Surprising onlookers, the Hawaii County Council voted 5-4 July 25 to postpone voting on controversial resolution 169-07. The resolution, which purports to instruct the County Finance Director to begin negotiations with resort developer Sea Mountain Five (SM5), was earlier marred by the inclusion of all Sea Mountain Five’s neighboring Hawaiian-owned kuleana plots on the acquisition list.
All except that owned by the President of Kau Preservation, Inc., Pele Hanoa. These were removed after neighbors discovered the plan. References to Kau Preservation managing the acquired land were also removed.
In spite of these changes, Sea Mountain Five representatives have publicly testified they are not interested in selling only the 150 acres the county is offering to buy and would not be willing to sell at the $6 million price discussed by the Council, in spite of Councilman Bob Jacobson