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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-10-07 Windward Exh A (Public Testimony re SPP 12-138) WINDWARD PLANNING COMMISSION COUNTY OF HAWAII TESTIMONY TRANSCRIPT OCTOBER 7, 2021 Public testimony regarding the application of CONNECTIONS NEW CENTURY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL/COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION SUPPORT SERVICES (CBESS) (SPP 12-000138) was called to order at 9:09 a.m. via live stream online meeting, with Chairman John Replogle presiding. COMMISSIONERS PRESENT: Gilbert Aguinaldo, Dean Au, Joseph Clarkson, Michelle Galimba, Dennis Lin, John Replogle RECUSED: Thomas Raffipiy ALSO IN ATTENDANCE: Malia Hall, Esq. (Counsel for the Commission), Jean Campbell, Esq. (Counsel for the Planning Department), Jeffrey Darrow (Deputy Planning Director), Christian Kay (Planning Program Manager), and Melissa Dacayanan-Salvador (Windward Planning Commission Secretary) APPLICANT: CONNECTIONS NEW CENTURY PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL/ COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION SUPPORT SERIVES (CBESS) (SPP 12-000138) Hearing on Special Permit application SPP No. 12-000138 record as presented on appeal. SPP No. 12-000138 was remanded back to the Windward Planning Commission by Intermediate Court of Appeals for further proceedings consistent with its January 31, 2020 Memorandum Opinion vacating the County of Hawaii Windward Planning Commission's May 12, 2014 Decision and Order, which denied Special Permit SPP No. 12-000138. Application for a Special Permit to develop a K to 12 charter school campus with dorm facilities and related uses on approximately 70 acres of land situated in the State Land Use Agricultural District. The property is located on both the southwest and northeast sides of Edita Street near its intersection with Kaumana Drive and adjoining the Pacific Plantation Subdivision in Kaumana, South Hilo, Hawaii, TMK: 2-5-006:141. Secretary's Note: "—" indicates indiscernible speech due to internet/technical difficulties or simultaneous talk. REPLOGLE: Okay. We're going to move on to statements from the public on agenda items now. We have 12 testifiers registered to give oral testimony and their testimony is for Item 44 Connections /CBESS (SPP 12-138). So, I am going to call your names and I guess you should get online, or you should be online, and I will swear you all in together. It's Ming Peng, Anna Kennedy, Fay Sakata, Jeff Gomes, Pauline Ke'ala Lee Loy, Dr. Henry Lee Loy, Jason Turner, Kimo Miller, Sadira(Sprout) Kirkham - student, Ngetroi Rall - student, Kaitlyn Grogg-student, 1 EXHIBIT A Krysta Costa- student. If everybody could turn their cameras on,please, and I will swear you in all together,please raise your right hand now. Do you swear or affirm to tell the truth before the Windward Planning Commission? TESTIFIERS: Yes, I do. REPLOGLE: Okay, before you testify,please state your name and the town you live in, so we know where you're from and you may put your hands down. And I'm going to ask you to limit your testimony to three minutes if you've submitted written testimony there's no need to read the testimony submitted but you're welcome to summarize and update your testimony now. After your testimony the Commissioners may have questions for you, if there are no questions or questions have concluded, please log out of the Zoom platform and switch to YouTube channel, if you wish to observe the meeting okay. Okay, alright. So, I would first like to call Ming Peng to speak. HALL: You're muted sir. REPLOGLE: Your speaker, your mic is off. PENG: Thank you, sorry, I apologize. REPLOGLE: Okay. PENG: My name is Ming Peng, P-E-N-G, I live on Mele Manu Street near the proposed site of the school of which I am against because of number one the understanding that the construction and presence of a facility of this size will adversely change the existing character and nature of the environment of the surrounding community. Including but not limited to the increased traffic and noise. I'd also like to add that there is only one way in or out of my subdivision. There is no alternative route for the more than 80 houses that exists there. This poses a further danger. Judge Song previously recommended a denial, the previous Windward Planning Commission issued a denial, both for well documented and legitimate reasons. I feel that nothing has changed, and no meaningful action has occurred to allow this project to continue. I urge you to once again deny this permit. Thank you for your time. REPLOGLE: Thank you Mr. Peng. Anna Kennedy? KENNEDY: Yes, here I am Anna Kennedy and I live on 1300 Mele Manu in Pacific Plantation. There are two families living in the home and extended family. We are new to the address but not new to Hilo. "—" it all the submitted applications and materials and feel that the Commission did a really good job in the very beginning to deny this proposal. I definitely support our neighbors already expressed concerns. Another additional concern that I feel affects at least 15 homes that are immediately adjacent would be the proposed school phase program to build This would subject all of us to from anywhere from 10 to 26 years of building disturbance, as well as the noise and confusion of the school. I think that the Commission was right to deny the permit in 2014 and hope you will do that again. I do want to thank all of you also for your good work and your due diligence. Thank you. 2 EXHIBIT A REPLOGLE: Thank you, Miss Kennedy. Next is Fay Sakata? SAKATA: Hi, good morning. My name is Fay Sakata and I live on Mele Manu Street, near the site of the proposed charter school. The project will have an adverse impact on the surrounding neighborhood. The record will show that there were considerable objections from the community. A petition was submitted, which showed that of the 106 lots within the Pacific Plantation Subdivision 90 or 85% oppose the project. Further, a survey was taken of properties within 500 feet of the proposed site. There were 170 lots of this, oh I'm sorry. There were 170 lots excluding governmental land and road lots. Of these, 116 or 68% opposed; 54 or 31%took no position or could not be contacted either vacant land or absentee owners. One of the criteria for a Special Permit is whether the use would have an adverse impact on surrounding property. The statement from the Police Department noting its adverse traffic impact combined with the perceptions and statements of the overwhelming majority of the project's neighbors should be sufficient to conclude that the request indeed would have an adverse impact. As noted by the Court, the Commission has wide discretion in deciding whether to approve a Special permit. While the request may meet some of the other criteria, the most critical one in our estimation, is its impact to the community. We therefore respectfully request the Commission to exercise its discretion and deny the request. Thank you very much. REPLOGLE: Thank you, Ms. Sakata. Next is Jeffrey Gomes or Jeff Gomes? Your speaker is off Sir. GOMES: How about that can you hear me now? REPLOGLE: Yes, very good. GOMES: My name is Jeff Gomes. I live in Kaumana. Since this application was submitted, I have become the victim of attempted shaming, theft, lies, vandalism. By the way, whoever's putting bags of popcorn in my mailbox if you're listening I happen to like popcorn. I've become a victim of the lawsuit trying to get me and my neighbors to pay for Ted Hong's attorney fees and I am the Intervenor who won the contested case hearing. Did everyone read Ted Hong's filed proposed Findings of the hearing? Curiously he added some new matter that comes out of the UH dated September 21st. Isn't he the one that did not want new evidence submitted? If you haven't already,please ask yourself how did, I, Jeff Gomes without an attorney win the contested case hearing against Ted Hong, the County attorney, and the State Attorney General? The answer is facts. Did everyone read Ed specs? Did everyone see my video proving Kaumana caves runs directly under the site proposed for building. Did everyone read, where the County came to the site to examine the dry well proving Kaumana caves runs under the property on all sides which led the County to require Connections to prove that Kaumana cave does not run under their property. Which they have not proved. Did everyone read about the site visit, where I proved the County illegally dumped the old concrete barrier from Edita Street onto the Connections property. Did you read the evidence where the site visit, where I proved that illegally dumped concrete was smashed into to the Kaumana cave during the illegal grubbing and grading to put up the fence. 3 EXHIBIT A Did you read where I proved the lies John Thatcher was promoting that at one of the community meetings someone from the community said when the children of Puna come to Kaumana they are going to rob our homes. Or the lie that the only reason they illegally put up the 4-foot fence was because at one of the community meetings someone asked for a fence to be installed. It's not in the minutes. The school held the meetings and took the minutes. No one said any of that. Those are lies. This is why the site is not only inappropriate but dangerous for students, faculty, and the surrounding community. There's not enough water to support the school. At the time, one of the hypothetical situations was, what if there's a pandemic. Seem far-fetched at the time. The property is locked by force with only one way in and out. If there's a fire, live shooter, emergency, people can get trapped. Ed's specs require utilities to be in place before construction. A yes vote allowing to grant the permit clearly acknowledges that you don't care about the safety and well-being of the students, faculty, and residents of Kaumana or you did not have enough time to review all the evidence. I strongly suggest that someone make a motion to do a site visit. Please come up and look at this site, talk to the residents and see what's going on. There's too much at stake to just do a vote if you haven't really looked at all the evidence. I don't think you've had enough time. Thank you very much for your time. REPLOGLE: Thank you, Mr. Gomes. Next will be Pauline Ke'ala Lee Loy? P. LEE LOY: Aloha. Good morning. My name is Pauline Ke'ala Lee Loy, A resident of Mele Manu Street off of Edita. We've been on this journey for almost nine (9) years now, and I would like to reiterate my opposition to building Connections Public Charter School. The philosophy and concept behind the brick-and-mortar school is well thought out and will likely be successful in a more suitable location without all the red flags that scream out on the current proposed location. Water supply, traffic safety, waste deposits. As a Commission charged with rendering a decision on the approval or denial of a Special Use permit for this construction. Please don't make a hasty decision to finally get this off as an agenda item. This will take some critical thinking skills on your part. If you approve this Special Use permit you are attesting to the safety of all the red flags presented 9 years ago and once again today. If you deny this Special Use permit it indicates, you are not yet convinced that all the red flags will be addressed and mitigated. Please deny this Special Use permit so Connections Public Charter School can select a more suitable and safe location that allows the Charter School to thrive and not only meet but exceed their goals and mission. Mahalo. REPLOGLE: Thank you, Ms. Lee Loy. Next is Dr. Henry Lee Loy? H. LEE LOY: Good morning, everyone. My name is Dr. Henry Lee Loy. I live on Mele Manu Street in Kaumana in Hilo, Hawaii. I'm not against Connections School. I am against the proposed location. Let me take you on a three (3) minute tour of the area. REPLOGLE: We can't quite hear you. 4 EXHIBIT A H. LEE LOY: This is the campus. This is Edita Street. This is Kaumana Drive. These red arrows indicate that Kaumana Elementary School is 0.5 miles above Connection's property. Ernest B. De Silva lies 1.9 miles below the property. This is a single access road. Guidelines say there should be a minimum of two access sites on different sides. Right across the school is a concrete culvert. Below the campus lies 17 acres "—' agricultural. Photo number 2 shows a school bus stop on Kaumana Drive REPLOGLE: We cannot hear you. K. LEE LOY: Are you able to hear? H. LEE LOY: Can you hear me? REPLOGLE: Yes. LEE LOY: Can you hear me now? REPLOGLE: Yes. H. LEE LOY: Should I start over? Did you not hear the very beginning? REPLOGLE: Okay I'll make an exception, start over. H. LEE LOY: Thank you Mr. Replogle. Let's take a 3-minute tour of the area. LIN: I'm sorry, Mr. Lee Loy, Dr. Lee Loy — LEE LOY: "—" is inappropriate. REPLOGLE: Excuse me, yes. LIN: Could we mute one of your mics because it's creating the feedback, so I think it's coming from Ke'ala Lee Loy's mic. Either use the ASPNET mic or Ms. Lee Loy's mic because it's creating some feedback, screeching noise. Thank you. KAY: I have muted, the ASPNET microphone so Ms. Lee Loy's microphone is the only one open now. REPLOGLE: Okay. HALL: I think the ASPNET network had less feedback. P. LEE LOY: Okay, so — H. LEE LOY: Can you hear me now? 5 EXHIBIT A REPLOGLE: Yes, we could, so try again. H. LEE LOY: I'm sorry. Let's take a 3-minute tour of the area and I'll show you why the location is inappropriate. This is the campus, this is Edita Street, here's Kaumana Drive. Kaumana Elementary is located half a mile above the property, E.B. DeSilva is located at 1.9 miles below the property. This is a single access road. I'd like to say, there should be a minimum of two access points on different sides. Right across the school entrance is a flood channel. Below the campus is 17 acres of agricultural crop. "—" LIN: I'm sorry Dr. Lee Loy. I still hear a lot of screeching noise which is interrupting your presentation. Christian, could you switch the mics over to ASPNET? KAY: Yes. LIN: I think that one was better. KAY: Right, so I have to ask to unmute I can't do it unilaterally. So, I've sent that request, so if you can unmute it looks like it's been done and then I'll mute Ms. Lee Loy's microphone. LIN: Thank you. KAY: Yeah. CLARKSON: Also Christian, this is Commissioner Clarkson: KAY: Yes. CLARKSN: It maybe coming through the Chair's mic which is never muted. Perhaps muting his mic when he's not speaking will help. KAY: Okay. H. LEE LOY: Okay, can I start again? Photo number two shows a school bus on Kaumana Drive picking up students in the morning, note there are no sidewalks and the road curves. Photo number 3 shows a car accident at Kaumana Drive and Edita, note no sidewalks, no crosswalks, no traffic signal lights. This resident is an elderly lady trying to come out of Edita when she was struck by this truck coming down Kaumana Drive. Photo number four location map shows the subdivisions and the streams in relation to the property. Waipahoehoe Stream, Alenaio Stream, Wailoa River, Downtown Hilo, Hilo Bay. Waipahoehoe Stream runs right alongside the property and then right below it in runs into the subdivisions of Lakeland and Sunrise. Along this border is an intermittent stream that drains into Alenaio Stream, which runs through the Ponahawai, Kukuau subdivisions behind the Fire Station into Hilo town into the canal that floods sometimes into Wailoa River and into Hilo Bay. Finally, photo number five shows a concrete channel along Edita Street during severe storms the Kaumana Caves floods, fills the channel and the culvert and sometimes is known to overflow to this area. Look carefully, because this is the entrance to the school right across from the concrete flood channel. 6 EXHIBIT A In conclusion, a school with 435 students, 30-person dormitory, six horse barn, livestock's, 17 acres of agricultural incumbency 70 acres in an established residential neighborhood is inappropriate. Because there is not enough water, increased traffic, waste, agricultural chemicals storm runoff. This adversely affects the health and safety of students, staff, surrounding community, subdivisions downstream, Hilo town, Hilo Bay therefore, I respectfully ask you to deny the Special Permit. Thank you so much. REPLOGLE: Thank you, Mr. Lee Loy. Next up is Jason Turner? TURNER: Thank you, my name is Jason Turner my address is 1209C Kaumana Drive. I've lived there for 16 years, and my property runs up against the proposed Special Permit property and I'm strongly opposed to it. In short, I can't believe the amount of time and taxpayer money that Connections School has already wasted on this endeavor. To be clear, as a member of the Kaumana Community we don't want the school, we don't need the school, Connections has consistently been a bad neighbor. It's a failing school which makes this entire project a bad idea First we don't want the school. The Kaumana community isn't coming to the Planning Commission asking for a school. We don't want it. Why? We already have a school; in fact, we have several schools which have been serving the Kaumana community for well over 100 years. Kaumana Elementary is less than a mile from the project site. DeSilva less than two miles. Hilo middle school, Hilo High school less than 3 miles. Further, Connections School doesn't serve the Kaumana community. Connection's student body is primarily made up of kids from outside of Kaumana. Frankly, even outside of Hilo. In addition, from the beginning Connections have been bad neighbors to this neighborhood. I first learned about this project as a D-9 bulldozer was knocking down trees and a chicken coop in my yard. Along the edge of my yard. There was no notice, no school administrator was walking the line to talk with the neighbors. Later I found out the school didn't even have permission to clear the land with the bulldozer and had been required to clear the land by hand. More recently, I found their students and faculty picking fruit for my avocado trees over the fence line. When I asked them to stop, I was told, and I quote, "we were teaching the kids about agriculture". So, stealing fruit from their neighbors is teaching the kids about agriculture. And yet, what are we really talking about here. Connections is a failing school; it consistently ranks as one of the lowest on Hawaii island and its students consistently score well below the state average. So why in the world would you give a failing school a permit to build another campus. If you have a child who is a bad driver and getting into accidents. Do you buy him a brand-new car? No! You take away their license and enroll them into driving proficiency program. In sum, as a member of the Kaumana community, I can tell you, we don't want to school, we don't need the school. I can tell you that Connections have been bad neighbors. I can tell you that they are a failing school and providing this permit is just a bad idea that makes no sense whatsoever. Build the campus somewhere it's needed. Build it somewhere it's wanted, not just somewhere close to where the principal lives. Thank you. AU: Mr. Chair? 7 EXHIBIT A REPLOGLE: Yes. AU: Commissioner Au, I have a question for the testifier. REPLOGLE: Please Mr. Au, go ahead. AU: Good morning, Mr. Turner. I appreciate you as a community member coming to testify at this venue and I appreciate all those testifiers prior and future testifiers thank you for taking out time in your day. Question to you Mr. Turner. You mentioned that your property is adjacent to the proposed development, and you shared with us a few of the issues that happened. I'm assuming there's no positive interaction with the school that you've had or is it all negative interaction with the school? TURNER: Sadly, it's been all negative. It's a constant looking over the fence line to see what what's going on this week. You know, to pull back the curtain I'm an educator and I believe in school systems. I believe in opportunities for kids and this project is going to thorn in the side of this community from the beginning. Again, let's reset this. This isn't the community coming to the Planning Commission saying please build the school for us. This is the exact opposite. So, no, there isn't any positive that I can report and that doesn't feel good as an educator. But there just isn't. If we put our effort into Kaumana Elementary that's something I'll give you. Put our efforts into DeSilva school, Hilo Middle and Hilo Inter. The schools that serve the Kaumana community. I'm right there but this is none of that. Frankly, I mean, why are we doing it here, because the principal lives a block away this makes no sense at all. Sorry just doesn't. AU: Thank you Mr. Turner. REPLOGLE: Mr. Lin? LIN: Yeah, thank you Chair. Hi Mr. Turner. I have a question for you and as well, I want to thank all the testifiers here today. But I wanted to make comment to your actually a question regarding. So, you say E.B. DeSilva, Hilo High, Hilo Intermediate, Kaumana Elementary those are schools that are within the area. So, if those schools had any plans to expand and use the same location, would you be opposed, and would the community be opposed? TURNER: You know I can't speak for the community. Had that school set up a meeting with the community and asking what we need. They are children right, so why would a school come to a community asking what we "—". If the community was asking for an expanded footprint of Kaumana Elementary or one of those schools, and you know, maybe that's part of the discussion, this is the opposite. So, why would a school come to a community that serves it asking for greater footprint, should be the opposite way around or if you're coming to a community saying we need to expand the footprint because all of our kids would have gone there, we don't know. Right, so I understand your hypothetical and I can't say this started so poorly from the beginning that it's hard for me to imagine a different scenario. But I appreciate the question and I understand the question I just I don't know that I have a clear answer for you. 8 EXHIBIT A LIN: Thank you. REPLOGLE: Thank you. Okay, thank you Mr. Turner. We are now going to Kimo Miller? MILLER: Aloha. REPLOGLE: Good morning. MILLER: Morning. Is the Planning Commission planning on building sidewalks on Kaumana Drive? Oh, wait, wait, my name is Kimo Miller. I'm a resident on Kaumana Drive near Edita Street. I'm voicing my opposition to having Connections Charter School in our quiet Kaumana neighborhood. First of all, as noted in earlier testimonies, their vision of having a K thru 12 school in our neighborhood will without a doubt cause disruptions and challenges to the lifestyles that many of us in our elderly years have enjoyed for many years. It's been approximately 7 years since the Commission dealt with this Charter School request and I am dumbfounded. Why in these 7 years the schools visionaries have not found a more suitable location in Hilo with the land and access that would not disrupt an already existing neighborhood. They had time to look for alternative sites and even meet with the community to look for some compromises, but no, it seems they are choosing to be more in our face in our Kaumana community and ignore us. I know alternatives exist for this school. I think we all know, there's alternatives that exists. Perhaps some mutually agreeable compromises could be reached, but at least they could have tried, but they have not made any efforts. I'm asking the Planning Commission to help Connections Charter School plan a future that all can support. And the reason why I brought up about sidewalks is because I don't know if you guys know Kaumana, but at the corner of Kaumana and Chong Street there's a popular swimming hole. When the rain hits hard in Kaumana which it does, that swimming hole is very dangerous. The swimming hole is only about 200 yards from the entrance of the Charter School. I have reason to believe, as all of us who are parents would believe that if kids are living at the school, they're going to find out about this swimming hole. They are going to track up and down Kaumana Drive to swim in this hole and Kaumana Drive is not safe to walk on. Especially up in this area. So, if there are safe sidewalks for them to walk safely great. The other thing is how about the caves. These are kids going to be living here they're going to be tracking up and down to the caves. What else do they got to do? I mean outside of their proposed agricultural activities, but I think it's a bad idea to have a school in our neighborhood and that's why I'm voicing my opposition and I really appreciate you guys allowing us to see our peace and mahalo. REPLOGLE: Thank you Mr. Miller. Next will be Sadira(Sprout) Kirham, a student. Sadira? KIRKHAM: Aloha and good morning, everyone. I believe that Connections should indeed continue with their project on the Kaumana property, including building a second campus. This will greatly improve our community and our lives on an ecological and social scale. If I as a 9 EXHIBIT A student were to have a campus where I could explore and express myself in the outdoors my education and time— REPLOGLE: Excuse me, excuse me. KIRKHAM: Yes. REPLOGLE: Sadira, is there someone talking in your location? KIRKHAM: Oh, they are listening to the Zoom in the room next to mine. Should I go tell them to have it off? REPLOGLE: They should. They should or turn it way down. KIRKHAM: Okay, do I need to start over? Can I pick back up? REPLOGLE: Thank you Sadira. It's your choice if you'd like to start over go ahead, if not just pick up where you are. We could hear you; it was just the noise was interfering. KIRKHAM: If I as a student were to have a campus where I could explore and express myself in the outdoors my education and time as a student would have greatly improved, especially during a pandemic. Our agricultural endeavors will bring positive changes to the environment and inspire changes inwardly and outwardly. People will look into see how they can improve, as well as having uplifted self-esteem so, that we may reflect without beating ourselves up. We will help ourselves so that we may help others. We will look out to see how we can benefit the planet and the other creatures on it, including us. Connections kids are creative, innovative, unique, and compassionate. We are the future, and we will shine the light that creates the path to change. Connections believes in project-based learning and creating a caring and growing environment. It is a place to not only learn school subjects but, to learn valuable life skills as well. It is a place where you may step out of your comfort zone and into your best self as you create fond memories Hands on kinesthetic learning and sovereign communities create curiosity and connection. In the future I'd like to continue creating positive changes for the community and I believe Connections is greatly helping me on that path. For my senior project I like to grow food on the Kaumana property and cook and bake healthy items at an affordable price range for anyone in need. Connections prepares you for the next step and support you along the way. Stay connected at Connections. Mahalo for your consideration. AU: Mr. Chair? REPLOGLE: Thank you Sadira. AU: I have a question. REPLOGLE: Any questions? 10 EXHIBIT A AU: Mr. Chair, can you hear me, I have a question. REPLOGLE: Yes, Mr. Au. AU: I think my bandwidth is not that good, but can you hear me, okay? REPLOGLE: I can hear you. AU: Okay, I have a question for you, Ms. Kirkham. Thank you for coming to testify, it's nice to see our young keiki out there being part of this government process, and I do understand you're reading off a script. KIRKHAM: Yes, I had some things to add like off script if I do have the time. But I'm open to questions. AU: Okay, well just I don't have a question for you, I just want you to maybe just express in a really, really brief statement of why you think your school should be in this particular location, with all the controversy going around? So please just take a really quick second to think about what you're going to say before you say it. Gather your thoughts, but just share with me why you think it's important to have this school in this location with the controversy going on? KIRKHAM: Because I believe that Connections cares about the community within our school and outside of our school and cares about the students even once they leave. Having the school in this location would create a healthy and safe environment for a lot of students and create jobs for a lot of people. And it kind of saddens me that some of the people here seem to be slandering our school and our students and saying it's one of the worst schools in Hawaii. Because I see what they're saying from an academic standpoint to some degree but, because I know the statistics, but I don't think we have the worst school. I think our school is very unique in the way it teaches but that's because our students are very unique and everyone is different in their learning and I believe that having a school that is outside will create so many opportunities for people in life, including people like myself. Because I'm disabled and having a school where I can learn through my disabilities without feeling like I'm being held back and confined it's very nice to think about the future of the next generation after mine getting "—"because it will be down the line to have a school. It's very nice to think that the future keiki can have a wonderful childhood experience. AU: Thank you. KIRKHAM: Thank you for listening and thank you for your time. REPLOGLE: Anything any other questions? Okay, thank you Sadira that was very good, well spoken. Next, we have Ngetroi Rall also a student. BALL: Hello. REPLOGLE: Good morning. 11 EXHIBIT A BALL: Do I just start? REPLOGLE: Yes, you may begin. BALL: Sorry. REPLOGLE: It's okay. BALL: Salutations everyone. I'm Ngetroi Rall, one of the students working on the Kaumana property. I've been a student of Connections since first grade and as an 1 lth grader I can see how an outdoor campus can and will take our schools education on to the next level. Connection's project-based learning style of education has got me the opportunity to start my own business Mamaki Dream, with my fellow students. I would have never been able to have this opportunity with any other school. We have made sure this business is eco conscious. Connections has provided me and my fellow peers guidance and support. Mamaki Dream is a mamaki tea business with the teachers of Kaumana helped us to create and develop. Our mission is to provide our clients with a product that is healthy and beneficial for a reasonable price. Our vision is to go back to our school and one day see Hawaiian culture spread further than just the Hawaiian Islands, starting with mamaki tea an ancient healing herbal tea. Done. REPLOGLE: Thank you, Any questions Commissioners? Okay thank you Ngetroi. BALL: Oh, okay. REPLOGLE: Next, we have Kaitlyn Grogg, also a student. GROGG: Okay. REPLOGLE: You may begin Kaitlyn. GROGG: Okay. Aloha everyone, I am junior who has been at Connections since the first grade, and I am one of the students working on the Kaumana property in order to prepare the land for agricultural development. I just want to discuss my experiences as a long-term student at the school. Personally, like myself, I was one of the students who did all of my work online last year and coming back to in person schooling was really, really difficult. Especially because our current schooling situation has us confined in a building with only narrow hallways outside of classrooms and we are surrounded by a bunch of storefronts. So, we don't really have our own parking lot either and there's not a lot of room for the students. Having the opportunity to work at the Kaumana property is a really, really great break from the confined quarters of the Kress building itself. It allows students to do hands on work and experience agriculture in Hawaii which can better teach students about real world situations. We learn about invasive plants and how to safely clear them as not to disturb the native ones. We learn how to cultivate plants such a sweet potato, mamaki, and like even coffee. And we 12 EXHIBIT A really hope to use those products like at school, like for our lunches which would provide healthier meals, more locally sourced meals and it's honestly been my own personal experience. The staff at Connections cares very deeply about their students, they view them not only as students, but as family. And we care about our family and our neighbors, the environment, we really want to do all we can for them, and despite the fact that my classmates and I will likely not be around the school by the time a new campus would be built. We still want to work as hard as we can for the next generation of students, that they can have better resources than we ever did. We do this because those kids to come after us are going to be our future, and we have to do the best we all can to make sure they get a bright one. That's all I have to say. REPLOGLE: Thank you Kaitlyn and last will be Krysta Costa, also a student. COSTA: Yo, what's up everyone? REPLOGLE: Good morning, Krysta. You may begin. COSTA: I'm a senior currently going into college. REPLOGLE: Did you say your name and where you live? COSTA: Sure, my name is Krysta Costa and I live in Downtown Hilo. Really— REPLOGLE: Thank you. COSTA: So, I'm a senior at Connections and I've been here since fourth grade. I really feel the support that they give and last year I was a hybrid student, and this year is the same. However, this year is vastly different, I've had much more fun in so many great new memories and learned a lot. I was lucky enough to be able to work and help out at the schools Kaumana property. One of the distinctive memory from my time working out there was quite the memorable one. I was feeling hungry, and I went up to the waiwi tree that they had and one of the workers there saw and said he wanted to show me something. So, he gave me a yellow waiwi and he picked the red one and he told me how that the red ones were sweeter than the yellow ones, and that flies like them a lot, so they lay eggs on them and had worms. So, after I ate half of it, he broke open the red waiwi to show me and saw how it had a black head and the white body with long line, a thin body. It was very fun to discover something new, he told me I didn't have to worry because they were digestible and that it wouldn't do anything else. It was funny though, but I actually immediately threw away the other half of the fruit I had my hand after I saw it. All and all I really just have a lot of fun there even though I do find some disturbing things, but I feel like I learned something new every day, and I really like that. Thank you for listening. REPLOGLE: Thank you, Krysta. Okay, if everybody can turn on their cameras oh, that's already done. Okay, do you have any questions for the testifiers Commissioners, any further questions? 13 EXHIBIT A The public testimony ended at 9:54_a.m. Respectfully submitted, Melissa Dacayanan-Salvador Secretary to Boards and Commissions 14 EXHIBIT A