Nahiku fends off tandem trucks

Opens first-ever dialogue with Betsill Brothers

Haleakala Times
November 20, 2006
by Bree Ullman

The Betsill Brothers Construction Company sent eight tandem trucks to Lower Nahiku Road last Thursday to deliver the first of what would have been 64 loads of cinder to be used in the installation of power poles. After two hours of negotiations, the truckers turned around.  Standing in their way—literally—were about 30 members of the Nahiku Community Association (NCA) who say that Betsill has an obligation to fully inform the community about delivery plans which could threaten the already delicate condition of their bridges and roads.
 
“They honored our picket line and took their loads back where they came from,” said Moses Palakiko Bergau Jr., President of the NCA Board of Directors. “This shows that the Nahiku Community Association is established as a cohesive group.”  Prior to the protest, the group had written Senator Daniel Inouye, Chair of Transportation, as well as several officials at all levels of local government.  “Unnecessary strain on our bridges puts all of us at risk…for the benefit of a few individuals that are not residents of our district,” said the letter.

“We received no feedback, no direction, no response,” said Bergau, who says he is frustrated that “nobody is willing to take a stand or make an effort to look into this.”  The primary concern, he explained, is safety. The post-earthquake closure of the Paihi bridge has left Hana residents with only one passageway in and out of East Maui.  “An additional lost of use of another bridge potentially puts us, the people of Hana District, in an extremely dangerous isolation,” he said.   Although weight regulations for the bridges are in place, Hana is not equipped to weigh the trucks and assure compliance with regulations.

On Nov. 8, Betsill Brothers alerted the community of their planned hauling, which was scheduled to begin less than a week later. Alarmed by the news, NCA Vice President Kamalu Lina Sili convinced Betsill’s Michelle Cocket, Project Planner, and Vince McClung, project engineer, to defer the hauling until after an emergency informational meeting could be held on Nov. 18.

But at 5:26 p.m, on Nov. 13, the association received a phone call from Doyle Betsill, who announced that hauling would begin first thing in the morning as it had originally been scheduled.  “I have a business to run,” Betsill told the group, who described Betsill’s tone as “ very belligerent.”

Doyle Betsill was not available for comment at press time, but his brother and business partner Dwayne Betsill said that the company could have faced charges for “liquidated damages” if the project was not completed in a timely manner.

“We weren’t trying to dishonor the community, we just want to get this done while the weather is good,” he said.  “My brother made the decision that we needed to move forward.”

Betsill said that Betsill Brothers is “always trying to be culturally sensitive,” and noted that the fact that the trucks are coming from Hana means that the truckers will be “locals who won’t cause problems.”  Betsill said the company was under no obligation to notify the community at all.  “We didn’t have to do anything,” he said.  “We did it out of courtesy, out of respect.”

Neither Betsill brother was present at the roadblock/picket line last Tuesday, and when they heard there might be trouble, they called the police.  Officers arrived at the scene to tell protesters that they could be prosecuted for obstructing an official highway if the company chose to file an official complaint.
 
“What we chose not to do is throw everybody in jail,” said Betsill.  “That’s not the way we want to operate.”

Bergau says the success of the community protest came down to  the “principles and the morals” of the individuals on the road that day, including the truckers carrying the loads, and the Betsill planning representatives who agreed to honor the proposed hauling delay. 

“This is the first time that Betsill went out on a limb and agreed to open up a dialogue with the community in any form or shape” he said.

At press time, the emergency community meeting was scheduled for Nov. 18. Representatives from Betsill planned to present information on the hauling schedule and hear feedback from the association.  “I expect that [our planners] will be doing a lot of listening,” said Dwayne Betsill.

(read original story here)