2008-01-14 Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission Minutes

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Mr. Yada commented that funding and management is a serious concern of the Mayor. He suggested that they look at the one time cost (i.e. management plan) of an acquired property first and then set up a framework of how it will be managed. Once that has been addressed then you can look at community resources, volunteers, etc., for additional help. Mr. Kaneshiro mentioned that the Commission is at a critical point and stressed that they need to fully succeed by managing the property. Ms. Garcia suggested that the sub - committee focus on management of the Waipi`o property. Mr. Campbell added that they will use Waipi`o as a model for management. Ms. Self reminded the sub - committee members that they cannot take action on anything discussed. It needs to be reported to the whole Commission. NEW BUSINESS • Discuss amending the Commission's rules and adoption of the rules pursuant to Chapter 91 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes Ms. Self addressed the Commission that they have been given the authority to make rules under the Hawaii County Code. She suggested that the Commission start thinking about whether they want to adopt rules on their process and consider rules which honor requests of property owners who state that they don't want to sell their property. If the Commission is aware that the owners have no intentions of selling and still submits to the Mayor in the annual report, it's very misleading. Once the Commission decides how to approach this it needs to be established under Chapter 91 which will then affect members of the general public. Ms. Springer asked that if on the application there was indication noting that the property is not for sale, does the Commission still consider it or would it be nullified. Mr. Campbell added that it's the responsibility of the landowners who don't want their properties listed to contact the Finance Department or Mayor's office. He feels that the Commission shouldn't just take it off the list as in certain instances it may favor the developers. Ms. Garcia noted that each property needs to be reviewed and assessed on an individual basis whether it be for easement or acquisition purposes. Mr. Flores feels that the suggestion forms that come in should still be assessed. When determining the priority list, regardless of whether the property scored high, if the owners aren't willing to sell, it should be mentioned in the annual report. Mr. Yada expressed his concern over the scoring system of the Commission. He used the DLNR Legacy Land Commission as an example and mentioned that they have no scoring system. They determine and assess their top properties based on the application and testimony. Mr. Flores added that the scoring system was never intended to rank properties one -five, it's more of an initial screening or filtering system to see which properties are on the top. -5-