HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0035.38 - Testimony - CA-18 - PONC Maintenance fundFrom: Deborah Ward <dward@hawaii.edu>
Sent: Thursday, June 6, 2019 4:12 PM
To: Charter Commission
Subject: 2% land fund
Attachments: clip_image001.tiff
June 6, 2019
Aloha Charter Commission members -
A very heartfelt mahalo for taking time from your work and families to represent the people of Hawaii County.
Our Sierra Club members are highly engaged in the subject of the 2% Land Fund. Since 2006, the 2% Land
Fund has preserved 4,400 acres, with 2,200 acres being added when Waikapuna (Ka'u) is purchased. 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.
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Comm. No. 35.38
• 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 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.
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 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 -18 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:
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We humbly ask you to support our 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,
Sierra Club Moku Loa (Hawaii Island )Group Chair, Deborah Ward
cordylinecolor@gmail.com
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