2021-08-12 KCDP Joint AC Minutes Draft

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31 more accessible to the public, the Planning Department has also added a public GIS resource portal 32 to its website. 33 PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: Three (3) members of the public signed up to provide oral 34 testimony on agenda item 2. 35 Oral Testimony: 36 1. Sarah Pule-Fujii, representing Protect Pololu Ohana, testified to request protection and 37 preservation of the Pololu Valley area. She described the vast beauty of its sacred landscape and 38 the treasured stories of interconnectedness between kupuna and place. Ms. Pule-Fujii advocated 39 for the protection of Pololu to afford future keiki the same opportunity of experiencing this wahi 40 pana. 41 2. Zavier Moniz, a senior at Kohala High School, testified about the significance of Pololu for his 42 classmates and himself. He spoke of his concern for Pololu's preservation, the potential selling and 43 development of two lots along the Pololu ridge, and how their community could benefit from 44 PONC funds to protect and preserve the ridge from development. 45 3. Kekoa Kealoha testified to request PONC funding in support of the North Kohala community's 46 effort to preserve Pololu Valley from further development. He stated the significance of Pololu and 47 surrounding areas to his family's genealogy, and the kuleana to protect its beauty and mana for the 48 benefit of future generations. Mr. Kealoha expressed that residential development next to public 49 lands often does not reflect the broader community surrounding it, and in the case of Pololu, 50 development above the valley may result in less access to natural resources, skyrocketing property 51 values, and the displacement of people with ancestral ties to the land. 52 BUSINESS: 53 1. Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP):Jeff Gilbreath, Executive Director of Hawaii 54 Community Lending, and Sharon Hirota, County of Hawai'i Office of Housing and Community 55 Development, shared information about the ERAP program. The goal for the program, with the 56 help of seven nonprofit partners, is to get 10.4 million in grants out to the community so those 57 affected directly and indirectly by the pandemic can catch up on their rent and utility 58 payments. Data shows that female heads of households and Native Hawaiians have been 59 disproportionately impacted. 625 applications have been approved, with 1,945 individuals in 60 households supported, and $3,900,301.00 disbursed in grants. The County expanded the 61 program to include housing stability services, and extended contracts to June 2022. They 62 encouraged AC members to share information about the program with their communities: 63 www.hawaiicountVerap.org. 64 The presentation can be found at the following link for Communication No. 2021-01 ERAP: 65 http://records.hawaiicountV.gov/Weblinl</1/doc/112081/Pagel.aspx 66 2. County of Hawaii Public Access, Open Space& Natural Resources Preservation Commission 67 (PONQ Maxine Cutler, County of Hawaii Department of Finance, explained the County's PONC 68 program and commission, and showed examples of parcels acquired with PONC funds. Ms. 69 Cutler explained that the PONC program utilizes 2% of annual revenue collected from Real 70 Property Tax to fund land acquisitions meeting preservation criteria. Ms. Cutler went through 71 the process by which suggestion forms for parcels are submitted by the public, reviewed by the 72 commission, and then forwarded to the Mayor, who makes recommendations to County 73 Council. The Department of Finance oversees both PONC and the Maintenance Fund https://wH,H,.plannin,-.hawaiicounty.,-ov/home kona(ti`hawaiicounfy.gov Page 2