05-29-2012 SKCDP AC Minutes-Final.docx

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Committee members for their support of her efforts as a member of the Committee. Mr. Fischer thanked Ms. Eberhardt for her dedicated service as a member of the Committee and stated that she will be missed. Mr. Dunlap then advised the members that the Planning Department is planning to add additional information to the existing Planning Department website for the Action Committees but will not make the website interactive due to the restrictions imposed by the sunshine law. He encouraged the members to share information with him so that he could ensure the inclusion of such information in the website content and thus make such information more readily available to the public. Mr. Roehrig asked if the public could be allowed to submit inquiries and comments to the website and Mr. Dunlap agreed to find out if that would be possible. Mr. Hoover asked if “hot buttons” to other websites relevant to the affairs of the South Kohala District could be included as well. The Chair then invited comments from the public. Margaret Wille stated that she felt the County’s approach to the website was unacceptable and urged that Larry Brown, who she indicated is the Planning Department’s Project Manager for the Puna Community Development Plan Action Committee, should be consulted for ways to make the website more effective. Ms. Wille stated that the use of the term “administers” in the enabling statute in describing the role of the Planning Department vis-à-vis the Action Committee does not mean that the Planning Department directs the actions of the Committee but rather that the intent of that language, which Ms. Wille had a hand in drafting, was to ensure that the Planning Department provided adequate support and resources to enable the Action Committee to act in the manner the Action Committee members deemed appropriate. She noted that the statute which enacted the CDP calls for the Committee to advise the County rather than to advise the Planning Department. She also urged that experts on the subject of the sunshine law be consulted for the proper interpretation of that law because the positions being taken by the Planning Department were unnecessarily restricting the conduct of the Action Committee. The Committee then discussed the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting and requested that the following items be included in the agenda for the June meeting: 1. a more detailed report from the Project Manager concerning the discussions at the Planning Department meeting held to discuss the management of the Action Committees (including any matters discussed other than the website issue); 2. the possibility of a meeting of representatives of all of the Action Committees to share ideas on how to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the Committees; 3. a discussion of the state preservation meeting (requested by Mr. Hoover); 4. the proposal to have Waimea walkways and bikeways added to the CIP (Ms. Inaba’s motion); and 5. a discussion of the plan to begin charging fees at Hapuna Beach Park for access by non- 3