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

Home

4. Despite the Corporation Counsel submitting confusing ballot language using double negatives, the amendment to the Code passed by 63% of voters who voted on the issue and become part of the Hawaii County Code. 5. In 2008- Mayor Kenoi and the County Council suspended deposits to the Fund for two years as his very first piece of legislation after taking office because the legislation was part of the Hawaii County Code. The Save Our Lands Citizens' Committee pointed out that there were more than 260 funded but unfilled jobs in his budget, but Mayor Kenoi failed to reinstate payments to the 2% Land Fund after cutting these budget entries totaling approximately $14 million. 6. In 2010, the Charter Commission put the Land Fund on the ballot again, but only as the 1`)/0 Land Fund. Again the Land Fund passed by 63% of voters, who voted on the measure. 7. In 2012, to honor all the people who signed the petitions and worked so hard over the years, Debbie Hecht and Brenda Ford realized we needed to put the 2% Land Fund back on the ballot as a Charter Amendment, together with a 1/4% Maintenance Fund. We wanted to make sure the Council and Mayor couldn't stop fund deposits and a charter amendment can only be undone by a vote of the people. Again, 63% of voters approved both measures. As part of the 2% Land Fund legislation, every property obtained with our taxpayer funds shall have a covenant that runs with the land stating that these lands are to be held in perpetuity for the citizens of the County of Hawaii and cannot be sold, traded, mortgaged etc. This has already blocked a potential land trade with the State of Hawaii. 8. The Maintenance Fund was clarified in the Hawaii County Code in 2016 to allow the PONC Commission to review Stewardship Grants and to recommend which grants to approve to the Director of Finance. GRASS ROOTS ORGANIZING PROCESS to pass the 3 ballot measures: • During the Petition Initiative process, the Save Our Lands Citizen Committee had more than 100 people who collected signatures of more than 50 signatures each in 2006. • The Committee has a 3,000 personal email list, which we use to inform our supporters, or if we need emails sent to elected officials, or to ask people to show up for public meetings or to lobbying their Council members. These 3,000 people were asked to contact their email list. They represent about 10% of the voting public on the island. (There have been approximately 100,000 voters registered for the County of Hawaii, usually about 33,000 of these registered voters actually vote, therefore 3,000 supporters is 10% of the vote.) Citizens have proposed 180 properties for acquisition: • Puna area: 16 properties • South Hilo area: 16 properties • North Hilo: 7 properties • Hamakua: 26 properties • North Kohala: 29 properties • South Kohala: 18 properties • North Kona: 27 properties • South Kona: 14 properties • Ka'u: 27 properties The Community recommends a property to the Public Access and Open Space Commission, here is the process and links to the application: http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/edoc/84953/Process%20for%20Property%20Acquisitio n%20with%20Funds%20from%20the%2OPONC%20Fund.pdf THE HAWAII COUNTY CHARTER AND THE HAWAII COUNTY CODE: which regulates the 2% Land Fund (PONC) and the PONC Maintenance Fund go to: http://records. co. h awai i. h i. us/webl i n k/browse.aspx?starti d=13770&d bi d=1