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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-01-10 KCDP Meeting Packet Final.v02Mitchell 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 [Monday, December 19, 2022] 1 DRAFT Meeting Minutes 2 CALL TO ORDER 3 Action Committee Member Charlie Young called the Kona Community Development Plan (KCDP) 4 Action Committee (AC) to order at 2:05 P.M. This meeting was held via the Zoom interactive 5 video platform with one on-site courtesy location for community members at the at the West 6 Hawaiʻi Planning Department Conference Room (2nd floor). Quorum was established at this 7 meeting. 8 Action Committee Member Young shared an ʻŌlelo Noʻeau, expressing his manaʻo with the 9 Action Committee: 10 O kea o nā hoʻi koi ʻāina e ka ha ʻuliʻuli – It took a long time for the fish to bite; don’t lose 11 patience. 12 ROLL CALL 13 AC Members Present: Charlie Young; Marisa Bankston; Shirley David; Janice Palma-Glennie; Kari 14 Kimura; Shane Palacat-Nelsen 15 AC Members Absent-Excused: Roselyn Molina; David Huerta 16 Corporation Counsel- Deputy Corporation Counsel Suzanna Tiapula 17 3 members of the public attended the meeting via Zoom. 1 member of the public attended in-18 person. 19 ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: None 20 ANNOUNCEMENTS: None 21 PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: None 22 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 23 Action Committee Member Shirley David motioned to approve the May 12, 2022, minutes. 24 Seconded by Vice-Chair Marisa Bankston. Motion passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay. 25 BUSINESS: 26 Action Committee Member Young proposed moving Business Item #4: Action Committee 27 Strategy to the top of the agenda list to grasp a better understanding of the Action Committee’s 28 responsibilities, strategies, and the act of facilitating their own meetings. 29 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 2 1. Action Committee Strategy: 30 The Action Committee had a robust discussion on the logistics of organizing and facilitating their 31 own meetings, to include their duties and responsbilities. They discussed current holdover 32 positions and the strategies regarding recruiting new Action Committee membership. Action 33 Committee members agreed that more community outreach and engagement is needed. They 34 stated how difficult recruitment has been over the years. 35 Action Committee Member Palma-Glennie indicated how the Action Committee needs to 36 reevaluate its purpose. She believes that the CDP is the baseline for all community voices, but 37 projects are designed and move forward without any Action Committee engagement. 38 Action Committee Member Young believed new members will require time and training to 39 acclimate. He recommends current members remain until new members are recruited. Action 40 Committee Member Palma-Glennie suggested that the Action Committee members can remain 41 while simultaneously actively recruiting. She believes that the Action Committee just needs a 42 clearer vision. 43 Community member Nancy Pisicchio stated how the KCDP document was initially an experiment; 44 the first of its kind. She believes it needs to be reanalyzed and possibly amended. She strongly 45 believed that the Kona CDP was to be self-led from origination; not Planning Department 46 initiated. 47 Action Committee Member Palacat-Nelsen voiced that this was an opportunity to revisit this CDP 48 document. He questioned the legal obligation of the Planning Department to provide 49 administrative support to the Action Committee. 50 Deputy Corporation Counsel Tiapula stated she drafted a memo to the Planning Director 51 regarding the Planning Department’s legal responsibility in relation to the CDP and the Action 52 Committee. She discussed how the ordinance explicitly states that the Planning Department 53 “shall administer” to the Action Committee. Moreover, she expressed the concerns that some 54 communities felt that the Planning Department was directing/leading the discussion instead of 55 supporting it. Overall, she assured that Planning wants to support the Action Committee’s 56 direction but not lead it. She also suggested that the Action Committee can always request the 57 help/assistance they need from the Planning Department. 58 There was a discussion about how to build a relationship with the Planning Department 59 regarding the CDP and questions centered around responsibility and accountability. Community 60 member Pisicchio mentioned that the CDP’s intention wasn’t only about maintaining a 61 relationship with the Planning Department, but that the CDP was originally to be inclusive of 62 other County departments. She believes there is too much focus between the Action Committee 63 and the Planning Department; the focus should be broader. There was a suggestion to redefine 64 and update CDP, rather than amending it. 65 Action Committee Member Young views this transition as an opportunity to take the initiative 66 with specific structure and framework. Deputy Corporation Counsel Tiapula briefly mentioned 67 the other Action Committee’s interests and how they differ in issues. 68 At 2:48pm, the courtesy site for the meeting lost internet connection. The meeting was recessed 69 until they could regain connection and resumed at 3:06pm. 70 www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov/ CDP@hawaiicounty.gov Page 3 Action Committee Member Young stated that the top priority is to review the foundation of the 71 Kona CDP and recharacterize the implementation process. Action Committee Member Palacat-72 Nelsen suggested reviewing the CDP’s description of land use and how the document impacts 73 land use and community to include open space, development, environment, transportation, etc. 74 He questioned how much does the CDP impact the community? 75 At this time there was a lengthy discussion centered around the secretarial duties of the Action 76 Committee. The Action Committee proposed to contract hire an Action Committee Secretary 77 and wanted clarity on the requirements for the meeting minutes. Deputy Corporation Counsel 78 Tiapula explained that relying on Planning support could limit available options for the 79 committee, for example, Planning Staff is no longer permitted to attend evening meetings, per a 80 recent mayor’s directive. 81 Action Committee Member Shane Palacat-Nelsen motioned to give authority to the Chair to draft 82 a letter to the Planning Director to seek support and funding to allow the Planning Department to 83 contract out a secretary position to provide the Action Committee minutes. Seconded by Action 84 Committee Member Kari Kimura. Motion passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay. 85 At 3:55pm the courtesy site for the meeting lost internet connection. The meeting was recessed 86 until they could regain connection and resumed at 3:59pm. 87 2. Officer Election (Chair/Vice-Chair & Secretary) for 2023: This item was postponed to the 88 next meeting. Vice-Chair Marisa Bankston will continue as Acting Chair for the next 89 meeting. 90 3. Action Committee Recruitment Strategy: This item was postponed to the next meeting. 91 4. Action Committee Prioritization Discussion: This item was postponed to the next 92 meeting. 93 PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: The next Kona Action Committee meeting is 94 scheduled for Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at 11am – 1pm at the West Hawaiʻi Planning 95 Conference Room (2nd floor). 96 ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 4:07pm. 97 This agenda and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona 98 Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 99 Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department 100 by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 101 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! County of Hawai‘i PLANNING DEPARTMENT www.planning.hawaiicounty.gov Hawai‘i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer planning@hawaiicounty.gov Zendo Kern Director Jeffrey W. Darrow Deputy Director Mitchell D. Roth Mayor Lee E. Lord Managing Director East Hawai‘i Office 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 Phone (808) 961-8288 Fax (808) 961-8742 West Hawai‘i Office 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Hwy Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740 Phone (808) 323-4770 Fax (808) 327-3563 January 10, 2023 Zendo Kern Planning Director County of Hawaiʻi Planning Department 101 Pauahi St. Ste. 3 Hilo, HI 96720 Aloha Director Kern: Hauʻoli Makahiki Hou. I hope this letter finds you and yours in good health and good spirits. This letter is written on behalf of the Kona CDP Action Committee. In its’ scheduled meeting of December 19, 2022, the Kona Action Committee took the following action. Taken from the draft minutes. Action Committee Member Shane Palacat-Nelsen motioned to give authority to the Chair to draft a letter to the Planning Director to seek support and funding to allow the Planning Department to contract out a secretary position to provide the Action Committee minutes. Seconded by Action Committee Member Kari Kimura. Motion passed with 5 votes aye, 0 votes nay. The Kona Action Committee would greatly appreciate a response to its’ request at your earliest convenience. Sincerely, The Kona Community Development Action Committee: Charles Young Marisa Bankston Shirley David Janice Palma-Glennie Shane Palacat-Nelsen Kari Kimura Roselyn Molina Communication No. 2023-01