The Kauai County Council convened on August 27, 2025, at 8:30 AM. The meeting opened with a certificate presentation honoring the late musician and veteran Koko Kanyali, followed by public hearings on appropriations for the Hanapepe Monument, discussions on e-bike regulations, definition of family, and wildfire safety codes. Several items were approved, deferred, or referred, with key votes recorded.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our council meeting. Today is August 27th. Before we get into the agenda, we have a uh very special uh certificate presentation by Ms. Holland. Thank you, Chair. Um, Vice Chair Um Kuali and I uh actually are offering this today, and um it's unfortunate that we have to do this at all. It's to honor um the Uncle Koko Kanye Li that I just adore and love so much. Um we have his Ohana here today, and I thought this was such a great opportunity to um show our respect and love for him and his dedication to Kauaian music and his involvement um in our community. And so I'm just gonna go ahead and read the certificate um that we have here, and then offer them the opportunity to speak right. So the Kauai County Council offers its deepest condolences to the family and friends of the late Koko Kanyali, a longtime resident of Kauai. Koko was born in Kalihi, Oahu, to Roger Moikeha and Rina Kane Alii, surrounded by musical diversity. In 1979, Coco played a gig at the Poipu Beach Hotel, and he decided to make Kauai his home after meeting his Kauai Ohana. Koko had a lifetime of unwavering dedication and exceptional contributions to the Hawaiian music and entertainment industry. He has enriched the cultural landscape of Hawaii through his remarkable talent as a musician, his leadership as co-founder of Kanak Atak Entertainment, and his steadfast commitment to community service as a Kahu educator and mentor. Coco was also a decorated Vietnam veteran, an honored combat drill instructor who also served as a guiding force in the Kauai arts community for over five decades, uplifting generations through his performances, teachings, and cultural advocacy. His legacy continues to inspire and preserve the spirit of Aloha across our islands. The Koai County Council expresses its heartfelt sympathy to Koko Zahana, including his wife Julie, as well as the many friends and colleagues, and wishes him comfort in the knowledge that his legacy will continue to live on in the many hearts that he has touched. Yeah, did you join the case? I just will add just quickly that getting to work with Uncle Coco for about a decade. The amount of people that were moved, locals that love him, but the people that would come back, and out of everyone, where's the guy with the gray hair? Um everybody wanted to see Uncle Coco, and he just has left such an incredible um legacy behind, and and so many people just love him, all the people he's married, all the people that he's performed for. Um he will be very sorely missed. And you know, I'm so sorry. I know how horrible um this must be these times, and I just wanted to honor you both and Uncle, and just give you guys this certificate on behalf of all of us. Um and Vice Chair. Yeah, I just wanted to add that um for me um Coco is the truest example of what it is to be Hawaiian and of what aloha truly means and what aloha is. Um I will always remember his laughter and his smile. I think he always brought joy to everyone he came in contact with. And so, I mean, of course we honor him. What a wonderful beautiful Hawaiian man with a beautiful name, too, right? It's all right there in his name. You want to say maybe I could do it? I have some. I don't think well, I I want to just share. I've known Coco, Uncle Coco, but but when his hair wasn't silver, you know, and when he maybe had a few little flex in there, I don't remember, but um, he has always been so loving and helpful, and I'm sure he's got the capacity to have a bad temper. I just have never seen it. And um, I usually see him where he's just lifting up anybody from any background. It's been an event after event and just part of our community, right down there in Hanale, is where I where I think of him the most. I know he he em stays for things all over the island, but he was a feature in our town just helping. That's that's what I saw, you know, just just his whole presence was very kind and uplifting. And so um, you know, he's a wonderful man and his spirit will stay with us. I I didn't know he had something wrong with him, but he I was very saddened to see that he had passed, and it will be um a big gap in our community, a big gap. And so I just extend you my love and support, and like I didn't know you were his sister, and so that's even a wonderful thing right there. So I'm just um we're honored, the family's honored that you are honoring him in this way. Um it's just it has been it was a big shock. We didn't expect that this was gonna we thought we had more time, is what I've been saying, and um of course he's gonna leave a big gap. It's um in the music entertainment field, that was his whole life, that was his passion, and um I know that he's gonna be remembered well for that, and and that was really important to him. And of course, his um sharing his kanaka culture was one of the most important things to him too. He was very proud to be a kanaka, and um never missed an opportunity to share when he started to talk to anybody. I would always and they would ask him questions.