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

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -9 March 8, 2019 The eminent domain, I think if it is yours, it is yours and then it will cut the funding options, so I wanted to oppose CA -27. That was my personal testimony and then I am also an executive member on the Surf Rider Kona Kai Ea chapter and we have over a thousand members and we would also like to support CA -18 and oppose CA -27. Thank you. TONI WITHINGTON: Proposal No. CA -18 in support and Proposal No. 27 in opposition. MS. WITHINGTON: Good morning Commissioners and thank you again for all the work that you are doing. We really appreciate it. I represent several groups in North Kohala. I will name them. Ka Makani 0 Kohala `Ohana, Kohala Lihikai, Malama Wahi pana 0 Kohala, Maika`i Kamakani 0 Kohala, and Malama Kohala Kahakai. Isn't that great, I got through it all. Thank you very much. I want to tell you that these groups have been working with the Open Space Fund every year since 2006. We have been working with the maintenance fund since it was started. We support CA -18 and we oppose CA -27 and I will explain why. Our groups have participated in the purchase of seven projects along our coastline totaling 390 acres that has been placed in open space since we started. We have raised 20.9 million dollars from seven different sources including the County open space fund. The groups are stewarding now for projects of coastal land including two through the maintenance fund. The maintenance fund has needed improvement since it was started and we have been working with the PONC to help this come about and we believe that what you have here particularly in light of some possible amendments you might see later today, are very much what is needed to fix the maintenance fund and we will continue to participate in the maintenance fund. I'd like to speak on CA -27 which I thank you for introducing it because you bring up a lot of... Mr. Roehrig, because you bring up some questions that are good for the Commissioners to know about how the process of acquiring funds takes place since we have been involved in quite a number of them and then we also have eight projects on the current priority list for public purchase from PONC. We deal a lot with land trust, with property owners, and with government agencies. So, first off the provision for preferring to have conservation easements, I don't think we need to change the wording of the current rules because that is a given. Everybody involved in this prefers to take the easier road and in many cases it is the easier road. But in many cases it is not possible. We have owners who do not want to be involved in long term... in a project and so, I don't think we need to change the rules on that. The other portion on eminent domain, that is to me and our groups, alarming and for this reason, you heard several good reasons why it is alarming and I am going to tell you the reasons why we are very alarmed about it. And that is that in order to bring parcels to nomination and in order to bring Page 8