Comm No 0024.111 - Testimony - CA-9 - staff for PONC fund and Maintenance fund

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From: Janice Glennie <palmtree7@hawaiiantel.net> Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2019 11:44 AM To: Charter Commission Subject: Support funding for a paid 2% Land Use Fund coordinator Aloha Charter Commission members, It's impossible to manage critical lands with volunteer help only. You've probably volunteered for many issues and organizations over your lifetimes including the charter commission. You know how difficult it is to draw in a pool of helpers beyond the "regulars" and they are often all booked up and carrying bog loads because no one else steps up to the plate. I've been in those shoes most of my adult life — hoping that the volunteers will show up for hearings, beach clean-ups, and many other community-based efforts. In fact, I was the coordinator for the last two O'Oma protection campaigns and directly involved in the one before that — 20 years of unpaid work that culminated in coastal O'Oma becoming acquired by the County. So I, and you, know that getting sufficient volunteers can work out, and many times it doesn't. In any case, it generally takes many more hours of volunteer organizing to get others to help. Please support CA -9 that would allow the funding of one staff person to manage and work on the 2% Land Fund program. This position is direly needed to help protect those critical lands that were and will be acquired for the public at their behest. The amendment should make it clear that there be only one staff person paid for by the fund since the main force of the program is to acquire lands. If there's another place from where extra funding for more paid positions can come at a later time, changes to the charter can be made to accommodate that at that time. Mahalo for using your voice and vote to protect and perfect a program which is strongly supported by your communities. Sincerely, Janice Palma-Glennie P.O. box 48+9 Kai�ua-Kona, Ijawai'i 967+5 1 Comm. No. 24.111