MIN CHARTER 2019-03-08 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -9 March 8, 2019 We oppose ambiguous language proposed by Commissioner Hopkins and we support improving the clarity of the amendment by substituting the following language: "pay for the salary, wages, and benefits of one staff member dedicated only to administering the activities contained within this section and section 10-16 of this charter." It needs to be clear that a single staff member in the Finance Department shall be funded and designated with the sole responsibility to administer the PONC activities. The PONC fund should not be used for non- dedicated activities related to the Finance Department. We also support CA -18 as amended for initial approval and to date, less than nine percent of the maintenance fund money has supported the work of local non- profits. The balance has been allocated to off island consultants and these are the reasons why we are proposing these amendments. The application process will be administered by the Department of Finance, will streamline the stewardship application process, and speaking on a personal note since I have not discussed this with members, the quarterly application process proposed by Leslie Cole - Brooks may well be an effective solution for our non -profits. We would also like to allow the building, installing, and renting of maintenance toilet facilities, sheds, and structures. Allow for the creation of trails and paths, and allow officers, board members, and employees to be paid by the non-profit for their work with fiscal oversight by the designated Finance Department staff. Finally, we oppose CA -27. The proposed section (g) would be duplicative. Conservation easements are a regular part of the acquisition process currently and added language to the Charter is not needed, and proposed section eight, I am sorry, introduce a threat to landowners that would not reflect the need to acquire land strictly for public health and welfare. Eminent domain actions would open the County to lawsuits and the PONC fund should not be used to defend the County in such litigation. We should be making a maximum effort to obtain matching funds to purchase the lands at a negotiated price rather than extracting the resource by taking it. Eminent domain is highly unpopular and might cause more harm than any possible benefit. So in conclusion, please support our proposed language in CA -9, support CA -18, as proposed by Commissioner Rice, and do not approve CA -27. Mahalo nui. CHR. ADAMS: Thank you. Alright, here in Kona can I have Susan Dursin and Bimo Akiona please go ahead Ms. Dursin. SUSAN DURSIN: Proposal No. CA -18 in support. MS. DURSIN: I'd like to add my voice to thank all of you for your service. It is extremely important. This opportunity is one that we really need to take advantage of. So much has been learned over the years of administering the PONC and especially the maintenance, that these changes so many of them in CA -18 are really important to the fund and I would say that moving the administration into the Finance Department is of greatest importance because they Page 17