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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -10 April 25, 2019 <br />comment on some old and new briefly. I serve on PONC, but I am speaking as an <br />individual and my experiences on PONC help formulate my opinions on CA -18 <br />which I strongly support. And the elements to allow toilets, trails, and pay for <br />staff person are all essential if you want management of land to be done in an <br />efficient manner and have it really be a service to the public, and since it is <br />coming from the PONC fund and not additional funds from the County, I think it <br />is most appropriate that it be done that way. But one of the most important parts <br />of this for me, is to see the Administration of the fund be transferred from Parks <br />and Recreation to Finance and our experience as a PONC Commission member <br />and other members as you've heard, in reviewing these maintenance proposals, <br />has been that we don't know their past record. There is no record of it, there is <br />nobody from P&R (Parks and Recreation) to show up to ask, the P&R and <br />Finance don't appear to be in direct communication, or at least not that we can <br />see, nothing that is forwarded to us, so that leaves us partially in the blind in <br />evaluating these things. It is really a bad situation. So for me this is one of the <br />most important changes that CA -18 provides. <br />CA -27, I urge you not to continue with that one. The current operations to the <br />PONC process already includes the use of conservation easements as an option. <br />Each PONC funded acquisition has its own characteristics and the use of <br />conservation easement rather than fee acquisition should be determined by the <br />situation, not by Charter preference or mandate. I note that the use of <br />conservation easements can better use PONC funds in these situations and can <br />foster partnering with other funding sources, another important aspect. But these <br />aspects already are currently allowed, so the CA -27 is not needed. <br />And I support CA -18, ah.. 31, as you heard on a previous testimony, we could use <br />some changes and some acceleration of getting people on to Commissions and we <br />face the problem of not having quorum when we have a meeting because we have <br />vacancies that have been there for a long time. Or a short time, either way. <br />Sometimes people can't make it for protracted periods and that in addition to <br />vacancies, makes it really difficult to meet quorum. And again, thank you for <br />your service and I appreciate the changes that you are making. I think we will all <br />be better for them as they come to the ballot. <br />CHR. ADAMS: Thank you. After Mr. Potter's testimony, we will be taking a <br />short break and then we will continue with statements from the testimony. Mr. <br />Potter. <br />JESSE <br />KEONE POTTER: Proposal No. CA -18 Draft 2 in support. <br />MR. POTTER: Aloha mai Kakou, my name is Jesse Keone Potter. I am with <br />Pohaha I Ka Lani, one of the PONC stewardship organizations. The PONC <br />parcel that we steward is the Waipi`o Valley Lookout and so, I am here to testify <br />on CA -18, Draft 2, in support of it. As many of the other speakers have said, I <br />Page 15 <br />