REP FC 105 10/20/2009 2008-2010 - Laserfiche WebLink

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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE DATE: October 20, 2009 Re: Comm. No. 452/Res 216-09 PLACE: Councilroom Ben Franklin Building, 2nd Floor Hilo, Hawaii TIME: 9:53 a.m. Council Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred Resolution No. 216-09, reports as follows: Resolution 216-09, transmitted by Finance Director Nancy Crawford, via Communication No. 452, dated July 23, 2009, authorizes the sale of certain former Hamakua Sugar Company, Inc. lands now under County ownership, in addition to the authorization provided in Resolution No. 161-02 and Resolution No. 209-02. At the meeting of August 4, 2009, Communication No. 452. 1, dated August 3, 2009, transmitting proposed amendments to Resolution No. 216-09, was circulated. After discussing the measure, Your Committee voted to postpone the measure in order to establish the County's legal title to the lands. On August 18, 2009, Deputy Corporation Counsel Gerald Takase reported the title search was complete and the Bureau of Conveyances had assured the County of clear title to the properties. However, a representative of a Hawaiian family claiming ownership brought forward papers stating otherwise. Your Committee once again postponed this item, requesting documentation on the title search and research on the claimant's allegations. Communication No. 452.9 transmitted by Corporation Counsel Gerald Takase contains title charts prepared by Title Guaranty of Hawaii, Inc. It shows the evolution of record title of the parcels in question from the original source to the County of Hawaii. They said that prior to the Great Mahele, the Hamakua lands in question were Hawaiian Government lands; that is land which could be sold to generate revenue. Several Council Members expressed concern that the Hawaiian families claiming ownership did not meet with Corporation Counsel and Title Guaranty officials to establish their claims and wished to postpone to allow for this. Other Council Members said they were satisfied and the measure should move forward as it had now been postponed for two months. The parties concerned will have time to meet before the reading of the resolution at full Council.