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Home My WebLink About(24') - 09-11-24 - Meeting Minutes Eric P. Gee, Chairperson, Mayor Appointee Mitchell D. Roth Hayden Konanui-Tucker, Vice-Chairperson, Mayor Appointee Kyla-Marie Kauhaihao, Assistant Secretary, District 5 Mayor Miliani Bunghanoi-Aiu, Sergeant-at-Arms, District 7 Hemi Martinez, District 1 Deanna S. Sako Sage Huston, District 2 Managing Director \[Vacant\] District 3 Benjamin Rudo, District 4 Marquis P. Fonoimoana, District 6 Robert H. Command Peyton Haleamau, District 8 County of Hawai‘i Deputy Managing Director Abigail-Zoe Garan, District 9 Goretti Allen, Mayor Appointee Youth Commission Damon Nagata, Mayor Appointee Cheydon A. Naleimaile-Evangelista, Mayor Appointee Perseas Vanebo, Mayor Appointee Jenn Kagiwada, Ex-Officio Member 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 2603, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 (808) 961-8211 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Hwy., Bldg C , Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740 (808) 323-4444 Meeting Minutes DATE: September 11, 2024 TIME: 3:00pm IN-PERSON LOCATION: West Hawai’i Civic Center, Building G 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy Kailua Kona, HI 96740 1) Call to Order 3:00 pm - By: Chair Gee District 1: Hemi Martinez District 2: Sage Hutson District 3: Vacant District 4: Benjamin Rudo District 5: Kyla-Marie Kauhaihao District 6: Marquis P. Fonoimoana (Left Early) District 7: Mililani Bunghanoi-Aiu District 8: Peyton Halemau District 9: Abigail-Zoe Garan Councilmember: Jennifer Kagiwada Mayor Appointee: Damon Nagata Mayor Appointee: Goretti Allen Mayor Appointee: Hayden Konanui-Tucker Mayor Appointee: Perseas Vanebo Mayor Appointee: Vice-Chairperson Cheydon Naleimaile-Evangelista Mayor Appointee: Chairperson Eric Gee Out of: 15 Present: 11 Excused: 1 Absent : 3 “Counting those present, we have a quorum.” 2) Chairperson Announcements a) Protocol of meeting, recording, public comment protocols, etc. b) September 11th memorial statement c) Introduction to Kara Yoshiyama 3) Statements from the Public/Testimony a) Mayor Mitch Roth: Mahalo for all of your work, excited to see the Youth Resolution go through. i) Question from Councilmember Kagiwada: Is there anything you see on the horizon that you might want the commission to weigh in on? (1) Animal Control issues, solutions to the matter. (2) Looking into how our community is going to raise the future children of Hawaiʻi in Hawaiʻi. (a) Kagiwada - possibly bills/solutions for housing/planning for housing in regards to affordability and sustainability. (b) Mitch Roth - Culture is lost when our Hawaiians move away. What kind of changes can we make in order to not lose ourselves? Easy answer is housing, but there is a lot more anchors/avenues to explore to help deeper than housing thth 4) Approval of June 12, 2024 and August 14, 2024 Meeting Minutes th a) Approved – June 12 2024 th b) Approved – August 14, 2024 (OUT OF ORDER) 6A- Presentation from the Interim Sustainability Administrator Bethany Morrison on OSCER (the Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity and Resilience) a) How can we engage the youth to accomplish greater sustainability, climate, equity, and resilience goals? b) Integrated Climate Action Plan - adopted in 2023 a) Identifies implementation priority areas b) 290 actions and sub actions c) Connecting and networking through community events, boots on the ground events, social media, community campaigns d) Coordinating efforts in the county through working across the departments, creating an Energy Management Plan, grant work, supporting community organizations with grants e) Building capacity through helping community organizations. f) How can you get involved? a) Looking at all of the initiatives that are going on in the county in regards to fire, water, wind, flooding, climate change, watershed, agriculture, etc. g) Questions/Comments from Commissioners to OSCER: a) Commissioner Garan: Very interesting presentation. Extreme heat part caught her attention onto more in depth issues the commissioners can be aware of. b) Commissioner Kauhaihao: Where can we find more information on who OSCER is collaborating with? i) Newsletters, but also when OSCER is out in the community, they give that information to the community. Very place-based information. c) Commissioner Naleimaile-Evangelista: During your presentation, you were talking about a zero-waste pilot program. Do you have more information? i) This was a partnership with Councilmember Kagiwada, and started through ensuring that the county is doing their part to be zero waste. d) Vice-Chair Konanui-Tucker: What is one thing we as commissioners can take away, an actionable thing we can do to support OSCER? i) Subscribe/follow OSCER on social media to stay up-to-date about events and things going on. ii) OSCER is happy to come back and be a recurring voice with the commission. (OUT OF ORDER) 6Ai – Voting to support the 2024 Hawai’i Sustainability Summit Youth Congress Resolution a) Public Testimony b) Chair Gee: Brief recap and question to Ms. Morrison about what she thought overall of the Summit and resolution i) Ms. Morrison, felt inspired about what went on and how we tackled such an ambitious agenda. ii) Commissioner Garan: Was really cool and liked how the students really dug in deep and collaborated. iii) Commissioner Kauhaihao: Very inspiring to see how the students put their full force forward. iv) Commissioner Fonoimoana: Very impressive. Most of those students were middle schoolers, and it was great to see how invested they were. But also on the second, it was nice to see how serious the adults were in regards to what the ōpio had to say.ʻ v) Commissioner Gee: It was very important to engage the students as much as possible, and it was really wonderful to see how engaged the students got, especially when a lot of them came in and didn’t know anything. This resolution also impressed us with the passion and the ideas that we came out with. c) Comments: i) Adult Advisor Ho: Was wonderful to see how engaged the students were from an educational standpoint. ii) Commissioner Kauhaihao: Support with reservation, wanting to fact-check the resolution. (1) Kagiwada: The Whereas clauses may not be completely factual, but the Therefore is probably the most important part, and as long as those are agreed upon. The commission can send out a memo alongside the resolution. iii) Adult Advisor Ho: Support with reservation, concerned about some of the organizations that are in the bottom portion (Be it Finally Resolved), and wondering if a cover letter will be sent to the people/organizations at the bottom. (1) Also had the same question from Chair Gee. (a) Kagiwada: possibly sent out. d) Motion to approve with reservation: Commissioner Naleimaile-Evangelista i) Seconded by: Commissioner Kauhaihao ii) Discussion: (1) Naleimaile-Evangelista sending the memo (2) Kauhaihao: Doing the fact sheet alongside (3) DCC Wong: Maybe no need for Memo/Fact Sheet, but do a letter of support with reservations. (4) Mr. Ho: Providing the individuals and organizations with a way to ask questions/concerns (a) Kagiwada: If it comes out from Councilmember Chair Kimball, then they can contact chair Kimball. Agrees with DCC Wong. iii) Votes: ALL AYES 5) Old Business a) Continued Town Hall/September CNHA Discussion i) Public Testimony: None ii) Discussion: (1) VC Konanui-Tucker: Won’t be able to officially present at CNHA in an official capacity, but there will be a couple of commissioners who may be there to network. (2) Commissioner Kauhaihao: Seconds doing a virtual town hall in terms of accessibility. (3) Kagiwada: In regards to doing a virtual town hall, picking a date would be best to move forward with right now. (4) DCC Wong: Reminder about the virtual town hall meeting, less than quorum and doing a west side and east side. (5) Commissioner Kauhaihao: October 9th is the next meeting and the last meeting (6) Commissioner Gee: Proposed the town hall to be in December/after December after the new commissioners are sworn in. (a) Kagiwada: Practically speaking, three districts might not have new commissioners in time for a December meeting. (7) Mr. Ho: For our awareness, DOE Fall Break October 7 - 11. (8) Kagiwada: Councilmembers probably won’t be appointed until after the November Election. (9) Mr. Ho: Doing an informational meeting might be more beneficial than a town hall. Might want to re-do the application. (10) Commissioner Naleimaile-Evangelista: Agrees with the idea of the informational meeting. A possible date: October 11th. (a) Kauhaihao: Afternoon that day works for me. (i) Kagiwada: Evening might work better. (b) Commissioner Garan and Nagata: Traveling (11) VC Konanui-Tucker: October 4th. (a) Kagiwada: Do you think we can get interest by October 4th? (b) Chair Gee: Would any of the commissioners want to draft a letter to the schools to recruit people to come to the meeting? (c) Commissioner Naleimaile-Evangelista: If we finalize the details, is there a process that we have to follow in the county side? (i) Kagiwada: Nope, should be fine. (ii) C Naleimaile-Evangelista: If we are able to engage social media. (iii)Press Secretary Fonoimoana: If we can decide on date and time, that would help us a lot. (d) Ms. Barber: Suggestion - Possibly having a flier that we can give out to the schools and community. (e) Kagiwada: If the commission wants to get fliers and things to schools, is October 4th doable. (i) Mr. Ho: It is a little bit of a short notice, but with some massaging, can do. Also must keep private, immersion, and charter schools to think of. Mr. Ho can help with the East side. 1. Can we as alumni/students go through our own connections? a. Can, but be professional regardless and understand you are representing an outside entity. (ii) Ms. Barber: Getting on social media, that allows for informal spread of information, but going through our connections also definitely can help create strong bonds for the commission (f) Kagiwada, if October 4th is the goal, give each commission short deadlines. (g) C Naleimaile-Evangelista: Virtual? Would be best. Can we use the county zoom (i) Bobby Command: Yes, the county zoom can be used. (ii) Kagiwada: Can use her zoom as well. (iii)VC Konanui-Tucker: Can do hybrid. (iv) Chair Gee: Reminder it must be less than quorum, so if we do hybrid, it would be best to have two commissioners in person. (v) VC Konanui Tucker: Seven people? 1. Chair Gee can help virtually 2. Commissioner Naleimaile-Evangelista can help virtually 3. Commissioner Garan can attend whether in person (if in Kona) or virtually. Also could we 4. Commissioner Kauhaihao: Can help 5. Councilmember Kagiwada (vi) Discussion on time, brought up by Mr. Ho: 1. C Naleimaile-Evangelista: Four works 2. Move forward with October 4th at 4, Kauhaihao to spearhead the project. 3. Mr. Ho: if there are materials, to have by September 20th. 4. Commissioner Fonoimoana may not be able to be there, but will be available to do all things for social media, etc. b) Updates i) Priority Updates (1) Public Testimony: None (2) Mental Health (Commissioner Evangelista) (a) No updates, but wanting to help co-lead is Commissioner Garan. She is now co-lead. (b) Commissioner Naleimaile-Evangelista wanted to reach out to Ms. Barber in regards to the priority (c) 988 Campaign Discussion (3) Food Sovereignty (Commissioner Kauhaihao and Commissioner Konanui- Tucker) (a) No updates (4) Native Plant Restoration (Commissioner Rudo) (a) No updates (b) Native Plant Beautification Project Discussion (i) Finding a place ii) Press Secretary (1) Bios: Can still get that in (2) Any Suggestions are welcome iii) County Council Updates (1) No specific updates, but the reason why the question was asked earlier to the Mayor about housing, and feels that this is an issue that the commission might care about. Will write a summary about the current bills being talked on, discussed about, trying to be passed, etc. 6) New Business a) Presentation from the Interim Sustainability Administrator Bethany Morrison on OSCER (the Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience) - OUT OF ORDER i) Voting to support the 2024 Hawaii Sustainability Summit Youth Congress Resolution - OUT OF ORDER 7) Announcements a) Next Meeting: October 9, 2024 in Hilo from 3-5pm i) Location TBD (1) Kagiwada and DCC Wong will check with the Board of Ethics to see if they are going to be meeting until their end time at 4:30. (a) Mr. Ho: Usually the Board of Ethics doesn’t end that late, so it should be good b) Adult Advisor i) Mr. Ho: (1) October 10th - Hawaiʻi Children Youth Summit (2) October 19th - PacYES 2024 Conference - UH Hilo ii) Update: Councilmember Kimball has not sent out the 2024 Hawaiʻi Sustainability Summit Youth Resolution Yet 8) Adjournment - 4:53pm