MIN CHARTER 2019-04-03 (2018-2020) - Public Hearing

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission — Public Hearing April 3, 2019 CHR. ADAMS: Thank you sir. I would ask that Anne Harvey please come to the table. Ms. Dursin. SUSAN DURSIN: Proposal No. CA -8, CA -9, CA -18, and CA -27, commenting. MS. DURSIN: Hi. CHR. ADAMS: You need to speak... there we go. MS. DURSIN: I have spoken to you several times before, but I am here because it seems to me that finally after all the iterations of the Communications relating to PONC, that we are at a point where the proposals do seem to deal with the real problems that face PONC. There are two major challenges I believe, and it has become pretty apparent that purchase of properties has been painfully slow and that government officials and members of the public wonder why so much money is sitting there unused, and then of course the second problem has been that the non -profits have quite a bit of problem getting the grant funding in order to fulfill their maintenance requirements. So, it seems to me that CA -9, this latest form that was introduced by Commissioner Galimba, would address both problems that paying for a full-time staff person in the Department of Finance to work only on the 2% Land Fund would allow focus on those problems that are so complex about acquiring the properties and also seeking the outside funding. It would also allow that staff person to help the non -profits work their way through the maze of paper that they have to complete to get the funding at all. Then also that the changes to the maintenance fund that would be CA -18, as introduced by Commissioner Rice, include one very important item. That the Department of Finance administer the fund. It has not been a good situation to have Parks and Rec (Recreation) doing it because they have so many other duties. With a second employee in the Department of Finance to administer the fund, one that would be paid for by the fund and deal solely with the fund, the non-profit should be able to receive and distribute their funding more effectively. So, CA -18 in its presently proposed form, allows the construction of small structures and trails, toilets, and it would certainly be an improvement and it is also crucial to making sure that the coordination and consistency of programs go forward when you can divert some funding to those groups. Even to paying individuals. So I want to thank you for your patience in dealing with these issues. I... just a word or two about CA -27, which would call for easement to be a priority. To seek easement wherever possible. As I understand it, it really is not necessary. That it already exists and many times will not solve the problems that are there. I want to just say one more thing about something that isn't on this list, but it has come to my attention that you talked about a special election instead of pushing this off to 2020. And I know the time frame has been of interest to you because it turned out there was such a long time between the Council's dealing with this and Page 6