2021-08-12 Joint AC Meeting Report

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29 more accessible to the public, the Planning Department has also added a public GIS resource portal 30 to its website. 31 PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: Three (3) members of the public signed up to provide oral 32 testimony on agenda item 2. 33 Oral Testimony: 34 1. Sarah Pule-Fujii, representing Protect Pololu Ohana, testified to request protection and 35 preservation of the Pololu Valley area. She described the vast beauty of its sacred landscape and 36 the treasured stories of interconnectedness between kupuna and place. Ms. Pule-Fujii advocated 37 for the protection of Pololu to afford future keiki the same opportunity of experiencing this wahi 38 pana. 39 2. Zavier Moniz, a senior at Kohala High School, testified about the significance of Pololu for his 40 classmates and himself. He spoke of his concern for Pololu's preservation, the potential selling and 41 development of two lots along the Pololu ridge, and how their community could benefit from 42 PONC funds to protect and preserve the ridge from development. 43 3. Kekoa Kealoha testified to request PONC funding in support of the North Kohala community's 44 effort to preserve Pololu Valley from further development. He stated the significance of Pololu and 45 surrounding areas to his family's genealogy, and the kuleana to protect its beauty and mana for the 46 benefit of future generations. Mr. Kealoha expressed that residential development next to public 47 lands often does not reflect the broader community surrounding it, and in the case of Pololu, 48 development above the valley may result in less access to natural resources, skyrocketing property 49 values, and the displacement of people with ancestral ties to the land. 50 BUSINESS: 51 1. Emergency-Rental Assistance Program (ERAP): Jeff Gilbreath, Executive Director of Hawai'i 52 Community Lending, and Sharon Hirota, County of Hawaii Office of Housing and Community 53 Development, shared information about the ERAP program. The goal for the program, with the 54 help of seven nonprofit partners, is to get 10.4 million in grants out to the community so those 55 affected directly and indirectly by the pandemic can catch up on their rent and utility 56 payments. Data shows that female heads of households and Native Hawaiians have been 57 disproportionately impacted. 625 applications have been approved, with 1,945 individuals in 58 households supported, and $3,900,301.00 disbursed in grants. The County expanded the 59 program to include housing stability services, and extended contracts to June 2022. They 60 encouraged AC members to share information about the program with their communities: 61 www.hawaiicountVerap.org. 62 The presentation can be found at the following link for Communication No. 2021-01 ERAP: 63 http://records.hawaiicountV.gov/Weblink/1/doc/112087/Pagel.aspx 64 2. County of Hawai'i Public Access, Open Space& Natural Resources Preservation Commission 65 (PONQ Maxine Cutler, County of Hawaii Department of Finance, explained the County's PONC 66 program and commission, and showed examples of parcels acquired with PONC funds. Ms. 67 Cutler explained that the PONC program utilizes 2% of annual revenue collected from Real 68 Property Tax to fund land acquisitions meeting preservation criteria. Ms. Cutler went through 69 the process by which suggestion forms for parcels are submitted by the public, reviewed by the 70 commission, and then forwarded to the Mayor, who makes recommendations to County 71 Council. The Department of Finance oversees both PONC and the Maintenance Fund www.ylannin,-hawahcountuQov puna(ahawahcountuQov Page 2