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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0372.019 2024-2026P 5. PCPCuEO bill w C".j572 From: ptanok12@gmail.com on behalf of Moku Loa Hawaii Island Sierra Club Z9 c s co,� Sent: Tuesday, July 8, 2025 11:55 AM:C C.:-CD To: Council Testimony -< Subject: Comments on Bill 66 D1, COM 326.002, COM 326.003, COM 372.001 CIO =r-- Aloha Chair Kierkiewicz and PCPLUED Members, o The Sierra Club of Hawai'i, Hawaii Island Group is providing these initial comments in order to meet the deadline for written testimony at noon today. More detailed late written testimony will be submitted prior to the Committee's special meeting at 5PM tomorrow, July 9th. Initial comments 1. There has been insufficient time to review the external documents associated with the meeting agenda because this meeting was proposed for July 15, 2025 in COM 326.000. Public notice of the decreased amount of time to prepare testimony was not given until July 3rd. 2. There is conflicting information between external documents which have impaired HIG's abilityto prepare informed public testimony. For instance, COM 326.000 stated, "Two versions will be provided: 1) The original draft submitted to the Planning Commissions, and 2) A version incorporating and highlighting feedback from both the Leeward and Windward Planning Commissions. The Committee will determine which version to use as the base for review and may propose further clarifications or modifications as necessary." However, the version provided in COM 372.001 does not incorporate all amendments recommended by the Planning Commissions. In addition, "Draft 2" of the General Plan 2045 does not highlight the amendments incorporated into the draft GP2045 submitted to the Planning Commissions. In addition, there is no information to inform the public upon which version/draft of the GP2045 they should base their testimony. 3. HIG supports the recommendations for changes to the GP2045 submitted by the Na Ala Hele Hawai'i Island Advisory Council contained within COM 372.001 and recommended by the Leeward Planning Commission.. 4. HIG supports the recommendations for Bill 66 submitted by the county Game Management Advisory Commission in a letter dated July 3, 2025. Mahalo for this opportunity to submit comments, Chuck Flaherty Moku Loa (Hawaii Island) Group, Sierra Club We work hard to.advance Sierra Club's mission to explore, enjoy, and protect the wild places of the earth; to practice and promote the responsible use of the earths ecosystems and resources; to educate and enlist humanity to protect and restore the quality of the natural and human environment; and to use all lawful means to carry out these objectives Comm. o 1.1 Ref. To:_ Ref. Date_ �a 5 � SIERRACLUB - HAWAI IISLAND GROUP July 9, 2025 Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, and Economic Development c/o Hawaii County Council 25 Aupuni St Hilo HI 96720 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway Kailua Kona HI 96740 Re: Comments on July 9, 2025 Special Meeting Agenda, including Items Bill 66 Draft 1 and Communications 326.002, 326.003, and 372.001 Aloha Chair Kierkiewicz and Committee members, The Hawai'i Island Group of the Sierra Club of Hawai'i ("HIG") requests the Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, and Economic Development ("Committee") consider the following comments on Bill 66 Draft 1 (`Bill 66 D 1 ") and Communications ("COM") 326.002, 326.003, 372.001 Compliance with General Plan Comprehensive Review process It is not yet clear where we are in the Comprehensive General Plan Review ("GPCR') process outlined in Section 16.1 of the current General Plan. Please provide clarity at today's special meeting. Commitment to Inform GPCR participants A consistent theme of public testifiers during the latest iteration of the GPCR process during the past almost two years has been the lack of timely, adequate informative notice to and communication with the public. For instance, a majority of testifiers reiterated this complaint during the Leeward and Windward Planning Commissions' General Plan special meetings and requested the County make additional efforts and provide additional means to communicate with the public. Planning Commissioners made an effort to support testifiers by making the same request of the County. Suggestions were made to increase public awareness and participation through actions such as press releases and utilizing portable roadway signs that provided notice of meetings. The county Planning Department made repeated representations to participants in the GPCR process that informational update e-mails would be sent to keep participants informed. Participants submitted their e-mail addresses when registering on the Konveio platform to submit online comment, providing e-mail addresses when commenting via e-mail, and providing their e- mail addresses when registering at public meetings held during the GPCR process. P 0 Box 1137 .Hilo, HI 96721-1137 1 hawaiiislandsierraclub@gmail.com sierraclubhig.org However, no informational e-mails have been sent to participant. As a result, none of the participants were informed that: 1. A new draft of General Plan 2045 (July 2024), "Draft 2" has been issued by the Planning Director and is available online for review. 2. Bill 66, Draft 1 and Draft 2 are different in that Draft 2 incorporates most, but not all, of recommended amendments by the Planning Commissions). 3. The Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use, Economic Development is holding a special meting to take public testimony today at 5PM. 4. Initial Committee special meetings were for discussion and decision -making on the "Collaborative Biocultural Stewardship" ("CBS") section. Insufficient time to review external documents There has been insufficient time to review the external documents associated with the meeting agenda because today's meeting was proposed for July 15, 2025 in COM 326.000 introduced during the Committee's June 3ra meeting. Public notice of the decreased amount of time to prepare testimony was not given until July 3ra This could be interpreted as providing further evidence that GPCR process has not been focused on informing the public and encouraging their participation. External documents contain conflicting information There is conflicting information between external documents which have impaired HIG's ability to prepare informed public testimony. For instance, COM 326.000 stated, "Two versions will be provided: 1) The original draft submitted to the Planning Commissions, and 2) A version incorporating and highlighting feedback from both the Leeward and Windward Planning Commissions. The Committee will determine which version to use as the base for review and may propose further clarifications or modifications as necessary." However, the version provided in COM 372.001, Draft 2, does not incorporate all amendments recommended by the Planning Commissions. Those amendments that were incorporated into Draft 2 are not highlighted. In addition, there is no information to inform the public upon which version/draft of the GP2045 public testimony should be based. Recommendations HIG supports in initial review of meeting agenda's external documents HIG supports the recommendations for changes'to the GP2045 submitted by the Na Ala Hele Hawai'i Island Advisory Council contained within COM 372.001 and recommended by the Leeward Planning Commission.. HIG supports the recommendations for Bill 66 D1 submitted by the county Game Management Advisory Commission in a letter dated July 3, 2025. 0) HIG supports Draft 2 Actions 5.d, 5.e. and 51 to establish a Scenic Resources Protection Program and utilize this program to designate Ali'i Highway and Akoni Pule Highways as scenic corridors: Request to schedule additional Committee special meeting on CBS section The state Office of Information Practices has provided guidance that "When creating an agenda, a board should not assume that the public will be familiar with its issues and areas of concern beyond what could reasonably be expected of a member of the general community, and it should not assume familiarity with ongoing board issues or specialized jargon. Nor can a board expect members of the public to read an external document, such as a legislative bill or a report or letter available at the board's office, in order to understand what a board plans to discuss at its meeting." COM 326.003 has scheduled a Planning Department presentation of the CBS section on July 291h. It is not clear if this will be a presentation cover Bill 66 D1, Draft 2, or both and whether it will include a presentation of Planning Commission recommendations not incorporated in Draft 2. Regardless, requiring public testimony before the Planning Department presentation makes no sense because it assumes the public is familiar with the areas of concern and expects members of the public have read the external documents. And even, if members of the public have read the external documents, HIG has pointed out that they have conflicting information that is confusing. Therefore, HIG requests the Committee schedule an additional special meeting on CBS to allow the public to have the same information that will be presented to the Committee in order for the public to be familiar with the issues and areas of concern and have a clear basis upon which to provide informed testimony to the Committee. Mahalo for the Committee's due consideration. 3