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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0024.105 - Testimony - CA-9 - staff for PONC fund and Maintenance fundFrom: Debbie H <hecht.deb@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, May 22, 2019 2:56 PM To: Charter Commission Subject: Charter Commission CA -9 One Staff position to be paid from the 2% Land Fund Please send to all Charter Commission members and please include my email and phone number in case they have questions or suggestions. Please acknowledge receipt of this email. Mahalo- Debbie Hecht hecht.debc gmail.com Aloha Charter Commissioners: We respectfully request that you approve our proposed changes to the existing CA -9 to clarify the language of the amendment. These changes would enable us to run a campaign in favor of the CA -9 amendment at the polls. We feel this position will strengthen the 2% Land Fund program by enabling: 1. More land to be acquired 2. More stewardship grants to be funded so that these lands can be properly maintained. THE ISSUE: Using the 2% Land Fund to pay for ONLY One staff person to work on acquisition and Maintenance Fund grants. PLEASE SUPPORT OUR PROPOSED LANGUAGE. A big mahalo to Commissioner Hopkins for submitting the underlined clarifications: (3) "Pay for the salary, wages and benefits of one full-time staff member, employed by the Department of Finance dedicated only to advancing administering the activities contained within this section and Section 10-16 of this charter. This is in addition to a staff person provided for in the Hawaii County Code to assist the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Commission." Here is what is currently in CA -9: (3) "Pay for the salary, wages and benefits of staff dedicated to advancing the Activities contained within this section and Section 10-16 of this charter." We are OPPOSED to this language because it is AMBIGUOUS: 1. "STAFF" CAN MEAN ONE OR MANY STAFF PEOPLE - The clause does not define how many staff members. One, two, ten staff people? We want to make sure that only ONE staff member's salary is subtracted from the 2% Land Fund so as not to diminish the money available for property acquisition. A person with real estate experience regarding conservation lands could cost $100,000 per year. Below are the current 1 Comm. No. 24.105 Human Resources listings for the two people who work (part-time) with Public Access Open Space Natural Resources Commission. Property Management Specialist 2.200 $59,616.00 - $88,298.00 Annually Plans, develops, and directs the management, control, and disposition .9.1.y -owned real and personal property, ovmrse(Ds the negotiations and leasing of real property, cmtablishes endmaitaise ystc ...PM inventory '..kee4 'g end verifications; and pcf s other rel dlt.s es required. Property Management Technician 1.829 $38,220.00 - $58,824.00 Annually Independently performs a variety of administrative and technical support services for the Property Management Division; serval os the principal clerical support tera propertymanagement commission; repo,. and t,'term rWrs f meetingsand hearings; serveshe comrnssor s contact portion for information and request.. • Right now there is one staff member provided in the Code to assist the Public Access and Open Space Commission. This is a necessary position. Our language clarifies that the new staff position dedicated to working ONLY on the 2% Land Fund program will be in addition to the existing staff member. Otherwise, we may be paying for at least two "STAFF" positions, but potentially more than that! Salary, wages and benefits for someone familiar with land conservation acquisitions could be more than $100,000 per year. We do NOT WANT TO DIMINISH THE PURCHASING POWER OF THE 2% LAND FUND. 2. Why is it important to have ONE STAFF MEMBER TO WORK ONLY on the 2% Land Fund program? o Real estate deals have deadlines for appraisals, surveys, and endangered species studies, geologic, floodplain information etc. Time is of the essence! Land Conservation acquisition requires a willing seller, but most sellers want to be paid as soon as possible because the taxes keep accruing and they may have a use for the money. o The Maintenance Fund charter amendment was written in 2013 by Council member Brenda Ford and Debbie Hecht, with the goal of empowering the non-profit stewardship groups who had advocated for the purchase of lands and who had been doing the maintenance on these lands. The lands acquired from 2005 to 2012 had been sorely under maintained by the County. We heard over and over again, that the County does not have the manpower or budget to care for more land. o The Maintenance Fund grants has been in existence since 2013 when 63% of voters approved this charter amendment. o Over the past 6 years only 6 organizations have received Stewardship grants from the Maintenance Fund. These grants are equal to only 9% of the money deposited in the Fund. This is not what was intended. o Stewardship groups say the process has been very difficult: Parks and Rec staff have not met deadlines and they have had to apply several times before receiving funding. o A full time staff person can assist the non -profits with getting the funding they need to care for the 2% Lands. It would be helpful to have a workshop on how to apply for funding once per year to help streamline the process You have heard broad based testimony in support of the 2% Land Fund program at your meeting and in the public meetings around the island. We hope you support this in your amendments. Mahalo for your service to represent the people of Hawaii County on this very important issue. Debbie Hecht, Campaign Coordinator for Save Our Lands Citizens' Committee in support of the 2% Land Fund Program since 2005 2 Debbie Hecht (please include my phone number and email address in case the commissioners have uestions hecht.deb@u,gmail.com Website: Ramblings, Thoughts and Theories: www.debbiehecht.com 3