REP LAAC 012 2025-04-15 2024-2026

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REPORT OF THE LEGISLATIVE APPROVALS AND ACQUISITIONS COMMITTEE DATE: April 15, 2025 Re: Comm. No. 204/Res.No. 120-25 PLACE: Council Chambers Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i TIME: 3:16 p.m. Council Chair and Members Hawai`i County Council Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 Your Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions, to which was referred Resolution No. 120-25, reports as follows: Resolution No. 120-25,transmitted by Council Chair Dr. Holeka Goro Inaba,via Communication No. 204, dated March 25, 2025, authorizes the Director of Finance to enter into negotiations for the acquisition of lands and/or conservation easements for all or a portion of any property identified in the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission's 2024 Prioritized List, utilizing the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Funds. The resolution provides authorization for the Director of Finance and Administration to initiate the acquisition of any or all of the ten properties identified in the 2024 Annual Report of the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission(PONC). Finance Deputy Director Malia Kekai and Corporation Counsel Renee Schoen were in attendance. Ms. Kekai stated that Finance supports the resolution and that she is available to answer any process questions. Committee Member Holeka Inaba gave an overview of the resolution's intent to streamline the formal process with a one-time Council approval of all properties recommended by PONC's 2024 Prioritized List, instead of the previous style of piece-meal submissions per Council Member's prerogative. This resolution allows the Finance Director the immediate power to negotiate the purchases of any and all of the recommendations fromPONC and further approved by Mayor C. Kimo Alameda. Mr. Inaba apologized to the Council Members who are working on submissions within their district recommendations and understands that each district takes pride in introducing said PONC resolutions; however, such an introduction of any PONC resolution does not guarantee the acquisition of the properties. Committee members commented with directed inquiries to Deputy Director Kekai, and Corporation Counsel Schoen. Extensive discussions took place regarding the urgency for the properties on the list, whether the blanket process was allowable per the Hawai`i County Code as Council is allowed to select which properties are to be preserved, Council's learning opportunity by public and land steward weigh-in for each property, PONC's detailed vetting process with site visits and scoring of each property, the opportunity for Council to attend the PONC meetings,the redundancy of information with individual property resolutions, if the prioritized list would remain in the recommended order, if outside or matching funds could change the priority order for the Department of Finance as a best LAAC Report No. 12