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Home My WebLink About2025-08-21 SKCDP Draft Minutes SOUTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1 ACTION COMMITTEE 2 COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI 3 DRAFT MINUTES 4 August 21, 2025 5 CALL TO ORDER 6 Chair Tristie Licoan called the South Kohala Community Development Plan (CDP) Action 7 Committee (AC) to order at 5:07 p.m. A quorum was established with seven members in 8 attendance. This meeting was held in person at the Waimea Community Center. 9 The full YouTube video of this meeting can be found here: 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-DD7gZrNiE 11 ROLL CALL 12 Members Present (in person): Tristie Licoan (Chair), Scott Nagata (Vice-Chair), Bambi Lau, 13 Owana Wilcox and Julia Alos 14 Members Present (via Zoom): Josephine (Jojo) Tanimoto & Kevin McLaughlin 15 Members Absent: Ruth Smith and Karen Anderson 16 County Staff Present (in person): Maryam Palma, Jessica Lahip, and Janice Hata 17 There were approximately six (6) members of the public in attendance (four in person and two via 18 Zoom). 19 APPROVAL OF MINUTES [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 4:56] 20 Vice-Chair Nagata moved to approve the May 15, 2025 meeting minutes. Committee member Lau 21 seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 22 PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 6:03] 23 None at this time. 24 BUSINESS 25 1. Civil Defense Agency Update – A representative from Civil Defense will share updates 26 regarding the County’s Hazard Mitigation Plan and future emergency preparedness plans as it 27 relates to South Kohala. 28 29 This item was called to order at 5:14 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 7:11] 30 31 Representative Talmadge Magno from Civil Defense provided an update on the County’s 32 Hazard Mitigation Plan, which is reviewed every five years. He explained that the plan 33 identifies vulnerabilities across Hawaiʻi Island, including flooding, wildfire, and tsunami risks, 34 and that FEMA has already approved a draft pending State review. Community members 35 raised concerns about the lack of an evacuation road for Kawaihae and Kailapa, flooding at 36 commercial areas, and congestion during the July 29 tsunami evacuation. Questions were also 37 raised about resort evacuation coordination, harbor management, signage for shelters, and 38 SOUTH KOHALA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of August 21, 2025 2 communication to both residents and visitors. Talmadge noted that Civil Defense continues 39 after-action reviews and will incorporate feedback. 40 41 James Kong provided testimony recommending signage to direct people to emergency shelters. 42 43 Council Aide Kendra Bruno provided testimony that Waikoloa School was not officially 44 designated shelter but was opened by the principal and superintendent during the tsunami 45 evacuation to accommodate evacuees, highlighting both community responsiveness and 46 coordination challenges. 47 48 Motion by Committee Chair Licoan: Submit a letter to Civil Defense requesting a copy of the 49 after action report for the July 29 tsunami event as well as asking how can the SK CDP AC 50 improve their communications with Civil Defense and all other entities that have a part in any 51 evacuation plan. Seconded by Committee Member Tanimoto and passed unanimously. 52 This item closed at 6:10 p.m. 53 2. Kailapa Firewise Evacuation Plan Update – Committee member Jojo Tanimoto will provide 54 an update on the Kailapa Firewise Evacuation Plan. 55 56 This item was called to order at 6:10 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:03:42] 57 58 Committee Member Jojo Tanimoto reported that the Kailapa subdivision remains without a 59 designated evacuation route despite longstanding requests. She described issues with fencing, 60 gates, and reliance on neighboring subdivisions for emergency access. The group discussed 61 the responsibilities of DHHL and the State to support the development of alternate routes. 62 Concerns were also raised about increased traffic in the harbor area and the lack of progress 63 despite community advocacy since the 1990s. Members expressed frustration at the lack of 64 response from Hawaiian Homelands and requested county-level support to push the issue 65 forward. 66 67 James Kong provided testimony that responsibility for establishing an evacuation route in 68 Kailapa should be pushed to higher authorities, such as the U.S. Department of the Interior, to 69 compel the Department of Hawaiian Homelands to take action. 70 71 Motion by Committee member Tanimoto: Submit a letter to DHHL, DOT, Liliʻuokalani Trust, 72 and Hawaiʻi Wildfire Organization requesting their support for the Kailapa homestead 73 community in pursuing and advocating for the second evacuation road of the Kailapa 74 subdivision. Seconded by Committee Member Bambi Lau and passed unanimously. 75 76 This item closed at 6:24 p.m. 77 78 3. Kawaihae Site Preservation – Committee member Jojo Tanimoto will provide an update on 79 site preservation efforts in Kawaihae. 80 This item was called to order 6:24 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:17:10] 81 82 Committee member Tanimoto reported ongoing work with the Cultural Resource Committee 83 and lineal descendants on preservation concerns in Kawaihae. The Cultural Resource 84 SOUTH KOHALA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of August 21, 2025 3 Commission has formed a permitted interaction group to conduct a site visit and develop 85 recommendations. It was noted that several historic sites in Kawaihae are not listed in the 86 South Kohala CDP despite existing documentation. The committee agreed to await the 87 permitted interaction group’s report before considering a recommendation to update the CDP 88 and will revisit the matter at a future meeting. 89 90 This item closed at 6:29 p.m. 91 92 4. Waimea Community Center Rehabilitation – Vice-Chair Scott Nagata will provide update on 93 the rehabilitation of the Waimea Community Center. 94 95 This item was called to order 6:30 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:23:05] 96 Vice Chair Nagata reported that the Waimea Community Center rehabilitation project is listed 97 under the County’s capital improvement plan under a general park maintenance line item. 98 There is an architect currently drafting plans for a new roof, but funding is uncertain for the 99 next phases of the project. The committee noted the center’s heavy daily use by nearby schools, 100 and as an emergency shelter, and agreed that interim improvements would be ineffective until 101 the roof is addressed. 102 Motion by Committee Chair Licoan: Submit a letter to relevant community politicians 103 requesting to approve and expedite funding to fix the roof of the Waimea Community Center 104 due to safety reasons and the high utilization by the community. Seconded by Committee 105 member Wilcox and passed unanimously. 106 This item closed at 6:36 p.m. 107 108 5. Puakō Sewer Project Update – Committee member Karen Anderson will provide an update on 109 the Puakō Sewer Project 110 111 No update provided as Committee member Anderson was absent. 112 113 6. Waimea Water Resources Update – Vice-Chair Scott Nagata will provide update on Waimea 114 Resources for Waimea 115 116 This item was called to order 6:36 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP1:29:38] 117 Vice Chair Scott MacArthur reported on recent community discussions regarding water 118 resources in Waimea, held in coordination with the Department of Water Supply. The 119 Department has prioritized restoration of the Waipio Reservoir No. 1, currently out of service, 120 with bidding for rehabilitation expected to move forward and construction anticipated next 121 year at an estimated $13 million cost. Updates were also provided on the planned Lalamilo 122 Reservoir, which will be the largest in the area with a 10-million-gallon capacity. Committee 123 members discussed potential funding opportunities, the role of user water rates in financing 124 projects, and the need to account for upcoming subdivision developments when evaluating 125 future capacity. Questions were raised about security at reservoir sites, and members suggested 126 continued communication with the Department of Water Supply for follow-up updates. No 127 formal action was taken. 128 SOUTH KOHALA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of August 21, 2025 4 This item closed at 6:50 p.m. 129 130 PROPOSED NEW BUSINESS [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP1:47:32 ] 131 1. Waikoloa Road and Paniolo Ave intersection update 132 2. Waikoloa Heights Development 133 3. Waikoloa Community Center update 134 4. Water Resources for Waimea update 135 ANNOUNCEMENTS [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 11:56:41] 136  Road closure for the Waimea Paniolo Parade on September 20th, 2025. 137  Maikaʻi Waimea Event on September 27th, 2025. 138 139 ADJOURNMENT 140 Chair Licoan adjourned the meeting at 7:10 p.m. 141 These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s South Kohala 142 Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public 143 Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department 144 by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 145