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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN PCHSW 2025/06/03 (2024-2026)Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being 11t Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii June 3, 2025 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Policy Committee on Planning, Safety, and ORDER: Well-being was called to order at 9:01 a.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, b Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Mr. Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Chair Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Vice Chair Ms. Michelle M. Galimba, Member (came in later) Mr. James E. Hustace, Member Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Member Ms. Jenn Kagiwada, Member Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: (There were none.) CHR. ONISHI: Mr. Clerk, go for it. BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. Bill 58: AMENDS THE PARKS AND RECREATIONAL FACILITY SCHEDULE, CHAPTER 15, ARTICLE 8, SECTION 15-68.1, OF THE HAWAI`I COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), BY RENAMING KAUMANA LANI PARK AS "YET SUNG CHANG PARK" 1N HONOR OF YET SUNG CHANG Reference: Comm.302 Intr. by: Council Member Kagiwada Motion to Approve: Ms. Kagiwada moved to recommend passage of Bill 58 on first reading. Seconded by Ms. Galimba. PCHSW-1 June 3, 2025 CHR. ONISHI: For the record, Mr. Clerk, Ms. Galimba is with us. Okay, thank you. Ms. Kagiwada, go ahead. MS. KAGIWADA: Thank you so much, Chair. I was really pleased to put this forward. This bill is to rename Kaumana Lani Park, which is often referred to as Hokulani Park. It's kind of a newer park that's in a newish subdivision. Anyway, Mr. Yet Sung Chang actually donated the land for this park to the County. So, his daughter is here, and I'd like to call her up, if that's okay, Chair. Carol Delima, please come up, and maybe you can tell us a little bit about your father. So, thank you for being here, and thank you and your father who has passed. Can you tell us a little bit about your father and maybe why you think he donated this land. (Note: At this time, Carol Delima came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MS. DELIMA: Thank you for inviting me. Thank you for hearing me out, and thank you for honoring his name. Because it's been ages that nothing has been done. Since I gave birth to my daughter, that's when he gave the park away to the County, because he didn't want me to go into hardship. He wants me to just realize and help everyone, because he used to be in the Kumiai Committee up at Kaumana section, and he liked to play fair for everyone. I believe he didn't want me to suffer. And since I was adopted, he just wanted me to live happily and being in comfort. MS. KAGIWADA: Thank you so much. I think you told me that your father was very concerned about fairness and doing the right things. So, I think those are very good qualities to have in someone. And we do appreciate his donation of the land, because that is a very well -used park now. I know, I see families; children; kupuna; people walking their dogs, like all sorts of people. So, really do appreciate. I'd like to open it up to the Council Members here if they have questions or comments. Chair, I yield. CHR. ONISHI: Okay, any other? Ms. Villegas. MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you for being here. What a beautiful legacy you have from your father and a touching story of generosity and equity. I suppose I just have some concerns. Any time a park or a place in Hawaii that has had a Hawaiian name, and Kaumana being of huge historical significance here in Hilo; the lava flows. And going back, I was just doing a little reading. The Hawaiian women that, you know, practiced her traditional cultural religion in the stopping of the lava flow is what's believed happened in the area. Page 2 PCHS W-1 June 3, 2025 So, I just have some concerns that changing a name of the park and a place that was named for its Native Hawaiian history to a person regardless of the connection. I myself had a fireman who passed away, and we looked at Lunaliko Park; we call it the Blue Park in Kona for a potential name change in his honor, and I was directed by my kupuna that it wouldn't be appropriate to change the name even to commemorate somebody who was a hero in our community —and so generous and even gave his life, to that person's name if it meant displacing the name of a cultural place or another person of that region. So, those are my concerns for today. I would be open to hearing from a cultural practitioner or lineal descendant from the area that is aware of that ahupua`a and the cultural sites there and the reason for the naming. Once again, I apologize, it',s not directed at your father. I recognize the honor of this potential name changing but I hold deep concerns. MS. DELIMA: Well, my question to you is, if you're so concerned about the name. If you don't want my father's full name, would it be alright to just put "Chang's Park?" MS. VILLEGAS: It's not about your father's name. It's about the change of a name from a Hawaiian name which is connected to, usually, ahupua`a cultural site, legacy, lineage; sometimes myth and legend there. And so, I'd be interested to hear from a cultural practitioner, lineal descendants from the area. There was a reason the park was named what it was originally. So, I'm just sharing my concerns. And so, I felt I'd be remiss if I didn't mention those things because I think it's important we go back even further, right, in the honoring of place names. I yield. MR. ONISHI: I'm going to refer back to Ms. Kagiwada. MS. KAGIWADA: Thank you. Thank you for those questions. They're very important questions. We did check through the Parks and Recreation Department, and they did a cursory search, and they couldn't find any specific reason that the original name of the park, except that's basically, the neighborhood its name. It's basically named for the neighborhood, not for any —is what we were told. I believe the Parks Director could not be on today. I don't know if the Deputy is available, but I can definitely get the Parks Director here by the next meeting. But yeah, so we checked, we did look into that and that was the understanding. The park name is named for the neighborhood that it's in, not after any mo`olelo or after anything. It's just because that's the neighborhood it was situated in. Page 3 PCHS W-1 June 3, 2025 MS. VILLEGAS: But the neighborhood is named that name for a reason. MS. KAGIWADA: Certainly, but that's not the reason this park was named that, it was just where it was located. Anyway, that's the information that I have right now. Happy to, like I said, make sure that the Parks Director is here at the next meeting to discuss. But because the land was generously donated by this person. And like I said, the park name has just been named based on the neighborhood. That's why we thought it was a good idea. But I'm happy to hear from other Council Members. Thank you, I yield. MR. ONISHI: I would suggest that, we do have other readings after this once we approve it. So, Ms. Kagiwada can bring in the proper people to come and explain to everyone. Ms. Villegas. MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you for —and I figured in knowing how thorough you are that there was research done and communication with Parks and Rec, totally appropriate. I'm not surprised that there wasn't just because there are different things that are looked for through government agencies. And I think we've come a long way as a County and a government in honoring our host culture and the naming of sites and places and insuring that those names aren't lost. So, along with Parks and Rec, if you wouldn't mind, I think you know, Kaumana is a neighborhood, but it was named that neighborhood because of where it is. And with sense of place being such a priceless reconnection for our host culture and people. And for the depth and breathe of cultural and historical knowledge that there is in Hilo, I would ask that perhaps the Cultural Commission could be asked, and there might be somebody that represents this district. I know there are halau and cultural practitioners of immense knowledge and understanding of these places, and I would ask that they might be asked as well if they think it would be appropriate and pono, or if the name Kaumana as the sense of place of that place is a more appropriate name to remain the name of the park. So, thank you, I. yield. MR. ONISHI: Thank you, any other Council Members? Ms. Kierkiewicz. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Chair. I've had experience naming a few parks and ballfields after individuals that have made a significant contribution to our community. The Pahoa District Park was renamed after former Mayor Billy Kenoi, because it was his vision and leadership that lead to the manifestation and building of that park. His `ohana actually reached out to ask if that could be done. Page 4 PCHSW-1 June 3, 2025 Howard Sanoria's family, he spent many years of his life coaching softball and baseball in the Puna community,, so a ballfield was named after him there. I worked with former Council Member Lee Loy to name the Jimmy Correa Ballfields here in Hilo. I also worked with community to rename Kahakai Beach Park in honor of the ahupua`a that is rests in, Waiakahi`ula. And worked very diligently to design and recently install a series of interpretive signs that elevate mo`olelo; the cultural natural resources that are in that particular area. So in this situation, I don't think it has to be either or, I think we can absolutely recognize the contribution that your father made in donating this park, so that so many families have a place for recreation. I don't think that stops us from also elevating the mo`olelo, as Council Member Villegas is saying about the significance of Kaumana and why that area is named what it is. I think we can achieve both. I think there is funding in Parks and Recreation's budget to do some, you know, art installation interpretive signage that helps us to honor our host culture and also the individual that helped to make that park a reality. I'm comfortable advancing this and will be supporting this change. But also, I'm happy to work with you to share some best practices, Council Member, in how to go about designing the interpretive signage that elevates the unique stories of this place. Thank you, Chair, I yield. MR. ONISHI: Okay. If there are no further discussions, Mr. Clerk, I think we should do a roll call. Vote on Bill 58: The motion to recommend passage of Bill 58 on first reading (Approved) was carried by the following roll call vote: Ayes: Committee Members Galimba, Hustace, Inaba, Kagiwada, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Kimball, Villegas, and Chair Onishi — 9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. CHR. ONISHI: Okay. So, Bill 58 is approved and will move forward to the Council. At this time, that's it on the agenda. So, we'll be adjourning at 9:15 a.m. Thank you, members. Page 5 PCHS W-1 ADJOURN- There being no further business, Chair Onishi adjourned the meeting MENT: at 9:15 a.m. Approved: Mr. Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Chair Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being DO/dt (Date) June 3, 2025 Page 6