RES 267 Draft 02 1996-1998 - Laserfiche WebLink

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.' , . . WHEREAS, onAugust 17, 1998, Council.Member Dominic Yagong forwarded to.the Council Resolution No., 309~98, which authorizes the leasing ,of County laIlds for diversified agricultural, eco- tourism and pastoral rises by negotiations; and' ' , . , WHEREAS, on Augusti7and 28~ '1998, the CoUncil's Finance Committee held public hearings on Resolution Nos. 267-98 and 309-98 in Captain Cook, Komi and Hilo, respectively; and WHEREAS, written and oral public testimony received by the Finance Committee supported an array of disposition methods, including sale of the County parcels, lease of County lands for a variety of ' purposes, exchange ofCoUl1t)fparcels for purposes proposed in Resolution No. 267-98, and sub-lease to the State of Hawaii for agricultural purposes; and WHEREAS, the County Council finds that the 4,400+ acres of land identified in ExhibitA should be invested in ways that would most benefit the overall, public good utilizing a combination of disposition methods; and ' ,. . . " . WHEREAS; the County Council acknowledges that there exists' a lack of both finanCial and personnel resources for implementing and enforcing lease agreements on all 4,400+ acres of land as proposed by Resolution No: 309-98; WHEREAS, the goal of preserving and. protecting important agricultural lands is being accomplished, in part, through .the State of Hawaii's agricultural leased lands in the Hamakua District; and WHEREAS, the Comity Council, nevertheless,. recognizes that a portion of these lands should be retained under government ownership and Control to COSlJre that certain important agricultural lands are . used primarily for commercial agricultural purposes; and WHEREAS, the County Council believes that a portion of these lands should be sold to the highest bidders to bring short- and long-term revenues to the County treasury at a time when the County is anticipating a $10-$14 million shortfall to the next fiscal year's budget; and. wHEREAS, although the Mayor's disposition plan set forth in Resolution 267:-98 outlined several worthwhile proposals to expand the County's infrastructure in the area of parks, water systems and roads, , the County Council feels.that these projects should be prioritized and only those of overriding demand and need should be implemented as part of~ disposition plan; and ' WHEREAS, the County Council does not wish for the lands to remain idle, become overgrown and more susceptible to fire hazards; and WHEREAS, the County Council encourages diversity in land tenure and, as such, disposition of the County's 4,400+ acres should reflect such diversity; and . WHEREAS, the County Council realizes that a long-range disposition plan of the entire 4,400+ acres may not be prudent or. possible at this time.becauseofexternalforces beyond the County's control, thus, acknowledging that a partial disposition plan may be more feasible and practical. 2