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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN PCHSW 2026/03/17 (2024-2026)Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being 61" Session West Hawaii Civic Center 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Building A Kailua-Kona, Hawaii March 17, 2026 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Policy Committee on Planning, Safety, and ORDER: Well-being was called to order at 1:20 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Kailua-Kona, by Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Mr. Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Chair Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Vice Chair (via videoconference from Hilo) Mr. James E. Hustace, Member Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Member Ms. Jenn Kagiwada, Member (via videoconference from Hilo) Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member (came in later; via videoconference from Hilo) Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member Absent & Excused: Ms. Michelle M. Galimba, 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.) BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. Bill 138: AMENDS CHAPTER 15, ARTICLE 2, DIVISION 1, SECTION 15-20, OF THE HAWAI`I COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), RELATING TO COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN COUNTY PARK AREAS Prohibits the issuance of permits, licenses, or other authorizations for commercial activity within Kohanaiki Beach Park. Reference: Comm.761 Intr. by: Council Member Inaba Motion to Approve: Mr. Inaba moved to recommend passage of Bill 138 on first reading. Seconded by Mr. Hustace. PCHSW-6 March 17, 2026 CHR. ONISHI: Go ahead, Chair Inaba. MR. INABA: Thank you. I'm sure everyone on the Council is familiar with Kohanaiki Beach Park here in North Kona, one of the only park facilities in District 8. We do have a standing committee that is made up of County Parks and Recreation, council member of the district; community members, whether through community organizations of Kohanaiki `ohana, as well as Kohanaiki Shores; our ocean safety crew, just a solid group of folks who will review and discuss any matters related to Kohanaiki Park. There has been some confusion over the years. Generally speaking, Section 15-20 of the Hawaii County Code, specifically Subsection B, states that commercial activity without a permit is prohibited, provided that it doesn't apply to transactions with authorized concessionaires. The state office, the state film office, and even our own departments here, at the County, have had some difficulty interpreting this section of the Code. So what this bill does is specifically articulate that commercial activity at Kohanaiki Park is not allowed and that a permit for such activity cannot be granted within the park. So, rather than having a general provision that governs all parks and leaves open that possibility, if a permit is granted, this specifically does not allow for it. And we have our Deputy Director of Parks and Recreation here today, Melissa Samma, and I'd like to call on you, Deputy Director, if you want to provide a perspective from the department. Besides this, this bill has been shared and reviewed by the working group at Kohanaiki, with all members in support. So, Deputy Director. MS. SAMURA: Aloha, everybody. Mahalo, Chair Inaba, Vice Chair Onishi, and all of the members of the County Council. We, here at the Department of Parks and Recreation, including Director Honma, we do support this Bill 138. We really, really think this is a great idea regarding not even having the option to get a permit. We've been having several —we've been having a lot of asks to permit, but we are in favor of not having commercialization down there. We've had several, or at least one group, that have commercialized without a permit, and so we often have to send them a cease and desist. We will work to review our permitting processes as well to take a deeper dive, I'll use your words, to make sure this kind of third party, you know, rents our facilities and allows for that to happen. We'll look at it as well. So yes, we definitely support 138 as it is stated. MR. INABA: Thank you, Deputy Director. Happy to take any questions from the membership, but again, this is to be very specific so that when folks, and I do actually want to take this opportunity to thank Steven Rose and the team down at Kohanaiki Shores. A lot of times, even though it's a county park, inquiries for different uses of the park go through Kohanaiki or are submitted to Kohanaiki Shores and they are the front face of these requests. So this really is a resource for Page 2 PCHS W-6 March 17, 2026 them to be able to state clearly that those types of permits for any commercial activity are not allowed in the park. Thank you. Chair, I yield. CHR. ONISHI: Members you folks have any comments or questions for the department or for Chair Inaba? Ms. Villegas. MS. VILLEGAS: Yeah, I just want to specifically thank you for being here, Deputy Director. I'm supporting the legislation, and to the author, having been intricately involved in Kohanaiki and the park and its creation and all the special rules that were written with wisdom and insight and looking into the future of this space. Thank you to Uncle Angel Pilago for including in there, no commercial use in this property. So this kind of closes a loophole to make it easier for everyone to understand the how's, the whys, and the what need to be enforced in that area. So, thank you, I'm in full support. I yield. CHR. ONISHI: Anybody in Hilo? CHR. ONISHI: Hearing and seeing none. Anybody else here? I just have one. So we pass this, if there's like say, an event, and they have people who run concessions and so forth. Will that affect them? MS. SAMURA: Yes. They won't be allowed to vend or commercialize. You cannot sell, you know, if we're looking at an existing event, like the surf meets, yep. They cannot sell any shirts, cannot sell any foods. CHR. ONISHI: Yeah. MS. SAMURA: Yes. CHR. ONISHI: And that's okay? Yeah. Oh. Okay. Okay, thank you. MS. SAMURA: Thank you. CHR. ONISHI: Okay. All those in favor of approving Bill 138 and moving that to the full Council, say "aye." Those opposed? And just for the record, Mr. Clerk, we have Ms. Kierkiewicz joining us. Page 3 PCHSW-6 Vote on Bill 138: (Approved) ADJOURN- MENT: Approved: March 17, 2026 The motion to recommend passage of Bill 138 on first reading was carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Hustace, Inaba, Kagiwada, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kimball, Kierkiewicz, Villegas, and Chair Onishi — 8. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Member Galimba —1. Excused: None. CHR. ONISHI: This ends the committee at 1:28 p.m. Thank you. There being no further business, Chair Onishi adjourned the meeting at 1:28 p.m. Mr. Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Chair Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being DO/mp 7/vc ja,. (Date) Page 4