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Home My WebLink About2023-08-23 Kaʻū CDP Minutes FinalMitchell D. Roth Mayor Lee E. Lord Managing Director Zendo Kern Director Jeffrey W. Darrow Deputy Director County of Hawai‘i PLANNING DEPARTMENT KAʻŪ 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, August 23, 2023 1 Final Meeting Minutes 2 CALL TO ORDER 3 Chair Leinaʻala Enos called the Kaʻū Community Development Plan (KCDP) Action Committee 4 (AC) to order at 5:30 P.M. This meeting was held at the Pahala County Gym, Multi-purpose room. 5 There was no Zoom option. Quorum was established at this meeting. 6 ROLL CALL 7 AC Members Present: Leinaʻala Enos (Chair), Pernell Hanoa (Vice-Chair), Ka’ohinani Mokuhali’i, 8 Kaweni Ibarra, Jesse Ke, Catherine Williams, Jason Masters 9 AC Members Absent-Excused: Babette Morrow 10 County Officials: Michelle Galimba 11 11 members of the public attended the meeting 12 ANNOUNCEMENTS: 13 • August 24, 2023 Na’alehu Sewage meeting 14 APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 15 Corrections to minutes for May 8, 2023 CDP meeting, page 3 line 68 Gwen Sorenson, line 71 16 Kekoa Burgos. 17 Committee Member Ibarra motioned to approve the May 8, 2023 minutes with the corrections 18 made. Motion seconded by Committee Member Jesse Ke. Motion passed with 7 votes aye, 0 19 votes nay. 20 BUSINESS: 21 1. Permitted Interaction Groups Updates to AC: 22 a. Punaluʻu Coastline Access and Resources Investigatory Subcommittee: report on 23 Punalu’u Meet and Greet July 10, 2023 24 In Attendance: Ewa Liu Black Sand Beach LLC, Owner Candice Kaawa; Property Manager Jiaying 25 You & Yoga Yang, New Investors; Newell Arnerich, Consultant and friend; community 26 members John Roplogle & Larry Galban; and Ka’ohinani Mokuhali’i, Ka’u CDP AC 27 www.planning.Hawaiʻicounty.gov/ CDP@Hawaiʻicounty.gov Page 2 Committee Member Ka’ohinani Mokuhali’i attended meet and greet, shared that it started with 28 simply sharing mo’olelo from all participants. Everyone was in a relaxed atmosphere and able to 29 speak freely regarding plans put out on the table. Discussion was made about the lei stand being moved 30 or removed. 31 Buildings: Shared that some community members from other meetings asking to save the 32 buildings. Informed by the County Planning Dept., buildings can either be restored or demolished. 33 Discussion regarding making it into a pavilion not back as a restaurant. Cannot be moved nor new 34 buildings be constructed. 35 Brought discussion on High water mark and rising sea levels. High surf surges into the pond. High 36 water mark could change if the highest water mark surpasses the original twice in the same year. 37 Which we all agreed would happen. Possible parking area that would have no building to be 38 affected by sea levels. Discussion on restricted parking for visitors with fees and monies would go 39 to pay for security, 40 Comments by Black Sand Beach participants: Overall meeting helpful, received solid information 41 leading ideas in the right direction to make things right with the community and to make informed 42 decisions. Will meet again when they return. County Planning to be here monthly. 43 Public Comments: Community member, Gwen Sorensen, was questioning whether it is 44 appropriate for AC members to represent the Ka’u Community Development Plan Action 45 Committee as a single entity without the rest of the committee. All CDP members are not required 46 to be at a meeting they are invited to. It is good to clarify roles and communicate to the community 47 how these types of meetings will be handled. We are an advisory group only. 48 Community Member Sophia Hanoa shared that Black Sand Beach LLC met with the Hawaii Tourism 49 Authority who dangled money for island-wide input into the conservatory. She shared that this 50 should have come to the community first and that we need to stop having outside entities come 51 into our cultural areas and try to have outsiders be stewards. We feel that they should have 52 informed the CDP of their intent before going to the public. 53 Don’t take anymore kuleana away from our Kupuna who have malama the aina for generations. 54 Further proposals that come to Ka’u need to come through the Action Committee. The purpose 55 of the CDP is to be a single point of contact to avoid further misunderstandings and chaos. 56 We have been working with the LLC for two years now, we have clarified about the parking 57 areas, the security, education and what is going to work. Hawaii Tourism Authority, Rachel K. and 58 Cheri Menor are doing the same thing we have already done and established. We must work 59 together so that there are no mixed messages going out to the community and to the tourists. 60 Punalu’u community member Julie Enriques and her family would like to be included in 61 discussions concerning the lei stands or any of the issues around Punalu’u. 62 www.planning.Hawaiʻicounty.gov/ CDP@Hawaiʻicounty.gov Page 3 The Chair shared that all community members need to be included in the discussions with the 63 new owners. Community member, Darlyn Vierra, reiterated that Ka’u is all the communities from 64 Keahou to Ocean View Estates, it’s all of us. 65 Committee member Hanoa motioned to approve the committee report, seconded by committee 66 member Kaweni Ibarra. Motion carried with 7 ayes, 0 nays. 67 b. Mahana Bay Coastline Access and Resources Investigatory Subcommittee 68 Committee members: Jason Masters, Leina’ala Enos, Babette Marrow, Kaweni Ibara 69 Two weeks ago, the committee met, Committee member Babette Marrow proposed that we 70 send a letter to County Planning Director, Mr. Kern. We are in the process of drafting a letter. 71 The committee feels that this is something that has been overly studied. The issues are well 72 known in Ka’u, and the resources have been identified to address the issues. We would like to 73 tell the County Planning Director that this is what the community has identified over many 74 decades as the solution. One factor that may be a deterrent is that many entities including 75 Hawaiian Homelands and DLNR who would have the primary resources and responsibility to do 76 something about the problems. Update is that we will be creating a letter to re-explain how to 77 use the resources through Hawaiian Homelands and DLNR to do something to address the 78 issues. We want to move along, and we will bring a draft letter to the meeting for approval or 79 invite Director Kern to a meeting. 80 As an advisory group we need to get them to take action, no more investigation is needed. 81 Department of Hawaiian Homelands will be having a meeting in Pahala on September 17, 2023. 82 Committee member Ibarra motioned to approve the committee report, seconded by committee 83 member Pernell Hanoa. Motion carried with 7 ayes, 0 nays. 84 c. Kupuna Housing Investigatory Subcommittee 85 Committee members Jesse Ke, Leina’ala Enos, and Jason Masters had nothing to report at this 86 time. 87 d. Na’alehu Theatre/Land Investigatory Subcommittee 88 Committee members Catherine Williams, Jason Masters had nothing to report at this time. 89 e. Development in Ka’u Investigatory Subcommittee 90 Report was submitted previously in 8/2/23 agenda packet by committee members Jesse Ke, 91 Ka’ohi Mokuhali’i, and Leina’ala Enos. 92 Geoffrey Bower, Scientist with ASIAA group introduced himself. ASIAA group will be installing a 93 10 year term satellite project in Wood Alley. Geoffrey wishes to be a good neighbor and promote 94 educational projects here in Ka’u as part of the community. 95 The chair addressed some community concerns, the satellite project report is available, this is 96 beneficial for the community. Their process does show that they are working with the 97 community in every way. The community wants to be a part of the conversations. 98 Committee member Mokuhali’i presented June 14, 2023 OHA Zoom meetings with minutes. 99 www.planning.Hawaiʻicounty.gov/ CDP@Hawaiʻicounty.gov Page 4 Committee member Masters motioned to approve committee reports, seconded by committee 100 member Kaweni Ibarra. 101 Next Meeting: November 8, 2023 at Na’alehu Community Center 102 PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: 103 1. Committee report backs 104 ADJOURNMENT: 105 Committee Member Hanoa motioned to adjourn the meeting. Motion seconded by Committee 106 Member Masters. Motion passed with 7 votes aye, 0 votes nay. The meeting was adjourned at 107 7:00 P.M. 108 These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kaʻū 109 Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 110 Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department 111 by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@Hawaiʻicounty.gov. 112