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5. Chair Larry Brown also announced that a community meeting hosted by Senator Joy San Buenaventura, with participation from County Council Members Eileen O'Hara and Jennifer Ruggles, was held on Saturday, September 16 in Hawaiian Paradise Park regarding the roads in Puna. Approximately fifty people attended and much of what was discussed was in relation to the condition of HWY 130. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: Four people signed up to provide testimony on agenda items. Three chose to speak at the start of the meeting and the other at the time of their agenda item. Mr. William Watkins, representing the Fern Forest Community Association, testified on agenda item three (Update from the Connectivity and Emergency Response Subcommittee): Mr. Watkins is currently concerned with the Puna connectivity plan. Mr. Watkins stated that he would like there to be a minimum universal standard formed for emergency access roads and for those roads to be maintained by one entity. The example Mr. Watkins gave was the Hawaiian Acres emergency bypass route through Ainaloa and suggested that route as a precedent example for how to establish emergency bypass routes in other subdivision communities. Mr. Watkins believes this will help the Fern Forest Community Association (FFCA) achieve its goal of turning one or more roads over to the county. 2. Mr. John Olson, representing himself, testified on agenda item one (Report on the General Plan Comprehensive Review), two (Communication No. 2017-14: AC-DPR Administrative Rules for Farmer's Market Operations), and three (Update from the Connectivity and Emergency Response Subcommittee): [#1] Mr. Olson, stated that he would like to see a closer review of the information that is going into the General Plan, particularly the traffic count studies on state highways and county roads. Mr. Olson is concerned that the traffic count information that is currently used in the General Plan may be inaccurate. Mr. Olson believes that the traffic counts begin in the summer months before school is in session and that they end the study before schools are in session again. Mr. Olson is concerned that this may be skewing the traffic counts going in and out of Hilo during the majority of the year. [#2] Mr. Olson would like to know the standard rules for farmer's markets on county owned land and how a farmer's market could be established there by the community. [#3] Mr. Olson is concerned with increased hurricane weather patterns, and if the County of Hawai'i will be prepared for such events to occur on this island. 3. Ms. Ronda Lickfelt, representing Fern Forest, testified on agenda item three (Update from the Connectivity and Emergency Response Subcommittee): Ms. Lickfelt, stated that she and others from the Fern Forest community have collaborated to clean up an area that they feel is a point of connectivity connecting Fern Forest to Eden Rock. Ms. Lickfelt would like to see a connectivity route for emergency access to pass through Fern Forest, connecting the subdivision with Eden Rock. 4. Ms. Hannah Hedrick, representing the connectivity and emergency response volunteers, testified on agenda item three (Update from the Connectivity and Emergency Response Subcommittee): Ms. Hedrick would like to know if it is possible for the Action Committee to get answers to the questions posed in the June 27 CERS minutes. She also asked who had the authority to block an existing road. Ms. Hedrick would like information regarding grant programs for community owned roads.. Ms. Hedrick asked if it would be possible to call a meeting with those who disagree about connectivity locations. www.hiplanningdept.com puna(Whawahcounty.Qov Page 2