2006-09-11 Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission Minutes (Kona Mtg)

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Ms. Blaich stated they were currently verging on their first partnership. They had one nonprofit land trust and by way, congratulations to the Keopuka acquisition and the expansion of Ho`onaunau National Park. In their situation, this would be a combination of Noah Estuarine monies going to the Kauai Public Land Trust and buoyed by funding that the County Council has already indicated. They also wished the Black Pot Park in Hanalei expanded. There is a focus in that area that is a partnership. Mr. Campbell stated the Commission was currently looking at revising their public intake forms as a result of their first round public intake, was there any mana`o they could share regarding their experience with that. Ms. Blaich stated she was part of revising the form last year and they got as result of their public meetings, issues of protection of the resources versus public access. Ms. Blaich stated their Commission wanted to know more of what the public was feeling about the basic question of, should all people be allowed to use all accesses. And when they say public access they mean general public. Ms. Blaich stated they expanded their form and took the basics of their previous form and added an extensive questionnaire; it was too extensive however they were trying to get specific answers. Ms. Blaich stated it was a lot to ask from the public. They received approximately 130 questionnaires; less the half got thru everything. Mr. Caylor stated he had 20 plus years experience of doing survey research process. The thing that Ms. Blaich was describing, he called "as long as your out there" syndrome. Mr. Caylor stated he designed a lot of survey research process and there was a tendency on the part of funding organizations to fall into that syndrome. They also have a "respondent burden." Mr. Caylor stated in order to get good information, you needed to be brief in your questions. You had to get right to the point and go after exactly what it was you knew would help you make the decisions you needed to make. Mr. Caylor stated the idea was to narrow it down to questions you are the most concerned about and as a result, you receive more concise information and people who actually participate in the process of giving their opinions. Mr. Caylor stated you get more data that's more targeted. Ms. Blaich stated they were very map dependent for part of their input because in the public process, they took out a lot of maps of the quadrants of the island. Ms. Blaich stated it was very hard and it took a lot of Commissioner interest and extra staff to translate into a good database. Ms. Blaich stated they lost their open space planner shortly after that, she was intending to retire however since then, the County has hired her back on a contract to do some GIS work related to interpreting the survey's they did last year. Mr. Caylor stated most of the data that was collected last year with the longer survey form happened at public meetings and those surveys were administered by the commissioner's or by staff which resulted in "commissioner burden." He realized that the Commissioner's were burnt out from the process when he talked to them about the next upcoming public input process and how they might trim it down. Mr. Caylor stated 10