September 28, 2016 DRAFT SC Minutes

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that's my thing. And then for us local people it boils down to sustainability. If they wanna put this project up here that would provide jobs for us local people that we don't have to move out of our community into the areas like Puna that are more a — affordable if you will for us, then I'm all for it. Thank you. 14. Mitchell Anderson, representing the farming community, speaking on agenda item rezoning of Hakalau: Farrah, can I ask a question before? I'm a little confused because this item says change the designation of these parcels from Industrial to Open. That gentleman just said that's not what the agenda item is. Ms. Gloor: So just to clarify there are some different designations that we're talking about. The CDP is referring to a Land Use designation that corresponds to the General Plan designations that are used in the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide Map so we will talk about that later, but we are not changing zoning. So, this relates to future ptions as far as4he landowner ever seeking to change a zone — to rezone. It does not nge the current zoning so we will have more information about that when the presentation continQes. Mr. Anderson: So, I have a Ph.D. in Mathematics. I don't undersand what she just said. I don't think I need that (microphone). I've taught — I taught m, first cla in 1981 and — and usually the classes is this size. So, like I said, I'm a mathematician but I come from a different perspective than Mr. lee because I just started farming with my wife — sweet potatoes on the Hdmdkua Coast. So, I'm here to talk about that today. Just to give you an idea, some of the challenges that the farmers face and — and how the Industrial park might help some of that and how much really, the farmers give back to the community. We had 8 acres our first time which is relatively small in comparison to some of the farms out there. I think we spent $60,000 on fertilizer and paying workers, gas and foodd — and ch icals, etc. All that goes back we buy — since then, we've spent way more than tha n a tractor and implements and — and fencing and all that gAes back,to places like BEI, Del and the restaurants and the farmers when — when they do well, they go buy houses, some of them rather expensive houses and they pay nice County taxes on that. So, it's a very good business if it works well but there's a lot of challenges there, really every man for himself, right Mr. Jee? There's no organization. Something like this could prove — could actually act as a focal point, maybe start a — like Michael said, maybe start an organization something like the coffee co-ops that provide support to the farmers. We could certainly use — when I got into this and started to expand a little bit — ended up buying a warehouse. We really don't have enough warehouses, processing plants, places to wash the potatoes and — and box them up, etc. So these are the kind of things that the industrial park could — could serve. Also, I don't think as — as good as the sweet potato industry has been going, it has — it's not nearly optimized. We leave — I would have guessed we probably leave a million pounds of sweet potatoes in the ground or throw them out. They could go to feedstock. They could go to biofuel. They could go to distillery. They could go to potato chips. Theresa lot of things they could go to and we're just throwing them out so there's — there's a lot of room for improvement and something like this could help — could help that along. Thank you. 15. Steve Shropshire, representing the Shropshire Group, speaking on agenda item Hakalau Point Map Designation: Thank you. First of all, I wanted to acknowledge everyone's presence here tonight. /wanted to thank the Steering Committee for all their past works. You know, I think we need to recognize that there are divisions in our community with regards to the long-term Page 18