HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-08-07 HCDP Minutes Draft
HĀMĀKUA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1
ACTION COMMITTEE 2
COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI 3
DRAFT MINUTES 4
August 7, 2024 5
CALL TO ORDER 6
Chair David Meyer called the Hāmākua Community Development Plan (CDP) Action 7
Committee (AC) to order at 5:07 p.m. A quorum was established with five members in 8
attendance. This meeting was held in person at the Pāpaʻaloa Gym Annex and via the Zoom 9
online platform. 10
The full YouTube video of this meeting can be found here: 11
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_UGRHTCi74 12
ROLL CALL 13
Members Present (in person): David Meyer (Chair), Richard Bidleman, Tawn Keeney, Robert 14
Nishimoto 15
Members Present (via Zoom): Mahealani Maikui (Vice-Chair) 16
Members Absent: Brad Kurokawa 17
County Staff Present (in person): Maryam Palma and Jessica Lahip 18
Also in Attendance: Heather Kimball (County Council) 19
There were approximately six members of the public in attendance (one in person and five via 20
Zoom). 21
APPROVAL OF MINUTES [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 2:35] 22
Committee member Richard Bidleman motioned to approve the May 8, 2024 and June 12, 2024 23
meeting minutes. Committee member Robert Nishiomoto seconded the motion. The motion 24
passed unanimously. 25
PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: 26
Dave Molenaar Testimony [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 3:28] 27
Committee member Tawn Keeney made a comment stating that members of the public should be 28
able to testify on items that are not listed on the agenda. County Planner Maryam Palma will 29
follow up with Corporation Counsel to determine whether it is possible to add a public comment 30
section as an agenda item. If approved, this will be included in the agenda for the next meeting. 31
1. BUSINESS Updates on Implementation Priorities – The Action Committee will provide 32
updates on their respective implementation priorities: 33
a. Fire Preparedness & Public Access – Committee member Tawn Keeney 34
b. Coastal Resource Community Based Hui – Committee member Robert Nishimoto 35
HĀMĀKUA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE
Minutes of August 7, 2024
2
c. Waipiʻo Wahi Pana – Committee member Brad Kurokawa & Vice-Chair, Mahealani 36
Maikui 37
d. Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission – 38
Committee member Tawn Keeney 39
e. County of Hawaiʻi Capital Improvement Budget & Agriculture Taxes – Chair, David 40
Meyer 41
This item was called to order at 5:07 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 19:16] 42
Committee member Tawn Keeney spoke about the Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization 43
(HWMO) Community Wildfire Protection Plan. He plans to speak with the Fire Department and 44
do a perimeter walk-around in potential areas where wildfire might be reduced. This may also 45
reveal if additional steps can be taken to lessen the potential fire hazard in these high-hazard 46
areas. The discussion for emergency evacuation routes is ongoing and will focus on the 47
perimeters of these communities that were referenced in the HWMO plan. 48
Council member Heather Kimball made a comment on the Hawaiian Electric power safety shut 49
off plan. 50
Vice-Chair Mahealani Maikui had no update regarding Waipiʻo Wahi Pana. [SEE YOUTUBE 51
TIMESTAMP 38:00] 52
Committee member Robert Nishimoto spoke about the Coastal Resource Community Based Hui. 53
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 38:22] 54
Access to Hāmākua. Fishing access is very limited in Hāmākua and if someone has a complaint 55
regarding fishing, he would like to contact them personally. He discussed how to effectively 56
reach fishing community of the Hāmākua coast. He mentioned the importance of accessibility to 57
the coast and using a “story” to effectively engage people in this topic. 58
Council member Heather Kimball stated that $40 million has been approved for Laupāhoehoe 59
boat ramp and breakwater. 60
Committee member Keeney provided an update on the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural 61
Resources Preservation Commission (PONC). [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:02:30] 62
Property that was nominated to the PONC commission was selected with the second highest 63
ranking out of 10 nominations for County purchase. 64
Chair David Meyer had no update regarding County of Hawaiʻi Capital Improvement Budget & 65
Agriculture Taxes [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:08:39] 66
Chair David Meyers asked Council member Heather Kimball for clarification on the tax plan and 67
how it does not seem to relate to the preservation of farmland. 68
Pam Elder Testimony [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:24:22] 69
Dave Molenaar Testimony [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP [1:35:12] 70
This item concluded at 6:53 p.m. 71
2. Final Recommended Draft of General Plan 2045 Permitted Interaction Group (P.I.G.) – 72
Consideration of adding 1-2 additional members to the existing P.I.G. (Committee members 73
HĀMĀKUA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE
Minutes of August 7, 2024
3
Keeney and Kurokawa) to review and prepare comments on the Final Recommended Draft 74
of General Plan 2045. 75
This item was called to order at 6:53 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:46:15] 76
Committee member Tawn Keeney highlighted that the Final Recommended Draft of General 77
Plan 2045 is now available for public comment. Additionally, Keeney discussed Bill 181, which 78
was recently introduced by Council member Holeka Inaba. No additional committee members 79
were added to current P.I.G. Committee member Tawn Keeney requested to have a letter to 80
support Bill 181 which will be discussed at the next Hāmākua CDP Action committee meeting. 81
This item concluded at 7:20 p.m. 82
AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 2:13:40] 83
1. Updates on Action Priorities 84
2. Letter in support of Bill 181 regarding the Final Recommended Draft General Plan 2045 85
3. Kō Education Center Meeting Report 86
ANNOUNCEMENTS [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 2:17:36] 87
Announcements have been deferred to the next meeting. 88
ADJOURNMENT 89
Committee member Richard Bidleman motioned to adjourn the meeting. Committee member 90
Tawn Keeney seconded the motion. An all-in-favor voice vote carried the motion unanimously. 91
The meeting was adjourned at 7:25 p.m. 92
These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Hāmākua 93
Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 94
Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department 95
by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 96