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HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0024.114 - Testimony - CA-9 - staff for PONC fund and Maintenance fundFrom: Tlaloc Tokuda <tlaloctt@hotmail.com> Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2019 9:01 PM To: Charter Commission Subject: Charter Commission [2% Land Fund] Aloha Charter Commission members - Do you realize that 95% of all the testimony at the Charter Commission regularly scheduled meetings and the public meetings were about strengthening the 2% Land Fund Program? As you make your decisions about the proposed modifications to strengthen the 2% Land Fund Program, please remember that 63% of voters voted in favor of this program three times. Since 2006, the 2% Land Fund has preserved 4,400 acres, with 2,200 acres being added when Waikapuna (Ka'u) is purchased. The stewardship groups who care for these Lands have received only 9% of all monies deposited in the Maintenance Fund. We can do better! Please support our proposed amendments to preserve more of Hawaii Island's treasured places for our keiki and grandchildren. CA -9- ONE STAFF PERSON TO WORK ONLY ON THE 2% LAND FUND PROGRAM -We have proposed to pay the salary, wages and benefits for one staff person to work only on the 2% Land Fund program in addition to an already existing position to help the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Commission. The existing proposal is ambiguous: (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." Mahalo to Commissioner Hopkins for this clarifying proposal! Here is the proposed language that we support. WE hope you can support this too! (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" There are problems with the AMBIGUOUS LANGUAGE: 1. "STAFF" CAN MEAN ONE OR MANY STAFF PEOPLE • The existing amendment says "staff" but that is ambiguous. 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 for acquisition. • Right now there is one staff member provided in the Hawaii County Code to assist the Public Access and Open Space Commission. This is a necessary position. Our language says that this staff member will be in addition to the 1 Comm. No. 24.114 existing staff member. Otherwise we may be paying for at lease two "STAFF" positions, but potentially more than that! Salary, wages and benefits would be more than $100,000 per year coming out of the monies that are right now slated for acquisition. 2. THE IMPORTANCE OF ONE STAFF MEMBER TO WORK ONLY on the 2% Land Fund program: • Real estate deals are time sensitive and require willing sellers. Willing sellers want to be paid as soon as possible because the taxes keep mounting up on property and they may have a use for the money. It also takes time for the staff people to apply for matching funds, get appraisals, do surveys and all the due diligence required for property purchases by governments. • The Maintenance Fund grants have been granted to only 6 organizations in the 6 -year existence of the fund. The stewardship non-profit groups have received only 9% of all the money deposited in the Maintenance Fund from 2013. Stewardship groups say the process has been very difficult and they have had to apply several times before receiving funding. A full time staff person can assist the non -profits with getting the funding they need to care for the 2% Lands. 3. STAFF MEMBER TO ASSIST THE PONC COMMISSION -It's important to ALSO have the staff member assist the commission so that the Land Specialist so that the Land Specialist time can be spent with the above duties and not with commission agendas, submissions for land acquisitions and work with the non -profits paperwork. CA -19 The MAINTENANCE FUND- Mahalo to Commissioner Rice who has accomplished so much for the Maintenance Fund! Council member Brenda Ford and I wrote this amendment in 2012 (approved by 63% of voters), because over and over we heard," Why should we save more land the county doesn't take care of what we have now?" All volunteer community groups were formed around caring for these lands because they county wasn't maintaining them. They formed non-profit 501c3 organizations. They elected Boards. In rural areas with small populations many of the Board members were also the workers on the land. Several hard working board members resigned so they could be paid to work on the land by the Stewardship Grants. How does it empower these groups if you limit the scope of what valuable people can do? Only 9% of all the money deposited in the Maintenance Fund has been granted to these non -profits. It was our intent to empower and strengthen the good works of these kuleana community groups. That hasn't happened, which is why we are proposing a full time staff person to help expedite and process grant proposals and also that the non -profits can pay people to work on the land. All of the groups that have received funding are requesting that they are able to pay people to work on the land. This will enable them to continue their good work in caring for the 2% lands. Commissioner Rice is assisting us in this request to empower and enable the Stewardship Non- profits to do their good work. PLEASE APPROVE THIS LANGUAGE: PARLIMENTARY PROCEDURE: We can go round and around calling for points of order or pointing to Robert's Rules of Order. There is a case to be made for a Motion to Rescind. You can suspend the Rules, do the right thing and approve the proposal for CA -18. We can call in a 2 professional Parliamentarian from Oahu. How does all this maneuvering support and strengthen the 2% Land Fund Program, which was requested in testimony to you over and over by citizens? You can approve or vote down any amendment that you choose. I hope you will choose to represent the people of the island. After much testimony in the public meetings around the island, shouldn't you redo your vote? If not, what was the purpose of the public meetings? After hundreds of hours of testimony how are you honoring the requests of citizens to strengthen the Land Fund Program and fulfilling your kuleana to represent the citizens of Hawai'i County? Please support the efforts to preserve Hawai'i Island's great places for the future enjoyment for all of the residents of Hawaii County. Please help us to strengthen the 2% Land Fund program by approving CA -9 and CA -18. Mahalo, Tlaloc Tokuda Kailua Kona 3