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Leilani business owner urges county support for job fairs, Bayfront market and day‑labor hiring center
Summary
During the committee’s public‑comment period, Tim Colicchio, a Leilani‑area business owner and nonprofit director, urged the county to support quarterly job fairs, a Friday Bayfront market for local sellers, and a day‑labor hiring center to connect residents with immediate work opportunities and reduce theft and vagrancy.
Tim Colicchio, owner of Trinity Plumbing and CEO of the United Community Outreach nonprofit, testified during public comment that economic opportunities in parts of Hawai‘i County have dwindled since the decline of sugar and pineapple industries. He told the committee the local economy in some communities depends on agriculture and tourism but called attention to limited jobs and travel burdens for local merchants.
Colicchio proposed several county‑level initiatives: a job fair held every three months that would include working interviews so employers can evaluate applicants quickly; a Friday Bayfront Market to allow local artisans and vendors to sell goods closer to home rather than driving to Kona; and a day‑labor hiring center where workers could be matched with short‑term jobs and local employers could hire laborers directly.
On public‑safety concerns he described, Colicchio said theft and property crime sometimes follow irregular hire practices and that theft from a neighbor prompted him to raise the issue with county police. He also urged the council to consider a site visit to discuss the proposals in context.
Colicchio’s testimony was limited to the public‑comment period and did not come with an explicit county action. Committee members thanked him for appearing and noted staff and relevant departments may follow up on community ideas.
