Comm No 0035.47 - Testimony - CA-18 - PONC Maintenance fund

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stewardship work on the project, EEL Illilyi!LL4 'L tuutliiiIIIli .12Iii(III1 iwlmal LaL illluii nut mnoillll. The 501(c)3 nonprofit shall sign an agreement so stating these conditions and submit it with the application. MAHALO! Your name SINCE OCTOBER AT THE CHARTER COMMISSION: There were 371 people that sent in email testimony on CA -7, CA -8, CA -13 and CA -27. I counted each communication. There were at least 20 people that took time out of their days to attend each of the 10 charter commission meetings and testify in person that is 200 people. These people represent the 63% of the voting public that voted 3 times to support the Land Fund Program. There were only 2 people that testified against the 2% Land Fund Program: Mayor Harry Kim and Council Chair Aaron Chung. FOR YOUR INFORMATION: BACKGROUND AND HISTORY. The SAVE OUR LANDS CITIZENS COMMITTEE HAS RUN THE 3 CAMPAIGNS AND IS POISED TO RUN A 4TH CAMPAIGN FOR NOVEMBER OF 2020- Each time the Land Fund was on the ballot- 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. Debbie Hect wrote the existing legislation with Council member Brenda Ford that is in the Hawaii County Code and the Hawaii County Charter. She 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. 4