HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0099.025 2020-2022 From: Louis P. Mendonca
Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2021 12:07 PM
To: Council Testimony
Cc: Mike O'Shaughnessy
Subject: Puna Canoe Club's Request for the Committee to Reconsider the Ad Hoc Committee's
i
Recommendation on Puna CC's Hawaii County Grant Application COUNTY CLERK
COUNTY CE HAWAIII
RECEIVED
Aloha Committee Members Time
Dat
9 MAY 4 2U21
My name is Louie Mendonca. I am Vice President of Puna Canoe Club ("Puna CC").
Please accept this as my testimony in support of Puna CC's request for the Committee to reconsider the Ad Hoc
Committee's recommendation not to grant Puna CC' any funding based on what appears to be a technical error in
Puna CC's grant application.
This was Puna Canoe Club's first grant application with the County of Hawaii. We apparently mistakenly believed
that Question 3 and 4 on page 2 of the application were the relevant questions requesting Puna CC's responses to its
proposed budget for the grant funding. In addition, Puna CC's entire application with the attached proposals for the
requested budget of$ 76,000.00 makes clear that Puna CC applied for $ 76,000 in grants for the purposes stated in the
application.
Also, had either Mike O'Shaughnessy or I been provided some guidance and/or the opportunity to amend or correct
Puna CC's application we would have done so immediately and it apparently would have been a quick and easy fix;
however, as you know, we did not receive any input from the Ad Hoc Committee during our interview with the Ad
Hoc Committee nor did anyone from the County reach out to any of us to let us know there appears to be a technical
error in Puna CC's grant application. Mike and I believed from the ad hoc committee interview that all was good with
Puna CC's application and there was nothing that needed to be fixed.
Given these circumstances, we hope that the committee will reconsider the ad hoc committee's recommendation given
it was Puna CC's first application with the County grant program coupled with the somewhat cryptic question on page
4 which queries the applicant to provide "Grant Req".
If we understand that question to require a response itemizing the proposals Puna CC received from Doug Bumatay to
repair/refurbish it's historic Koa canoes and fabrication of a canoe trailer despite Puna CC's responses to Questions 3
and 4, we certainly would have done so.
Since Puna CC submitted the application, the Hawaii Community Foundation granted Puna CC $ 15,000 under the
Puna Strong program. Therefore, Puna CC presently needs $ 61,000 to refurbish/repair its historic koa canoes and to
purchase a 6 man canoe trailer.
For these reasons, we hope that the committee will reconsider the ad hoc committee's recommendation on Puna CC's
application.
Mahalo,
Louie Mendonca (�(�
Comm. o. q
Ref. To:
Ref. Date NI AY 0 4 2021