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Home My WebLink AboutRES 546 Draft 01 2022-2024A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO ENTER INTO NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF LANDS AND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR ALL OR A PORTION OF THE PROPERTIES IDENTIFIED BY TAX MAP KEY NOS. (3) 6-2-001:018, 019, 051, 074, 075, 088, 089; (3) 6-2-002:006; (3) 6-2-007:001; (3) 6-4-001:032, 053, 054, 060, 114, 146, 155, 999; (3) 6-5-003:001, 002, 004, 005, 031, 044, 045; (3) 6-5-004:007, 012, 015, 025, 056, 063, 099, 108; (3) 6-5-005:001, 009, 018, 020, 021, 023, 025; (3) 6-5-009:102; (3) 6-6-001:002, 010, 038, 050, 077; (3) 6-6-003:006, 007, 010, AND 013, SITUATED IN THE AHUPUA‘A OF LĀLĀMILO, DISTRICT OF SOUTH KOHALA, UTILIZING THE PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE, AND NATURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION FUND. WHEREAS, the Hawaiʻi County Charter, Section 10-15, and Chapter 2, Article 42 of the Hawai‘i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended) (hereinafter “the Code”), establishes a Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund; and WHEREAS, the Hawai‘i County Charter, Article X, Financial Procedures, Section 10-15(c) provides as follows: “(c) Monies in this fund shall be used solely to: (1) Purchase or otherwise acquire lands and easements in the County of Hawai‘i for public outdoor recreation and education, including: (A) Access to beaches and mountains; (B) Preservation of historic or culturally important land areas and sites; (C) Protection of natural resources, significant habitat or eco-systems, including buffer zones; (D) Preservation of forests, beaches, coastal areas, natural beauty and agricultural lands; and (E) Protection of watershed lands to preserve water quality and water supply.”; and WHEREAS, Section 2-217 of the Code provides, in part, that the duties and responsibilities of the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (hereinafter “the Commission”) include developing and submitting to the Mayor an initial prioritized list of qualifying lands worthy of preservation and updating the list annually by December 31 of each year; and WHEREAS, Ke Ala Kahawai ʻo Waimea, shown and described in Exhibit A, attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference, consists of approximately 90 acres across approximately 11,485.82 acres, and is ranked the third highest priority for acquisition in the Commission’s 2023 Annual Report to the Mayor, dated November 13, 2023; and WHEREAS, Section 2-218(a) of the Code provides, in pertinent part, that: “The council shall, by resolution, select the land or lands to be preserved …”; and “[w]here there are multiple lands under consideration at any one time, priority shall be given to coastal lands…”; and WHEREAS, Ke Ala Kahawai ‘o Waimea is a longstanding 30-year grassroots community project led by the Waimea Trails and Greenways Committee, a group dedicated to the perpetuation, protection, and stewardship of greenway corridors along the Waikoloa and Keanuʻiʻomanō streams for future generations to access and explore historically and culturally significant lands within the Lālāmilo, Keanuʻi‘omanō, ‘Ōuli, Kawaihae, Puʻukapu, and Waimea/Waikoloa ahupuaʻa of South Kohala; and WHEREAS, the Waimea Trails and Greenways Committee envisions the Ke Ala Kahawai ‘o Waimea project taking place in six major increments that will eventually stretch from the town of Kamuela to the shoreline south of Kawaihae and connect to the larger Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail system; and WHEREAS, the acquisition of trail easements for the Ke Ala Kahawai ʻo Waimea properties would be significantly beneficial to the County and our island community for the following reasons: (1) To protect cultural and natural resources, including native plant habitats and portions of an ancient trail system; (2) To preserve a key portion of the Kohala watershed, which positively impacts downstream coastline ecosystems; (3) To create a safe greenway corridor for gathering, walking, bicycling, and recreation; (4) To expand opportunities for education, volunteerism, and community engagement; (5) To facilitate legal and responsibly-managed public access; (6) To ease traffic congestion by providing non-vehicular connectivity between residents, businesses, and schools; (7) To enable community-based management and stewardship; and (8) To perpetuate the lifestyle, culture, and history of Lālāmilo; and WHEREAS, the Waimea Trails and Greenway Committee has signaled their commitment to work with the various landowners, the County, and the broader community to secure, establish, and maintain the proposed acquisitions in the public interest; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I that, pursuant to Chapter 2, Article 42 of the Code, the Director of Finance is hereby authorized to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of lands and conservation easements across the properties identified as tax map keys (3) 6-2-001:018, 019, 051, 074, 075, 088, 089; (3) 6-2-002:006; (3) 6-2-007:001; (3) 6-4-001:032, 053, 054, 060, 114, 146, 155, 999; (3) 6-5-003:001, 002, 004, 005, 031, 044, 045; (3) 6-5-004:007, 012, 015, 025, 056, 063, 099, 108; (3) 6-5-005:001, 009, 018, 020, 021, 023, 025; (3) 6-5-009:102; (3) 6-6-001:002, 010, 038, 050, 077; (3) 6-6-003:006, 007, 010, and 013, situated in the ahupuaʻa of Lālāmilo, District of South Kohala, utilizing the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Fund. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Director of Finance is hereby authorized is initiate any funding mechanisms required for the acquisition of lands and conservation easements for all or any portion of the properties identified hereinabove, in accordance with the terms of this resolution. BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk shall transmit a copy of this resolution to the Honorable Mitchell D. Roth, Mayor of the County of Hawai‘i; Diane Nakagawa, Director of Finance; Dawn N. S. Chang, Chairperson of the Board of Land and Natural Resources; Stacy K. Ferreira, Administrator of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs; and Alexandra Kelepolo, Chairperson of the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission. Dated at _____________, Hawai‘i, this ______ day of ___________________, 2024. INTRODUCED BY: _______________________________________ COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I COUNTY COUNCIL County of Hawai‘i Hilo, Hawai‘i ROLL CALL VOTE AYES NOES ABS EX EVANS GALIMBA I hereby certify that the foregoing RESOLUTION was by the vote indicated to the right hereof adopted by the COUNCIL of the County of Hawai‘i on _____________________________________. INABA KAGIWADA KĀNEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER KIERKIEWICZ KIMBALL ATTEST: LEE LOY VILLEGAS Reference: COUNTY CLERK CHAIRPERSON & PRESIDING OFFICER RESOLUTION NO.