Comm No 0044.05 - Testimony - CA-27 - PONC fund - Easements - Eminent Domain

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From: Debbie H <hecht.deb@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2019 6:19 PM To: Charter Commission Subject: CA -18 & CA -27 Two amendments to the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund Attachments: Ca -18 FINAL 3.6.2019.pdf; Maintenance Fund with Critique 1.31.2019.pdf Please forward with 2 attachments to all Charter Commissioners Aloha Charter Commissioners: We respectfully request that you: Approve CA -18 with proposed amendments (see attached) and oppose CA -27. APPROVE CA -18, as amended, for Initial Approval; Proposal to amend Section 10-16, Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Maintenance Fund, as submitted by Commissioner Rice. We have been working with Commissioner Rice. Please review the attached, proposed changes to CA -18 that will be proposed on Friday During 2 campaigns for the Land Fund in 2006 and 2010 we heard from many people, "Why should the County buy more land? We can't even take care of what we have." I heard this over and over. Council member Brenda Ford and I wrote the Maintenance Fund Charter amendment to empower the stewardship groups that were already caring for the 2% Lands by setting aside 1/4% of property taxes each year in the Maintenance Fund, which is about $700,000 per year. These monies can be used only for stewardship of land purchased with 2% Land Fund monies. I have talked to almost every group who had received a stewardship grant. I have reviewed all the expenditures of the Maintenance Fund since the beginning in since 2013. I have worked with and talked to staff over the years. I was on the PONC commission. Our intent of helping the stewardship groups has not come to fruition. Only 9% of all the Maintenance Fund money has gotten to the non -profits. See the attached Critique of the Maintenance Fund. We have been working with Commissioner Rice to better achieve the goal of assisting the non -profits to care for these lands, by: 1. Streamlining the stewardship application process. 2. Requiring the application process be administered by the Department of Finance. They have experience. They already assist with a $1 million grant program for all of the different social program non -profits island -wide. 3. Requiring that the Public Access and Open Space Commission help with recommendations and oversight. 4. Allowing the building, installing renting and maintenance of toilet facilities, sheds and structures. 5. Allowing the creation of trails or paths. 6. Allowing officers, board members and employees to be paid by the non-profit for their work. OUR GOAL IS TO STRENGTHEN THE 2% LAND PROGRAM by having more land acquired, boost the purchasing power of the fund by obtaining more matching grants and awarding 1 Comm. No. 44.5