MIN CHARTER 2018-12-14 (2018-2020)

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Hawaii County Charter Commission -6 December 14, 2018 KEONI FOX: Proposal No. CA -7 in opposition and Proposal No. CA -9 in support. MR. FOX: Good afternoon Commissioners and fellow community members. My name is Keoni Fox. I am a descendant of Ka`u, a cultural practitioner, and a steward of the land. I am here today to provide testimony as an individual in opposition to Charter Amendment 7 and in support of Charter Amendment 9. I am involved with two non-profit organizations who have applied for either stewardship or acquisitions through the program so I am very familiar with the benefits of the PONC (Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission) and its challenges. For the past two years the Ka`u community has been seeking funding through the program to preserve and protect over 2,000 acres at Kahilipali Waikapuna. We advocated strongly for the protection of the Kahua Olohu or Makahiki grounds which were purchased by the County in 2016. Just last week Ho`omalu Ka`ii received a PONC stewardship grant for the Ka`u Olohu and we are committed to restoration of these sacred lands in order to bring back Makahiki to Ka`u. The program needs to be strengthened, not weakened. Comparisons to similar programs in Honolulu, Maui, and Kauai, should not be the basis for reducing funding or allowing County Council to suspend the program. Instead, other Counties should be looking at our program as a model to improve their own programs. Our Hawai`i Island is so blessed with immeasurable natural resources, unparalleled scenic beauty, miles of open space, and a rich history and a multitude of cultural resources. Every day I stand in awe at the beauty that surrounds us and the Mand which flows from these lands. Everywhere we look we are reminded of the treasures which our kupuna put into our care for safekeeping to be passed on to future generations. We have a moral responsibility to protect this legacy of our ancestors and to provide for our children and grandchildren. The beauty of this program is that it provides balance between conservation and developments. Moneys from real property tax mean higher percentages come from resort, commercial, and industrial properties. More importantly the program empowers our island community to be involved in the protection of our lands from start to finish. Nominations are submitted by people in the communities. Stewardship is performed by people in the community. This process builds a sense of responsibility and care for our lands. This is a concept native Hawaiians practiced for centuries under the ahupua'a system, malama `aina. I especially want to applaud efforts of Commissioner Galimba and voice my strong support for Charter Amendment 9 which would use monies from the fund to create a senior staff position. This is exactly the type of thoughtful amendments that we need to the program. I appreciate all the hard work from Hamana Ventura and Maxine Cutler at the Department of Finance. They are doing an outstanding job and I believe that this solution will further support their efforts and give the program what it needs to be more successful. Thank you. Page 3