HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-10-18 HCDP Minutes DraftMitchell D. Roth
Mayor
Lee E. Lord
Managing Director
Zendo Kern
Director
Jeffrey W. Darrow
Deputy Director
County of Hawai‘i
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
HĀMĀKUA 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
Tuesday, October 18, 2022 1
DRAFT Meeting Minutes 2
CALL TO ORDER 3
Vice-Chair Niki Hubbard called the Hāmākua Community Development Plan (HCDP) Action 4
Committee (AC) to order at 5:41 P.M. This was an Action Committee hosted meeting held at the 5
Laupāhoehoe Public Library- Humanities Room; there was no Zoom option. Quorum was 6
established at this meeting. 7
ROLL CALL 8
AC Members Present: Nicolette Hubbard (Vice Chair); Brad Kurokawa, Rhonda Pollard; Robert 9
Nishimoto; Tawn Keeney. 10
AC Members Absent-Excused: Carol Ignacio; Desiree Moana Cruz; Crystal Kua 11
County Officials: Suzanna Tiapula, Deputy Corporation Counsel 12
ANNOUNCEMENTS: 13
Reminder that this was a Hāmākua Action Committee-hosted meeting. There was no Planning 14
Department staff in attendance. 15
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 16
Action Committee Member Tawn Keeney requested to revise the draft minutes of the May 17, 17
2022, to clarify, the removal of the sentence in the agenda item #2, Implementation Projects, 18
“He thought they could be a model the HCDP could use.” As that is not what he meant to suggest. 19
*Please note that the roll call information was not provided for this motion and will need to be 20
clarified. 21
PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: 22
Three (3) members of the public provided oral testimony and/or written testimony. 23
1. Richard Bidleman, representing himself, provided oral testimony on agenda item #2. He 24
shared that he served on the Puna Action Committee and encouraged the Hāmākua 25
Action Committee to get the community involved on various subcommittees to increase 26
community involvement. He shared his personal experience by serving on a Puna Action 27
Committee infrastructure subcommittee and how they decided to focus on healthcare; 28
www.planning.Hawaiʻicounty.gov/ CDP@Hawaiʻicounty.gov Page 2
they were able to get a clinic in Pahoa with public and private funds. He believes that 29
subcommittees can recruit community members. Additionally, he read from the HCDP 30
page 82, Policy 70 – Safe Sidewalks in Honokaʻa. There are 5 streets with no sidewalks 31
leading down into town. Lehua St. would be the best candidate for sidewalks because of 32
the new development proposed. He hopes this becomes a priority. 33
2. Meizhu Lui, representing herself, provided both written and oral testimony on agenda 34
item #2. She shared about how the CDP process started 15 years ago and believed now 35
is the time to get involved again and make sure the CDP is implemented. She proposed a 36
future agenda item for the next meeting regarding land use. She expressed how 37
incoming residents do not know the rules and permitted uses within the district. She 38
believes we need to inform them and have a mechanism to create awareness. She 39
expressed how even some residents are not aware. She would like to know who to direct 40
questions or who to report to regarding violations. 41
Ms. Lui’s written testimony (Communication No. 2022-18) may be viewed here. 42
3. Lei Brown, representing herself, provided oral testimony on agenda #2. She expressed 43
how she can help with the Policy 52 of the Hāmākua Development Plan (HCDP) and 44
Waipi‘o Wahi Pana Subcommittee. She had questions regarding the editing and updating 45
the CDP and the creation and/or existence of a fisheries management subcommittee. 46
Please note, from this moment the Action Committee went into a long discussion that was more 47
like Wahi Pana committee work 48
Action Committee member Keeney shared that he believes the CDP can be edited. He restated 49
that the Waipio Wahi Pana subcommittee was formed with 3 members, that the mayor hosted a 50
meeting about the current issue since the Action Committee last met. And it was left in the 51
community’s hands to figure out and so it seems that the CDP has a role to play now. He would 52
like to join the committee. 53
Community member Brown hopes the goal is to manage the valley beyond just the current 54
conflict. Community member Bruce K. stated that an integrated management plan is needed, 55
and the CDP’s role is to provide a place for community input and bring it back to the County to 56
move the plan forward. 57
Community member Brown shared that the prior steering committees with Destination 58
Management Action Plan (DMAP) were slowed because of the focus on destination not Wahi 59
Pana and lots of parties were lacking representation. 60
There was a discussion regarding notifying all parties and have them review policy 52 and come 61
to share with the Action Committee. The Action Committee doesn’t want to duplicate what is 62
being done. 63
Community member Randy S. asked Community member Brown to define fisheries, which she 64
clarified that she hopes to have a management plan that covers both the ocean and river 65
fisheries. 66
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Action Committee member Nishimoto shared that he values the Wahi Pana concept, he 67
acknowledges that there is often a disconnect between cultural methods that work for Hawaiʻi 68
and state and federal agencies; Western methods do not work for Hawaiʻi but are prescribed in 69
plans they come up with. There is also a challenge with the state and federal agencies saying it is 70
not their kuleana and some areas are not managed. He has seen fishery management disasters 71
following western ideas. The right way to approach management here is mauka to makai, the 72
muliwai. Action Committee member Nishimoto is willing to share his experiences having worked 73
with many of the agencies that manage these areas. 74
Vice-Chair Hubbard discussed watershed and referred to section 4.6 in the CDP. She asked if the 75
Action Committee would want another committee, or will Waipi‘o Wahi Pana be able to cover 76
this as well? Action Committee member Keeney said he would resign from the subcommittee to 77
allow Action Committee Nishimoto to participate. The Wahi Pana Subcommittee now consists of: 78
Brad Kurokawa, Rhonda Pollard, Desiree Moana Cruz, and Bob Nishimoto. 79
BUSINESS: 80
1. Election of Action Committee Officers: 81
Action Committee member Nishimoto declined the nomination as Chair from the previous 82
September 20, 2022, meeting. 83
Action Committee member Kurokawa moved to nominate Tawn Keeney. Seconded by Action 84
Committee member Pollard. Motion passed with 5 ayes, 0 nay. 85
Action Committee member Nishimoto asked Action Committee member Keeney to explain his 86
position on the North Kohala’s AC changing to an advisory council. Action Committee member 87
Keeney explained that while he is interested to see how an Advisory Group works, he does not 88
want to follow that model, as the Action Committee would lose their status as an official board; 89
wants the Action Committee to liase with the County. 90
2. Hāmākua Action Committee Implementation Projects: 91
Action Committee member Keeney previously mentioned creating a Housing Subcommittee and 92
wanted to explore that. Vice-Chair Hubbard shared that she would like to know what specifically 93
the subcommittee would address as what the CDP Community Action listed was very limiting. 94
Action Committee member Keeney made a motion to form a Housing Subcommittee; seconded by 95
Vice-Chair Hubbard. 96
There was discussion centered around possible topics of interests for this subcommittee that 97
require further investigation and discussion. Vice-Chair Hubbard read from the Hāmākua 98
Community Development Plan (CDP), Section 5, 5.1 and 5.2. 99
Action Committee member Kurokawa reminded the Action Committee of their liaison roles. He 100
discussed the County zoning code updates and the upcoming community meeting he will be 101
attending. There were discussions around the Action Committee being involved with the Code 102
update regarding input, a potential island-wide CDP meeting or a potential consultant 103
presentation. 104
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Action Committee member Keeney discussed the need to mitigate the disconnect between the 105
community and the Planning Department, and other departments. Action Committee member 106
Kurokawa further discussed the infrastructure needs within the community and posed questions 107
regarding future services from the Department of Water. He suggested a presentation from the 108
Department of Water Supply. 109
Vice-Chair Hubbard asked if the Action Committee could volunteer at Habitat for Humanity, since 110
that is listed as an action item. 111
There was a vote to approve the Housing Subcommittee with 5 ayes, 0 nay. The Housing 112
Subcommittee currently consists of Vice-Chair Hubbard and Action Committee member Keeney. 113
The Action Committee discussed other implementation projects. Action Committee member 114
Kurokawa shared he is still working on the Action Item regarding Hakalau School (Hāmākua 115
Community Development Plan – Section 5.13 Expand Parks & Recreation Facilities, Community 116
Action #39). He stated how the Department of Land & Natural Resources (DLNR) and the 117
Department of Education (DOE) need to work together. He will continue to report back to the 118
Action Committee. 119
Vice-Chair Hubbard asked for a list of implementation projects; Action Committee Kurokawa 120
recalled a Matrix. Vice-Chair Hubbard would like access to review and invite entities from each 121
action item to share and spread awareness of their work. 122
There was a general discussion regarding a property tour concerning the huiMAU community 123
initiatives, Permitted Interaction Groups (PIGs) and the status of the County of Hawaiʻi Community 124
Planning website. 125
Please see the link below for more information about Hui Mālama i ke Ala ʻŪlili (huiMAU): 126
huiMAU - HuiMAU Home (alaulili.com) 127
PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: 128
1. Subcommittee Report Back to Action Committee: 129
a. Waipi‘o Wahi Pana Report 130
b. Housing Subcommittees Report and possible invitation of the Hāmākua 131
Development Corporation. 132
2. Presentation by the Planning Department on Permitted Uses. 133
3. Presentation by the Planning Department on Zoning Code Changes. Possible creation of 134
a subcommittee to participate 135
4. Presentation from Noeau Peralto from huiMAU: Possible Action Committee meeting at 136
huiMAU property or the creation of a subcommittee. 137
5. Presentation by the County of Hawaiʻi Fire Department: Fire Prevention Plans 138
6. County of Hawaiʻi Department of Water Supply – Discuss infrastructure needs and 139
installation and how they utilize the CDPs. 140
7. Next year’s calendar and locations 141
ADJOURNMENT: 142
Action Committee member Pollard moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Vice-Chair 143
Hubbard. 144
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The meeting was adjourned at 7:17 pm. 145
This agenda and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Hāmākua 146
Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 147
Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department 148
by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@Hawaiʻicounty.gov. 149