HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0806.002 2020-2022 P/ Pc
comm
From: Cory
Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2022 10:46 PM
To: Chung, Aaron; David, Maile; Kanealii-Kleinfelder, Matt; Kierkiewicz, Ashley; Kimball, Heather;
Lee Loy, Sue; Inaba, Holeka; Richards, Tim;Villegas, Rebecca; Council Testimony
Subject: Comm 806 Cross WPC/ PC May 31
comments on Communication 806: Nomination of John C. Cross to Windward Planning Commission
from Cory Harden, Hilo
for Hawai'i County Council Committee on Planning
9 AM Tuesday, May 31, 2022 9: 00 A.M 0-7
LAI
sign up for Zoom testimony:councilremotetestimony@hawaiicounty.gov : ,
send e-mail testimony:counciltestimony@hawaiicounty.govs ;;.
watch live stream:http://hawaiicounty.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view id=1 -moi
Please consider these negatives and positives. t ,
Negatives
While Mr. Cross was land manager for Ed Olson Trust,the company cleared trees on land off'Amauulu Road in Hilo in 2016
without the necessary permits, damaging several burial sites.They kept working on the property after the County told them to
stop,and after the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD)told them historic properties had been damaged.
In a June 2019 County meeting, Mr. Cross gave the impression that SHPD had not answered inquiries from him in over a year,
but this was incorrect. Mr. Cross also presented a timeline saying Olson Trust denied all wrongdoing, but a letter from SHPD
and comments by an Olson Trust consultant contradict this.
While Mr. Cross has extensive experience in land management, it is largely from a business point of view. He has worked for C.
Brewer, Ka'u Coffee Mill, Mauna Kea Agribusiness,and Ka'u Farms Management.
Mr. Cross would be the second Commissioner connected to Ed Olson Trust,the first being Louis Daniele.
Positives
In 2019, Mr. Cross supported HB 1362 to allow ten consecutive one-year holdovers for revocable water permits. He cited the
struggles of water leaseholders in Ka'u.About twenty environmental and progressive groups opposed the bill. Sierra Club also
opposed the bill as a "giveaway of our stream waters for private profit"-- but did support holdovers for Ka'u ranchers since
they did not use much water, produced food, were not using stream water,and were unaware of some legal requirements.
See https://www.bigislandvideonews.com/2019/04/02/kau-ranchers-caught-up-in-divisive-water-rights-bill/
Mahalo for considering these comments.
Comm. No. (6°61
Ref.To: P I PG
Ref. Date MAY 3 1 2022
1