HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunication No. 2021-02- KOSN Subcommittee Meeting with Mayor and Planning DirectorCommunication No. 2021-02
Minutes for Kona CDP AC's Open Space Network Investigatory Subcommittee
Meeting with Mayor Roth and Planning Director Kern
Time/Location: April 27th 2021, 10am to 11am, Kailua Kona Civic Center Mayor's Office
Participants: County of Hawaii: Mayor Mitch Roth, Planning Director Zendo Kern, Deputy
Managing Director Bobby Command, Planning Acting Deputy Manager April
Surprenant, Communications Cyrus Johnasen Subcommittee Members: Kari Kimura,
Janice Palma-Glennie, Shirley David, Lele Kimball, Mary Metcalf
Introductions and Background: The meeting began with introductions and Mayor Roth expressing his
excitement about the Open Space Network (OSN) effort in the Kona urban area, and the County vision
to expand this island wide. Members of the Subcommittee shared a brief background of the vast and
diverse community input that went into the Kona Community Development Plan (CDP). Smart growth,
preserving open space and helping people travel around Kona without cars are high priorities in the
CDP. The ten-year effort to move forward the planning of the Kona OSN was summarized, including
getting access to key GIS layers required for this effort. The formal planning of Kona's OSN was almost
ready to proceed at the end of 2019, but was derailed by the pandemic.
Importance and Benefits of Open Space Networks: Subcommittee members shared examples of highly
successful open space networks in other communities, and the community benefits they provide
including social, democracy, recreational, environmental, health and cultural benefits. Providing
connection to nature and wellbeing, enhancing community connectivity, preserving natural resources
and wildlife, mitigating hazards and climate change using natural resources and ecosystem services, and
preserving "Sense of Place" and cultural and historical sites were also discussed as benefits of a Kona
OSN. Developers also benefit by have a defined OSN as regional context for their development designs.
OSN governance and funding models used by other communities to maintain their OSN were discussed
and include non-profit Conservancy organizations, and semi -autonomous government organizations
with board members elected by the community, all enhanced by public and private partnerships.
Moving the Kona OSN Forward: Mayor Roth agrees with the importance and benefits of open space
networks, and views it as supporting Hawaii's sustainability goal, where our keiki can live, grow and
thrive for generations. He also sees great opportunities for public and private partnerships. His
administration is working towards getting the Kona OSN planning effort back on track. Planning
Department manpower will become more available once the Energov Planning & Permitting Program is
online at the end of July. April shared that funds for the Kona OSN planning need to be re -appropriated,
and this funding request has been added to the latest Planning Department CIP budget proposal.
Allotment of the funds would be from the Fair Share Program. They are working towards assigning a
planner for this effort, revisiting and refreshing the OSN contract scope, and reviewing professional
service contractors. Policies, objectives and actions for supporting Hawaii Island -wide open space
networks are included in the draft County General Plan 2040, under Community Place Making.
County administration is focused on interdepartmental cooperation and the removal of road blocks that
prevent forward progress on improving the quality of life on the island. After the Energov Program is
online, the Planning Department expects to move more quickly on the Kona OSN planning. The
Subcommittee members also requested the Planning Department look into hosting monthly CDP
meetings again, as the current quarterly meetings inhibit timely forward progress. The meeting ended
on time with the Subcommittee members sharing much gratitude and appreciation to the Mayor and
the Planning Department for their support.