Laserfiche WebLink
COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII <br /> RESOLUTION N0. 3~9 98 <br /> RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE LEASING OF COUN7 Y LANDS (FORMERLY <br /> OWNED BY HAMAKUA SUGAK COMPANY, INC.) FOR. DIVERSIFIED <br /> <br /> AGRICULTURE, ECO-TOURISM, AND PASTORAL USES BY NEGOTIATIONS. <br /> WHEREAS, Chapter 2, Article 19, Section 2-111 e:nd Section 2-114, of the <br /> Hawaii County Code provides that the County Council may, by resolution approved by <br /> the majority if its members, dispose of real property by negotiations upon a finding that <br /> the public interest demands it; and <br /> WHEREAS, in 1994, the Council of the County ct Hawaii agreed to accept <br /> approximately 4,400 acres of land by Commissioner's Quitclaim Deed as settlement for <br /> retroactive real property taxes among Western Farm Credit Bank, the County of Hawaii <br /> and Hamakua Sugar Company, Inc.; and <br /> WHEREAS, on January I5, 1997, Mayor Stephen K Yamashiro approved the <br /> submittal of Resolution No. 29-97, requesting this Council to authorize the Director of <br /> Finance to lease the same 4,400 acres by sealed bids or negotiations for leases up to five <br /> years for agricultural uses other than timber; and <br /> WHEREAS, although the Council filed Resolution Nc. 29-97, this administrative <br /> request illustrates the County's ability to manage the leasing of public lands; and <br /> WHEREAS, in October 1997, the State's Board of I.:~nd and Natural Resources <br /> denied the leasing of state land in Hamakua to Oji Paper Company by a unanimous vote <br /> of 6-0 due, in part, to strong community opposition which consequently voided the <br /> County's plan to lease the 4,400 acres to Oji Paper Company; end <br /> WHEREAS, this administration has further exhibited as ability to lease County <br /> lands by directly negotiating with Oji Paper Company and Fletcher Challenge for <br /> utilizing the same 4,400 acres; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Mayor's plan ofdisposition, now set ic~rth in Resolution No. 267- <br /> 98, states that annual tax revenues lost as a result of the private ownership conversion <br /> have shif4ed the tax burden to other lands during this period of public ownership when, in <br /> effect, the approximate total tax revenue generated by the x,400 acres has been only <br /> $10,000.00 annually; and <br /> WHEREAS, in Reso]ution No. 267-98, the Mayor's pi:~n ofdisposition states that <br /> acquisition of private lands will allow the County of Hawaii .o address the need for the <br /> improvement and expansion of various County facilities arr,und the island when, in <br /> <br />