Comm No 0003.01.18 - Testimony - Ad Hoc - PONC fund and Maintenance fund

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Here's the link to find out who is your commissioner on for the Public Access and Open Space Natural Resources Commission: http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/edoc/90257/PONC%20Commissioner%20Biographies %20(updated%2011-13-2017).pdf In the above map you can see there are 14 properties that have been purchased and 14 groups that can use assistance. If you are one of these groups we encourage you to apply to the Public Access and Open Space Commission (PONC). The County should do better to enable and empower our communities and the PONC Commission seems to agree. The 2018 Report to the Mayor contains: COMMISSION AND COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCERNS • The Commission is very concerned about the process and the form currently being used for Stewardship Grant applications. There is also lack of clarity about what expenses are eligible for funding using the Maintenance Fund. • The Commission encourages non-profit community groups to apply for stewardship grants. • PONC STEWARDSHIP GRANT: Properties that are acquired with Land Fund monies can apply for maintenance funds. Here is a link to the application. http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/edoc/80189/PONC%20Stewardship%20 Grant%20Request%20Form%20(application%2Operiod%20801 %20-%2083116).pdf The GREAT SUCCESS OF THE 2% LAND FUND: PROPERTIES ACQUIRED since 2006: 14 PROPERTIES SUBMITTED FOR ACQUISITION: 180 LAND ACQUIRED: 4,428 acres of land already acquired suggested by community members MONEY SPENT: County of Hawaii 2% Land Fund $ 27,389,268. Grants from Matching funds* $8,764,083. Private funds: $2,000,000 *MATCHING FUNDS- My opinion: The highest and best use of 2% of taxpayer's funds is to use the 2% Land Fund to get dollar for dollar matching funds. To date the County has only received 1 dollar for every 3 dollars spent for taxpayers OR only 32% of the money spent is from grants. The ultimate goal would be to get dollar for dollar matching funds. PROPERTIES SUBMITTED TO THE PONC COMMISSION TO BE CONSIDERED FOR ACQUISITION since December 28, 2016: This information came from the Comprehensive List of Properties http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/edoc/84955/2016-12- 28%2OPONC%20Comprehensive%20List%20of%20Properties%20Submitted%20by%20the%20Publ ic.pdf QUICK HISTORY OF THE LEGISLATION FROM 2005 to 2018: 1. Where did the 2% amount come from? In 2004 and early 2005 the Trust for Public Lands (TPL) did a survey of Hawaii County residents to ask if they would like to see a 1`)/0 Land Fund or 2% Land Fund. A large majority of residents said they would want a 2% Land Fund because land is so expensive on the Big Island. Sammie Stanbro donated the money to TPL for this survey. 2. The Save Our Lands Citizen's Committee Petition Initiative drive collected 9,600 signatures from April to July of 2006. This was during Harry Kim's first term. Mayor Kim was adamantly against setting aside 2% of property taxes for land acquisition, even though this is 1.5% of the total income for the County. County Clerk Connie Kiriu and County Counsel Lincoln Ashida disqualified almost 6,000 signatures for leaving off PI, St. or Rd, or if husband and wife used ditto marks for their address when signing under each other or if the year was left off, (we collected signatures from May to July so it was only during 2005 which made the year implied and irrelevant). 3. We needed 4,400 signatures, but because of the disqualifications we didn't get enough. The County Council decided to place the ballot measure on the ballot for 2006 anyway.