2007-03-16 THUSSEY - Laserfiche WebLink

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WATANABE:Two full credits? YUEN:Yes. WATANABE:Its my understanding that the secondary market is running about 70,000 or so per credit. I dont know what it is right now, but my understanding -. Am I in a ballpark? YUEN:Ive heard the figure. I cant verify it. GRAHAM:Thank you. Commissioner Siracusa? SIRACUSA:Yes. I want to raise another question, and that has to do with the substantial agricultural activity thats supposed to take place on these lots. And a proof of substantialagactivityaccordingtothis,thelotispresentlybeinggrazedbutthedefinitionof agricultural activity to be considered substantial is: One, if it provides a major source of income. And Im wondering if that is the case at this point. FISCHER:My understanding is that by dedicating your land to agriculture with the tax people, which we did for 20 years a number of years ago that that also fulfills. st And frankly Id have to also mention the cost of water. On May 1 the cost of our water is going up to $5.64 per 1,000, and the meter rate hasquadrupled on the small size meter. So Id have to say that with 7 to 10, maybe 20 at the most, inches of rainfall and water rates at that level, its hard to compare us to a regular commercial farming kind of area. Ive always looked at -. Because we had the big fire and weve formed a volunteer fire department, preventing fire I feel saves the County, saves the neighbors, and saves-; its one of the best things we can do in lieu of doing greenhouses or some kind of intensive agriculture. So Im hoping that the grazing donkeys is one way that we can contribute to ag use. There are very few, frankly, very few ag venturesonourhillside.Infact,thereisagrapefruitoperationinKohalaRanchandtheysayif the rates go up like they are supposed to starting in May, theyll even go out of business. So other than the botanic garden where they have two of their own wells, they areabout one of the only agricultural ventures on our hill of the kind that you would think of when you think of the wetter areas of the island. We are trying to do the best we can in near desert conditions. And also I have to mention the wind. Whenever there is a wind warning, you notice that they mention our area. So we have a lot to contend with to try and do commercial agriculture that you are used to in Hamakua or Puna. GRAHAM:Thank you. A question for Mr. Yuen. It seems like for us to want to counter the policy of the affordable housing would be a large step that might lead to a slippery slope in the future and all, but I was wondering about the rounding facet. Is that kind of like part of the policy how the rounding would take place, or is that more just sort of an administrative procedure? Im thinking like that maybe in small subdivisions where you are only talking a lot or two or something that the rounding could be discretionary. YUEN:Well, you have to make a decision how you because you do have this rounding issue. And generally the credits are earned in chunks. And it would be easier if you you know, youre buying a credit, but then just to buy 1.6 credits, for example. But the 9EXHIBIT A