2021-08-12.HCDP-Community Learning Series.Minutes.Draft

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30 more accessible to the public, the Planning Department has also added a public GIS resource portal 31 to its website. 32 PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS:Three (3) members of the public signed up to provide oral 33 testimony on agenda item 2. 34 Oral Testimony: 35 1. Sarah Pule-Fujii, representing Protect Pololu Ohana, testified to request protection and 36 preservation of the Pololu Valley area. She described the vast beauty of its sacred landscape and 37 the treasured stories of interconnectedness between kupuna and place. Ms. Pule-Fujii advocated 38 for the protection of Pololu to afford future keiki the same opportunity of experiencing this wahi 39 pana. 40 2. Zavier Moniz, a senior at Kohala High School, testified about the significance of Pololu for his 41 classmates and himself. He spoke of his concern for Pololu's preservation, the potential selling and 42 development of two lots along the Pololu ridge, and how their community could benefit from 43 PONC funds to protect and preserve the ridge from development. 44 3. Kekoa Kealoha testified to request PONC funding in support of the North Kohala community's 45 effort to preserve Pololu Valley from further development. He stated the significance of Pololu and 46 surrounding areas to his family's genealogy, and the kuleana to protect its beauty and mana for the 47 benefit of future generations. Mr. Kealoha expressed that residential development next to public 48 lands often does not reflect the broader community surrounding it, and in the case of Pololu, 49 development above the valley may result in less access to natural resources, skyrocketing property 50 values, and the displacement of people with ancestral ties to the land. 51 BUSINESS: 52 1. Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP):Jeff Gilbreath, Executive Director of Hawai'i 53 Community Lending, and Sharon Hirota, County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community 54 Development, shared information about the ERAP program. The goal for the program, with the 55 help of seven nonprofit partners, is to get 10.4 million in grants out to the community so those 56 affected directly and indirectly by the pandemic can catch up on their rent and utility 57 payments. Data shows that female heads of households and Native Hawaiians have been 58 disproportionately impacted. 625 applications have been approved, with 1,945 individuals in 59 households supported, and $3,900,301.00 disbursed in grants. The County expanded the 60 program to include housing stability services, and extended contracts to June 2022. They 61 encouraged AC members to share information about the program with their communities: 62 www.hawaiicountVerap.org. 63 The presentation can be found at the following link for Communication No. 2021-01 ERAP: 64 http://records.hawaiicounty.goy/Weblink/1/doc/112078/Paizel.aspx 65 2. County of Hawaii Public Access, Open Space& Natural Resources Preservation Commission 66 (PONQ Maxine Cutler, County of Hawaii Department of Finance, explained the County's PONC 67 program and commission, and showed examples of parcels acquired with PONC funds. Ms. 68 Cutler explained that the PONC program utilizes 2% of annual revenue collected from Real 69 Property Tax to fund land acquisitions meeting preservation criteria. Ms. Cutler went through 70 the process by which suggestion forms for parcels are submitted by the public, reviewed by the 71 commission, and then forwarded to the Mayor, who makes recommendations to County 72 Council. The Department of Finance oversees both PONC and the Maintenance Fund www.planninQ.hawaiicounty.Qov hamakua(Whawaiicounty.Qov Page 2