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Home My WebLink AboutCOM 0193.046 2008-2010 SILL 4-Cl Page 1 of 4 riDM M. P/ FO Murashige, Laura From: Hoona Ohana [hoona_ohana@yahoo.com] ~}Fift 30 Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 4:25 PM ZU~~ To: dikeda@co.hawaii.hi.us; donishi@co.hawaii.hi.us; enaeole@co.hawaii.hi.us ._`?t" rlik~ll i1 jyoshimoto@co.hawaii.hi.us; Billy Kenoi; Council testimony; Enriques, Guy; bo>!tl; Brenda; Greenwell, Kelly; Pete Hoffman; Yagong, Dominic Cc: ja@interpac.net; Luna Hauanio; LUNA Drug Court; Ke Kumulipo-MSN; Ke Kumulipo-Gmail; Audrey; lekea@gmail.com; Andy Smith Governor Liaison; Antonio GRAFILO; Carole Anne ISHIMARU; jim albertini'; anette garner; Barr AKIN, Honolulu Advertiser Aloha Council members and Mayor Kenoi- Allow me to give you a little history about the Open Space Fund and clear up some confusion about why there is $8.8 million in the 2% fund right now: 1. Only two parcels have been purchased in the last 2.5 years- o Waipio Look out in Yagong's district and o part of Kawa bay in Ka'u, which is Enriques district. 2. Please know that Harry Kim's administration was adamantly against the 2% fund from the beginning and he appeared before the council and the Open Space commission asking that the funds be used for Park maintenance (the ordinance says acquisition only). 3. I have no idea WHY the county has been stockpiling these funds and not been actively negotiating on parcels that are for sale. The lack of progress in open space acquisition and transparency in the county's negotiations has been a constant source of frustration to many people in the conservation community. 4. An additional parcel of land at Kawa Bay in Ka'u, owned by Olsen, was under contract but the county let the appraisal expire. I am unable to get an answer about the appraised value for this land, but I believe it was to have cost the county approximately $5 million. 5. The great gift of having a sure funding source like the 2% fund is that we can go after matching funds. The "shame" of the county dragging their feet on the Olsen purchase was that we had matching funds of $1.5 million from the US Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the Hawksbill turtle and an additional $1.5 million from the State Legacy lands Fund which is funded from a portion of the conveyance tax when real estate is sold. (This fund is now being proposed for suspension for 4 years- so open space funding is evaporating) 6. FYI- There is a federal law to protect sellers, that requires that governments pay full cash value, so when the values started to fall, the seller (Olsen) did not want to sell at for the reduced appraised price. 7. There are actually 4 parcels for sale right now. 3 of which are approved (by resolution which directs the Director of Finance to begin negotiations for acquisition) by the Council and were in the top 5 picks of the Mayor for several years. ALL 4 properties have significant cultural sites. The following parcels are actively listed with real estate brokers for sale- The two websites below are for Kaiholena (in North Kohala) Click here: www.kaiholenasouth.com for the 111 acres or www.kaiholenanorth.com for the 151 acres. Click here for the listing for the Puapua'a property (in Kona on Ali'i Drive just norht of Casa de 6 Comoor. 3/30/2009 Ref 0464 too A C. Ref_ Data APR 0 7(109 Page 2 of 4 Emdeko: http://www.konaalii.com/ The landowner for Pao'o (Kohala) has contacted Gail Byrne and is interested in selling for conservation. My background for the last 30 years is in real estate land sales and development. I would be glad to assist the county in anyway to acquire properties for Open Space and to increase our parks system as the basis for an eco-tourism industry. From a real estate investment perspective, this economic downturn represents a golden opportunity for the County. It is my hope that the Council and Mayor, as our leaders, will be able to see the long- term big -picture. NOW is the time to buy. To leave a legacy and to provide land for recreation for generations, PLEASE consider using the $3.5 to $4 million per year to pay the principal and interest on a $50 million Open Space Bond which would really enable us to save some of Hawaii Island's great places (see attached explanation about a bond) Please call or email with questions. I have attached a list of properties approved by the Council for acquisition. I can send you maps or meet with you. PLEASE honor 57% of voters who want to save the Big Island's treasured places before they are lost to development forever. Mahalo, Lunakanawai Hauanio 808315-0677 Attachments: 1. Open Space Bond Explanation 2. Chart of Properties approved by the Council for acquisition West Hawai'i Today: Land use fund discussed at public hearing Monday BY JIM QUIRK WEST HAWAII TODAY j-qiLlrk@westhawaiitoday.com - Placing a moratorium on Hawaii County's 2 percent land use fund to help balance next fiscal year's operating budget is a bone of contention for some island residents. During a County Council public hearing Monday to discuss Mayor Billy Kenoi's proposed operating and capital budgets for the 2009-10 fiscal 3/30/2009 Page 3 of 4 year that begins July 1, only three residents testified. Among other things, all three expressed concerns with Kenoi's proposal to establish a two-year moratorium on the 2 percent land use fund in order to save $4.5 million next fiscal year. Resident Patrick Sullivan said "beauty and open spaces" is the reason tourists visit the Big Island, and the county government needs to continue the 2 percent land use fund to preserve certain areas from development. Tlie 2 percent land use fund initiative was approved by voters in 2004. It requires the county to set aside 2 percent of all real propertv taxes collected annually to buy properties residents say should be protected from development. "The eco-tourism business will explode as long as we preserve what we have here;" Sullivan said. "9f we don't protect it, the eco-tOUrism industry will suffer greatly." Hamakua Councilman Dominic Yagong said he believes more residents did not attend Monday's hearing because local newspapers failed to run articles announcing the hearing. He suggested the council recess the hearing for two days to give newspapers an opportunity to run articles. However, after Hilo Councilman Donald Ikeda and Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann pointed out that budget hearings are traditionally poorly attended - and after the county clerk's office reported the hearing was properly advertised in local 3/30/2009 Page 4 of 4 newspapers - the council decided not to hold a recess. Wow O'hana u LunakanawaiHauanio P.O. Box 522, Kealakekua, Hawaii 96750 Tel.: (808) 315-0677 E-mail: hoona, ohana@yahoo.com Web: htfp:%/www.aeocities.comlhoona_ohanaI 3/30/2009