HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-06-10 KCDP Minutes Final
KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1
ACTION COMMITTEE 2
COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI 3
FINAL MINUTES 4
June 10, 2025 5
CALL TO ORDER 6
Chair Charles Young called the Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) Action Committee 7
(AC) to order at 12:03 p.m. This meeting was held in person at the West Hawai’i Civic Center, B2 8
Conference Room and online via the Zoom platform. 9
The full YouTube video of this meeting can be found here: 10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80ECudSgjAM 11
ROLL CALL 12
Members Present (in person): Charles Young (Chair) and Nancy Pisicchio (Vice-Chair) 13
Members Present (via Zoom): John Pelletier 14
Members Absent: Roselyn Molina, David Hureta, Heather Korotie, and Charla Thompson 15
County Staff Present (in person): Kawelo Kalili and Maryam Palma 16
There were approximately 2 members of the public in attendance (2 in person and 0 via Zoom). 17
The committee did not meet quorum; therefore, no decisions were made. 18
APPROVAL OF MINUTES 19
The minutes were not approved due to lack of quorum. 20
PUBLIC TESTIMONY 21
There was no public testimony. 22
BUSINESS: 23
1. Outreach on Sunshine Law Updates – Discussion and potential decision making on 24
updating government officials on allowable interactions with the committee since the 25
adoption of SB 869, relating to Community Outreach Boards. [SEE YOUTUBE 26
TIMESTAMP 3:36] 27
The Action Committee (AC) discussed the need for greater clarity and education regarding 28
recent Sunshine Law updates. Members expressed interest in organizing a presentation from 29
the State Office of Information Practices (OIP), ideally through a joint session for all ACs or 30
for chairs and vice chairs. The goal would be to help members feel more confident and 31
informed about the legal requirements. 32
KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE
Minutes of June 10, 2025
2
There was also a suggestion to draft a general invitation for government officials to attend 33
future meetings and provide updates relevant to the community. The idea was to make the 34
meetings more informative and welcoming without putting pressure on attendees. 35
The conversation touched on how recent legislative changes might help reduce long-standing 36
frustrations related to quorum issues. The updates may allow more flexibility in scheduling 37
and participation, including the ability for multiple members to attend community events or 38
meetings without the need for formal agenda notices. Members recognized this as a positive 39
development for accessibility and community engagement. 40
2. Kona International Airpirt (KOA) Master Plan Update – Update from Action 41
Committee member John Pelletier, followed by a discussion on potential Committee 42
actions. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 10:21] 43
The AC received an update from Committee Member Pelletier regarding the Kona 44
International Airport’s master plan update process. Member Pelletier had attended an initial 45
stakeholder meeting and reported that the planning team emphasized aligning the airport’s 46
development with the Kona Community Development Plan (CDP). The update process is 47
expected to take place over the course of the year and involves consultants and a range of 48
stakeholders. The AC expressed appreciation that the CDP is being recognized in other 49
planning efforts. There was support for having a committee representative continue 50
participating in future meetings and providing updates to help maintain alignment and 51
community involvement. 52
3. Keauhou Aquifer Water Management Plan Update – Update from Action Committee 53
Chair Charlie Young, followed by a discussion on potential Committee actions. [SEE 54
YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 15:02] 55
The AC discussed the upcoming outreach efforts tied to the state’s adaptive management plan 56
focused on the Keauhou aquifer. Members considered the possibility of inviting representatives 57
from the planning team to present at a future meeting, noting that the committee could serve 58
as a neutral and public forum for community engagement. It was suggested that such a 59
presentation could be scheduled between regular meetings, given the recent changes that allow 60
more flexible scheduling. 61
There was also interest in potentially inviting Councilmember Inaba to speak on a related water 62
management resolution, although some felt that both topics may be too substantial for a single 63
agenda and would be better addressed in separate meetings. 64
The group discussed recent water-related webinars hosted by the Department of Health and 65
emphasized the growing community interest in understanding water issues, including 66
groundwater flow, contaminants, and aquifer cleanup. Members shared resources and agreed 67
that ongoing engagement and coordination between different agencies and initiatives are 68
essential. 69
KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE
Minutes of June 10, 2025
3
The conversation touched on the recently signed State Bill 1602, which provides funding for 70
monitoring wells. Committee members emphasized the importance of incorporating data from 71
these wells into the adaptive management process. There was support for inviting state-level 72
officials involved in the legislation and aquifer planning to participate in future discussions, 73
pending confirmation and scheduling. 74
Josephine Keliipio provided testimony regarding concerns about unannounced power shutoffs 75
and their impact on water access, especially in neighborhoods reliant on electric pumps. She 76
emphasized the need for residents to prepare for extended outages and questioned what 77
resources or plans are in place to support affected communities. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 78
30:34] 79
PROPOSED AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 80
42:44] 81
1. Keauhou Aquifer Adaptive Management Plan Presentation 82
2. Bill 63 Proposal 83
ADJOURNMENT 84
The meeting was adjourned at 12:58 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 55:43] 85
These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona 86
Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 87
Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by 88
calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 89