HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-11-10 KCDP Minutes Draft
Mitchell D. Roth Zendo Kern
Mayor Director
Lee E. Lord Jeffrey W. Darrow
Managing Director Deputy Director
County of Hawai‘i
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE
Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720
Phone (808) 961 - 8288 • Fax (808) 961 - 8742
1 Wedne sday, Novem b e r 10 , 2021
2 DRAFT Meeting Minutes
3 CALL TO ORDER
4 Chair Young called the Kona Community Development Plan (KCDP) Action Committee (AC) to
5 order at 5:11 P.M. Due to restrictions related to the COVID - 19 pandemic, this meeting was held
6 via the Zoom interactive video platform.
7 ROLL CALL
8 AC Members Present: Marisa Bankston, Shirley David ( Vice - Chair), David Huerta, Kari Kimura,
9 Janice Palma - Glennie [came in at 5:23 P.M.] , Charles Young (Chair)
10 AC Members Absent - Excused: Roselyn Molina , Shane Palacat - Nelsen, Franz Weber
11 County Staff: Planners – H eather Bartlett , Alexis Ching, Keiko Mercado , Natasha Soriano
12 C ounty Officials: Council Member Holeka Inab a
13 3 members of the public attended the meeting via Zoom. The meeting was also available for
14 synchronous viewing via the COH Planning Department YouTube Livestream . The livestream is
15 available at Kona CDP Action Committee Meeting Novem b e r 11, 2021 - YouTube .
16 Chair You ng’ s Ōlelo No ʻ ʻeau:
17 Ua mau ke ea o āina i ka pono ʻ
18 The life of the land is preserved in ri ghteousness .
19 [The perpetuation, health and future of our land is dependent on righteous acts and people.]
20 ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: None
21 ANNOUNCEMENTS:
22 1. General Plan Update :
23 Ms. Mercado shared that the administration has been working to launch and implement the new
24 Electronic Processing & Information Center (EPIC) permit system. As EPIC is now up and running,
25 more time will shift to the priority of reviewing and evaluating the General Plan Comprehensive
26 Review. This will include an updated timeline, additional public input, and an outline of the
27 adoption process. The website will be updated and action committees will be notified when
28 information is available.
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29 2. Community First Health Care Initiative:
30 Ms. Mercado shared that they received a notice from Community First informing that they are
31 conducting a health care assessment. They are reaching out for help in distributing their survey
32 across Hawai ʻi Island. Community First and its partners are serving Hawaiʻi Island residents
33 during the month of Novemb er to better understand what communities need to improve their
34 health. The survey is a part of Access to Care, a collaborative that’s working to transform health
35 care on Hawai ʻ i Island. Information regarding this and a link to their survey will be sent to AC
36 members via email.
37 Committee Member David Huerta made a motion to move the approval of the September 9, 2021
38 meeting minutes to the end of the meeting. Motion seconded by Committee Member Shirley
39 David. Motion passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay.
40 PUBL IC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: One (1) member of the public provided oral testimony.
41 Oral Testimony:
42 Charles “ Chuck” Flaherty , representing himself, testified on the General Plan u pdate
43 announcement and business item 3. Mr. Flaherty fe lt that the proposed draft of the General
44 Plan was “gutted and replaced” in the sense that it makes no reference to the prior General
45 Plans that were done in the past. It was unclear to him what the possible impacts will be on
46 the various County departments , the Kona CDP , and the CDP’s implementation . Mr. Flaherty
47 shared he did not understand why the Planning Department decided to proceed in a
48 different way than had been done in 1989 and 2005. He would like staff to create a matrix
49 that shows what prot ections and measures within the existing General Plan would still be
50 covered by the proposed General Plan , and what changes were proposed .
51 Mr . Flaherty shared that the Land Use Pattern Allocation Guide ( LUPAG ) map should be
52 adjusted to remove the resort node designation at H ōkūle ʻa. He stated that this was ruled to
53 be invalid by the Third Circuit Court and in addition to that , the issue should have gone to
54 Land Use Commission to have it re - designed as rural. He hope d that the General Plan will be
55 amended to include that.
56 Mr. Flaherty informed that he possesses documentation related to the Chapter 27 Flood
57 Control and Chapter 10 Soil and Erosion C ont rol from several years ago and would like to
58 share the information with the AC.
59 BUSINESS:
60 1. Kona Open Space Network (KOSN) Update : Long Range Planner Natasha Soriano updated the
61 AC on the status of the KOSN Plan. Ms. Soriano will be managing this project a long with Long
62 Range Planner Rob Leasure. Ms. Soriano stated tha t an updated scope of work was shared
63 with members of the KOSN subcommittee and requested that they provide their comments
64 by November 20, 2021. She advised subcommittee members to reach out if they wish to
65 meet to further discuss the scope and direction.
66 The CDP cal ls for the establishment of the KOSN program to enhance the opportunities of
67 residents and visitors to engage in recreational, educational, subsis tence and gather ing
68 activities. The Network would consist of managed hubs of natural, cultural, and developed
69 resources that are interlinked by trails and corridors. Through discussions it was recognized
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70 that the departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Works are necessary partners to
71 ensure implementation of the project . Ms. Soriano informed that consultants will be
72 reviewed and evaluated t o find the most suited relative to the project scope . The consultant
73 review is expected to take place in Dec ember with the final selection being comp leted by the
74 end of January.
75 Committee Member Kimura acknowledged that the beginning stages of th e project will
76 require a lot of outreach and s he wanted the AC to be aware of the limitations of hosting
77 effective working meetings given Covid - 19 . She was skeptical about an online meeting
78 format for the kind of communication and information gathering that the project will require.
79 Committee Member Palma - Glennie questioned if there will be a ti me in the near future
80 where in - person meetings can h appen with the public while still abid ing by COVID protocols.
81 With the rise in vaccinations, it is possible that more restrictions may be lifted for public
82 meetings . Ms. Soriano acknowledged the benefits of Zoom meetings where she has seen
83 creative strategies to engage with community . She advised subco mmittee members to
84 include different options/strategies around engagement in t heir comments relative to the
85 contract scope . Ms. Bartlett requested that the subcommittee also include ideas for the
86 website presence for the KOSN in their comments.
87 2. 2018 Action Committee Priorities: Chair Young provided updates on some of the items listed
88 in the Kona CDP Action Committee Priorities and Recommendations for FY 2 0 19 - 2020 Capital
89 Improvement Program letter that was drafted in 2018.
90 For reference see the 2018 Kona CDP Priorities Letter ( communication number 2018 - 21.1 )
91 Chair Young expressed that the purpose of this discussion was to challenge the AC to reflect
92 o n their former list of priorities so they can focus on tho se issues and keep them in front of
93 the Planning Department.
94 Committee Member Palma - Glennie expressed the importance of getting the community
95 re involved with this process. Finding a way to sho w the community how the CDP can
96 improve their lives will help the AC to move forward and work with the Planning Department
97 more efficiently. She feels that more connect ion to the public will help to reiterate and clarify
98 what their priorities are .
99 Committee Member Kimura stressed the necessity for affordable housing. She shared that
100 t hrough her service on the Kealakehe High School Community Council , she has seen issues of
101 equity and student transportation . She suggested that the AC analyze where the CDP helps
102 or hinders that kind of activity and address the issues that are preventing affordable housing
103 from happening.
104 Committee Member David agree d and expressed the need for a comprehensive housing
105 plan . She suggested that the AC review the Housing plan that Maui adopted. She questioned
106 if the Office of Housing or planning have a place where they can see all the affordable
107 housing projects that are ongoing right now. It would be helpful for the public to see reports
108 on roadblocks and how to overcome them.
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109 More information about the Maui Housing Plan can be found on their website here
110 ( sites.goog l e.com/view/mauihousingplan )
111 Mr. Flaherty said he would provide the working group papers and information that he has on
112 the CDP housing background reports to the AC.
113 Chair Young suggested the possibility of using funds that are coming out o f Congress for
114 consulting services to assist with developing a comprehensive plan. He quest ioned if the AC
115 w ould be able to provide input on how they would want to see those monies utilized .
116 Ms. Mercado offered to find out more information on wh at the different roles are relative to
117 the infrastructure funding from Congress . She suggested that Mr. Flaherty provide his
118 working papers to the Planning Department so the documents may be scanned and made
119 electronically accessible to AC members and the public .
120 Council Member Inaba confirmed that Council passed Resolution 241 which encourages and
121 urges the Office of Housing an d Community Development (OHCD) to pursue a study on how
122 inclusionary zoning policies have affected the development of affordable housing. OHCD is in
123 the process of seeking out a consultant for this project . At the same time, Council Members
124 Inaba and Villegas are working to provide some changes to the current Chapter 11 affordable
125 housing chapter.
126 Mr. Flaherty brought attention to the big effort among community members in t he county
127 with regard to waste water treatment. The County was fined for the P ā hala wastewater
128 treatment plant, and EPA is now looking a t the Hilo and Kealakehe plants . Director Ramzi
129 Mansour, who oversees the Wastewater Division, estimated a billion dollars worth of
130 infrastruct ure would be needed for wastewater treatment. Mr. Flaherty suggested that this
131 be a priority to address as well.
132 Committee Member Palma - Glennie shared that people are really interested in solid waste
133 solutions ( li ke recycling) and would like to find a way to incorporate this issue into the CDP or
134 relate it to land use.
135 Mr. Flaherty informed that Christine Kubat a nd other people working with her have put
136 together a solid waste plan. He w ould reach out to see if she can do a presentation on the
137 matter or update the AC on current efforts .
138 Committee Member Kimura noted that solid waste and recycling are island - wide issue s . She
139 emphasized that this topic is not specific to the Kona CDP and is more appropriate for the all -
140 island AC meetings.
141 3. Implementation Updates from Action Com mittee Members:
142 a. Affordable Housing: Per the previous discussions, the AC agreed that affordable housing
143 is a priority. There was confirmed interest around a presentation by OHCD relative to an
144 affordable housing plan and the status of existing projects and overall capacity .
145 b. F lood Mitigation and Erosion Control : A n investigatory sub committee was formed at the
146 previous Kona AC meeting to address the issues related to flood mitigation and erosion
147 control . Committee Member Kimura informed that the sub committee had not yet
148 convened .
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149 4. Review Current Action Committee Member Terms and Ideate Around 2022 AC Proceedings:
150 Ms. Mercado explained that they would be reaching out to all AC members to set up time for
151 an open and hones t conversation to check - in about how they are feeling relative to their
152 terms and discuss strategies for engaging in a more fruitful way during 2022 .
153 Ms. Bartlett presented a spreadsheet outlining the Kona AC members’ term d urations and
154 timelines. D iscussions were had regarding holdover status through which Chair Young and
155 Committee Members Huerta and Palma - Glennie expressed that they would like to continue
156 to stay on as holdovers.
157 Ms. Mercado informed that as t he terms are defined by code, there is no guarant ee about
158 how long anyone would be able to stay on as holdovers and acknowledged that continuity is
159 important to the success of the AC . Staff would like to find a way to implement a mentorship
160 between out - going members and in - coming members to aid the transfer of knowledge and
161 experi ence .
162 APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
163 Committee Member Shirley David made a motion to approve the Septembe r 9, 2021 meeting
164 minutes. S econded by Committee Member David Huerta. Motion passed with 6 votes aye, 0 votes
165 nay.
166 PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING:
167 1. Kona Action Committee Priorities
168 2. General Plan Update
169 3. Presentation by OHCD (Joint AC meeting)
170 ADJOURNMENT: Committee Member Janice Palma - Glennie moved to adjourn. Seconded by
171 Committee Member Shirley David. Motion passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay.
172 The meeting was adjourned at 6:33 pm .
173 These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department ’ s Kona
174 Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawai ʻi Public
175 Documents Repository . These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department
176 by calling (808) 961 - 8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov .
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