Palikapu Dedman, Ohana Hoopakele president (right) and Bill Chang (left), taken from Occupy Hawaii video.
HAWAII ISLAND – Continuing their fight to bring a pu’uhonua to the site of the soon to be restored Kulani Correctional Facility, Ohana Ho’opakele invited UH law professor Bill Chang to discuss legal issues at a recent meeting.
Ohana Ho’opakele has filed a complaint challenging the state’s Final Environmental Assessment on the reactivation of the Kulani prison, claiming the Department of Public Safety did not properly consider the pu’uhonua concept – as mandated by the state legislature – when it conducted its environmental assessment.
The August 14th discussion was filmed by Occupy Hawaii and posted to YouTube.
Kulani as a Pu’uhonua – Meeting with Bill Chang part 1 of 2 by Occupy Hawaii
The video opens with comments from Ohana Ho’opakele president Palikapu Dedman. Chang gave a number of suggestions for how the group might proceed in the courts, one of which is the “atomic bomb” option of challenging the current law on the grounds of illegal occupation.
Chang said that although groups who make these sort of matters to court rarely get the judgement they are looking for, the battle serves to raise awareness for their cause.
 Bill Chang |
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Meanwhile, Big Island Now reports that the state Department of Agriculture has issued a request for proposals for entities to “utilize land surrounding the former Kulani Correctional Facility… for the purpose of increasing agricultural productivity and to serve as a rehabilitation site for inmates.”
The budget for the project is reported to be $115,000.
Here are the first two pages of the RFP, which was obtained by Big Island Video News on Thursday. The entire RFP is much longer, and the remainder contains mostly guidlines and the applicatipn packet.
| Title: Development of Kulani Agriculture FacilityAgency: Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) Office of the Chairperson Action: Announcement of Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Development of a Kulani Agriculture Facility (KULANI14) Description: HDOA announces the availability of $115,000 in program funding to do research into the agricultural possibilities of sites around KCF and to identify potential uses and restrictions on those lands. Research would include but not be limited to: soil analysis, historical use of land, water availability, and existing infrastructure. The funding will be provided from the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund. HDOA expects the development of a comprehensive agricultural plan that includes input from relevant government agencies and the community, an analysis of infrastructure needs for the successful development of agriculture around KCF, and potential legislative proposals as necessary. The plan should also explore alternative energy options to decrease energy costs and increase the sustainability of the project. In line with plans to reopen KCF, included as part of the agricultural plan would be an educational component with the goal of building up the state’s agricultural workforce by providing educational opportunities for inmates with the aim of providing work opportunities upon their release from incarceration. As part of the input gathering process, the contractor would be expected to facilitate meetings between the HDOA, the Department of Public Safety, the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the University of Hawaii – Hilo, and any other relevant state or federal agency as appropriate. Preference will be given to applications that can leverage additional matching funding from private or public sources. Contact Information: Offerors are encouraged to submit a title page and compliance documents by 4:30 pm on September 9, 2013, for compliance review to advise offerors if compliance documents are intact. Offerors must submit an electronic copy of the proposal via email in word format with all attachments to the contact above by 4:30 p.m. on Monday, September 16, 2013, and to submit a completed application packet, with signed endorsement statement, postmarked or hand-delivered to the address below by 4:30 pm on September 16, 2013. Proposals received after this deadline will not be processed by staff or reviewed by the evaluation committee. Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA) Eligible Grant Projects: State Priority Categories/Preference: KULANI14 funds will be awarded to one project, maximum budget of $115,000, which will be completed within 12 months after contract execution. Project funds will likely be available December 1, 2013 from the Agricultural Development and Food Security Special Fund. Project Oversight: |
by Big Island Video News
on at
STORY SUMMARY
HAWAII ISLAND – Continuing their fight to bring a pu’uhonua to the site of the soon to be restored Kulani Correctional Facility, Ohana Ho’opakele invited UH law professor Bill Chang to discuss legal issues at a recent meeting. Ohana Ho’opakele has filed a complaint challenging the state’s Final Environmental Assessment on the reactivation of the […]