Comm No 0035.43 - Testimony - CA-18 - PONC Maintenance fund

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From: Debbie H <hecht.deb@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, June 21, 2019 10:52 AM To: Charter Commission Subject: For today's charter commission meeting Sorry to do this so late I thought everyone would be in Kona. Please print and hand out to all the charter commission members and also submit as a Communication Mahalo ALOHA my name is Debbie Hecht, I have been the Campaign Coordinator for the Save our Lands Citizen Committee since 2005. I have been advocating FOR THE 2% Land Fund program without salary, wages or benefits to save Hawaii Island's treasured lands for our keiki and grand children. 63% of voters have voted 3 times to support the land fund. We believe that the aina is the foundation for our tourist industry, which is the biggest employer on the island. If we don't preserve the beautiful places and our ocean shores why would people come here? They could go to Waikiki and go shopping and snorkel on a dead reef. I wrote the existing legislation with Council member Brenda Ford that is in the Hawaii County Code and the Hawaii County Charter. I was appointed by Mayor Kenoi to serve on the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Commission. We learned that the government would not purchase open space and parklands. So we took the extraordinary measure to run a petition initiative drive and collected 9,600 signatures to first get the measure on the Ballot. 63% of voters approved the measure. Then Mayor Kenoi and the Council suspended deposits to the fund for 2 years. We took the next extraordinary measure to move the 2% Land Fund to the charter where it could only be undone by a vote of the people. That is why we took the huge step of setting aside 2% of property taxes each year to purchase open space. THAT is the only reason why over 4,400 acres have been purchased and 2,200 acres will be added soon. Remember, only $5 to $6 million dollars is added to the 2% Land Fund each year. That is 2% of property taxes, but that amount is only 1.5% of the total income stream for the County of Hawaii. That is only $5 million per year which means one maybe 2 properties that could be purchased each year. There is $700,000 added to the Maintenance Fund each year. I believe that if 63% of people vote 3 times to support a program that vote should be honored. I have also been running my own business for 40 years and 1.5% of a budget is a small amount. THE LAND FUND IS NOT WORKING AS WELL AS IT SHOULD, we need one full time person to work only on the Land Fund Program because: 1. There is $22 million sitting in the fund 2. There have been almost 200 properties proposed by citizens for purchase. 3. Only 14 properties have been acquired. 4. Only 1/3 of the money spent to purchase land has been in matching funds at least 50% should be in matching funds to maximize the most important potential of an exsiting land fund. 5. Only 9% of the money depositied in the Maintenance Fund has been received by the non- profits 6. HOW CAN WE DO BETTER? • BY HIRING ONE FULL TIME PERSON TO WORK ONLY ON THE 2% LAND FUND PROGRAM and 1 Comm. No. 35.43