COMMITTEE APPROVES ERADICATION FUNDS

HILO - The County Council Finance Committee narrowly approved accepting a
$265,000 federal grant for the marijuana eradication program Thursday
although the deciding vote wasn't a "yes."

Council Chairman James Arakaki voted "kanalua" twice, which by council
rules, counts as a "yes." Traditionally, kanalua means undecided, doubtful
or uncertain.

If any council member votes "kanalua" once, they are asked a second time
to vote - a second kanalua is counted as a "yes."

Those approving the grant were Finance Committee Chairman Aaron Chung and
Bobby-Jean Leithead-Todd, both of Hilo, as well as Leningrad Elarionoff of
Kohala and Dominic Yagong of Hamakua.

Kona Council members Curtis Tyler and Nancy Pisicchio, as well as Julie
Jacobson of Ka"u and Al Smith of Puna voted against.

The measure heads to the full council for approval.

Arakaki said he has reservations, because the grant doesn't include a
provision that indemnifies the council in legal matters. However, he said
he didn't want to vote "no" because he wanted the measure to move up to the
full council.

A group of marijuana advocates las year attempted to impeach Arakaki,
Smith, Elarionoff, Yagong, Leithead-Todd, Chung and Mayor Stephen Yamashiro
for not conducted a program review of the Green Harvest Program. The
impeachment was dismissed from Circuit Court.

Council members can not be represented by county attorneys and must pay
for there own legal defense.

Arakaki said he plans to lobby the Legislature to ask for indemnification.
Arakaki also said he has been working with county attorneys on details of
an insurance policy, that would provide legal representation. The policy
would be paid for with the federal funds.

"I want see the policy in writing," Arakaki said. He said he was unsure
how he would vote at the council level.

Smith's concern was the potential impact the eradication program, also
known as "Green Harvest," would have on the newly signed medical marijuana
law. Under the law, anyone who is allowed to use it medically could have up
to seven plants or an ounce of marijuana.

Residents in Puna continue to complain about low-flying helicopters, Smith
said.

"I know that they do fly low and people out there are getting fed up," he
said.

Smith moved to defer the measure until the state establishes medical
marijuana guidelines, but that motion was defeated.

Law enforcement officials asked the committee to decide either to accept
or reject the funds, rather than defer the decision.

Thomas Kelly, an agent with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in
Honolulu, said if the county choose not to use the funds, it could be
reappropriated to another agency.

Big Island Police Lt. Henry Tavares of the Vice Section said without the
federal funding, eradication efforts have slowed, but not stopped.

He said previous four-day mission would result in 15,000 plants
eradicated.

However, because funding for missions this year is still unavailable, the
number has been reduced to about 4,000, he said.