Waimea town meeting to explore potentially ‘heated’ 2023 state legislative session

With the potential for what some are saying could be a “heated” 2023 session of the Hawai’i Legislature, the first hybrid Waimea Community Association town meeting since the COVID-19 pandemic began will feature all of Waimea’s elected officials.

District 4 state Sen. Tim Richards, District 8 state Rep. David Tarnas, Hawai’i County Council Chairwoman Heather Kimball and District 9 County Council member Cindy Evans will share the spotlight during the meeting from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Jan. 12 to discuss the upcoming legislative session. Kimball also will share the legislative priorities of the Hawai’i State Association of Counties.

Gov. Josh Green’s new administration, shifting priorities throughout the state, serious cost-of-living issues, big funding requests and possibly having even more money to spend will all contribute to what is sure to be a must-watch 2023 state legislative session.

Also on the agenda during Thursday’s meeting will be a brief acknowledgement of Waimea Community Association’s 2023 board members: 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. As usual, the meeting will include a brief public safety update by South Kohala Community Policing officers, and the spotlighted nonprofit will be Tutu’s House, a program of Friends of the Future.

The entire community is invited to attend in-person at Tutu’s House or online on Facebook and YouTube. To attend online, visit the association’s Facebook page or its website to get a link to its YouTube channel.

The meeting will also be saved on Facebook and YouTube for on-demand viewing after.

Questions from the community are welcome, ideally in advance, by emailing to WaimeaCommunityAssociation@gmail.com. Questions can also be typed into the chat online during the meeting, which will be addressed as time permits.

For more information, email Hustace at WaimeaCommunityAssociation@gmail.com or click here.