HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-08-31 Arborist Advisory Meeting minutes AAC Minutes
8/31/2023
Call to order 11:1 Oam (Delayed by tech/zoom sign-in)
Virtual attendees
Myles Ritchie
Jill Wagner
Charles Roberts
From County
Jean K Campbell Jeank.ca.m bell@ hawa5cou nt
..............................................................
Bobby Command .Lo b e1i[.-] c..o m m..a r]d @ I..-)a..w..a.Ji.c o..U.1-1.t.y.(
....................................................................... ....................................
Chair: JB Friday
Leonard Bissel
Secretary Jonathan Sudler
Mark Odell - Absent
Statements from the public on agenda items
Joan Gossett President of EHOC visiting to see what we do.
Myles Ritchie, Chair AAC Honolulu County
Approval of minutes
JS motion to accept
Jill second
Old minutes
Regarding the New Exceptional Tree nomination form
Myles: Presentation of new Exceptional Tree Form bringing Hawaii County to match up with the form
being used by the other counties. This is a starting point.
JB Friday: Thank you for putting this together Myles. I want to make adjustments. Criteria add an
"Unknown" box regarding age / rarity.
Jsudler: I would like to see "Historicity" listed as the first exceptional quality option as it is stated in the
original legislation. What make many of our trees exception is their historical context or intentional use
as living monuments which keeps the local history & culture alive.
Leonard Bissel: Please keep 4th page as this is part of the Hawaii County code
JB: Drawing on page 3 needs a much better illustration to clearly define the needed measurements.
Myles: this is just the starting point.
LB: An arborist will be reveiw the actual tree up for nomination.
JB: Any other comments?
Bcommand: Change contactact info at bottom of the form from Jean to Pomaikai Bartolome
LB: I want to consider all 4 county formats before approving this one.
JS: motion to approve form with approvals
Jill 2nd
Note: Jean will make three revisions as discussed and put up on the website
Hawaii County Arborist postion
JB: are we going to get one?
BC: I am not prepared to answer that.
JB: It would be wise to have one in the County employee as a resource to all the departments.
BC: Would the arborist position be with one dept?
Arborist position even if half time would be better than nothing.
JB: We need to revisit the existing ETs
Jean: we needs to create an ajenda item to figure out visit plan at our next meeting.
BC: did we use the GIS
JB: the 2008 listing of the Farms of Kapua was listed. This is the list of 33 trees on the AAC website. How
often are they updated
Jean: Yes, real tax maps are current
New Business
New site visit protocols, due to less than favorable behavior of a few county employees.
Myles Ritchie: common sense rules: we have a google folder (screen sharing of their new rules)
2nd contact the owner and rules, we want to look organized. Ckean and simple. Following these
procedures has gone very well for us
JB: what are the salient points?
Myles: point of contact being consistent and organized
Having two members on site
Also need Rules for publically owned trees
Reccomendations and educational aspects discussed with home owner and promoting
Exceptional Trees (ET)
JB: Would like to read and review this form
If an individual wants to nominate on county/hawaii they can, but the department handling it the
location of that tree needs to sign off on it.
BC: With sunshine law applying.
JS: Who handles a tree on State land?
JB: Public Land trust website will direct to the appropriate division.
Jean: real property tax map key website provides the information.
Myles: Public lands have to be signed off byt the dept handling. AAC does not fill out the forms or
find the owner. TOC will assist in some cases.
JB: DLNR will quickly tell you who to deal with among the 5 state land agencies.
BC: it may have to go to the land board to sign off on nominations?
New Exceptional Tree Nominees
JB: nomination for Banyan drive but no paperwork from Don Inoye (lessee) Reed's Bay Hotel.
2nd nomination for Yellow Ohia less than 10" diameter need to defer to next meeting because we
only had 1 hard copy of paperwork.
JB: a lessee still needs to have the owners signature, in this case it would require the Approval of the
DLNR.
Third nomination we do not have the paperwork.
Final Item: the request by Friends of Historic Banyan Drive for commemoration/dedication of the Two
trees in Reeds Bay park must go back to Parks and Rec Department for approval. This is not what the
AAC does.
Anouncements
Myles: ET Selctions Criteria Draft proposal being presented by Honolulu AAC will be presented 9/27
Also working on some fine tuning of the document.
JB: can you please send us the document once it is adopted?
Myles: will send it yes!
JB: on sebattical starting January for 6months, So we need to decide if I will remain chair or if we
need to find a new replacement.
Next meeting
October 20, 10am-12pm
Adjournment at 12:34pm