2010-12-27 (2010 PONC Annual Report to the Mayor)

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During these meetings, the Commission continued to receive testimonies from the public, and engaged in discussion with invited guests: Michael Whitt of the United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Doug Sensenig of the Hawaii Island Land Trust. In addition to regularly scheduled meetings, several commissioners and staff attended a Conservation Easement workshop in Waimea on September 28, 2010. They met with representatives of matching funding sources and broadened their understanding of the possibilities of funding. Suggestion Form The Suggestion Form [revised January 11, 2010] (see Appendix 7) is available to the public by request through the County Finance Department or on -line at http://www.hawaii - county.com/finance/ponc.htm. A total of eleven Suggestion Forms were received from the public between June 1, 2009 and May 28, 2010 (see Appendix 8). The Commission considered properties identified on these forms that were submitted by the public when creating the 2010 Prioritized List. Assessment Criteria Form The Commission updated the Assessment Criteria Form [revised January 11, 2010] (see Appendix 9). This Assessment Criteria Form was utilized to assess the suggestion forms received during the aforementioned time period. Commission and Community Recommendations and Concerns The following is a listing of recommendations and concerns identified by the Commission: ➢ The Commission would like to encourage the Mayor and the Hawaii County Council to request of the County Property Manager clarification or more information, as needed, prior to any recommended purchase actions on property listings. ➢ Recommending property /entitlements for acquisition is the stated goal of the Commission. However, the Commission and the public are concerned that active management needs should be addressed. Funding sources should be identified for management purposes. ➢ The Commission should continue to familiarize itself with the practicalities, benefits, and liabilities associated with various easements to accomplish the Commission's goals. -3-