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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023_04_18 Game Management Advisory Commission Minutes Game Management Advisory Commission County of Hawai’i Minutes - Final DRAFT Meeting Date: April 18, 2023 Time: 9:00 am to 11:00 pm Place: Zoom and In-Person site - 25 Aupuni Ctr., Ste. #1501, Hilo HI 96720 th AA: At 9:02 am - Good morning, Game Management Advisory Commission, welcome to April 18’s meeting – I apologize for using my glasses today but this weekend I had an eye injury so kind of painful to be in bright lights. So, I apologize for that. Barbara, can you make roll call please? 1. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL: District 1 - Robert Duerr, present, in person District 2 – Vacant District 3 – Rhon Leomana Turalde, Via Zoom (join in right after Roll Call) District 4 – Brian Ley – Excused District 5 - Abraham Antonio, Present, in person District 6 – Austin Griffey, Present, via Zoom District 7 – Natalie Reynolds, Present, via Zoom District 8 – Cortney Okumura – Present via Zoom District 9 - Vacant Quorum Established with 6 in attendance. STAFF: Sylvia Wan, Deputy Attorney, Corporation Counsel, in person Barbara Kossow, Administrative Specialist – via Zoom BK: Roll call, District – 1, Robert Duerr? RD: Here. BK: District – 3, Leomana? He will be attending; he’s probably running late. OK. Brian Ley is excused. District – 5, Abraham Antonio? AA: Here. BK: District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Here. BK: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? 1 NR: Here. BK: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Here. BK: District – 9, is vacant. We have five. So we need to see everyone on screen who’s on Zoom and I’ll let you know when Leomana shows up, OK? AA: OK. Thank you, Barbara. Just real quick, ah, housekeeping is to make sure you guys on Zoom stay on Zoom – we need five – oh, Leomana’s coming on right now so… Maybe one of you can be blank but try to at least to keep all four of you on Zoom in picture, um, cell phones – make sure to keep them to silent. Turn ‘em off. Other than that… BK: I’m gonna step away for two minutes and I’ll be back. AA: OK. BK: Thank you. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Action: Motion made by R. Duerr to approve the March 21, 2023 minutes as circulated. Seconded by Austin Griffey. Motion carried by poll vote with 6 ayes, no nays. AA: Can I have someone to approve the minutes from March 21 meeting? RD: I make a motion to approve the minutes. AG: Austin Griffey – District 6, I second that motion. AA: Robert made a motion to approve the minutes – Austin made a second – is there any discussion at this time? Not seeing any discussion all in favor say “aye.” OK. Moving on… SW: And I’ll just note for the record, Austin raised his hand… AA: Good morning Leomana… LT: Eh, aloha, good morning… AA: So, we just – Robert just made a motion to approve last month’s minutes, Austin second and everybody was in favor, or do you have any discussion? LT: Nope. Aye… 3. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: 2 AA: OK. Thank you. Statements from the public on agenda items? Any statements from the public? SW: Chair there’s no one signed up for statements from the public. AA: Thank you, Sylvia. Moving on to Commissioner Reports by District – District – 1, Robert Duerr? 4. Commissioner Report by District: RD: Nothing new this month. AA: OK. Thank you. District– 2 is vacant, but we have a concerning issue in District – 2, up on Mauna Kea in the DHHL lands. There was some recent contracts that was put out there that is now on hold and they’re eradicating – it’s a contract to eradicate cattle, sheep, and feral pigs up on the mountain. It is in DHHL land – it is a very highly resourced area – there’s till people gathering from that area – gathering the carcasses for meat and stuff but, there’s people up there that are just shooting ‘em and leaving ‘em for dead and that’s pretty much a big problem and I think there should be a PIG created for this to create and investigation of what’s happening up there. If you guys are in support of something like that then can someone make a motion to create a PIG to investigate the eradication of the game animals up on Mauna Kea in the DHHL lands. Action: Motion made by L. Turalde, to create a PIG to investigate the eradication of the game animals on the DHHL properties. Seconded by Austin Griffey. Motion carried by poll voice vote with 6 ayes, no nays. LT: Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to make a motion to create a PIG to investigate the eradication of the game animals on the DHHL properties. AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6, I second that motion. AA: Any other discussion from the Commission on this concerning issue? LT: Leomana, District – 3. I just saw a couple of videos last night – a couple of people are posting videos of just cows and leaving their carcass right there just to rot. Looks like some people are going inside and shooting cows already and eradicating – I’m not sure what’s going on – maybe I’m asking a question if you know more. I just saw videos last night. AA: Right. Austin did you have a question or comment? AG: No question but, I feel like we need to get the public more involved in this situation for sure. It seems like no public ever attends any of our meetings. I guess we gotta spread the awareness a little better on our end and, yeah, it’s pretty sad what’s going on up there – I don’t agree with what they doing – eradication – it seems to be DHHL is doing that to all their properties island- wide and that’s kinda their game plan is to – seems like reforest and for the future harvest is kinda what it seems like to me. But I’m not \[unclear\] public I haven’t done much research about it. 3 SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel Sylvia Wan – I will just note that there may be court orders for all the requirements on them that are legal in nature that may be requiring some of the eradication – however, it doesn’t mean that this Commission can’t investigate the methods of what’s happening to address the community’s concern. AA: I think the only court order that there is and that’s why we created this investigative group to really like see what’s happening – but the only legal thing is just in the critical palila habitat. But, other than that it’s just DHHL going back to – they’re trying to find loopholes to go around ways to do this eradication through the Watershed Alliance people and DOFAW and DLNR and there’s… SW: So that’s the matters that this Commission’s committee is going to be investigating? AA: Yes. NR: Natalie, District – 7. I agree with Austin, going back to his discussion about getting the public more involved. Is there anything we can do as GMAC to have a portal where we can invite the public that doesn’t offend the Sunshine Laws because the only way that I was able to get people for the mantas was going down to the harbor – or launch ramp – every week talking to them, talking story and that was the only way that I was able to get them to come on but is there a different avenue that we as GMAC can do to invite the public and have a way to talk story with them in lines of the Sunshine Law? SW: Unfortunately, Natalie what you have just talked about was – that’s one of the avenues but ultimately the avenue that Sunshine allows is the agendas – is the notice that’s provided out through the agendas, um, people can also sign up to get notification from GMAC. My added language for addenda as to how people can sign up at the bottom of our agenda - it talks about notification they should sign up so that they can request the part of the board packet. AA: Abraham, District – 5. Cause Leomana’s been posting the last few months like couple days before the – our meetings – just making the public aware of our meetings, um, I think Leomana maybe on your postings maybe you can put the link so people can actually go on to the County website and log on if they want to. It’s about all they really can do. LT: Leomana, District – 3. Yeah, I was gonna say, I know that we can do PSAs on the radio for free, if we get the minutes and you call them and over here the guy’s name is Gavin Cruise – he used to be my old boss, and also I wanted to check on this which is like social media advertising because Pomai – she runs the County of Hawaii Boards and Commissions website, I mean, not website but social media sites and, I mean, that might be an avenue to have her promote and put advertisings on social media through the actual County social media platforms cause I know I repost that stuff a lot too. But that costs a little bit of money for advertising on social media. But that’s the only way I know how to do it because everyone’s on Facebook and it’s the \[unclear\] call. SW: Yeah, so, unfortunately, because you are a government entity – you’re a government board – you can’t be purchasing, I mean, I understand you – Leomana – are putting things on on your own social media as a person, as an individual – however, the Board can’t be doing that without 4 prior authorization from the Mayor’s Office to do that, so I don’t really think that that – outside of Pomai doing it – which is the government’s sanction way – I don’t really think that this Commission can be paying for advertisement. AA: OK. Thank you. LT: Yes, I referenced Pomai. AA: OK. Thanks. So we need couple members to join the PIG. I’ll put myself in as one of ‘em. SW: So, I’m sorry Chair, right now we’ve got motion, second, discussion. I think we need to vote to create the PIG. AA: OK. Um, roll call vote to vote the pig. District – 1, Robert Duerr. RD: Aye. AA: District – 2, vacant. District – 3… LT: Aye… AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, me, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie Reynolds? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney Okumura? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nayes, motion passes. OK, so who would like to join this PIG besides me? Leomana? LT: Leomana, District – 3. AA: Austin… SW: And who is the – who’s gonna be the Chair? AA: I’ll be the Chair of this one. TN: \[Unclear\] Hi, Teresa from Kona from the public. Can I be part of the committee? AA: Yes. 5 SW: I’m sorry, who was that? AA: Teresa Nakama. SW: OK. AA: Abraham – District 5. Back to like Natalie’s committee back in the day – so we can get somebody to join in the committee out of the meeting right? It’s gotta be meeting oriented for members of the community to join? NR: So the way that we did it last time is if they weren’t present we had to request to add from the public the following times – that’s how it was allowed. SW: So, that’s not how it should go. It should go if they’re at the meeting and want to be added because right now you’re creating your PIG. AA: Yeah. SW: All the creation of the PIG has to be on record at a board meeting right now. AA: So if somebody wants to join in say next month’s meeting because this PIG going take a little while – if - can somebody else join in at a future time? We can’t have any – no, actually we can cause we only have three so you can have one more Commissioner – we actually can have one more person from either the Commission or from the public. SW: So you can have up to four from the Commission beyond the Committee and as far as the public members, I don’t know if there’s necessarily a cap but I think that would be more the Chair’s parameters because you still want a working group that can work together… AA: Right… SW: …. but – I’m gonna have to look into that as far as opening it back up at another meeting. I know – I think I might have said that to Natalie before but when I looked at it again – it’s gotta be at the meeting. AA: OK. Thanks, so. NR: So, can we table this so you can invite whomever from the public and then bring that next time? Are we allowed to do that? SW: We can just – Abraham, District – 5 – we can just move forward so we can get this thing rolling already – and then in the future committees or PIGS then you guys already know what’s happening, right. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel Sylvia Wan – there’s nothing preventing this Committee from talking to members of the public and getting input. 6 AA: Yeah, and that’s part of the investigative part, right? So we can talk to pretty much whoever we like. SW: But it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re on the Committee and are a part of writing the ultimate report for the Committee. Does that answer your question, Natalie? OK… AA: Thank you, District – 3, Leomana? LT: E aloha Leomana, District – 3. For my district I’ve been seeing a lot less of all the wild animals that we’ve been talking about \[unclear\] like the wild chickens and wild pigs. Hilo we always cycle up and down. I guess we have a lot of locals who don’t mind going out there and taking care of the populations so our wild animal populations it fluctuates, ah, we just hit a down spurt. I asked all the local hunters if they seen any of the non-egg laying chickens around and it’s basically only at the dump right now. I know we have – what is that – the cats – still yet to deal with over here – and we’re taking the lead and we’re following the opposite end of the Island doing with the nene because we had someone over here to try and steal a nene – I don’t know if you guys saw that on the news but last month the lady came over here and stole one of the babies from Wailoa and so now we have a lot of nene crossing signs. We have a lot of nene sanctuary designated – I seen DLNR show up but, ah, the wild cat population is still our number one problem and I’m still looking into the water pollution of the disposal of 2 million gallons of the rd wastewater. I did get a chance to – this is my 3 year – I’m head judge of the Hawaii State Science Fair and last week I flew to Oahu to judge the State Science Fair. There’s a couple of kids out of – almost all of our districts at the State Science Fair having to do projects with ungulate management, about the palila birds – they have a lot of good ideas. I’m gonna put a link to the website and if you guys want to go and check it out – there’s – Kealakehe has 3 students – Honokaa has one – and then at Waiakea and Kamehameha in Hilo there’s 4 students. But a lot to do with the natural resource management of the Island, so, I suggest you guys check it out. Anyway, that’s all for my district, thank you. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, is your Chair. District – 5 just still catching pigs. I think this year so far since I’ve been starting trapping, pretty close to 50 pigs already just in my da kine – in my district, and I still getting phone calls. I just sent Barbara the updated list so she can send it to everybody and she can also post it on our website. I just got it yesterday so I just sent it to her now cause I just remembered. I’m on that trappers list, Austin Griffey is on that trappers list – so if anybody that has ungulate problems just refer them to that trappers list that’s now gonna be on our County website and also they can call DOFAW has that same list and when I talked to Joshua Pang-Ching yesterday he’s gonna work with their public person to put it back on the DLNR website, um, plus, you know, you get – you had a \[tape break\]. AG: Yeah, eh, can you hear me? AA: Yeah, you’re fine. JP: Eh, howzit, yeah, sorry I was gonna raise my hand and say what you just said, but, yeah, I contacted our – the people who run our website and we’re gonna get our – the updated sheet on there and then try make the link easier for people to find, um, for people that want to go on that route to get that list. 7 AA: Thanks, Josh. JP: Thanks. AA: District – 6, Austin Griffey. AG: Austin Griffey, District -6, um, still pretty much infected pigs I’ve been dealing with. One afternoon I went catch 3 pigs. Two nice lauholes and one sow – all three of them I gutted – they all had tumors, cysts, worm larvae – pretty nasty looking – they were nice healthy looking pigs but inside the intestines it looks good, um, so it’s still out there – it’s still around – I noticed that there’s some awareness being brought up in other meetings with other companies as well so it’s kinda on the hush-hush right now so we wanna kinda bring it up a little more – so that people can be aware of it because we don’t want people getting sick off of these animals and, as for lobster season, it closes May 2, pretty soon, and I just want everybody to know that so we don’t have these illegal guys going out there and taking lobsters off –season and other than that our side’s been pretty much the same as before – not too many ungulates on the road side as usual being in a lot of rains so it seems like they push the animals back into the forest and, I spoke to the public on the whole lobster scene with the guys selling… AA: Austin is this? Didn’t you create a PIG for that? AG: I did but I was gonna table it today will the next meeting – I had a lot of stuff going on so I didn’t really. AA: OK. I was just checking if you was kinda like mixing up your committee report with your district report? AG: No, no, no… AA: OK. Go ahead. AG: Yeah, I just spoke to the public about it and, they’re pretty much on the same page with me. I spoke to a lot of guys that do the same thing and they’ve been seeing the decline in everything: opihis, lobsters, the koles, pakuikuis – pretty much our whole South Kona shoreline is getting wiped out so we need to – we need to start fighting back on that but other than that – everything is the same and, yeah, let’s keep at it. AA: OK. Thanks. Ah, District – 8, Natalie? NR: Natalie, District – 7. AA: District – 7. NR: Cortney is District – 8. Um, my husband and kids went out hunting over the last couple of weeks and we do not have any of the issues with pigs or cow over in our district and I haven’t heard of anything in our district with the other hunters or property owners that raise their animals so we luckily do not have that on our side. Other than that – everything else is quiet cause I’ll wait for my committee report. 8 AA: Thanks, Natalie. Now District – 8, Cortney? CO: Thanks so much, Chair. Hi, this is Cortney, District – 8. Quick update on the Kona Pier closure. I did hear back from DLNR that the plan at this time is to continue to keep the pier closed to vehicles. So it will remain open to all foot traffic but they’re limiting vehicle access because of the cruise ships basically. So the gate is gonna be closed until further notice and that’s, I guess, part of their facility use security plan, so if anyone has any questions on that – let me know – I have a person to talk to now, so, and that’s all I have for my district, thank you. 5. PRESENTATION: a. Benjamin Reder, Project Manager at United States Army Corps of Engineers, Update on the Laupahoehoe Seawall. AA: Thank you, Cortney. Moving on to the presentation we’ve got Benjamin Reder, Project Manager at the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Update on the Laupahoehoe Seawall. Hey, Ben? BR: \[Unclear\] can you hear me? AA: Welcome, we can hear you. BR: Awesome, great. I am going to try and share my screen and see how this goes. Thank you so much for inviting me and giving me this time. Definitely, I look forward to the discussion here. We’re not typically allowed to use Zoom so it’s not necessarily intuitive to meet \[unclear\]. AA: You could have caught the plane and joined us in person. BR: Yeah, next time I definitely will but I think it’s a smart thing not to as far as many of our people are under the weather and I don’t want to spread bad bugs to anybody. AA: Perfect. BR: OK. And it kinda looks like – you are seeing – my slides aren’t advancing for some reason so I’ll stop sharing but I will tell you, um, so aloha, good morning. Benjamin Reder here. I currently work as the Deputy Chief and the project manager for Honolulu District and I work in what we call the Civil and Public Works Branch. You have a lot of projects focused on, break waters like Laupahoehoe. We have to do projects like watershed plans or beneficial use of dredged materials or various flood risk projects so, we do a lot of different stuff for sure and, Laupahoehoe is one aspect of it and I still don’t like – you’re just seeing a slide that says words, words, words, words, words, right? AA: Not yet. We just have a black screen right now. SW: Deputy… AA: Now it says words… 9 BR: OK. Well, why it says words, words, words is because, um, you know how many presentations kinda are like that – just a bunch of words, words, words on the slide – this one I made a photo- story for you to catch up on what we’ve been up to over the last handful of years and where we’re currently at with Laupahoehoe but I do want you to – I would love your questions to further guide me as far as like where are you unclear on what’s going on or, typically, I get a lot of questions that are actually under the kuleana of like Hawaii County and not like various aspects of the, um, how do you call it – of the project but there’s, you know, certain County pieces and there’s the Army Corps piece and so I just wanted – today’s a great opportunity – I’ve never met any of you and so I just want to hear like where your questions are, your confusion so if I can share these slides successfully it will be a good day. I’m gonna give it one more go and I think what’s gonna help is if I close everything and give it minimal options. AA: Ah, Abraham, District – 5. So the way the Laupahoehoe issue came up to the Game Management Commission was – I took a trip down there and I seen the boat ramp was closed and decrepit, right, so we brought in Maurice Messina and I’m pretty sure you’re familiar with him and just to give us an update of what’s the project, what’s happening and then with his presentation he began talking about the seawall that’s kinda like the holdup of the whole project so now we got recently our District – 1 representative, which is Robert Duerr – which created a PIG to go back and investigate and see where is the problem and what’s taking so long and that, in the short stance, that’s what pretty much brought you here today, BR: Thank you for that background. AA: Besides the community down there having questions and concerns about it and like what’s taking so long basically is the main question, I think, right? RD: Yeah, yeah, Ben, hi. Robert Duerr. Outdoor writer, I’ve written for Hawaii Fishing News since 1986, basically the Laupahoehoe project boat ramp essentially has never worked and I think from what County told me that it’s technically been shut down since 2009. But I do recall it was put in place and then the failure was addressed by then Representative Dwight Takamine – who was Hamakua representative – and then they had a project to upgrade it or to try to make it work which I think at the time was about 5 million. Essentially, the questions that are coming from some of the community members in Laupahoehoe is, hey, this thing has never worked why is it gonna work now? And as you know, Laupahoehoe is an exposed point to really harsh, and it’s really where the trade winds go unimpeded and it’s a major fact. So, I guess, that’s basically the, um, I mean, that’s basically what I’m hearing from people in Laupahoehoe and that’s what I know. BR: Yeah, I appreciate that, I also want to say we do have our Operations and Maintenance Program Manager on the line as well – Nani Shimabuku – she’s present and she can definitely help field the questions if they’re needed, but we’re definitely tracking as we say here or, yeah, our coastal engineers are very familiar with this project and noting the angle of exposure – it’s just a super challenging environment and I actually don’t need to tell you all that. So let me get through my story here and then let’s see where we’re at. So Laupahoehoe, of course, we’ve working on repairs for a bit now, I joined Honolulu District around 2018 – it was around that time that I know there was some serious efforts underway – just a few more shots here – but all is to say that it’s – the project even when it was built – I’m not sure it operated in its peak 10 performance and user-ship and the ability to navigate the break wall and just to use the harbor safely, as you know, has been an issue. Here are some pictures on the bottom of wave \[unclear\] coming in – we’ve heard and we know that there’s significant algae growth making it very hard to traverse but also get boats up the ramp, and so we’ve been working on a design that wouldn’t be the end all be all, but it would definitely improve the current situation we believe a lot of the wave action that’s coming in right now, of course, like I said, like in its like brand new state it was an amazing but it’s definitely degraded and you can kind of get a sense of that, up here in the left corner – try to make these slides a little bigger for yah – with the breakdown of this waves are kinda coming in in-between the dolosse here and so this is another view of the federal project as it stands – so there’s an entrance channel but then the break wall obviously is what we’re talking about here and then the County, right, owns various areas like the boat ramp and we are in coordination and communication trying to keep each other abreast of timeline. I have heard that any sort of repairs on their side – they’re still hunting around for money, and it’s kinda the same story for us and I’ll tell you why. Though, most recently we were looking at – within our agency – we have these thresholds as far as like dollar values and so we need to stay below an 8-million-dollar project,and I mean to do a repair with relative ease as far as our agency approvals go so we want to stay within the existing footprints but we’d like to make it more tight, literally, but just more protected and reduce the amount of waves coming in. It’s not gonna, like I said, it’s not an amazing plan and this is basically what we’re working on 2020. Around that where we’re looking at improving this front part here and replacing it with some key tri-bars so if you look at this picture – currently as you know if you’ve visited the site – there’s a lot of structures that look more like this aspect on the right. We’d like to replace ‘em with something that looks like this – a lot more interlocking – like Legos and reducing the amount of the wave that can come through and the porosity, you know, of that, so we started, you know, going through designs and looking at what this could mean and as we’re moving through our design process – part of that, of course, is environmental compliance – and, so we’re not committing to any sort of plans at this point and there’s been, you know, zero public processes cause we’re still very internal at this point just trying to understand what we would even think about proposing, and we’ve worked with the team to conduct a biological survey off the break wall there and, of course, if you build it they will come even in charging wave environments and so what found is that with these hard the break wall serving as a nice structure in the water – well – there’s some coral growth that we definitely have to take in to consideration and, and how might we chose this so we were targeting a repair here that was just below the 8 million dollar threshold to just kinda stay within that limit, and then, you know, we found these corals and just as far as a coral relocation plan – trying to cost that out given the wave climate and given some of our habitats in the proximity – we quickly were in the 1 to 2 million dollar range just to focus on this coral presence and how do we minimize impact associated with that. So we went from what was actually it was like a 6, 7 million project jumped above that 8 million dollar threshold and so we had to go into audible mode where we need to work our internal agency processes to come up with, well, a plan that addresses the issue but also get approval to evaluate a repair that’s above that 8 million dollar threshold so I’m trying to not get too worried here as my first slide indicated, and so we’re now proposing to look at something a little bit more thorough, again, it’s not gonna vastly improve the user ship up to like that 70% but it will improve it and instead of just doing the this sort of tri-bar sort of thing, looking at here extending it slightly and in just getting a more thorough engineered plan out there. Again, this is so preliminary so I don’t have specifics, I’m just trying to work the processes internal with our team to get approval to even move this forward and so over the next two to three months we’ll 11 be working that process and as soon as we get approval, assuming we do that, then we can move forward with, you know, local partner coordination and outreach and maintain that tight coordination with Hawaii County. So all that to say is that we don’t have anything like that we’re coming forth with, yeah, we’re still working out internal, sort of processes and whatnot to get approval to really do something at Laupahoehoe and it’s, definitely high focus of our leadership because, I mean, they’ve been out there, they know the issues with limited sort of access along the coastline and they’d like to see something happen, so… Definitely have the support of our agency, so with that, what sort of questions may I have drummed up for ya? RD: Yeah, Ben, I have a question. Robert Duerr, District – 1. I know that when they did the extension of the Hilo Harbor that coral was impacted and they had a mitigation plan. Is it possible to mitigate this coral instead of replacing – what’s your thoughts on that. BR: Yeah, I’m not an environmental guru but we would – at this time we’re running the design process – we nearly, you know, we’re like all right let’s explore this and what’s it gonna cost. We haven’t gone down the route of environmental coordination with the agencies and really nail this down so I don’t know is the answer to your question but we do have to consider relocation given that – I think actually initial coordination with US Fish & Wildlife may have like desired that but we’ll explore all for sure. RD: Ah, Ben, Robert Duerr again. Some of the ideas were coming from the community with some of the people had construction background were saying that the best option was to do a basin – similar to Honokohau. Is that a possibility of going instead of going into coral ecosystems to go into land and build a basin? BR: I don’t understand what you mean by that one, sorry about that, perhaps Nani does but I don’t understand… RD: \[Unclear\] go ahead. NS: Robert my name is Nani Shimabuku, I’m the Operation Maintenance Program Manager overseeing all of our completed works, including Laupahoehoe, Hilo Harbor, Kawaihae and what not and so when the – what we’re looking at right now – the type of project that we’re doing right now is being covered under Operation – under the O & M Program and so we are only authorized to do repairs on the project and to step back a little bit, when the project was originally built it was never intended, or, I guess, um, you know I wasn’t around way back then but my understanding is that it was never intended to function 100%. I believe it was built to function 60-70% of the time and I guess what we’re trying to do now is to bring it back at least to that level. We cannot do any sort of new work and that’s why Ben was talking about seeing this particular picture of working within the project foot print, it’s merely a repair and to try to get it back to where it originally was. We have, I guess if we were to go further along, um, we could do, we would have to do a new start – a new study – to look at any sort of modifications that would go beyond what we consider to be a repair. But those ideas that you have for that – you said that others with past experience, if we were kick it off and go to, do a new start, then, we would certainly welcome those ideas for us to, you know, take into consideration. RD: Nani could you – Nani – Robert Duerr – could you briefly walk us through time table and dollar figures for doing a new start. 12 SW: I’m sorry, that’s beyond our agenda because Nani is not our presenter. RD: Ah, Ben, ah, Ben, if I could direct that to you, ah, Ben, if you have information on what would a new start entail. BR: Yeah, ah, it’s not a short process though, it would entail jumping into I think what we call the – basically Hawaii County are working with the appropriate local agency to submit a letter of request to the Army Corps. We call these 7001 letters and it’s a request for a new start and so we get that request and we encourage local partners to then work a similar angle with their elected officials and start working it up to change because eventually these requests merge, you know, the local request working through their conduit and then we have the formal letter of request from the Hawaii County or the appropriate local partner, um, in our processes and it take about 2-3 years of these sort of repeated submissions of like letter of request, hey, representative, this is a big issue for us. I typically see it taking 2-3 years where you’re like – they get the message that this is a big deal and then they can through what we call the Water Resource Development Act (WRDA) give Army Corps authority to go out and, you know, initiate a new start and so 3-4 years to just even do a new start if you’re lucky, cause it may be a little bit different with a breakwater but a small boat harbor is not the easiest sell and that’s why we, you know, we can’t lobby for local partners but definitely with enough political voices behind it it helps get the message across and so, um, unfortunately, that is the reality as far as time frames. Nani, anything to add? OK. She’s gone. But I think we might be good… NS: Sorry, I was trying to put something into chat but what, and I was listening to Ben talking about the timeline – just to get the new start up and running – from there I would say it could take another 10-15-20 years just to have something constructed, um, there, we need to get the project selected at our headquarters level, key points are having a local sponsor that’s willing to partner up with us, having it selected, getting the funds – all of that does take time – and I think 3-4 years is very optimistic – it could go beyond that and once we start – begin it – we look at different – identify what the problems are, what are the different alternatives to address those problems if we come up with a recommended plan then it – then we need to go and we wait for money to flow into the design phase and then we do that design process – that takes another couple years and then we go into construction, so, it’s, there’s a number of factors that, I guess, once it gets out of our hands it’s left up to our headquarters, left up to Congressionals and so it is a time of I guess a long timeline that we would be looking at. RD: Thank you, that was very helpful. AA: So, I just wanted – so how long has this project been going, first question? BR: I think it depends on how you define been going, but I’d say this current, where I jumped into this story is about 2019, and trying to work this new design aspect to improve usability of the break wall and then where we’re at now where we just have to work our internal agency, so, the thing about the federal government as you know we are not the quickest option but we are trying to do our best here and get the necessary people… AA: Abraham, District – 5. So that would be my question – what’s the timeframe to – for it to be completed of like what’s the hold up right now – is there maybe some way we can kind of help you guys along in some particular way or, you know, how can we get this thing moving little bit 13 quicker. It’s probably gonna, yes, it’s probably gonna be out of our hands but hey, whatever, maybe we can help out some way somehow. And just the timeframe – like how much longer is this gonna take because I know the community down there is really suffering. BR: Yeah, given where we’re at – so we are trying to work our approval right to look at a project that’s great than 8 million dollars so, once we get that, and I’m anticipating, worst case scenario that would take, we’d probably get that in six month or so, six to eight months Hopefully sooner and then, you know, we’d have to, it’s a bit uncharted territory – I haven’t done this and Nani may have thoughts but then we do have to jump into official design phase and then in construction phase so you’re still not really gonna see any sort of construction in real time, for another four or five years depending, but what can you do – I think just like reaching out and staying connected but there are instances where we’re moving along and we need letters of support and just like \[unclear\] that the local partners need and they need it now and just helping apply pressure also working similarly to the 7001 process - the more you’re working with your local constituents – the more – it just hammers the message home from multiple angles and that’s always powerful. AA: OK. So I guess in the future, now we have contact and we have open communication with each other, we met – the Commission has met you and you have met the Commission – so you have Barbara’s email – she’s our Commission secretary, if you need any assistance in any way like getting letters or anything just please don’t hesitate to email her and so we can get that process going as quickly as we can on our side because our meetings is only once a month and if you need something like right now, guess what, it ain’t gonna happen, cause it needs to be on our agenda and stuff like that. So as much advanced notice as you can give the Commission will be greatly appreciated. BR: OK. I will put a link \[unclear\] so we’re developing this report right now. It’s a short report but, um, to defend the need to go above 8 million dollars and it represents a significant of this so if there’s any good resources out there that you could point me to – we already have some stuff on Maui County but resources that help paint the picture of why this Laupahoehoe is unique – why it’s important to the community, how it serves various functions, community or functions, recreation, why it’s necessary and important resource for the community – all that is helpful as we begin to present to our agency why we need to do this repair and quickly. AA: Right. Abraham, District – 5, right, so the number one main reason, and I’m pretty sure you know it – I’ll just make it public – that’s the only boat ramp from Kawaihae all the way to Hilo so – you know, that’s a pretty obvious main reason right there – just on that alone, you know… BR: Definitely… AA: …. the coastline is all cliff – that’s the only way that the boaters can go down, fishermen can go down and recreation, that’s a County park right there, so, even that shoreline right there for swimming and stuff it’s like kinda hard so that boat ramp is sacred to Pohoiki when it was in its glory. You know everybody used to just swim in the boat ramp and right now it’s not even – I mean, it’s not safe for the kids to swim in a boat ramp, but, you know, if you ain’t gonna have somebody there to regulate it there 24/7 the kids still gonna swim in the boat ramp, right, so… Thanks… BR: Right… 14 NS: May I add something, ah, this is Nani again, you asked how you could help I think, yeah, definitely writing to your Congressionals, helping to, showing support of this project because it is a repair we – the federal government – are funding it 100% and so, once we get approvals to move forward the next thing is to get the funds so, knowing that there is public support behind it, and just, I think even stating how you talk about how remote this area is, you know, there’s no other harbors – you have to go all the way down to Hilo Harbor – I think that’s huge life safety type of issue that we are aware of and… AA: Yes. NS: …. that we are trying to, you know, use, in our favor to gain support of the project and so once the approvals come through then we need the money and so getting Congressional support to earmark those funds for us would be extremely helpful. Over. RD: Ah, Ben, ah, and Nani – Robert Duerr, District – 1, another element which is critical is the infra- structure element that Hamakua has antiquated bridges that in a major earthquake are going to go down and the history of Hamakua Coast – is a history of \[unclear\] boats lighting frame into shore and Laupahoehoe is the most accessible and the easiest in the event of a catastrophic failure of bridges on Hamakua and the need to get in equipment by a boat which the way Hawaii is an Island state and transportation and freighting by boat is mission critical. BR: Understood, yup, and I know our team is putting that in our narrative as well. RD: Right on, thank you. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel Sylvia Wan – just to clarify – you are suggesting that individuals write their Congressional representative in support of this boat ramp initiative. Is there a specific name for this project so that when they individuals are writing in support they can be referencing the appropriate project? BR: Yeah, the Laupahoehoe Small Boat Harbor Breakwater Repair. NS: I would like to note a distinction between the Boat Ramp versus the Breakwater structure in that the core of engineers is responsible for the breakwater structure and I guess the waterway where we have the basin and I guess what – I’m not sure if we would call that an entrance channel – the ramp though is owned and operated by the County. AA: Yes… NS: And so we, you know, yeah, we wouldn’t be affected – we wouldn’t be touching the boat ramp and I know that the boat ramp is in great disrepair as well and, you know, it’s kind of a chicken or egg thing, you know, do you fix the breakwater or do you fix the or the boat ramp – my suggestion is if you can obtain funds to repair the ramp – I know that it’s been in, you know, it’s been eroding severely over these last many years, I think someone said even 2009 since it’s been closed – hearing the timelines that it’s gonna take for us to get the breakwater repair in – I might encourage, you know, go ahead and address the ramp if possible, I mean, because this is not an overnight fix that we’re gonna be able to get in there to do so in the interest of safety for like the keiki that you’re talking about as well as your community members who use that area, it might be better to just do the necessary repairs to the ramp. 15 AA: OK. Thank you, Nani. AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6, I have a question. How do you efficiently relocate coral that was never there until this manmade structure was put in? BD: That’s a great question. Like I said, we don’t have specifics on this. Our environmental team is really more at the point of, hey, we identified this – let’s get a ball park estimate on what it might mean from a cost perspective to relocate coral and we worked with a local consulting agent who was familiar with coral relocations and just got a rough order of magnitude estimate that the true nitty gritty details on how it would happen hasn’t really been flushed out. We just needed that like – we believe this is gonna be expensive if we were to do it by how much – enough to go over that 8-million-dollar limit – so that’s where we’re at as far as our understandings. I don’t have a current methodology to propose to you but, it’s on the table and if you have thoughts on how might or good resources to explore that we’re definitely open to hearing that and would love to leverage your knowledge. AG: So, is 8 million dollars the maximum threshold that you guys are willing to invest in this project? BD: We need an approval when we’re going to above 8 million dollars. So I don’t have a current estimate of the project that I was showing as this one – I know it’s gonna be above 8 million dollars and it has to be below 40 million dollars but I don’t have any sort of revised cost for – that moving forward all I know is it’s about 8 million dollars – Nani might have something more. NS: That 8 million, yeah, that 8 million is just a mark on the wall saying, OK, this is normal maintenance repair, anything above that, we’re having to justify it and demonstrate why we need, you know, why it’s gonna be so much and and just looking at, I guess, are there other solutions – what can we do and then just quick touch on the corals – relocating corals, I guess, I know it’s been done before not necessarily with the coral but I’m just saying in general it’s done before – it’s not a highly successful endeavor but it is something that a huge task and a huge asset that we’re looking at with all of our projects – a lot of our projects were, yeah, corals that were never there before – we now have to be, I guess, mindful of it and work with the resource agencies and, see what their suggestions are on how we might mitigate or sorry, I’d like to stay away from that word cause I don’t think we’re supposed to be mitigating but we need to address and see how we can address, I’m sorry, we need to address how to deal with those corals. AG: My concern is labor cost. If this project is gonna take 15 to 20 years to complete or even get started your guys asking for 8 million dollars now – in 15 to 20 years that price could quadruple – it could triple – it could be – cause labor costs just keep going up and up and up – material costs keep going up and up and up so it seems like we need to better prepare for long term layout if it’s gonna take this long we might need more funding and if it’s gonna take that long we should be able to get it being that it’s fifteen years from now – we should be able to acquire more funding by then, right? BR: Then, again, this is the 100% that are refunded, and we do have that sort of – those processes to account for price escalation as we move projects forward. If we stay within this sweet spot between 8 million and below 40 million and we don’t go for a new start – then, you know, I don’t think we’re looking at a 15-year timeframe, but nothing happens quick, that is for sure, um, yeah, and I see there’s a hand raised. 16 AA: OK. Thank you, Ben, thanks Austin. Teresa, you got a question, real quick, we gotta move forward. TN: Just real quick – just a statement actually – when an area becomes a natural breeding ground for coral it would be very difficult for us to make the changes not to have coral there anymore – it’s like Kawaihae when they built the extra breakwater now – being that that area is natural breeding ground for coral – that’s why the coral are profusely growing in the new harbor of the new breakwater area. You need to know the currents and all the marine environments that allow coral to grow and if coral is growing that’s a plus for us, for the marine environment so we need to be cautious of how we handle the coral growth at Laupahoehoe – just a statement – thank you. AA: Thank you, Teresa. Thank you, Ben, for you guys… BR: Thanks… AA: We’ll be reaching out to you again, I guess, um, now we got a contact – District – 4 – you was talking about dredging so I think maybe later on you can update us on Pohoiki and we can talk story about some water management up on the mountains or something – sounds like you along those lines as well. OK. Thank you. BR: Aloha, thank you so much. AA: With all that with this presentation being said can we have a motion, actually two motions but let’s take one at a time. One motion in support of the Laupahoehoe Boat Ramp Project and moving it forward to our Congressional Members and the second motion would be to create a letter to Maurice Messina and see if and let’s get that – or maybe bring him in – Robert – and let’s see how we can get him started on just doing the boat ramp per the Army Corps’ request. RD: OK. So first motion. SW: So first motion would be… AA: Drafting a letter… SW: OK. Cause that’s not how the first verbiage was so why don’t you ask for the first motion \[unclear\] and then we’ll… RD: I’ll make a motion that we draft a letter to thank the Army Corps for their efforts and their work and that we relayed that letter to our Congressional District and to our Representatives and to the County showing that GMAC is in fact… AA: In support… RD: ….in support and wants to see this project done correctly. 17 SW: I’m sorry, Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan, there’s a lot there in that motion. I’m trying to think about legality as far as GMAC’s direction of letters because I think – so you can draft your letter – it has to be approved by the Mayor with the direction that it be sent to… RD: I’d like, I’d like to make a motion that we send the letter to a Ben Reder and Nani Shimabuku to thank them for coming and to show support for their process. SW: OK. So that’s letter number one. RD: Right. SW: OK. AA: So now there’s three letters or maybe still can be two. The second letter – so you’re gonna make a motion for that one? RD: Right. SW: OK. RD: That we send a letter to them… AA: Make a motion for that then… Action: Motion made by R. Duerr that GMAC draft a letter of appreciation to the US Army Corps of Engineers for their efforts and for coming to GMAC and sharing with us. Seconded by Austin Griffey. Motion carried by poll vote with 6 ayes, no nays. RD: I make a motion that we send the Army Corps a letter of appreciation for their efforts and for coming to GMAC and sharing with us. AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6. I second that motion. AA: Any discussion on Robert Duerr’s drafting up a letter in support in appreciation for the Army Corps of Engineers. AG: So, this is going to Ben and Nani, yeah, this letter? RD: Yes. AG: OK. No questions. AA: Any other comments or you guys want to put anything else into this letter? Not seeing any let’s make a roll call vote. Robert Duerr, District – 1. RD: Aye. 18 AA: District - 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: Aye. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, aye. District – 6, Austin Griffey? AG: Aye. AA: District – 7, Natalie? NR: Aye. AA: District – 8, Cortney? CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, vacant. Six ayes, no nayes, motion carries. Ah, Robert you’re gonna write that letter. RD: Yeah. I’ll get the actual verbiage of the project number, whatever it is, you know, from those guys. AA: So, you want to hold off on the second letter? RD: No. Or we could to next – we could hold off on it but essentially what would happen… AA: ‘Cause we can move that, we can move that to next month’s meeting. RD: Right, with that letterhead cc we can outreach – we can cc that letter for our Congressional District and to our representatives. AA: OK. RD: Um, yeah… SW: So, for the Congressional letter you would be more than just a thank you to the engineers – you would need to have substance regarding what part that GMAC is supporting. AA: The second one going be in support of the project, yeah… SW: Yes, but the whys. AA: Yeah… RD: Yeah… SW: OK. AA: So, we can have more discussion on that next month. 19 SW: OK. Thank you. AA: The other one – part three was – part two part three on my part is let’s get and see and talk story with Maurice and see when or what’s his take on getting the boat ramp repaired per their… RD: I did - Duerr, District – 1, I did outreach to Maurice Messina at Parks and Rec that Ben was talking today but Maurice had another engagement but Maurice also then shared that essentially, right now, they’re held up because there’s no money – they need to find the money for repairs. AA: Well, from what I heard – Abraham, District 5 – from what I heard from his they already have the money. ?: Aye. SW: Oh, OK… RD: As of last week he says… AA: This is all hearsay… RD: No this is not hearsay, um, um, I’m communicating an email correspondence that he said he’s having trouble getting the money, now whether it’s escalated like Austin said or what that issue is maybe Maurice can help us… AA: Right… RD: ….and maybe we can help him find that money. AA: OK. RD: Yeah. SW: OK. Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. I just want to note that that just are you asking for an agenda item? Because right now your discussion is beyond the presentation, beyond what’s on the agenda cause you’re asking to invite somebody for a tangential thing. I feel like that’s just an item that needs to go on the agenda… AA: OK. SW: And then you can discuss it. AA: OK. And that’s pretty much what I was doing, right. SW: OK. RD: Right, and then… 20 SW: That’s what I’m asking. AA: Was bringing him like to the like bring Maurice in for that. SW: OK. AA: So, we can talk about it… SW: We’ll flush it out in-between. AA: Yeah, OK. SW: And it will be on the agenda. 6. NEW BUSINESS: a. Commissioner Leomana Turalde – GMAC 2023 First Quarter Report to Mayor Roth and County Council. AA: Sorry, this is meeting time not talk story time, yeah, ah, New Business. Commissioner Leomana Turalde - GMAC 2023 First Quarter Report to Mayor Roth and the County Council. Everybody got their quarterly report from Barbara in you guys’ packet – if you don’t have it in your packet it’s on the website. Everybody take a look at it. LT: Leomana, District – 3, I just wanted to make a note about this. I just followed the – I looked at the other ones I know, I was emailing with a couple of you guys about the – what’s it called – what the outline and structure of our quarterly reports – I figure I write it out in bullet point style, um, but if we want to change that and solidify like an actual format that we write it in because I know all of us have it kind of different… AA: Right, so… LT: Should we hold on that? AA: Hold on, hold on Leomana. As of right now can we make a motion to go into Executive… SW: So, the problem is is that we physically can’t go into Executive Session with the way that Zoom is set-up. AA: OK. SW: That’s what I was talking about with Barret, Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan, I’m sorry, I started off, um, so this is directed to Leomana… LT: Yeah… 21 SW: I’m I do think that we – GMAC can have a discussion as far as what you want to have included. I can also include as the Board’s attorney, the Board’s perspective as far as your rules, responsibilities, liabilities, powers related to the report, which would be better served within an Executive Session, and then you guys can make decisions outside of Executive Session, but, however, we’re not presently set-up to allow for an Executive Session, I just inquired with Barret prior to this but that might be better served because I do greatly appreciate the bullet points that you provided – it’s very thorough – however, there’s more discussion, I think, that should be had in Executive Session. LT: Yup. AA: Abraham, District – 5, so at this time, can we schedule… SW: We can… AA: No. My idea is can we schedule to have a separate training outside of the meeting via Zoom or something where or maybe you can have a meeting – have a training with, you know, the west side and another training with the east side on that particular topic because I know Natalie has question similar to what’s coming up right now. SW: OK. So… RD: I seem to be lost in the discussion… Aren’t we – don’t we have Leomana’s – Duerr, District – 1, don’t we have Leomana’s report in front of us and are we looking to then have a motion to accept this? SW: Not yet. AA: Not yet. RD: What…why AA: There’s not, there’s not enough – per Corporation Counsel and even per Leomana and even Natalie came up with her – brought up a question – it’s like it needs more bite in these reports basically, yeah? It’s good but I guess we need more reasoning or of like what we’ve done. This is just like the pinpoints through that – you can get – that anybody can get just reading our agendas. So, we need little bit more and if we can come up with a guideline through it for to help everyone out in the future then it’s kinda – that’s why I’m kinda asking for some kind of training on the, you know, outside but it has to be in a meeting with an executive order… RD: Duerr, District – 1. What I do like about this is it’s one page. You know, it’s one page. Leomana? How many hours did it take you to do this? SW: Um… 22 LT: Ah, I actually went back into the agendas, looked over the minutes and tried to find what I wanted to put in there and I did like a full report and that was a couple of pages and I’m not into that couple pages, I like the bullet points and if, you know, to be up-to-date with the… SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. Again, to better address Mr. Duerr’s questioning concern and Mr. Turalde’s question and concern it would be better had at an Executive Meeting, right now, presently, we do not have that functionality with this particular meeting today, however, going back to answering the Chair’s question, if we had notice ahead of time – I did talk to Barret just before the meeting started – he can enable that functionality within the Zoom – it’s just something that he would have to otherwise enable. So if the Commission wants to have this discussion in Executive Session we can do that at the next meeting because we can – staff can coordinate so that we can have that functionality and have the Executive Session at the meeting. And you have to have it at a duly scheduled meeting. AA: Would you like to have an Executive meeting… RD: No, no. I’d like to bring this – I think it’s on the table here. AA: OK. RD: I think we should have a motion and then we should discuss. If we’re going into Executive Committee, then… AA: Well, OK. Hold on Robert. Leomana, would you like to have an Executive Meeting at the next meeting? For to have more clarity on – basically a training on more clarity on our quarterly reports. LT: Leomana, District – 3, if it leads to an outline that we all can use – yes. AA: OK. Um, District – 4, absent. District – 5, I would say yes, just to help you guys out. District – 6, Austin? AG: Yeah, I’m down with that. Yes. AA: District – 7, Natalie? NR: Yeah. AA: District – 8, Cortney? CO: Yes. AA: OK. So next month’s meeting let’s make – we’ll schedule an executive meeting on pinpoints and make a draft on… SW: On the report… 23 Action: Motion made by L. Turalde to approve the first quarterly report. Seconded by R. Duerr. Motion carried by poll vote with 6 ayes, no nays. AA: …. a quarterly report. OK. Um, at this time does someone want to make a motion to approve the first quarter report from Commissioner Turalde? LT: Leomana, District – 3, I’d like to make a motion to approve the first quarterly report. RD: Second. AA: Any discussion on Leomana’s quarterly report? Not seeing any, um, District – 1, Robert Duerr. District – 2, vacant. District – 3, Leomana? LT: E’o. AA: District – 4, absent. District – 5, aye, District – 6, Austin? AG: Aye. AA: Seven – Natalie? NR: Aye. AA: Eight – Cortney. CO: Aye. AA: District – 9, is vacant. Six ayes, no nays, motion carries – our quarterly report is gonna be filed. b. Commissioner Leomana Turalde – Draft Letter in Support of State House Concurrent Resolution 50: REQUESTING THE DLNR TO PROVIDE UPDATED STATISTICS AND FACTS RELATING TO THE DECLINE OF PALILA ON MAUNA KEA AND INVESTIGATE THE FACTORS CAUSING THE DECLINE OF THE PALILA POPULATION. AA: All moving forward. OK. Under New Business – Commissioner Leomana Turalde – Draft Letter in Support of State House Concurrent Resolution 50: requesting the DLNR to provide updated statistics and facts relating to the decline of palila on Mauna Kea and investigate the factors causing the decline of the palila population. LT: Leomana, District – 3, I can read that out loud to you guys right now. It says, Aloha, Mayor’s Office. Hoolainamanu ike ahiahi a hookolo akui na mananui - meaning – the birds drink in the gentle breeze and then flock together – a multitude of birds – it reminds us the importance of preserving our environment and protecting the native bird species that also call Hawaiʻi home. I’m writing to urge the office to take action to protect Hawaii’s native bird species particularly the palila on Mauna Kea. The decline of the palila population is a significant concern and it could 24 indicate more significant ecological issues that need attention on Mauna Kea. To address this problem, I ask you to support the House Concurrent resolution # 50 which calls for the Department of Land and Natural Resources to provide an update on the statistics and investigate the factors causing the decline of the population of palila. Here are three reasons why supporting the State House Concurrent Resolution # 50 is crucial: 1) Hawaii’s native bird species are facing a severe population decline with over 30% of species already going extinct and many more on the brink of extinction. We need to take swift action to protect these critical species before it’s too late. The palila on Mauna Kea is an indicator species and its decline signals the ecological issues that require more attention. Billions have been spent on this project – protecting the palila and its habitat. We need to show evidence that it’s working. Protecting rare birds from extinction can bring financial benefits to the State. For example, the Hawaiian honeycreeper species attracts bird watchers and nature enthusiasts generating tourism revenues for the State of Hawaii. As a community we must work together to protect Hawaii’s native bird species and preserve our delicate ecosystem. I ask that you take action and support the House Concurrent Resolution # 50 – together we can work towards a brighter future and a beautiful Hawaii, Aloha, Mahalo. AA: OK. Thank you, Leomana. LT: Yeah. AA: Hold on, I’m looking up what its \[unclear\] status is right now. RD: Do we need a motion to accept this? SW: Yes. Action: Motion made by R. Duerr that we accept Leomana Turalde’s palila draft letter. Seconded by N. Reynolds. Motion carried by poll vote with 6 ayes, no nays. RD: I’d like to make a motion that we accept Leomana’s palila draft letter. NR: Natalie, District – 7, I second. AA: Any discussion? RD: Yeah, what – Leomana was the millions or billions of dollars spent? SW: I’m sorry Leomana you are mute. LT: That was billions. RD: Billions? LT: Yes. That was looking – that was looking back at just the expenditures for the last 30 years – since the – I was just going back since GMAC was started, um, which was thirty years ago, yeah? 25 SW: No. ?: No. LT: Wasn’t it 27 years ago? SW: No GMAC… AA: GMAC wasn’t started in 27 – GMAC was started, I think, in 2007… LT: Oh, when was the palila… Eradication started? AA: The federal mandate was in 1978. LT: OK. That’s the – sorry – that’s the timeline I was going on. I thought that GMAC was started at the same time. AA: I no like show my age but 1978 is longer than 30 years. But thanks anyway. LT: Well, I just went back 30 years just so I, you know, and I went back with not only County of Hawaii just asking around like with like all the – Kahua Ranch, Parker Ranch, and how much money they spent, you know, cause I’ve been to this – my Dad is in a Hometown Legend documentary and I got to go to go to all of the ranches around the Island this past year and talk to the head ranches all over and so I just asked them, eh, how much do you guys spend on natural resource management with the birds and stuff and they gave me a rough estimate so… That’s the number that I came up with – actually 2.5 billion. AG: Austin Griffey, District – 6. Hey, you think we could include something in that letter about how the eradication efforts aren’t working on the population. The… LT: Yeah. AG: Cause it kinda, when you read it out seems like asking them to taking action and their terms of taking action is eradicate – that’s kinda what it seems. LT: Yeah. AA: OK. Thanks. Um, for, we approve this letter? SW: Well, once – right now you’ve got an amendment. AA: OK. So we’re in discussion right now, right? SW: You’re in discussion. th AA: Um, in discussion – so as far as HCR 50, it was just heard on the (April) 17 which was… SW: Yesterday… 26 AA: Yesterday. You guys can go on the You Tube – go on the Legislative website and you guys can watch the whole hearing that happened yesterday. I didn’t watch yesterday’s one but I did th watch the one on the 12. Um, and it just – it moved right along in support of DLNR… RD: Did it move yesterday? Did it move forward? th AA: It just says something about the 18 which is today. One day notice it says, “One-day notice for 1823,” so I not really sure what’s happening. I think it maybe went to – it crossed over into the Senate maybe because it has “S” on it. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. Leomana did you – I saw you writing – did you make an adjustment according to Commissioner Griffey’s statement? LT: Yeah. SW: Because if you can read the adjustment to the Commission, you might be able to get it satisfied today. LT: Oh, ah, well I just put a note in there I wanted to go look at the recovery rates because if I’m gonna talk about failure I’m probably gonna talk about they only recovered about 30% of the animals and then we’re at, the, um, I want to use the palila count but I cannot get the actual palila count because it’s State – it’s wrong. AA: Great… LT: Yeah, I gotta go, you know, I mean, just looking at the other letters that we wrote and the DLNR information you should be able to see that – it’s all wrong – but – I don’t know how to word that right now, so… AG: Do we know who’s in charge of the palila count and the person who calls or makes up the area to be a palila habitat? AA: Joshua Pang-Ching can you be able to answer that question? JP: \[No answer\] RD: Duerr, District – 1. I think the… JP: \[Unclear\] AA: Yeah, Josh, go ahead… JP: Hey, howzit. As far as the palila data, it kinda goes through – you can probably call our office and request some of that information depending and get an email on the person to contact. It’s kind of a multitude of people involved in the surveys itself, you know there’s us, there’s the – there’s like – it’s mostly us and then there’s some federal people that show up and crunch the data for us because it kinda goes through like this complicated algorithm, um, that’s it for that. 27 As far as Austin your question about habitat – that’s usually a federal designation and that one is one that’s, you know, was created a long, long time ago in the court, ah, you know, post court order. AG: I would like to see if they are reforesting koa in these so called palila habitats. JP: Yeah, there’s some, excuse me, I’m under the weather. There’s some areas especially on like the windward side and then in Kaohe, you know, which is kinda on the northwest in Kilohana – the old Lau lease – they’re doing a lot of koa restoration – they usually doing a lot of koa restoration where there was formerly koa so, you know, so there’s usually more koa kinda of on the fringes of the forestry – what’s designated as a Mauna Kea Forest Reserve, so kinda of on the, you know, the lower parts because koa weren’t, you know, didn’t grow too much above kind of that elevation so, you know, like Kanakaleionui, Waipahoehoe and then Kaohe – some of the areas that formerly had koa that were either logged or moved from historic ranching efforts, they were doing a lot of koa – Pumali – the Pumali mitigation area – there’s a lot of koa being planted there. AG: Cause my like thought process on this is they’re putting their finger on the map in the premium koa grounds where they can grow koa, claiming the palila habitat re-planting koa ten feet apart o they grow straight up in the sky for board foot so they can future harvest, so it seems like a whole money agenda for future purposes in my eyes but that’s just my opinion. JP Ah, yeah, you could try – I’m not exactly sure on, exactly where – do you know what area you’re referencing? SW: I’m sorry… AG: Every area it’s just mostly what I see boots on the ground – places that they’ve \[unclear\] take back and say we’re gonna reforest and then when they reforest, they’re not planting the koas to reforest property. Koa’s are big, huge trees and when they’re planting ‘em I’m noticing they’re planting five to ten feet apart so they’re growing straight up in the sky… AA: OK, Austin… SW: I’m sorry you’re… AA: Yeah, we’re going off topic. If you like we can put this on an agenda item later on but we are going like way off topic and we gotta get moving… RD: Chair, Duerr – District – 1, Paul Banko is the palila scientist in charge. AA: OK. Just, if you can, just send emails to Leomana. RD: Yeah, I’m just putting it in the chat. AA: And then, even for you, too, Austin, just contact or email Leomana with your questions and, you know, if you like help him along with the letter. 28 AG: Yeah… AA: So at this time we’re gonna table Leomana’s letter because he’s gonna make some adjustments to it, ah, Leomana, as soon as you get the draft ready – just – even if we didn’t approve it – as long as it’s in a draft – send it to Barbara as soon as you get it done so you can be filed and then if we approve it – if you gotta adjust it whatever we can do it later on, yeah? LT: OK. 7. COMMITTEE REPORTS: a. Investigative Committee: Investigate Extent of Effects of Mass Feeding of Feral Animals, and Potential Solutions. AA: Moving on. Committee Reports. Investigative Committee: Investigate Extent of Effects of Mass Feeding of Feral Animals and potential solutions. I think Leomana you was also the Chair of that Committee? LT: Yeah, aloha, Leomana, District – 3, sorry, last week was Merry Monarch – I totally lost track of that. AA: OK. That’s fine. We can move forward. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. Leomana, I was able to find a law article that was talking about the community cats and different effects within the law article it talks about the endangered species act, which might be a good jumping off point for you especially since it was just mentioned in the news about DLNR citing or rather requesting one of the resorts to stop feeding or rather remove the feeding stations for feral cats out in Waikoloa – so if you want to touch base with me in-between now and the next I can share this information with you. LT: Yeah. OK. Mahalo. b. Investigate Committee: Rules and Regulations Related to Lobster Harvesting and Sale. AA: Thank you – moving on – Investigative Committee: Rules and Regulations Related to Lobster Harvesting and Sale. Ah, Austin, you’re not ready for that either, right? AG: No, I’d like to table it I had a lot of stuff going on this month, too, I never got to sit down and sink my brain into it. c. Investigate Committee: Regulations Affecting Keauhou Bay and Logistical Issues, and Potential Solutions. Tabled. 29 d. Investigative Committee: DNLR expenditures of Pittman-Robertson grants, Dingle- Johnson grants, Boating Special Fund, and Off Highway Vehicle Fund in the County of Hawai’i. AA: OK. Shoots. Moving forward – Investigative Committee: DLNR expenditures of Pittman- Robertson grant, Dingle-Johnson grants, Boating Special Fund, and Off Highway Vehicle Fund in the County of Hawaii. Robert Duerr, Chair. RD: OK, um, ah, by next month – I have the inventory of the special funds and what I’ll do I’ll share that with the members of the PIG to get input and then next we can close inventory and then perhaps look forward to, um, to go on to the next level. AA: OK. Shoots. SW: I think you skipped c. AA: I think I did too. Ah, section c, Investigative Committee: Regulations Affecting Keauhou Bay and Logistical Issues and Potential Solutions and I think that’s our just Natalie. NR: Thank you, Stevie Wonder. I’m going to table this information – or table this till next meeting because I had a house full of sick people. 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS: a. Next meeting will be on May 16, 2023, at 9:00 am to 11:00 am at the Puna Conference Room in the Hilo County Building. AA: OK. Sounds good. Um, announcements – next meeting, ah, anybody else got any announcements? Cause we got \[unclear\] time. No announcements. Um… SW: We’re running behind so… On time… AA: Ah, OK, next meeting May 16… NR: Are we allowed to exchange information so that we can communicate with the people on our committee? SW: Yes, so the PIGS are a Permitted Inter-Action Group under Sunshine Law so you can interact with the members on your committee and share information on your committee. So that is allowed. You can have a discussion and meet and talk and even split up jobs, so that when you come together and present your report it’s indicative of the entire committee. AA: Yeah, so if you’re on the committee it’s just like you guys working as one team so not just Chai, you must do all the work or, two people can do all the work. Each person should have their own pat in that investigative committee and it’s up to the Chair to actually go out and do 30 the work and it’s your guys’ job as well to answer you guys’ phone, text messages, emails, communication is key, just like everything else in life. NR: Thank you. SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. They only legal advice regarding the Sunshine Law, I just want to remind everybody of is 1) make sure that your investigation stays within the parameters and scope outlined within the meeting, 2) if you need guidance you can look at the agenda, because that kinda sets out what your scope is, 3) remember that when you’re doing your committee and you’re making your report you cannot be trying to seek votes for support from the other members. So that’s the Sunshine Law violation if you were to try and seek votes. NR: OK. So really quick, can we take a couple minutes to have everybody direct, send a text in the group chat your phone number or emails so that we can contact – I am the Chair of PIG # c, so Robert Duerr, Austin Griffey and Cortney Okumura can you send me your contact information privately please? SW: Yeah, so Natalie, we can’t do it on this platform. So, if you want… AA: Ask Barbara. Barbara has everybody’s… NR: OK. SW: Send an email to Barbara. Barbara can forward to your Committee members so it’s just your Committee members. NR: Thank you in advance, Barbara. SW: Same thing for the other Chairs for the other committees. If you need contact information for your other committee members let Barbara know – so she knows what committee it is – and then she can share. I also take notes on who the part or every committee. AA: Nice. I just use mental memory. NR: Also, if we, on the west side – if we go to Hilo next month can we have the June meeting over on our side? Is that – am I allowed to ask that? AA: Well, we already were having that discussion prior to the meeting, and I let Barbara know but, um, I was saying… NR: Was that in the Sunshine Laws… AA: I was saying for the Hilo guys to come over there first and Robert Duerr and Leomana and depends if Brian, so I get my truck so we can just all hop in that, as long as we don’t talk about GMAC on the way there than everything should be fine. And then maybe the following month then you guys can come this side, right? But if you guys want to step up and come forward to come to Hilo first that’s fine too. 31 NR: Well, doesn’t it say May 16 at the Puna Conference Room in Hilo building? SW: Yes. AA: That’s where our in-person place is. NR: Yeah, OK. AA: This is our in-person, but I think if you guys are interested, I think you guys can actually go to the Kona conference room as well… SW: No. So, Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. So right now, presently, the Commission has reserved the Pueo Conference Room until the end of the year for our meeting dates. If we’re going to select a different meeting room for a particular meeting date – we – the staff – Barbara and I would have to work in reserving a different room – so it is possible – but we need to know ahead of time what the Board wants to do so we can make the appropriate arrangements. AA: So, if you guys want to come from next month already and you guys want to come to this side next month then that’s fine. We have the capabilities I think here and then that’ll give Barbara guys more time and then once they figure out where to put it in Kona then we can make the trek over the mountain and join you guys on that side, right? And then from that on then we can just go on regular Zoom meetings again, like how we’re having right now. NR: OK. So that request is for June or July, correct? SW: Deputy Corporation Counsel, Sylvia Wan. NR: To change it over to our side, Natalie, District… AG: Can we have the meeting at… AA: It’s whenever they can find a room… SW: So, now that I now know that you want to meet in Kona, I will touch base with Barbara, we’ll look and see what the schedules are like to see when the Kona conference room would be available to what particular GMAC meeting date we can make over there. AA: Yeah. NR: If that is approved, I will drive to Hilo. SW: OK, so, I just have to put this proviso on. This is completely not on the agenda by the way. We are talking… AA: We have time. 32 SW: We’re talking about administrative matters. AA: \[Unclear\] SW: They’re administrative matters. Um, this could – this conversation should be had offline because it’s an administrative matter about where the location of the next meeting will be, um, if you want to have a more formal discussion it’s gotta be on the agenda, but, yeah, so I will talk to Barbara about it. We can send, I can send an email as staff to the Board members to make sure everybody’s OK with meeting in person – what are we gonna shoot for June? AA: June. SW: June here, theoretically. So, May will be normal? AA: Yeah. SW: June, try to meet in person – July, try to meet in person – and we’ll try to figure out which is in Kona and which is in Hilo. AA: Well, if they can figure it out, they can probably come Hilo next month. I mean it’s up to them three if they want to come Hilo next month or in June, right. It’s open at any time for them to come to Hilo basically. SW: It is open at any time for the Kona members to come to Hilo, yes… AA: Yes… AG: Austin Griffey… NR: Natalie… AG: I have a baby in June, so I don’t want to be travelling to the other side of the Island. th AA: OK. So next month then maybe if you – if Natalie and Cortney is available for May 16’s meeting then you guys can come Hilo already in May and that’ll give Sylvia… SW: I’ll try to work… AA: ….and Sylvia and Barbara to give them the time to work on either June of July for the Kona facility. NR: Sounds good for me in June, Natalie, District – 7. I have a question so in December regarding this topic if we, are we allowed to ask you guys in advance for once a quarter to meet in person and we split the quarters between Hilo and Kona? SW: That is an administrative matter so, yeah, you can talk about that with Barbara and I, and if that is something the Commission wants to do, we can try to coordinate a facility. NR: And then we would have to have that on an agenda item for December to discuss? 33 SW: Not necessarily. If you want to change your schedule and change your permanent meeting times then, yeah, it probably should be an agenda item but right now we’ve been a bit flexible because GMAC’s meeting time was, you know, used to be in the evening and now it’s not. AA: Still preferred. SW: I understand still preferred, but, you know… NR: I second that… SW: Everybody wants that, I understand, the entire Commission wants that however, the point is we’re trying to work with you. AA: OK, announcements – I just got a text message – we have a potential Commissioner for District – 9. I’m not sure of his name or anything yet but, if he gets in or if I know more th information, I’ll let you guys know. Next meeting will be on May 16, 2023 at 9:00 – 11:00 am in the Puna Conference Room in Hilo County Building. May I have a motion to adjourn? 9. Adjournment: (10:41 am) Action: A motion was made by N. Reynolds to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by L. Turalde. The motion passed unanimously by voice vote. NR: Natalie, District – 7, I make a motion to adjourn. LT: Leomana, District 3, I second that motion. AA: Any discussion on the adjournment? Not seeing any, all in favor – aye. \[The ayes have it\] AA: Thank you. You guys have a wonderful rest of the week. Respectfully submitted by, Barbara Kossow Secretary 34