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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-12-19 KCDP Meeting Packet FinalMitchell D. Roth Mayor Lee E. Lord Managing Director West Hawai‘i Office 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Hwy Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740 Phone (808) 323-4770 Fax (808) 327-3563 County of Hawai‘i PLANNING DEPARTMENT Zendo Kern Director Jeffrey W. Darrow Deputy Director East Hawai‘i Office 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 Phone (808) 961-8288 Fax (808) 961-8742 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer planning@hawaiicounty.gov NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the following matters to be considered by the Kona Action Committee in accordance with the provisions of Section 92-7, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes. DATE: Monday, December 19, 2022 TIME: 2:00 P.M. PLACE: This meeting will be held by Interactive Conference Technology (ICT) through Zoom. The public may provide verbal testimony at the meeting by attending in- person or calling into the Zoom meeting. Members of the public may attend via Zoom or attend the in-person on site location listed below. To register for verbal testimony please contact staff at cdp@hawaiicounty.gov or (808) 961-8288. Zoom registration link: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItfumhrD8rHqalEKDP1w29s- OXB09U0Ok If internet connection is lost, the public meeting will be automatically recessed to restore communication. If lost connection exceeds 30 minutes, the meeting will be terminated. In-Person site location: West Hawaiʻi Civic Center Planning Department Conference Room 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Hwy., Building E 2nd Floor Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 AGENDA CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ANNOUNCEMENTS Page2 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer planning@hawaiicounty.gov APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES: The Action Committee will consider the draft minutes for the Kona Action Committee Meeting on May 12, 2022. PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: Written testimony may be submitted via email at cdp@hawaiicounty.gov or in person at the Hilo or Kona Planning Department, up to two (2) business days prior (Tuesday, December 13, 2022) to the meeting (see the Notice Section below). In addition, members of the public may provide oral testimony at the meeting on any of the agenda items. To register for access to the Zoom meeting please email cdp@hawaiicounty.gov or click the link above. Comments may be made either during the public comment portion of the agenda or just prior to the relevant business item. With discretion of the Chair of the CDP Action Committee, comments may be limited to three (3) minutes in length per agenda item. BUSINESS: 1. Officer Election (Chair/Vice-Chair & Secretary) for 2023: The Action Committee will nominate and elect a Chair, Vice-Chair & Secretary to serve through the 2023 calendar year. 2. Action Committee Recruitment Strategy: Action Committee members will discuss their strategy to recruit new members for the Kona Action Committee. 3. Action Committee Prioritization Discussion: Action Committee members will engage in an exercise to establish priority implementation projects and interests. Discussion will include exploring mutual interests between Action Committee members to create investigatory subcommittees and community liaison groups, as applicable. Joint initiatives with community members or partner organizations are encouraged. Please see Communication No. 2022-19 Subcommittee Guidance. 4. Action Committee Strategy: The Action Committee will assess their strategy in moving toward Action Committee hosted meetings. Discussion will center around meeting schedule and logistics, hybrid/technical capabilities, and Action Committee member capacity. AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING: Action Committee members will discuss logistics (meeting date/time) and potential agenda items for the next meeting. ADJOURNMENT This agenda and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public Documents Repository: https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/WebLink/1/fol/9059/Row1.aspx. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by calling (808) 961- 8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. NOTICE: The purpose of the public hearings is to afford all interested persons a reasonable opportunity to be heard on the above items. A person desiring to submit oral or written testimony shall indicate their name and whether the testimony is on their behalf or as a representative of an organization or individual. Written testimony can be submitted via email Page3 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer planning@hawaiicounty.gov or hard copy. Hard copies should include an original and nine copies and be submitted no later than 4:30pm two days prior to the hearing date. Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service, other reasonable modification, or language interpretation to access this meeting please contact the Planning Department at (808) 961- 8288 as soon as possible, but no later than five working days prior to the meeting date, to arrange for accommodations. “Other reasonable modification” refers to communication methods or devices for people with disabilities who are mentally and/or physically challenged. If you are a lobbyist, you must register with the Hawai‘i County Clerk within five days of becoming a lobbyist. (Article 15, Section 2-91.3(b), Hawai‘i County Code). A lobbyist means, “any individual engaged for pay or other consideration who spends more than five hours in any month or $275 in any six-month period for the purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action by communicating or urging others to communicate with public officials.” (Article 15, Section 2-91.3(a)(6), Hawai‘i County Code). Registration forms and expenditure report documents are available at the Office of the County Clerk-Council, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720. KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Mitchell 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, May 12, 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 5:03 pm. A quorum was established with six members in attendance. Due to restrictions 5 related to the COVID-19 pandemic and new provisions set by the Sunshine Law, this meeting was 6 held via the Zoom interactive video platform with one on-site location at the West Hawai'i Civic 7 Center- Community Hale, Building G. 8 Chair Young shared an ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, expressing his manaʻo that coming together is the first step 9 in making progress and his hope that it would set a standard for moving forward: 10 Pūpūkahi i holomua - Unite to make progress. 11 12 ROLL CALL 13 AC Members Present in Person: Charles Young (Chair), Shirley David (Vice-Chair), David Huerta, 14 Kari Kimura, Franz Weber 15 AC Members Present via Zoom Online Platform: Shane Palacat-Nelsen [left at 6:20 pm], Janice 16 Palma-Glennie [arrived at 5:29 pm] 17 AC Members Absent-Excused: Marisa Bankston, Roselyn Molina 18 County Staff: Planners – Heather Bartlett, Keiko Mercado, Elyse Stevens 19 County Officials: Councilmember Hōleka Inaba 20 Five members of the public attended the meeting via Zoom. The meeting was also available for 21 synchronous viewing via the COH Planning Department YouTube Livestream. The Livestream is 22 available at Kona CDP Action Committee Meeting May 12, 2022- YouTube. 23 ANNOUNCEMENTS: None. 24 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 25 Committee Member Weber motioned to approve the March 10, 2022 meeting minutes , which 26 was seconded by Committee Member Huerta. There was no discussion. Motion passed 27 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 2 unanimously with a voice vote (Weber, Huerta, David, Kimura, Palacat-Nelson, Young). 28 Committee Member Palma-Glennie was absent at the time of the vote. 29 PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: 30 One member of the public provided written testimony: 31 Simmy McMichaels submitted written testimony on agenda items 2 and 3, regarding 32 infrastructure priorities and floodplain mitigation. 33 See Communication No. 2022-11 for Ms. McMichael’s testimony: 34 https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/116196/Communication%20No.%202022-35 11%20Simmy%20McMichael%20Testimony.pdf 36 Five members of the public provided oral testimony: 37 1. Colin “Keola” Childs, representing himself testified on agenda item 2. He proposed that 38 infrastructure priorities within the Kona urban area should be directed to a single large-scale 39 Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) hub in downtown Kona. He explained that the potential 40 TOD could be centered on the intersection of Queen Kaʻahumanu Highway and Palani Road, 41 with a radius of a half-mile north, mauka, and south. He suggested that the County and Kona 42 Action Committee focus on this area as a more feasible and cost-effective option to limit 43 overextending financial resources and encourage sprawl. Within this urban node, he 44 identified water, sewage, and roads as the main priorities. This would create a road network 45 between the three public schools in this area of North Kona. He also spoke about water 46 resource limitations, stating that housing will not be permitted if the Commission of Water 47 Resource Management refuses to issue well permits. He was informed that the National Park 48 Service determined that no more housing wells should be allowed because the anchialine 49 ponds might get more brackish. 50 Keola Childs’ written testimony (Communication number 2022-13) may be viewed at the following link: 51 https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/116198/Communication%20No.%202022-52 13%20Keola%20Childs%20Testimony.pdf 53 2. Chuck Flaherty, representing himself, testified on agenda item 3. He reported that he 54 submitted documents regarding flood control efforts and other information to the Planning 55 Department. He will be following up with the committee regarding these documents soon. 56 3. Dr. Rick Bennett, representing himself, testified on agenda item 2. Dr. Bennett briefly 57 mentioned his nearly 50-years of experience with water issues that ranged from drinking 58 water, wastewater, and environmental protection. He discussed the public trust doctrine and 59 how natural resources such as water are to be managed within the said trust. He discussed 60 the current 14% decline in rainfall within the last 4-5 decades and the projected rainfall 61 reduction over the next 20-30 years, based on the Stanford Climate Model. He believed it is 62 imperative to implement policies according to the scenarios provided by the Stanford studies 63 and proposed that the Action Committee integrate water policy into the Kona CDP. He 64 suggested how the Kona CDP could design homes for freshwater conservation and 65 implement a uniform plumbing code, which could allow homes to reuse greywater. He also 66 suggested how using non-drinking water for other uses could effectively increase the 67 freshwater drinking supply. 68 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 3 Committee Member Weber briefly discussed how utilizing greywater for other everyday uses 69 is a viable and resourceful option. 70 Dr. Bennett’s written testimony (Communication number 2022-12) may be viewed at the following link: 71 https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/116197/Communication%20No.%202022-72 12%20Dr%20Bennett%20Testimony%20(Redacted).pdf 73 4. Susan Aronson, representing herself, testified on agenda item 3. Ms. Aronson described her 74 collaboration with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Civil Defense, to 75 capture and conserve water within Hōlualoa Homestead. She continues to work with the 76 NRCS on a proposal for a Kona Climate Adaptation Plan to minimize any impacts from severe 77 storm events. (Ms. Aronson held up a document for the in-person attendees to see). She 78 discussed proposed initiatives with the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) 79 and Kamehameha Schools regarding the development of drainage swales and catchment and 80 the potential R-1 wastewater conversion upgrades. 81 82 5. Ron Aronson, representing himself, testified on agenda item 3. Mr. Aronson reported that 83 the County has been disposing 1.9 million gallons a day of R-2 treated water underground for 84 the last 20 years and stated that a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) 85 study determined that the water was going into the harbor. He stated how the Kona CDP 86 mentions recycling water and how that could play an important factor in addressing the 87 water shortage. He suggested the Kona Action Committee urge the current administration to 88 take action to find the necessary funding and refrain from issuing permits until water 89 reclamation was addressed. 90 Committee Member Huerta informed the Action Committee as a former manager of a 91 wastewater treatment plant, that he was in favor of water reclamation and greywater reuse. 92 He supported the idea of a new plumbing code and the implementation of the Kona CDP 93 priorities 94 BUSINESS: 95 1. Election of Action Committee Officers 96 Chair Young nominated Committee Member Weber as the Kona Action Committee Chair. 97 Vice-Chair David seconded the nomination. Hearing no additional comments, Chair Young 98 closed the nominations. A show-of-hand vote was approved by six members (Young, David, 99 Huerta, Kimura, Palacat-Nelson, Palma-Glennie), and one abstention (Weber). 100 Vice-Chair David nominated Committee Member Marisa Bankston, despite her absence. 101 Committee Member Weber seconded. Committee Member Palma-Glennie expressed 102 concerns that Committee Member Bankston would be unable to attend the meetings 103 regularly. Ms. Bartlett stated that she had a discussion with Committee Member Bankston, 104 and she expressed interest in serving in a deeper capacity and could devote more time to the 105 Action Committee. Committee Member Palma-Glennie nominated Committee Member 106 Kimura as Vice-Chair. Committee Member Kimura declined the nomination. 107 After no further comment or discussion, Chair Young closed the nominations and called for a 108 voice vote. The motion passed unanimously. 109 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 4 2. Infrastructure Priority Discussion 110 Chair Young reminded the Action Committee that members of the public provided 111 comments on this agenda item and opened the floor to the committee members. He 112 suggested members provide broad suggestions in no specific order. 113 Committee Member Weber asked if comments can be provided after the meeting to allow 114 time to draft useful language. Ms. Bartlett agreed that this was appropriate, and that 115 Planning Staff would collect the comments to submit to the Planning Director. Planning Staff 116 will also share the comments with the full Action Committee. 117 Committee Member Kimura asked about the 35 million appropriation to upgrade the 118 Kealakehe wastewater plant. Ms. Bartlett offered to follow up on this matter. Committee 119 Member Kimura stated that she does not feel a moratorium was appropriate. She believes 120 that the Action Committee can support projects that are important to the community. 121 Chair Young commented that the Action Committee needs to give this topic serious thought 122 because the science and technology are available; the only things lacking are funding and 123 willpower. He expressed how large amounts of water are being wasted daily; that basal 124 water is getting polluted, decreasing more drastically, and is not being replenished. He 125 believed that the AC should prioritize how to move in a different direction. 126 Committee Member Weber believed the issue was about short-term costs and long-term 127 savings. He expressed that reducing waste is better than recycling. He explained how policy 128 measures in Germany serve to minimize packaging waste by requiring stores to manage 129 reuse and disposal. Chair Young agreed but added that further information is needed to get 130 this written into policies. 131 Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen asked if the AC should be prioritizing and commenting 132 on the projects specifically provided in the packet. Ms. Bartlett stated that priorities could be 133 outside the CIP list. She mentioned there has been a lot of changes since the CDP adoption. 134 She believed that the Director was looking for suggestions to understand the general issues 135 of the area. Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen stated that managing how water is 136 approached was the most significant since it impacts housing and sustains agricultural lands. 137 Committee Member Palma-Glennie expressed concern for how the Action Committee could 138 effectively contribute to change. Ms. Mercado provided clarification that this agenda item 139 was specifically related to the Federal Infrastructure Bill funding that would be awarded to 140 the County and State. She clarified how the administration was putting together a taskforce 141 to help decide where and how the funds would be utilized and the Planning Department is 142 trying to be proactive and prepared for the conversation. She continued that Planning Staff 143 would summarize all comments and ideas for the Planning Director. 144 Community Member Flaherty announced that he would meet with Committee Member 145 Palacat-Nelsen about the Flood Mitigation Erosion Control Subcommittee work, to share the 146 documents he has and move the effort forward. 147 Vice-Chair David suggested affordable housing as a priority. She shared that infrastructure 148 plays an important role in building affordable housing, including public transit. 149 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 5 Chair Young asked Councilmember Inaba about bills he was introducing: 152and 153 150 regarding affordable housing. Councilmember Inaba stated that regarding infrastructure 151 there are several projects to consider in the Kona area from wastewater treatment, to 152 extending Ane Keohokālole Hwy, repaving Hina Lani, widening Kuakini, widening Queen 153 Ka’ahumanu Hwy, etc. He repeated the importance of water for affordable housing 154 development and the merits of allocating one percent of Real Property Tax annually to the 155 Office of Housing. 156 Committee Member Weber suggested changing the perspective of what infrastructure is to 157 include additional projects and services like internet access, a refrigerated storage facility in 158 Kawaihae, and new methods of bringing things to the Big Island to help keep costs down. 159 Chair Young asked what the guidelines were for the federal infrastructure funds. Ms. 160 Mercado responded that she did not have information on the taskforce criteria. Chair Young 161 asked that the Action Committee be kept informed as things become clearer. 162 Committee Member Palma-Glennie asked about the Open Space Network and if the 163 infrastructure bill can be related to it. Ms. Bartlett suggested that the subcommittee may be 164 able to investigate that in relation to the contract scope that has been drafted. Ms. Mercado 165 stated that timing might be an issue. Committee Member Palma-Glennie stated that she 166 would like the subcommittee to help promote funding or move it forward. 167 Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen agreed that Open Space was related to housing and 168 water as it provides quality assurance for resources and quality of life. He also mentioned the 169 Affordable Housing, Planning, Feasibility, and Design CIP project should be highlighted but to 170 include concerns about water. 171 Chair Young asked if directing infrastructure funding to a TOD in the downtown area of Kona 172 (as suggested in Mr. Childs testimony) was a feasible focus for the Action Committee. 173 Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen voiced concerns about affordability for generational 174 families in Kona if we limit resources to one area. 175 Community Member Childs stated that the funding should be focused on the main arterials 176 in Kailua-Kona to build density around existing/planned infrastructure, housing, and schools. 177 Committee Member Palma-Glennie stated that the only way the TOD would work is if they 178 are integrated with different economic groups and hoped that this could be a template for 179 the entire island. 180 Community Member Susan Aronson shared that a group called ‘Aina Aloha is working on 181 circular economy concepts. She was involved with the effort to turn the municipal golf 182 course into a regional park. She expressed that through that and working with the 183 Department of Hawaiian Homelands and the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant, there 184 is an opportunity to develop a concept for efficient water usage. She also shared information 185 about the upcoming Hawai‘i Rural Water Association Conference. 186 Chair Young recommended Action Committee members and the community provide Staff 187 with any suggestions or ideas. Ms. Bartlett asked if suggestions could be submitted within 188 two weeks so that staff have time to put the information together for the Planning Director. 189 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 6 3. Action Committee Project Prioritization Discussion: 190 Chair Young recalled that staff offered a prioritization matrix for the committee to refer to at 191 the last meeting. He acknowledged that all issues are interconnected which can make it 192 difficult to focus on specific projects. He emphasized the need to look deeply at the Action 193 Committee’s role in the successful implementation of the CDP. He mentioned the 194 importance of Chapter 16 framing the roles and responsibilities of Action Committees and 195 specifically pointed out Chapter16-6(6) which says the Action Committee would receive 196 briefings from the County. He expressed how important it is for Action Committee members 197 to fulfill these responsibilities which in part requires a structured process. 198 Committee Member Palma-Glennie expressed the importance of working with the 199 community to move things forward and provide a platform for people to put together 200 networks and resources. She suggested utilizing the newspaper and social media for 201 community awareness and just generally focusing on outreach. 202 Committee Member Weber recalled the prior General Plan community “Speakout” sessions 203 the Planning Department organized. He suggested community outreach could help to 204 determine what concerns exist in the community. 205 Committee Member Kimura shared that the upcoming Kona Open Space Network project 206 would encourage community engagement. She added we must embrace higher-density 207 housing to increase affordability and create walkable communities that will support 208 businesses and reduce the need for driving. 209 Chair Young asked how to retain momentum on this, and Committee Member Kimura 210 offered that a contract discussion was currently taking place. Ms. Mercado explained that the 211 next three to four months would be used to obtain funding, choose a consultant, review the 212 contract agreement with the consultant, then distribute the funds. Committee Member 213 Palma-Glennie added that subcommittees could help with distributing information. 214 Community Member Flaherty asked for advice on networking with other community groups 215 to create partnerships with the Action Committee. He shared that community groups would 216 want to know how the Action Committee could help them to manifest their goals. 217 Vice-Chair David recalled previous discussions to hold more meetings aside from the 218 scheduled meetings. A brief discussion was held regarding staff support and the Sunshine 219 Law requirements. Ms. Bartlett offered to provide the PowerPoint from the South Kohala 220 Action Committee that outlines how Action Committees could initiate that. 221 Chair Young proposed creating a subcommittee to explore ways for the Action Committee to 222 become more proactive about implementing the CDP. He agreed with the need to continue 223 prioritizing such ongoing Action Committee projects and acknowledged the time 224 commitment involved with exploring the roles and duties of the Action Committee. 225 Committee Member Weber suggested holding joint meetings consisting of Action Committee 226 subcommittees with other community organizations to outreach to the community. There 227 was then some discussion regarding permitted interactions with staff expressing support to 228 make such plans possible. 229 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 7 Community Member Ron Aronson suggested that the Action Committee organize strategic 230 planning sessions annually, with the purpose to review their current state, analyze their 231 projected state, and identify priorities. 232 After further discussions regarding Sunshine Law and permitted interactions, Ms. Mercado 233 stated that two members could attend a community organization meeting. She cautioned 234 that joining an organization’s meeting as a full committee may prove challenging due to 235 Sunshine Law requirements and related logistics. She offered to share information templates 236 (such as PowerPoint presentations) that staff have used in the past to share about Action 237 Committees and Community Planning with other community groups. 238 4. Update on the CIP budget: 239 Staff shared the FY2022-23 CIP (Capital Improvement Project) Budget spreadsheet that 240 outlined capital project appropriations submitted to the County Council relating to the Kona 241 District. Ms. Bartlett informed the Action Committee that no actions were required at the 242 time and that this item was simply an update. She offered to provide Financial Impact 243 Statement (FIS) sheets with more information on specific projects as requested. There was a 244 brief discussion regarding the statuses of listed CIP projects. She informed that the County 245 Council would be conducting their budget hearings from May 17 through May 19. 246 Councilmember Inaba clarified the budget hearing is at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday with the 247 budget discussion to take place the following morning. 248 Community Member Flaherty asked how much of the list had been authorized through bond 249 funding. Councilmember Inaba stated that he was unsure which of the projects were funded 250 through bond funding. He stated that the projects remain on the list for three years until it 251 lapses and that it’s the County Councilmember’s responsibility to place them back on. 252 PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: 253 1. For the Kona Action Committee Meeting on September 8: Flood Mitigation and Erosion 254 Control Subcommittee report. 255 ADJOURNMENT: Vice-Chair David moved to adjourn. Seconded by Committee Member Huerta. 256 Motion passed with 6 votes aye, 0 votes nay. 257 The meeting was adjourned at 7:07 pm. 258 These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona 259 Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 260 Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department 261 by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 262 Communication No. 2022-19 Page 1 Action Committee Subcommittee Guidance Given recent, increased focus on using subcommittees for Action Committee implementation projects, we compiled the following guide to help you organize your work. Remember these are only suggestions to help you move forward and can be adapted to fit the needs and scope of your project. This is a guide to initiatives inspired by the CDP or coordinated by the CDP Action Committee. Though some steps naturally come before others, many can be pursued simultaneously. Subcommittees as a “Permitted Interaction Group” per Sunshine Law The Sunshine Law provides some specific guidance for the creation of subcommittees, which requires a minimum of 3 separate meetings as noted below: • AC members on a subcommittee must be less than a quorum (4 AC max) but can include any number of outside community members. • The scope of the subcommittee must be defined at an AC meeting (1st meeting). • The subcommittee may choose to update the AC as many times as needed prior to presenting the final recommendations. • Subcommittee findings and recommendations are presented at a subsequent or 2nd meeting. • If action is desired from the deliberation and decision-making must occur at a 3rd (or later) meeting. This gives the AC and the public time to digest findings before a decision is made. A Network Approach It is important to keep in mind that a network approach to community-based, collaborative resource management can be most effective and efficient. In contrast to centralized, hierarchical, bureaucratic organization, networks are more informal, flexible, and decentralized. Efficiency is enhanced through distributed power and problem-solving, and effectiveness is improved through autonomous but coordinated action. Networks are not about control – they are about value-added coordination and communication. Ideas and Guidance Take from here what is helpful… add, change, or disregard items in this list as you please. Remember: this is your project, and you can design it as it suits you! *Note: The Ka'ū and Hāmākua CDPs have Community Action Guides. It is highly recommended that you look through these for inspiration/direction (that includes other ACs who can adapt these ideas to your project!) Step 1. Establish a Topic of Interest, or Focus a. Decide if your interest is specific enough or if you would like to further define that focus through a group process. b. For Place-Based Initiatives: i. Clarify the site(s) that will be the focus, relative to regional priorities for protecting and/or managing specific resources and areas. ii. Choose an appropriate scale – neighborhood, street, parcel, or a watershed, forest, forest/agriculture interface, riparian corridor, trail corridor, section of coastline, parcels, sites (cultural, recreational), etc. iii. Maintain an ahupua‘a-based perspective and focus, as appropriate. Communication No. 2022-19 Page 2 Step 2. Get Organized a. Establish a small, core group of people who: i. Understand and are passionate about the issue. ii. Are able to work with the diversity of people who want to be involved. iii. Can identify the role of local, state, and federal government agencies. iv. Are committed to putting the necessary time in. b. Create a plan to engage a larger group that has a clear purpose (to educate, gather feedback, build support, etc.). c. Identify your group’s place and role within existing community-based, collaborative initiatives. Step 3. Firmly Ground the Effort in the Community a. Ground the program in the cultural context of your area of focus. b. Be open, transparent, and inclusive of a range of different perspectives. c. Consistently seek greater public involvement. d. Cultivate community ownership. Step 4. Strengthen Collaboration and Coordination a. Identify the full range of stakeholders – those individuals, families, groups, organizations, and agencies who have a “stake” in your program, whether you agree with them about everything or not. b. Invite stakeholders to get involved or collaborate i. Start with local groups. ii. Engage other partners, like nonprofits. iii. Embrace agency support. iv. Identify a community ombudsman or liaison to government. Step 5. Craft a Strategic, Achievable Plan - The subtasks with lower case Roman numerals (i, ii, iii, …) are merely examples and can vary greatly based on the specific project. a. Establish a clear vision like what the community wants in the future as it pertains to the project or activity. b. Collect information like review historical and current conditions, including current activities, threats, obstacles, available resources, and opportunities. c. Establish a clear understanding of the root causes of the threats to resources, including socio-economic factors. d. Set goals and objectives to achieve the vision, which could include ideas like the following: i. Document, preserve, and perpetuate traditional management knowledge and practice. ii. Advance knowledge and understanding, supporting, and supplementing scientific research with traditional knowledge. iii. Promote inter-generational exchange, providing opportunities for kupuna to share their knowledge and wisdom and for youth to get involved. iv. Protect, restore, and maintain cultural, historic, ecological, trail, and recreational resources. Communication No. 2022-19 Page 3 v. Identify preferred access trail/road corridors and alignments. vi. Increase local access to cultural, natural, scenic, subsistence, and recreational resources. vii. End misuse of resources from overharvesting, illegal ATV use, invasive species, unsanitary waste disposal, etc. e. Identify the range of strategies that could be pursued to achieve objectives, possibly including: i. Make resource preservation recommendations to other community-based resource management groups as well as to Federal, State, and local decision- makers. ii. Organize oral history or videography projects. iii. Seek formal designations for appropriate sites, including registration on the state or federal historic register or designation as an official State or Federal trail. iv. Acquire high-value sites that are privately-owned, either fee simple or by easement (ex: PONC nomination). v. Identify appropriate uses of natural and cultural resources and sites to perpetuate Hawaiian and local culture. vi. Participate in planning activities hosted by other agencies, provide feedback from your CDP, raise awareness, and create space for collaborative efforts. vii. Gather community feedback on an issue to compile and report to decision makers viii. Track/monitor CDP implementation, identify where things are being done and not done. ix. Collaborate with relevant departments to draft a Financial Impact Statement (FIS) for inclusion of a project in the County Capital Improvement Program Budget. x. Advocate through education (for example the Puna ACs “Building in Puna” brochure). xi. Raise awareness through information, education, and outreach activities. xii. Host or join volunteer projects (e.g., maintenance, restoration, cleanups, etc.). xiii. Host cultural and educational events. xiv. Establish demonstration projects. xv. Hold fundraisers. f. Identify and prioritize preferred strategies. g. Develop a detailed work plan of activities, including action steps, timeline, responsible party, and resources needed and available. h. Develop a project budget. i. Identify necessary resources (money, expertise, connections, equipment, etc.) and come up with a plan to cover these needs. i. Fundraisers. ii. Grant opportunities. iii. Leverage the skillsets, networks, and strengths of your group members. iv. Query your group for equipment needs (i.e. “does anyone in our network have an ArcGIS license, a good laptop, a projector screen, etc.”). v. Are there decisionmakers or topic experts we may want to bring into the fold (Councilmembers or other elected officials, agency heads, university student/researcher, etc)? j. Identify funding and other resources to support plan implementation. Communication No. 2022-19 Page 4 Step 6. Establish a Structure Tailored to the Partners and the Goals (i.e., form follows function) a. Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and accountability among partners and supporters, taking care to align strengths and roles. i. Ex: A group chair (or establish a networked leadership approach), points of contact for various stakeholders or other allies, a secretary, group members responsible for a particular aspect of the project, etc. Step 7. Build Capacity a. Secure assistance and resources. i. Leverage partnerships, affiliations, and funding. ii. Secure financial and other resources. b. Create sustainable organizational and leadership systems. Step 8. Implement the Plan a. Remain flexible, allowing for improvements in techniques and for shifts in approaches as conditions change. b. Report back to the AC along the way providing updates or identifying roadblocks. c. Document the process and outcomes. Frequently Asked Questions: Q. How do I create a subcommittee? A. First notify the chair of your idea, so they put it on the next meeting agenda. You can create a subcommittee at a regular AC meeting by proposing your topic, ideally via a motion: “I move to create a subcommittee…” you would follow that initial language with the subcommittee scope/purpose: “to draft a PONC nomination for shoreline parcel x.” Your subcommittee scope could be simple, “I move to create a subcommittee to put together a project plan to protect the shoreline parcel x.”. The discussion to follow could involve refining/broadening the scope (and should include identifying up to 4 AC members to serve on it) but the key point here is that your subcommittee purpose could be as broad as identifying a topic you’re passionate about and creating a hui to define the next steps. Q. Can a community member be on a subcommittee? A. Yes and you can include as many community members as desired - they do not count toward the 4 members limit that AC members have. Q. Do community members need to be identified as subcommittee members during an AC meeting? A. Not necessarily. It is up to you if you want to identify specific community members as subcommittee members at an AC meeting. Know that you do not have to wait for an AC meeting to add community members to your subcommittee or invite them into your process. Q. Do we need to elect a chair? Could a community member serve as chair? A. Not necessarily. How you decide to organize your group is completely up to you, and yes, a community member could be a subcommittee chair. Q. Can our subcommittee fundraise? Can we apply for grants? A. , There are some caveats to be aware of based on the AC’s affiliation with the County. So, please contact staff to discuss this further if your project requires funding. Communication No. 2022-19 Page 5 Q. Are subcommittee members able to contact each other outside of regular AC meetings? A. Yes! And that is a major reason why you may want to make one. You can talk over email, Zoom, phone calls, texts, go out for coffee together, etc. If you want to collaborate with other outside groups by attending their meetings, that’s fine as well. The point of caution would be to keep your communications on topic and don’t talk about Action Committee business outside of the scope of your project. Q. Do we have to follow Sunshine Law (like posting agendas, minutes, etc)? A. Nope! But it is recommended to keep some notes of your meetings. Q. Does that mean we don’t have to include members of the public? A. We certainly encourage you to be as open, transparent, and inclusive as possible! However, we also understand the need to workshop in small group settings, especially while you find your footing at the beginning of your project. Your meetings do not have to be public, the products your subcommittee creates however will be once presented to the full AC. Q. Are we allowed to collaborate with other groups, reach out to County officials, or host public meetings? A. Yes to all of the above! There is nothing in our rules that prevent you from engaging with outside groups and the community around you, in fact we encourage you to reach out and build a network around your project! Our only request is that you share any publications (flyers, letters, reports, etc.) produced by your subcommittee so that we can add them to our public records for transparency. We can also send them out to our electronic email lists as needed. Q. Can I loop in an AC member who is not in the subcommittee? Our AC chair is not on the subcommittee, should I keep them informed? A. Any updates to other AC members, including the chair, that are not in the subcommittee, must only take place at a regular AC meeting and noted on the agenda. Updates outside an AC meeting are not permitted. Q. I think I understand the rules, however I’m still worried about doing something that “crosses the line” and creates a problem either with Sunshine Law or County rules, etc. What exactly do I need to be careful of? A. At a basic level… 1) Don’t discuss your subcommittee business with AC members who are not on your subcommittee; 2) Don’t discuss AC business that is outside of the topic/scope of your subcommittee; and 3) Don’t claim that your subcommittee represents or speaks on behalf of the Planning Department or your AC. In Conclusion While we have tried our best to cover the basics in this guide, but there will likely be other questions that pop up as you go. Please feel free to contact our CDP Team for assistance. We are available to help you brainstorm directions for your project, connect you with stakeholders and officials (as applicable), and provide advice for you along the way. With all this in mind, good luck… imua… and plan on!