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Mayor Harry Kim responded to the volcano concerns of Puna residents with condescension and confusion in a note recently made public by Councilwoman Emily Naeole's office.

Kim signed an undated memo in answer to Naeole aide Tiffany Edwards' request for advice on what to tell people with questions about the recent eruption of Kilauea Volcano. Edwards posted the memo (scroll down) today on the Puna Community Development discussion board. "Citizens are asking about what is being done to prepare for the likely event that Madame Pele encroaches on lower Puna,"  a CDP member asked Edwards, who referred the question to the mayor's office. 

But Mayor Kim's memo is not clear about whether there is even a "potential threat" or not. Consider this part of the mayor's response: 

"About a town meeting: The strategy on communication to the affected public follows a format used by County government that was established in the 1970s. This format is activated when a potential threat is identified by the warning source, in this case HVO. At this point and time, part one of the communication plan has been activated."

OK, we've got a "potential threat"  identified by HVO. Part One of the communication plan is activated. Let's go.

"Part One - A media briefing was held on August 23. This briefing was ... to let the general public know that the County and HVO are carefully working as a team to monitor the present volcanic activity."

Ahhh, good to know that.

"It was also established how communication with the community will be done if a potential threat develops."

Alright, ... whoa, wait a minute. I thought we already identified the potential threat. You remember, the one that triggered this "communication plan." Now I'm confused.

"It is totally unknown at the present time what will happen with the present flow, but if it develops into a potential threat, the rest of the process of communication with the public will be executed. This includes all methods, including print media, radio, brochures, community meetings, work with community associations, etc."

So we learn that "if it develops into a potential threat," then apparently we'll find out something more. But did something change since the "potential threat" set off the communications plan on Aug. 23? That would be good news if it has, but I've seen nothing else to indicate that we've actually downgraded from a potential threat to, say, a potential potential threat. 

So ask yourself, do we, or don't we, have a potential threat?  If not, then why did the county frighten people by unleashing the communications plan? If we have a potential threat, then let's get the planning process out front and center. Let's talk about it. People want to know what contingencies the county has should Kilauea burp too hard and start spewing  lava over key roads and subdivisions, cutting people off from life-sustaining services. They don't want double-talk spewing out of a 30-year-old plan.

Don't start out calling it a potential threat and then pat people on the head and say, in effect, "Don't worry, we're taking care of it, it's not such a potential threat after all." Let's advertise and open all the meetings and invite affected people into the loop.

"A town meeting for general purposes is good, but when Civil Defense conducts meetings regarding a potential threat, if one develops, they will be more site specific and there will be multiple meetings. For example, if meetings were needed to be held because Hwy 130 may be affected, community associations throughout the area will be asked to sponsor meetings to make it more manageable to get the word out to all affected persons."

Will that word be "screwed?"

Why the reticence to discuss these critical issues now? Think you'll get people too excited? They are already excited. It really seems the greater potential threat here perhaps is from the government bureaucracy sitting on its communication plan until too late. Is the mayor just getting tired? After all, he can't be everywhere doing every thing in the administration.  Maybe he could hand off the important Civil Defense work to his extremely capable Civil Defense Director, Troy Kindred.