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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-01-20 PCDP AC Minutes County of Hawai‘i PLANNING DEPARTMENT PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 Phone (808) 961-8288 • Fax (808) 961-8742 Hawai’i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer BJ Leithead Todd Director Margaret Masunaga Deputy Director William P. Kenoi Mayor Thursday, January 20, 2011 Meeting Minutes CALL TO ORDER Chairperson Barbara Bell called the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) Action Committee (AC) meeting to order at 3:04 p.m. in the Kea’au Community Center, with the following persons present: Action Committee: Barbara Bell, Greg Braun, Frank Commendador, Madie Greene, Jeffrey Krepps, Wesley Owens, Daniel Taylor, Tim Tunison. Excused: Keikialoha Kekipi, Staff: Larry Brown (Planning Department, Project Manager), Elizabeth “Liz” Hultman-Salfen (Planning Department, Community Planning Assistant), Virginia Aste (Recorder), Amy Self (Deputy Corporation Counsel) Members of the public: 6 ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA None ANNOUNCEMENTS None PUBLIC TESTIMONY 1. Jon Olsen testified on work plan protocols and the need for timelines. He also commented on the allocation of $5.5 million for a park in Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP) and volunteered to monitor Administration and County activities regarding roads and water supply for the AC. A. Dan recommended the AC send a letter to the Planning Director asking for regular updates on legislation pertaining to planning. i. Frank asked that County Council members be invited to AC meetings. 2. Rene Siracusa, Kaohe Homestead and Farm Lots, testified on the Biosphere Buffer Reserve Zone (BRBZ). She felt it needs to be expanded to include Wao Kele O Puna and surrounding subdivisions. 3. James Weatherford referred to the myriad of projects in HPP and asked how the AC sees them impacting the PCDP vision. Projects mentioned included roadwork surrounding HPP and the county park Jon Olsen brought up. 2 APPROVAL OF MINUTES Dan moved to accept the minutes of the November 16, 2010 meeting. Madie seconded and the motion passed unanimously. The AC acknowledged the written testimony submitted by Stephanie Bath regarding the November 16, 2010 draft minutes. NEW BUSINESS 1. Election of Officers for 2011 A. Tim nominated Dan Taylor to serve as Chairperson. Frank seconded. Dan was elected by unanimous vote. B. Barbara nominated Jeffrey Krepps to serve as Vice Chairperson. Madie seconded. Jeffrey was elected by unanimous vote. C. Dan Tayor assumed the Chair 2. AC Meeting schedule A. Larry pointed out the current meeting day conflicts with County Council meetings. B. Discussion held about holding some meetings in different community locations. The Chair and Vice-chair agreed to look into possible ADA accessible venues to for some future AC meetings. C. Frank moved and Jeffrey seconded to change the regular meeting date to the second Tuesday of the month. The motion passed with six in favor, Barbara and Greg opposed. The next meeting will be held Tuesday, Feb. 8 at the Ke’eau Community Center at 3 p.m. 3. Sub-Committee Reports A. Amendment Sub-Committee i. Larry reported that six amendments had been submitted to the Planning Director, four of which will be heard by the Windward Planning Commission on Feb. 3. He recommended the AC have someone present to answer questions. ii. Dan stated Sub-Committee members should review any new amendments. B. Budget and Finance Sub-Committee i. Discussion about staff funding. Larry said the Puna CDP AC is the only one in the county with current funding. Amy reminded the AC about the hiring freeze. ii. Frank moved, Barbara seconded, that the AC send a letter to the Planning director requesting she reinsert the amount previously requested for 2011-2012 into the Planning Department budget. The motion passed with seven votes, Wes abstained. iii. Rene Siracusa testified that possible funding sources include County Councilmember contingency funds (if restored), and suggested contacting Beth Dykstra, a grant developer. C. Malama I Ka ‘Aina Sub-Committee i. Tim summarized the committee’s two-page report, stating the two major concerns of the sub-committee are wastewater and the biosphere reserve buffer zone. A citizen’s committee of about 10 people has organized and recruited Lisa King who is finishing her doctorate on World Heritage Sites and Biosphere Reserves to lead them. The biggest 3 challenge is delineating the BRBZ boundaries. There has been considerable interest by Ka‘u CDP participants, Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park and other major landowners in expansion of the BRBZ. BRBZ’s are not just for conservation, but need to provide for sustainable development. Discussion ensued. ii. Dan asked for clarification on which sub-committee would be responsible for village/town centers, suggesting that no sub-committee has been tasked to develop that concept. D. Managing Growth Sub-Committee i. Parks and Recreation reported on the latest developments in Puna: the allocation of funds for the park in HPP, and planning for the district park in Pahoa. ii. No report from Energy, Agriculture and Economic Development. iii. The chair requested written reports. E. Transportation Sub-Committee i. No report ii. Larry gave a Puna Makai Alternate Route (PMAR) update, stating there had been a conference call with the Department of Public Works, Sate Department of Transportation, and the County’s selected consultant to clarify what needs to be included in a Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) and State Department of Transportation accepted Functional Classification Report. iii. Jerry Carr, HPP resident and HPP Homeowner’s Association PMAR Sub-committee chairperson, asked for a member of the Transportation Sub-Committee to attend their meeting. Wes volunteered. Jerry reported that $1.5 million has not yet been released for the PMAR, legislation has required as few as possible lots be impacted, which suggests that PMAR will probably run between 15th and 5th Streets. 2. Action Committee Workshops A. No suggestions UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Work plan protocols A. The AC identified and discussed various protocol issues and concerns regarding Work Plan management and task completion activity. Hannah Hedrick agreed to include revisions in her draft Fact Sheet that will articulate identified protocols for review and approval by the AC at the next meeting. 2. Annual Progress Report A. Discussion on what to put in the report included sub-committee reports, work plans, maps, charts and photos. B. It was generally agreed that Liz would present a draft by February or March and a final report would be completed in May in time for consideration by the County before finalizing the budget for the next fiscal year. C. All agreed that a distribution list should be developed to include the mayor, council, commissions, legislators, and funders. 4 PUBLIC TESTIMONY 1. Hannah Hedrick presented a draft flyer to inform the public about the AC and offered to draft a statement about the role and function of the AC. AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING 1. Invite Lisa King, researcher on World Heritage Sites in Australia and chair of the citizen’s committee working on the reserve biosphere buffer zone. 2. AC informational flyer ADJOURNMENT Frank moved to adjourn the meeting, Madie seconded. All voted in favor and the meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m.