Observatory, Kona Coast Cycling, Parker Ranch Shopping Center, Parker Square Shopping Center, realtors, Sandwich Isles Communications, Inc., Tingley Construction, Waikoloa Land Company, Waikoloa Shopping Center, Waimea Shopping Center, West Hawaii Concrete

Schools: the students, parents and teachers at local schools, such as Hawaii Preparatory Academy, Hawaii Montessori School at Kamuela, Honokaa High School, Kanu o ka ‘Aina, Parker School, Waikoloa Elementary School, Waimea Country School, Waimea Elementary School, Waimea Middle School

Churches: members of local churches, such as A New Harvest Christian Fellowship, Annunciation Catholic Church, Church of Christ Kamuela, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Door of Faith Church, First Baptist Church of Waimea, Hokuloa United Church of Christ, Imiola Congregational Church, Ke Ola Mau Loa Church, Mana Christian Ohana, New Hope Christian Fellowship Waimea, Religious Science Church of West Hawaii, St. James Episcopal Church, Waikoloa Baptist Church, Waikoloa Community Church, Waikoloa Lutheran Church, Waimea Assembly of God

Farmers: local truck crop farmers; Vacuum Plant Association

Ranchers: local ranchers

Agro-foresters: local agro-foresters

Parker Ranch and its beneficiaries: Hawaii Preparatory Academy, North Hawaii Community Hospital, Parker School Trust Corporation, and the Richard Smart Fund of Hawaii Community Foundation

Senior citizens: Waimea Senior Citizens Club, Waikoloa Senior Citizens Club

Big families: Bell family, Kanaliho family; Lindsey family, Purdy family, Souza family, Stevens family

Service organizations: Kyle Kinoshita; Hawaiian Civic Club, Japanese American Civic Club, Kohala Center, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, North Hawaii Hospice, North Hawaii Rotary, Paniolo Preservation Society, People’s Advocacy for Trails Hawaii (PATH), Safe Waimea, Tutu’s House, Waimea Historic Preservation Society, Waimea Outdoor Circle, Waimea Trails and Greenways

Hawaiian homesteaders and DHHL: Waimea Homesteaders Association, Puukapu homesteaders

Hotels/resorts: Kohala Coast Resort Association members, local resorts and hotels, such as Aston The Shores at Waikoloa, Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Hilton Waikoloa Village, Hilton Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, Mauna Lani Point, Mauna Lani Resort, Waikoloa Beach Resort, Waimea Country Lodge, Paniolo Greens

Homeowner/community associations: Kawaihae Local Resources Council, Mauna Kea Community Association, Sandalwood Homeowners Association, Waiaka Hui, Waikoloa Village Association, Waimea Community Association

New groups can form at any time. As many representatives from each group can participate in the planning process as the group desires. At least one representative of each group will be expected to attend a monthly committee meeting to exchange information. Some of this information will be presented at the regular monthly meeting of the Waimea CDP Committee. The representatives will reach decisions by consensus. Each representative will communicate with his/her group in an appropriate way, for example, each group could hold special meetings or the representative(s) could make announcements and obtain input at meetings they already attend (e.g., a local interfaith council). People who are known to be “movers and shakers” in the community were invited to be the initial representative and to form groups by the Waimea CDP Committee. Each representative would serve at least one year, at which time each group could select another representative. Newcomers already attend committee meetings, so a group for newcomers was not proposed.

What do current plans say?