HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-03-10 KCDP Minutes Final DraftMitchell D. Roth
Mayor
Lee E. Lord
Managing Director
Zendo Kern
Director
Jeffrey W. Darrow
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
Hawai‘i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Page 1
Thursday, March 10, 2022 1
DRAFT Meeting Minutes 2
CALL TO ORDER 3
Chair Young called the Kona Community Development Plan (KCDP) Action Committee (AC) to 4
order at 5:13 pm. Due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, this meeting was held 5
via the Zoom interactive video platform. 6
Chair Young shared an ʻŌlelo Noʻeau: 7
He maiʻa ua pa´a i ke koʻo 8
A banana tree well supported by props / A person well supported by his followers 9
[A leader is stronger with the support of the people] 10
ROLL CALL 11
AC Members Present: Charles Young (Chair), Shirley David (Vice-Chair), Kari Kimura, Franz 12
Weber, Janice Palma-Glennie [arrived at 5:36 pm], David Huerta [arrived at 6:29 pm] 13
AC Members Absent-Excused: Marisa Bankston, Roselyn Molina, Shane Palacat-Nelsen 14
County Staff: Planners – Heather Bartlett, Keiko Mercado, Jaslyn Nathaniel 15
County Officials: Council Member Rebecca Villegas 16
3 members of the public attended the meeting via Zoom. The meeting was also available for 17
synchronous viewing via the COH Planning Department YouTube Livestream. The Livestream is 18
available at Kona CDP Action Committee Meeting March 10, 2022- YouTube. 19
ANNOUNCEMENTS 20
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 21
Minutes were addressed after business item one (1) when the committee attained quorum. 22
Committee Member Kari Kimura made a motion to approve the November 10, 2021 meeting 23
minutes. Seconded by Committee Member Janice Palma-Glennie. Motion passed with 5 votes 24
aye, 0 votes nay. [Committee Member Huerta was not present for the vote] 25
PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: None 26
www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 2
BUSINESS: 27
1. Information Sharing: Sharon Hirota, from the County Office of Housing and Community 28
Development, presented an overview of several programs and centers that were launched in 29
partnership with community based organizations. She encouraged AC members to share 30
these programs with their networks: 31
• Emergency Rent Assistance – Provides financial assistance to help residents ensure 32
housing stability by helping them to get caught up on rent and utility payments 33
• Landlord/Tenant Mediation Center – Provides landlord/tenant mediation services. After 34
the lifting of the moratorium there was a temporary modification to the landlord-tenant 35
code that requires landlords and tenants to go through a mediation process before 36
entering into the court system. 37
• Coordination Center – Provides a free centralized service that helps residents navigate 38
critical financial, housing, and health-related issues. The Center’s objective is to ensure 39
that lack of knowledge about available resources does not stand between residents and 40
the help they need and is designed to help residents with one-on-one coaching and 41
connectivity to community-based and government supported services. 42
• Homeowner Assistance – Provides Hawaiʻi homeowners who are experiencing financial 43
hardship associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and have incomes at or below 150% of 44
the area median income with assistance that will lead to long-term mortgage resolution. 45
The program grants up to $30,000 to assist homeowners with paying past due mortgages 46
or reduce monthly payments. 47
• Financial Empowerment Centers – Provides free, one-on-one financial counseling as a 48
public service to all residents. Centers are staffed with trained counselors to help 49
residents manage money, decrease debt, improve credit, and access all other services 50
offered by the centers to find financial stability. 51
Chair Young commented that Covid may not be the primary origin; but rather, an 52
exacerbation to a pre-existing issue of affordable housing needs. He questioned whether 53
there was statistical data that was being generated and captured. Ms. Hirota confirmed that 54
data is being collected and that it will help OHCD determine where the gaps of need are to 55
help establish safety nets. She defined affordable as having diverse variables with a wide 56
range of appropriate housing needs. Ms. Hirota mentioned that additional information would 57
be shared about a strategic Roadmap and other upcoming projects relative to the recently 58
passed Council Bill 111 (Ordinance 22-26 amends Chapter 19, Article 11, Section 19-90, of 59
the Hawaiʻi County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended), relating to Real Property taxes). 60
Ordinance 22-26 available here: https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/0/doc/1032369/Page1.aspx 61
Committee Member Palma-Glennie acknowledged the benefits of the presentation and 62
assessed the current community circumstances. She pondered possible methods that the 63
Action Committee could assist with for the program’s integration into the community. 64
Vice-Chair Shirley David valued around the passing of Council Bill 111. She spoke about 65
attending a recent Finance Committee Meeting where OHCD Administrator Susan Kunz 66
www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 3
provided an update around some of the projects she had shared in her presentation at the 67
Joint AC Meeting in January. 68
Vice-Chair Huerta was eager to see the Action Committee’s long-anticipated goals 69
implemented through the Office of Housing. 70
Community Member Lamakū Mikahala Roy commented on OHCDs efforts. She expressed her 71
concerns around three areas: lack of support to those who financially supported seniors 72
during the pandemic, the dishonorable use of the Royal Ali’i Parkway land, and precedence 73
of assistance to developer’s contrary to the local community during the pandemic. Chair 74
Young thanked Ms. Roy for bringing awareness to the situation. Ms. Hirota offered that 75
OHCD is always available to connect. 76
Community Member Chuck Flaherty requested that the presentation information be shared 77
and asked whether services include assistance with unaffordable prescription drugs. Ms. 78
Hirota stated that the funding assistance is criteria-based and considered on a case-by-case 79
basis. 80
Presentation slides available here: 81
https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/115371/Communication%20No.%202022-08%20-82
OHCD%20Financial%20Empowerment%20Presentation.pdf 83
Additional information available here: https://sites.google.com/view/hawaiicountyerap/home 84
2. January 19, 2022 Joint AC Meeting Report - Communication No. 2022-05: 85
Committee Member Kari Kimura made a motion to approve the January 19, 2022 Joint AC 86
Meeting Report. Seconded by Committee Member Franz Weber. Motion passed with 5 votes 87
aye, 0 votes nay. 88
Chair Young shared his observance that the other Action Committees shared some of the 89
same struggles with online meetings. AC Member Palma-Glennie who was unable to attend 90
the Joint AC Meeting asked if members in attendance could share a few highlights. AC 91
Member Weber pointed out that the larger group drew more presenters, and more 92
information was shared out. AC Member Kimura concurred with AC Member Weber. Ms. 93
Mercado stated that the agenda was formulated based on AC Members and community 94
requests and interests. She shared an example of the inclusive participation, pointing out 95
that it was Community Member Flaherty, during a Kona Action Committee Meeting, who 96
suggested and then connected staff with Hawaiʻi Zero Waste who presented at the Joint AC 97
meeting. Chair Young appreciated understanding the island wide similarities and differences 98
around affordable housing needs, meetings dynamics and requirements, and the desire to 99
work towards more progressive and productive meetings. 100
Communication No. 2022-5 available here: 101
https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/115369/Communication%20No.%202022-05%20-2022-01-102
19%20Draft%20Kona%20CDP%20Report.pdf 103
3. Action Committee Support of Hawaiʻi Ports-of Entry Biosecurity Program: Ms. Bartlett gave 104
a brief overview of how the Biosecurity Ports-of-Entry Support Letter (Communication No. 105
2022-07) came before the Kona Action Committee. She explained that the Puna AC had also 106
considered this on their agenda and members suggested the letter of support be brought 107
www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 4
forward to other Action Committees to unify support for the program across Hawaiʻi Island. 108
Chair Young followed by outlining the modifications made to the letter to reflect invasive 109
species impacting the Kona region. AC Member Palma-Glennie expressed her support 110
around the need to address invasive species and provides support. AC Member Weber 111
suggested that alternative methods would be necessary to manage the issue. 112
Committee Member Shirley David moved to accept and send Communication No. 2022-07 to 113
the Hawaiʻi Invasive Species Council. Motion seconded by Committee Member Kari Kimura. 114
Motion failed with 4 votes aye, 1 vote nay, and 1 vote to abstain. 115
Communication No. 2022-07 available here: 116
https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/115370/Communication%20No.%202022-07%20-117
(Vetoed)%20Draft%20Ports%20of%20Entry%20Support%20Letter.pdf 118
4. Action Committee Priority Setting Exercise: Ms. Bartlett shared a digitally interactive 119
Priority Setting Exercise to prompt conversations relative to AC interests and projects. 120
Chair Young specified that while the complete list was important, the exercise was a starting 121
point to modify and work from. 122
AC Member Weber understood prioritization as unfeasible since the items were equally 123
important and preferred a strategically integrated effort. 124
AC Member Palma-Glennie agreed with AC Member Weber all priorities should be 125
incorporated to advance the list as a whole. 126
Community Member Lamakū Mikahala Roy agreed with AC Member Palma-Glennie and 127
encouraged that the disclosure of information and public safety be set as priorities. 128
Vice-Chair David stated that subcommittees were already in existence around some of the 129
subjects listed and questioned if the remaining were intended to duplicate that process. 130
Chair Young expressed that enthusiasm needed to be rekindled and requested that the 131
priorities conversation be kept on the radar. He hoped that AC members would continue to 132
work on prioritization between meetings and that the team would be able to create a 133
process through which a visual matrix could be created to show connectivity between 134
priorities. 135
Community Member Flaherty recalled previous CDP conversations based on AC members 136
serving as “Champions within their spheres of influence” in which they were the subject 137
experts working to expand community outreach and advocated for implementation of the 138
CDP. 139
AC Member Glennie added that the priorities should be CDP “region-centric” to avoid losing 140
its essence. 141
AC Member Huerta felt challenged as a new member and requested follow up relative to AC 142
roles and action committee voice. 143
Chair Young used business items as examples to briefly clarify the advisory role of the AC. He 144
then suggested that the priorities be individually distributed to AC members and the 145
discussion be postponed to a later time. 146
www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 5
AC Member Weber shared his interest in serving on the Kona Open Space Subcommittee. 147
Committee Member Shirley David moved for AC Member Weber’s request to be added to the 148
Kona Open Space network Subcommittee. Seconded by Committee Member Kari Kimura. 149
Motion passed with 6 votes aye, 0 votes nay. 150
5. Framework for Action Committee Run Meetings: Ms. Mercado informed that some Action 151
Committees have expressed interest in hosting their own official meetings. She explained the 152
possibility of the ACs having the option to convene between the already scheduled quarterly 153
meetings and provided high-level framework for running these meetings. Sunshine Law 154
would need to be adhered to and Robert’s Rules followed. Ms. Mercado assured that 155
planning staff would provide templates and resource packets and would continue to make 156
connections as the AC needed. Staff would also continue to post the agenda and minutes to 157
ensure compliance with the Sunshine Law. 158
AC members expressed support and a preference to host more frequent meetings. Planning 159
staff will continue to define roles and explore supports that can be put in place to assist AC 160
hosted meetings. 161
Presentation slides available here: 162
https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/115426/Communication%20No.%202022-09-163
%20Kona%20AC%20Meeting%20Framework.pdf 164
6. Election of Action Committee Officers 165
Due to time restraints, Elections were deferred to the next AC meeting. 166
Vice-Chair Shirley David made a motion to defer the elections to the next AC Meeting on May 167
12, 2022. Seconded by Committee Member David Huerta. Motion passed with 5 votes aye, 0 168
votes nay. [AC Member Kimura was not present for the vote] 169
PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: 170
1. Kona Action Committee Priorities 171
2. A recap of prior successes can be placed on a future meeting agenda to bring all 172
members up to par. 173
3. Election of Action Committee Officers. 174
ADJOURNMENT: Committee Member David Huerta moved to adjourn. Seconded by Vice-Chair 175
Shirley David. Motion passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay. 176
The meeting was adjourned at 7:23 pm. 177
These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona 178
Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 179
Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department 180
by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 181