Comm No 0003.01.21 - Testimony - Ad Hoc - PONC fund and Maintenance fund

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November l , 20th MAMA 0 PUNA P� 0. lox T520 Pahoa. Hw ai '196778 vils-z000 t 4w,PfEabl o�?S!?T. ryialainaouniVelyahlao.com- Prefetving Howe `l i pr ecl .s naturI h crit ge Douglas Adm, Chair members of the HI, County Charter Corn iss on 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, HI•06720 RE: PROPOSED CHANGES TO PONC Aloha: I am mrltirig afi president of Malaria. 0 Puns, a 501(c)(3) environmental nonprofit that has advocated for PONC since befr re its inception; arid. also as reg. entiy retired i.ce=Chai.r of POMC. I at , vel concerned but some of the proposed changes that the Charter Commisien Is considering, ro,thich I believe will virtually handcuff the- comnlissi n members from successfully doing their mandated w rk. Re proposal to cap the fund and move "excess" funds to the General Fund: Onc argument I havescen is that other islands are funded by smaller rates of .county income, This ignores the fact that Hawaii Island is the largest island in the chain and for the most part, the parcels in need of preservation are also larger than .on other islands; and so far they are all coastal properties, which increases the cost. Because of this size differential the fund must also be sufficient to match. Residents of the Big Island have seen the over -development on the other islands and have indicated more than once with their votes that they do not want that to happen here. Some of you = question why we are spending big money, on lands that are already zoned conservation. As you probably know, the DIJN'R docs liavv procedures €:l.at allow conservation lands to have ce in- ty{pes of development = a Conse37vation Development Lige Application for a permit is the method, o lands in the:. category are not ipso facto saved for the f=uture. But the votes have three times indicated that in perpetuity is what they want, and so having. dies_ lands. acquired by ri0NC (and its partners) maintains the rule that the lands be protected from development forever, From what I have read in the newspaper coverage, and what Finance Department land manager llamana Ventura has told the PONC, your commissioners are concerned about the relatively small number of land acquisitions, Of course, when the County purchases land it has to jump through many more hoops than a private buyer in order to be responsible to the taxpayers and follow the procurement rules, For example, requiring a shoreline survey, doing a title search, doing an archaeological and biological survey, etc. This takes time, Another requirement that slows down the process is that PONC acquisition & stewardship decisions go to Parks Si. Rec for vetting. P&P, has neither the staff Comm. No. 3.1.21