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locations in upper Puna have been identified and are now being addressed by the County through the Mayor's Puna Roads Committee. The CERS subcommittee has also given focus to emergency response efforts and connectivity issues in lower Puna. Committee Member Yumi Kawano asked how much funding had been provided to work on road connectivity in Puna. The Fiscal Year 2017-18 Capitol Improvement Budget (CIP) was for $20 million. Ms. Mercado will check on additional CIP appropriations at the next Mayor's Roads Committee meeting on May 3, 2018 at 1:00 P.M. — Priority #3 regarding internet connectivity. Committee Member Michael Bernard led the discussion of this topic. Mr. Bernard stated that he had received information on internet connectivity improvement for Hawaii Island from Hawaiian Telcom. Mr. Bernard reported that Hawaiian Telcom will receive a total of 26 million dollars over a 6 year period for internet connectivity improvement from a federal program called Connect America. Most of the funding is going to improving connectivity on Hawaii Island, with 4,500 of 5,000 new connections being made on Hawaii Island. Mr. Bernard reported that he was unable to get information from Spectrum, but in his research found out that they offer an internet assistance program for qualifying families and individuals. For further details on Spectrum Internet Assist Program use the following link: http://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/doc/92824/Pagel.aspx — Priority #4 regarding the preservation of native ecosystems. Chair Brown stated that OHA has begun implementation of the Wao Kele o Puna comprehensive management plan. Rene Siracusa of Malama o Puna provided a summary of the progress made on Keau'ohana Forest Reserve on HW 130 across from Black Sands subdivision. Ms. Siracusa announced that with a small grant from the County and a few larger grants from the State, progress is being made in eradicating invasive species and planting native plants on 100 acres of native forest. Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC) is moving closer to finalizing the acquisition of the Vacationland Land Trust property (Wai'opae). Ms. Siracusa encouraged members of the public to submit parcels in Volcano to PONC for land acquisition. Ms. Mercado added that the group working on the Volcano Design Guidelines have someone considering PONC applications as a way to preserve open space. Ms. Siracusa announced that PONC has a draft letter they will be considering at their next meeting that provides information on PONC and encourages community associations to submit parcels for acquisition. — Priority #5 regarding famers markets. Chair Brown announced that the Pahoa Regional Park is now an official designated site available for potential farmers' markets. Council members Eileen O'Hara and Jen Ruggles shared that several other parks in the Puna District are being considered as potential sites for farmers markets. — Priority #6 regarding medical facilities. Committee Member Domizio asked what was needed to construct entrances and exits off of Highway 130 for a potential medical facility. Chair Brown stated that if the facility was already existing, the State Department of Transportation (DOT) would build the highway to accommodate the existing facility. In the case of a new facility being built off of the existing highway, the developer would usually bare the cost of altering the road. www.hiplanningdept.com puna(&,hawaiicounty.,-ov Page 3