"What can I do when both parties insist on kicking?" — Benjamin Harrison, 1889
Puna Councilman Fred Blas was among the seven Hawaii County Council Members who voted in favor of passing Bill 270 on Feb. 1. This was in spite of a reportedly unruly crowd chanting “kill this bill” and allegedly threatening testimony to Blas, in particular, which brought a half-dozen police officers to the County Building.
Blas explained his vote was chiefly for “health and safety for the community,” and put both “health” and “safety” in all capital letters in an email offering his perspective on Bill 270. He noted that the bill has gone through seven drafts.
“This bill has been amended 7 times at the peoples’ request,” Blas wrote. “We had one meeting on the Hilo side & NO ONE from the community showed up.”
According to news reports, on Feb. 1, Blas was specifically targeted by RJ Hampton, former aide to Emily Naeole, who Blas defeated in the last election. As Hampton offered public testimony against Bill 270, she singled out Blas to describe him as “a ‘cancer’ with an agenda to benefit his own property holdings and letting his constituency down by not advocating on their behalf,” Cook Lauer reported. Big Island Chronicle has yet to hear from Hampton for her firsthand account of the incident.
Public outbursts such as Hampton’s were the reason for two Council meeting recesses, and one of them reportedly lasted for two hours.
When council members reconvened, Kona Councilman Angel Pilago was said to have called for the question, meaning he wanted council members to vote on Bill 270 without any more discussion. Council Chairman Dominic Yagong and Brenda Ford were the only two council members to vote against the measure.
“We need more discussion,” said Yagong of his vote.
“I will bring back amendments that will be beneficial to the public,” he promised. ”Although Bill 270 passed, it’s a living document.”
Council members needed to pass Bill 270 before April 15, or the state Building Code would go into effect here, Yagong noted.
Both Yagong and Blas dismissed a rumor that Yagong encouraged Blas to vote in favor of Bill 270 during one of the Feb. 1 meeting recesses.
“Yagong mentioned, not urged, that we should vote on Bill 270. He did not tell me how to vote.”
“I don’t encourage anyone to vote a certain way,” Yagong said.
“The whole idea was to postpone for another week,” he said. “If it failed, we didn’t have discussion; we need continued discussion on the bill,” Yagong said, adding that this is “real political football.”
Yagong pointed to State Rep. Bob Herkes, D-Puna, Ka’u and Kona, who he said is “on the right track” with House Bill 2358, which will give counties more flexibility in creating their own building codes. Yagong noted he has met with Herkes twice and will by lobbying in support of HB 2358.
“The administration has been saying you can’t amend the Code to make it more restrictive,” Yagong maintained. ”I went to the State Building Council and learned the only caveat is, if the State or the County of Hawaii has a project, they will apply the State Building Code. When I got that (information), it turned this whole thing on its ear.”
Yagong was reassuring to those feeling frustrated by Bill 270′s passage. ”There will be relief amendments,” he said, promising amendments he said are coming from those in the construction industry.
