MIN CHARTER 2018-11-09 (2018-2020)

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I-Iawai`i County Charter Commission -5 November 9, 2018 handled by memorandums of understanding. You don't need title changes. Fourth request, hire staff under the Finance Department and paid with Open Space Funds. Their duties should involve only existing and future Open Space lands, duties like acquiring land, finding matching funds, maintaining lands with maintenance fund money, obtaining and supervising maintenance contracts, and supporting the Open Space Commission. Last request, expand uses of the maintenance fund to fund toilet facilities, small buildings for education and storage, roads, trails, and paths, waterlines, drinking fountains, disabilities compliance, and maintenance contracts with grantees who are doing maintenance. So please ensure we can save our land before it is too late. Thank you. CHR. ADAMS: Thank you very much. Next testifier. We cannot hear you. Sammie Stanbro-Olsen: Comm. No. 3.1.1, comment. SAMMIE STANBRO-OLSEN: MS. STANBRO-OLSEN: Oh, is it on? Other Commissions, oh, do I have to repeat? Okay. My name is Sammie Stanbro-Olsen. I came to this island in 1964 and finally actually moved here 1992. I have watched it change. I have watched all of the hard work that people have done to keep this island Hawai`i and not let it go the way of the other islands and everybody that visits here comments on wow, how did you keep this place the way that it is? It has been a lot of hard work, you'll hear about the three times that the Open Space has gone up for vote and been unanimous, you need to know that even before that happened, we had a poll done that was very, very complete. It was done by off island mainland company and it came out with a recommendation of the two percent over one percent. These are people that not necessarily voted but it was a poll that was done of the entire island, so that you know adds to our voting as well. The Commission, the two percent has been in existence since 2005, it is almost 14 years although only 14 properties have been purchased and now there is, as you know, the 16 million sitting in the fund. Why isn't the County buying the land? The question is really pertinent since the land fund was mandated by over, well, by 63 percent of the voters and as I said a few times and as you will hear that today, but also from this poll that was done before we even got it on the ballot. The acquisition process takes time for these lands and the Open Space and Natural Resources have to be vetted through PONC and hopefully need to have the recommendation to the Mayor's office and then after that it has to be a Resolution from a Council Member to direct the Director of Finance to acquire the property and staff finally gets to go to work. The staff contacts Page 5