Four new county department chiefs will participate in small group discussions at the April 2 meeting of the Waimea Community Association Town Meeting.

The meeting is 5:15 p.m. Thursday, April 2 at the Waimea School cafeteria.

The change in location will better facilitate a round-robin series of talk story sessions. 

Guests from the mayor’s cabinet include Public Works Director Warren Lee, Planning Director Bobby Jean Leithead-Todd, Parks and Recreation Director Robert Fitzgerald and Environmental Managment Director Lono Tyson. 

The meeting will begin with community announcements and an introduction of the four directors with a brief overview of their department’s responsibilities.  Then, attendees will break into four smaller groups for face-to-face discussions.  

As with all WCA Town Meetings, there is no charge to attend or participate though a $12 WCA membership urged. 

Also, to continue WCA’s 2009 commitment to help Waimea’s food pantries, all attendees are urged to bring a donation – preferably cash or a check – or non-perishable food items.  

Cash or checks will be given to the Waimea pantries to purchase gift certificates from Waimea grocery stores so recipients are able to buy fresh items such as milk, vegetables, fruit and other essentials. Checks may be payable direct to a food pantry so may be tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.  

Other items on the agenda will include a briefing on a new community initiative called “Welcome to Waimea” to help recruit and retain physicians and other medical staff and services for North Hawaii Community Hospital, the Big Island Film Festival, a new bike education program at Waimea Community Education, North Hawaii Hospice’s benefit high tea “Celebrating the Life of Richard Smart in Music,” W.M. Keck Observatory’s “Mauna Kea Lecture Series,” and an update on the “Take It Off, Hawaii!” islandwide wellness program. 

For further information, call Bill Sanborn at 895-1122.