HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-06-29.SKCDP.Minutes.DRAFT JNSV OF ht�
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County of Hawaii
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
SOUTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE
Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street,Suite 3 • Hilo,Hawaii 96720
Phone(808)961-8288 • Fax(808)961-8742
Tuesday,lune 29, 2021
Draft Meeting Minutes
CALL TO ORDER
Chair Smith called the South Kohala Community Development Plan (SKCDP) Action Committee (AC) to
order at 5:13 P.M. Due to restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic, this meeting was held via the
Zoom interactive video platform.
ROLL CALL
AC Members Present: Ruth Smith (Chair), Julia Alos, Karen Anderson, Peter Hendricks, Tristie Licoan,
Kevin McLaughlin and William Sanborn.
AC Members Absent-Excused: Mark Gordon.
County Staff: Planners—Alexis Ching, Rob Leasure, and April Surprenant.
County Officials: Council Member Tim Richards
Members of the public: Members of the public observed the meeting via the YouTube live stream. The
live stream recording is available at South Kohala CDP AC Meeting - June 29, 2021 - YouTube.
ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: None
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. Action Committee Meeting Dates for 2021:
Mr. Robert Leasure discussed future meeting dates. The proposed joint AC meeting has been set
for August 12, 2021. South Kohala AC will meet again on September 13, 2021, and November 8,
2021.
2. Update on General Plan:
Mr. Leasure shared that the administration is currently reviewing the 2019 Draft of the General
Plan (GP). Once the review is completed, the administration will work with Long Range staff to
update the GP timeline. The updated timeline will include the next public review, Planning
Commission hearings, and submittal to the County Council for adoption.
Committee Member Kevin McLaughlin requested clarification as soon as possible on the role of the
GP and Community Development Plan (CDP) regarding their realignment of overlapping content.
3. Staffing Updates:
Mr. Leasure provided an update on the reorganization of the Long Range Division into three main
areas: Kamuela Plunkett (with Kevin Sullivan) primarily focusing on Natural and Cultural Resources;
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Robert Leasure (with Natasha Soriano) focused on Infrastructure and Design; and Alexis Ching (with
Keiko Mercado) focused on Community Planning (Action Committees).
Bethany Morrison remains in Long Range, primarily working to drive forward the GP.
PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: One (1) member of the public signed up to provide oral
testimony.
Jojo Tanimoto, testifying on agenda item 1, expressed concern over the following issues in the South
Kohala CDP regarding Kawaihae:
• The Kawaihae area is underrepresented in the matrix and lacks member representation on AC.
• Information is not included in South Kohala CDP about Kawaihae's water resources and the
watersheds that support the area.
• There is no documentation of the volunteer fire station service in the South Kohala CDP
because it is in North Kohala.
• Identification of important sites, and documentation of histories and mo'olelo is needed.
• Wild goats pose a hazard to the South Kohala region and County assistance is needed.
• There is a lack of recognition for Kawaihae's hula events, kupuna events, and the significance of
Kawaihae Canoe Club.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
Committee Member Peter Hendricks moved to accept the meeting minutes from March 11, 2021.
Seconded by Committee Member William Sanborn.
Committee member Julia Alos requested the inclusion of Zoom chat items to be included in the
meeting minutes for March 11, 2021.
Committee Member William Sanborn moved to defer approval of the March 11, 2021 until chat items
hove been reviewed/included in minutes, and that future meeting minutes include chat items.
Deferment seconded by Committee Member Alos. Motion passed with 7 ayes, 0 votes nay.
BUSINESS:
1. Action Areas for 2021& 2022 CDP Implementation: Mr. Leasure explained that the mapping
activity was first introduced during December's joint AC meeting, with the initial step as gathering
information from AC members on the community organizations they were involved with. This
information would be used to map community groups/projects to implementable, community-
based actions relevant to the CDP. This exercise was intended to create synergy across AC
members and groups working on similar action items. Mr. Leasure proposed to the AC that they
revisit this activity by having each member list one community organization they are connected to.
2. Implementation Updates from Action Committee Members:
a. Discussion on Wastewater: Committee Member Karen Anderson said the Puako Community
Association, to which she belongs, has been assisting entities working on the King's Trail
(Hokuloa Church is leading this initiative). In addition, the association is discussing its primary
focus—the wastewater treatment solution to be funded by $1.8 million provided by the State
to the County— in a meeting later in the evening and offered to provide the AC with minutes.
Council Member Richards confirmed that funding for the study came from the legislature, with
both Representative Tarnas and Senator Lorraine Inouye's support. He stated that the entire
island has a wastewater issue, but views Puako as the poster child in how we approach
planning for rising shorelines, among other issues that affect wastewater in the greater Puako
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area. Council Member Richards mentioned the opportunity for further discussions to see if
there could be synergy with tying into the Mauna Lani (if/when they upgrade their system).
b. Waimea Trails & Greenways Project: Committee Member Sanborn noted that he is working on
the Waimea Trails & Greenways Project in collaboration with Peter Hendricks, Kamuela
Plunkett and the Waimea Preservation Association. He then spoke about the trail aligning with
a county road in limbo, beginning at Church Row, and connecting to Mana Road. Mr. Sanborn
said they would like to partner with a community entity that can help restore it as a walkable
trail. He stated the idea was to link the trail so one could traverse it from the ocean all the way
around Maunakea. Chair Smith provided a visual reference to pg. 65 of the CDP, with a map of
Waimea area's walking/biking paths.
c. Stewardship of Minuke'ole Park: Committee Member Hendricks shared that he has been
involved with Minuke'ole Park for years. It was originally created over 30 years ago, but the last
6-7 years the community has been called to action to rehabilitate the area, culminating in two
playing fields and a pavilion. The community held grab-and-go meals twice a week for more
than 200 families at a time up until the program recently ended. Mr. Hendricks expressed
concern about maintaining the property as open space for the public after the YMCA (steward)
sold Kahilu Hall, which was key to the stewardship of the area. They are actively working with
the community and public/private agencies to continue to maintain that public space.
d. Discussion on Roadways: Mr. Leasure asked Committee Member Hendricks to clarify a
community action on his list regarding roads. Mr. Hendricks replied that the original GP in
conjunction with the Parker Ranch 2020 Plan extended Ala Ohia Road to Kamamalu Street to
provide a connector road that would bypass the town area in Waimea. There is now another
proposed alternate route that would end at the emergency entrance to the hospital. He has
been working with other community members to move forward with plans for the original
alternate route, which he stated was a county requirement for the completion of that
subdivision. Council Member Richards offered for his office to help investigate this matter, and
asked Mr. Hendricks to send him any documentation he might have on the matter.
Council Member Richards stated that the current gubernatorial administration has only
committed to safety improvements of roadways, not capacity-building of roadways. He also
explained that the tentative alternate route placement is near the Waimea Airport because
federal Food Safety will not allow roads near Lalamilo Farm Lots. The proposed alternative
route will not help build capacity. Council Member Richards spoke about the next installment
of the Daniel K. Inouye highway. It remains a high priority but has been put on hold due to lack
of revenue the past year (it is partially funded by rental car revenue).
e. Update on Meeting with Mayor Roth: Committee Member Alos met with Mayor Roth, Deputy
Managing Director Bobby Command, Council Member Tim Richards, and Representative David
Tarnas to go through a large list of short- and long-term priorities (mostly all based off the
CDP). She stated that Planning Director Zendo Kern and the Director of Department of Public
Works, Ikaika Rodenhurst, will likely attend future meetings to address some of their issues
ranging from the Waikoloa intersection, access routes, schools, and other issues. The
organization stewarding this effort is the Waikoloa Community Leadership Council. Mark
Gordon will continue to work with Ms. Alos on this, and she will share updates with AC
members as they become available.
f. Discussion on the Waikoloa Intersection: Committee Member Alos stated that Mayor Roth may
speak to Director Rodenhurst about the Belt Collins contract that specified a roundabout
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design at the Waikoloa intersection. Chair Smith recalled concerns noted in the Waikoloa
Intersection subcommittee report regarding safety for those with visual impairments.
Committee Member Sanborn emphasized the importance of the increase in pedestrian traffic
across the highway suggesting that centering the discussion around safety may help solve for
the intersection problem. Committee Member McLaughlin stated he had concern about the
intersection's design review and pedestrian evaluation underestimating the amount of
pedestrian traffic that would cross the highway. Chair Smith brought attention to the activity
and development along Waikoloa Road, including the construction of the Waikoloa Plaza, as
well as a renewable energy project on land leased from the Waikoloa Village Association. The
progression of these projects highlights the urgency for improving the Waikoloa Village
intersection. Chair Smith stated that one of the most important aspects of the CDP was to have
concurrent infrastructure and development.
Council Member Richards recalled a listening session a year and a half ago, where the room
was split nearly 50/50 (120-130 people) between installing a roundabout or a traffic light at the
intersection. At that point, Council Member Richards said the decision should be left up to
traffic engineers and those with relevant credentials. Council Member Richards said a
pedestrian overpass is a possibility, but it would cost approximately one million dollars to be
ADA compliant. He advocated for more conversation regarding the intersection decision that
was made (decision was made after this past election, but prior to the current administration
taking office). Council Member Richards concluded by saying funding is there to improve the
intersection, but it is unknown exactly what will occur.
Committee Member McLaughlin shared that his research found some places in the U.S. opting
for traffic lights over roundabouts due to the added cost of pedestrian safety mechanisms for
roundabouts.
g. Other: Committee Member Tristie Licoan stated she is employed by Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
and represents the International Longshore & Warehouse Union (ILWU), which oversees issues
on impacts to infrastructure and the community (e.g., traffic in Waimea for workers). Ms.
Licoan shared that approximately two thirds of Kohala's resort workers commute from other
places besides the Kohala coast. She also sits on the Hawai'i Democratic Party and the Waimea
Community Association but has no active projects to report on related to these groups.
Committee Member McLaughlin has continued to work on updating the declaration of
protective covenants for the Waikoloa Village Association. He stated that he has been focused
on finishing this activity and will have more time in the future, in which he would be happy to
apply his time to a CDP implementation project.
To summarize and wrap-up the group activity, Mr. Leasure reflected that AC members have
several activities forming; they also have persisting priorities with no immediate resolution, and
broader intentions in need of more exploration. He urged AC members to consider how they
would like to proceed with this information, such as setting initiatives they may want to
collaborate and/or focus on achieving over the coming year. Chair Smith responded that three
things stand out: the ongoing work on the Waikoloa intersection, the work on trails and access
in Waimea, and the focus on wastewater in Puako. Chair Smith stated they are lacking activity
around the water issue in Kawaihae and may want to think about generating activity there.
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PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: None.
ADJOURNMENT: Committee Member Licoon moved to adjourn. Second by Committee Member
Hendricks. The motion passed with 7 aye votes, 0 nay votes.
The meeting was adjourned at 6:29 P.M.
All Action Committee information can be viewed and downloaded from our website:
https://Www.hawaiicountycdp.info/south-kohala-cdp
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