MIN CHARTER 2019-01-25 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -7 January 25, 2019 need to save these places. And, the gentleman earlier mentioned having these places for future generations and I would just like to really hammer that home, that it is not about us in this room. We are going to be gone like that, but if these places can be saved for a 100 years, that is going to mean something. It is not going to matter in 100 years whether some money was taken from this fund to balance the budget. No one is going to care in 100 years. And, additionally, you know, there are other reasons to purchase open space. We have climate change pressures, we have safety pressures for our people, we need trails to be preserved for connectivity of our communities. And, as you can see from our community members that have spoken earlier, these opportunities through this fund really provide amazing opportunities for partnerships between all kinds of community and government groups, `ohana descendants of the area, and it is a beautiful thing when those all come together and they can preserve these places. And then just on a financial level, if you take the monies out of this fund, you are not just taking the monies out of this fund, you are deleting the opportunity for matching funds for a lot of these purchases, so you are looking really, you are losing... you are taking away double or more of the money. It doesn't make financial sense to me. And then just back on the open space... CHR. ADAMS: Please summarize ma'am. MS. JOHNSON -CAMPBELL: Okay. As a mother of young kids, there is no substitute for open space for young children. You can't teach stewardship of land or why it is important to care for the environment virtually. If they are not out there, they are not learning it. Thank you. CHR. ADAMS: Thank you. If I could ask Sharon Willeford please to come to the table. Go ahead ma'am. MEGAN LAMSON LEATHERMAN: Proposal No. CA -7 and CA -13 in opposition and Proposal No. CA -9 in support. MS. LAMSON LEATHERMAN: Okay. Aloha, I am Megan Lamson Leatherman. Thank you, each of you for your time and attention. I know it has been a long afternoon already. I am here wearing multiple hats today. 1 am a marine biologist by training, but 1 also provided testimony, written testimony December 14th meeting. I wasn't able to be there, so there will be more details there. Hopefully I can keep this moderately short and sweet. On a personal level, as an individual, this, the two percent land funds are near and dear to my heart. I remember 12, 13 years ago waving signs on the side of the road in Kai to support this. I have voted on this initiative all three times that it has been up and as a conservation biologist I know just how much more efficient it is with our time, and our money, and our resources to protect things now before they are degraded, rather than try to restore them down the line. Page 36