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REPORT OF THE <br />LEGISLATIVE APPROVALS AND ACQUISITIONS COMMITTEE <br />DATE: April 7, 2026 <br />PLACE: Council Chambers <br />Hilo, Hawaii <br />TIME: 10:55 a.m. <br />Council Chair and Members <br />Hawaii County Council <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />Re: Comm. No. 794/Res. No. 499-26 <br />Your Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions, to which was referred Resolution <br />No. 499-26, reports as follows: <br />Resolution No. 499-26, transmitted by Deputy Corporation Counsel Sinclair Salas-Ferguson, via <br />Communication No. 794, dated March 5, 2026, authorizes and directs the Director of Finance to <br />exchange real property identified as portions of Tax Map Key: 2-8-010:999, situated at Honomu, <br />South Hilo, for public roadway and public access purposes. <br />The County seeks the exchange of property with the Stella May Swain Trust to align and <br />straighten Wailele Road and ensure public access to the Hilo Forest Reserve. <br />Committee Chair Heather L. Kimball shared that both the landowner and their attorney are <br />available on Zoom; however, the landowner's planning consultant, Daryn Arai, was not able <br />to attend but sent his letter via testimony. In addition, the Department of Public Works <br />representative is present in chambers. Ms. Kimball shared that these types of scenarios <br />unfortunately occur quite frequently in Council District 1, with the ground road not matching with <br />the road on the plat maps. She further shared that this is an arduous process, and as the letter from <br />the landowner provided, it speaks of the challenges of decades of long processes to finally get to <br />this last step to resolve this matter. Ms. Kimball concluded that these efforts can serve as a <br />learning tool to better expeditiously process similar actions in the future. <br />Your Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions is in accord with the purpose and <br />intent of Resolution No. 499-26, and recommends its adoption. <br />dbk <br />AYES <br />NOES <br />ABS <br />EX <br />GALIMBA <br />X <br />HUSTACE <br />X <br />INABA <br />X <br />KAGIWADA <br />X <br />KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER <br />X <br />KIERKIEWICZ <br />X <br />KIMBALL <br />X <br />ONISHI <br />X <br />VILLEGAS <br />X <br />Respectfully submitted, <br />COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE <br />�APPROVALS AND ACQUISITIONS <br />"LEATHER L KIMBALL, CHAIR <br />LAAC REPORT NO.: 36 <br />ADOPTED: APR 2 2 2026 <br />