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MS. HECHT: Aloha Commissioners. I have four things actually that I want to speak on,
<br />several of the communications. As I'm listening to the other testifiers, I realize these will all
<br />become ballot questions when the Commissioners hopefully approve a lot of these things to
<br />put it on the ballot and let the people decide. To start out, on Communication 45, which is
<br />the 2% Land Fund, just a short history that some of you may not know about this initiative.
<br />It was an initiative petition that was brought forward by voters when the Council was
<br />unresponsive to this issue. In 2006, 63% of voters who voted on this measure approved it.
<br />This fund has been plagued with takeovers. That's why this extraordinary step to put in on to
<br />the Charter has been taken. During the Kim administration, Mayor Kim himself went to the
<br />Open Space Commission looking for their support to use this fund for maintenance. This
<br />fund was never meant to be used for maintenance; it was for property acquisition only.
<br />Mayor Billy Kenoi asked the Council to suspend the deposits to the fund for two years,
<br />which will end up costing the fund $4,000,000. Actually, it's $4,000,000 a year, so it would
<br />be about $8,000,000, and frankly, I don't think anybody is sure that it will be resumed after
<br />the two -year hiatus. $4,000,000 out of a yearly budget for the County of Hawaii is less than
<br />one percent of the budget. This is not a big deal in any business, to cut one percent. This
<br />shouldn't represent a hardship, in prudent fiscal planning.
<br />Back in 2006, in four months, over 100 dedicated volunteers collected almost 10,000
<br />signatures on initiative petition to get this question on the ballot. The question became
<br />whether to set aside 2% of property taxes. This is a resounding mandate, and the purpose
<br />clause in this amendment is, "To save land for public recreation and education, including
<br />access to beaches and mountains; to preserve historic or culturally important land areas and
<br />sites; to protect our natural resources including buffer zones and watershed areas, to preserve
<br />water quality and water supply; and to preserve the forests, beaches, coastal areas, natural
<br />beauty and agricultural lands."
<br />Currently the County council has prioritized 5 parcels of land for acquisition. In order of
<br />priority, Kawa Bay in Ka`u, which is valued at $5 million by the owner, Pao`o, in North
<br />Kohala, valued at about $2 million, Kaiholena, adjacent to Pao`o in North Kohala, 253 acres
<br />and Puapua`a in Kona which is eight acres along Ali`i Drive valued at approximately $8
<br />million. The total to acquire all of these properties is approximately $30 million. Right now
<br />there is $11 million in the fund and the great gift to the people on our island is to take this
<br />$11 million and go out and find matching funds. The matching funds have been acquired so
<br />far for Kawa Bay for instance for the hawksbill turtle out of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
<br />Service. Other properties were acquired with the National Oceanic Funds and then there is
<br />also the State's Legacy Lands Fund which have traditionally been used.
<br />This is not a new idea for the State of Hawaii. In 2006, voters in Honolulu County approved
<br />a Charter amendment to set aside property taxes for open space acquisition and fair housing.
<br />Kauai voters approved this way back in 2002, and in 2003, Maui County formed the Open
<br />Space, Natural Resources, Cultural and Scenic Views Preservation Fund. So, this isn't a new
<br />idea for our State. Please remember that our Hawaii State Motto states, "The Life of the
<br />Land is perpetuated in Righteousness." That's why this incredibly onerous process is
<br />undertaken by the public to set aside 2% of property taxes.
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