Waimea Hybrid Town Meeting Thurs., Jan. 12, 2023, 5:30-7PM To Explore Potentially ‘Heated’ 2023 Legislature

The 2023 Legislature is being described by some regular participants and observers as potentially “a heated session” with Gov. Josh Green’s new administrative leaders and shifting priorities, serious cost-of-living issues, big funding requests and maybe even money to spend.

All of Waimea’s elected representatives – newly elected Dist. 4 Senator Dr. Tim Richards, re-elected Dist. 8 Rep. David Tarnas, Council Chair Heather Kimball (re-elected to Dist. 1), and newly elected Dist. 9 Council member Cindy Evans will share the spotlight to discuss the coming session during Waimea Community Association’s first hybrid town meeting on Thurs., Jan. 12, 2023 from 5:30-7PM. 

Each of these elected representatives will share their session plans and priorities including – for our State Senator and Representative - their committee assignments.  Council Chair Kimball also will share the legislative priorities of the Hawai’i State Association of Counties. 

The entire community is invited to attend the meeting in person at Tutu’s House or virtually - streamed “live” to Facebook and YouTube.  To attend virtually, go to the association’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/WaimeaCommunityAssociation) or to their website (www.WaimeaTown.org) for a link to YouTube.  The meeting will be saved to Facebook and YouTube for on-demand viewing thereafter. 

As always, questions are welcome – ideally in advance – by emailing:  WaimeaCommunityAssociation@gmail.com. Questions may also be typed into the chat and will be addressed as time permits. 

Joining the meeting will be special guests from Hawai’i’s high profile online news source, Civil Beat, including several news reporters who will also be in Waimea that day for a Pop Up Newsroom from 9AM to 4PM at Thelma Parker Memorial Library. 

As usual, WCA Town Meetings include a brief public safety update by South Kohala Community Policing Officers, and the spotlighted not-for-profit will be Friends of the Future’s Tutu’s House. 

Also on the agenda will be a brief acknowledgement of WCA’s 2023 Board Members including President James Hustace, Vice President Mary Beth Laychak, Secretary Nancy Carr Smith, Treasurer Jeramy Madrid, and Directors Riley Smith, Lani Olsen-Chong, David Greenwell and Patti Cook. 

This will be WCA’s first hybrid meeting since the start of the pandemic in April 2020.  Town meetings went virtual thereafter and have continued monthly except for an in-person First Responders MAHALO gathering this past November. 

For more info about the meeting or community association, email WCA President James Hustace at WaimeaCommunityAssociation@gmail.com or go to www.WaimeaTown.org.