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Home My WebLink About2026-02-26 PCDP Minutes Final PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1 ACTION COMMITTEE 2 COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI 3 FINAL MINUTES 4 February 26, 2026 5 Call to Order 6 Chair Leilani DeMello called the meeting of the Puna Community Development Plan 7 (CDP) Action Committee (AC) to order at 5:03 p.m. The meeting was held in person at 8 the Keaʻau Community Center and online via the Zoom platform. 9 The full YouTube video of this meeting can be found here: 10 https://youtu.be/bDcMSAzVBVw?si=XOINe_3IwPZ1gaLs 11 Roll Call 12 AC Members Present (in person): 13 • Leilani DeMello, Chair 14 • Stephanie Bath 15 • Martha Morishige 16 • Susan (Susie) Osborne 17 AC Members Present (via Zoom): Leila Kealoha 18 AC Members Absent: 19 • Gregory Henkel, Vice Chair 20 • Jennifer Scheffel 21 • Frances Brewer 22 Planning Department Staff Present: 23 • Janice Hata 24 • Maryam Palma 25 • Kawelo Kalili (via Zoom) 26 There were approximately nine members of the public in attendance (seven in person 27 and two via Zoom). 28 Approval of the Minutes 29 Chair DeMello requested approval of the August 28, 2025 draft meeting minutes at 30 approximately 5:06 p.m. AC Member Osborne moved to approve the minutes as drafted, 31 and AC Member Bath seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. [SEE 32 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 03:19] 33 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of February 26, 2026 2 Public Testimony on Agenda Items 34 Chair DeMello called for public testimony on agenda items at approximately 5:07 p.m. No 35 public testimony was provided at this time. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 04:30] 36 Third-Party Reports; Government Officials 37 Pursuant to Hawaiʻi Senate Bill 405 (2025), signed into law as Act 72, the AC may receive 38 and discuss information from third-party reports by any government official not included 39 in the publicly noticed agenda, but may not make decisions on matters raised through 40 such reports until a later meeting with proper notice. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 05:56] 41 Road Connectivity Update 42 Patti Pinto, Recovery and Redevelopment Assistant, provided a road connectivity 43 update following earlier discussions with the former Department of Public Works 44 (DPW) Director Neil Azevedo. She reported that three connectivity points had been 45 approved: 46 • Eden Roc to Fern Forest; 47 • Fern Acres to Kopua; and 48 • a connection from the top of Hawaiian Acres toward Highway 11 to improve access 49 for Orchidland and Hawaiian Acres 50 She explained that the work would improve emergency egress for seven subdivisions. 51 She also noted that the Eden Roc connection has encountered a property ownership 52 issue involving a dissolved corporation, which may require either title action under 53 recently adopted state legislation or county eminent domain. AC Member Bath raised 54 a question regarding flood concerns on the Olaʻa side; Patti reported that mitigation 55 had been discussed. She said she would follow up with DPW and return with an 56 update at a future meeting. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 06:23-09:37] 57 Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz Update 58 Council Member Ashley Kierkiewicz joined by Zoom and provided a high-level update 59 on district and county priorities. She asked the Committee to consider submitting 60 support for the proposed Pāhoa Special District legislative package before the 61 Windward Planning Commission hearing scheduled for April 2, 2026. [SEE YOUTUBE 62 TIMESTAMP 09:50] 63 Her update also covered ongoing work related to economic development code 64 updates; a “Made on and Grown on Hawaiʻi Island” designation; General Plan 65 redrafting; Chapter 11 affordable housing amendments; revisions to county code 66 relating to animals, dangerous dogs, and dangerous flora such as albizia; ahupuaʻa 67 signage; native plant legislation; Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources 68 Preservation Commission (PONC) coordination and land acquisition work; emergency 69 management and disaster recovery institutionalization; Lower Puna interpretive 70 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of February 26, 2026 3 signage; community activation events; and geothermal-related water quality 71 monitoring. Committee members thanked Council Member Kierkiewicz for the breadth 72 of work underway and noted the Committee’s intent to track items that may warrant 73 future letters of support. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 11:28-20:06] 74 In regard to Cape Kumukahi, Council Member Kierkiewicz noted that the Mayor had 75 filed the PONC report with the County Council on Friday, February 20, 2026. The 76 Council expects to review this at the mid-March meetings. Council Member 77 Kierkiewicz’s office has drafted a resolution to authorize the Finance Director to enter 78 into negotiation on all of the properties that were presented in the report. [SEE 79 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 21:31] 80 Business 81 1. Pāhoa Special District Proposed Legislative Suite: The AC will review 82 Communication No. 2026-01, a draft letter regarding the proposed Pāhoa 83 Special District legislative suite. The AC may approve the letter as written or 84 with revisions and authorize Planning Department staff to transmit the letter to 85 the Windward Planning Commission. 86 This item was called to order at approximately 5:26 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE 87 TIMESTAMP 23:17] 88 There was no public testimony at this time. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 24:05] 89 AC Member Osborne noted that she had worked closely with Council Member 90 Kierkiewicz’s office on the draft letter and believed the content accurately reflected the 91 proposal. 92 AC Member Bath moved to approve the letter as drafted, and AC Member Osborne 93 seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously, and Planning Department staff 94 were authorized to transmit the letter to the Windward Planning Commission. [SEE 95 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 25:10] 96 2. Support for Cape Kumukahi – Letter to PONC: The AC will consider whether 97 to submit a letter to the Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources 98 Preservation Commission (PONC) in support of Cape Kumukahi (Tax Map Key 99 (3) 1-4-002-052), which is on PONC’s prioritized list. The AC may provide 100 direction on the letter’s content, approve the letter with any revisions, and 101 authorize Planning Department staff to transmit the letter on behalf of the AC. 102 This item was called to order at approximately 5:30 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE 103 TIMESTAMP 26:39] 104 There was no public testimony at this time. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 29:09] 105 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of February 26, 2026 4 AC Member Osborne clarified that Cape Kumukahi has already advanced through the 106 PONC prioritization process and will now proceed to the County Council, as 107 mentioned by Council Member Kierkiewicz. She also identified revisions needed to 108 the draft, including corrections to language and spelling, and noted an outstanding 109 question regarding whether certain state-owned portions of the area could affect 110 eligibility for stewardship funding. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 27:31] 111 AC Member Osborne moved to approve the letter with revisions, and AC Member Bath 112 seconded the motion. The motion carried unanimously. The Committee authorized 113 Planning Department staff to transmit the revised letter on its behalf. [SEE YOUTUBE 114 TIMESTAMP 29:40] 115 This item concluded at approximately 5:33 p.m. 116 3. Election of Chair and Vice Chair – 2026 Calendar Year: The AC will elect a 117 Chair and Vice Chair to serve for the 2026 calendar year. 118 This item was called to order at 5:34 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 30:27] 119 There was no public testimony at this time. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 30:50] 120 Chair DeMello opened nominations for the 2026 Chair and Vice Chair of the 121 Committee. AC Member Kealoha nominated Susie Osborne to serve as Chair. After 122 discussion regarding continuity and committee turnover, the nomination was 123 seconded by AC Member Bath and was approved unanimously. 124 Susie Osborne nominated Leilani DeMello to serve as Vice Chair. The nomination was 125 seconded by AC Member Morishige and was approved unanimously. [SEE YOUTUBE 126 TIMESTAMP 31:20] 127 This item concluded at approximately 5:37 p.m. 128 Public Testimony on Matters Not on the Agenda 129 This item was called to order at 5:37 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 33:52] 130 Diane Ware provided testimony on the Volcano Community Association’s ongoing efforts 131 to address large-scale “pin-to-pin” clearing and to protect native forest resources in the 132 Volcano area. She noted that these efforts have continued since the original Puna CDP 133 process and remain active today through initiatives such as a Forest Overlay Committee, 134 as well as ongoing coordination with Council Member Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder. [SEE 135 YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 34:56] 136 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of February 26, 2026 5 Sandee Maeda, Secretary of the Hawaiian Paradise Park Owners Association Cultural 137 Preservation Committee, testified about ongoing concerns involving iwi kupuna 138 protection, burial preservation planning, and internal governance disputes within the 139 association. She stated that the committee has been working with the State Historic 140 Preservation Division and cultural descendants. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 43:26] 141 This item concluded at approximately 5:56 p.m. 142 Proposed New Business 143 Committee members and members of the public suggested several items for future 144 agendas, including: 145 • an update from Council Member Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder; 146 • follow-up discussion and proposed action on grading, grubbing, and native forest 147 protection issues affecting Volcano and Upper Puna; 148 • continued monitoring of road connectivity and emergency egress issues; 149 • information regarding the Keaʻau Benioff medical center project; and 150 • information from PONC staff or commissioners regarding current nominations and 151 the property prioritization process 152 [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 52:50] 153 Shannon Matson testified in support of including a discussion on road connectivity at the 154 next meeting. She also noted that the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the 155 Keaʻau Benioff Medical Center project had recently been published and was open for 156 public comment through March 25. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 58:38] 157 The Draft EA is available at the following link: 158 https://files.hawaii.gov/dbedt/erp/Doc_Library/2026-02-23-HA-DEA-Hilo-Benioff-159 Medical-Center-Medical-Offices-in-Keaau.pdf 160 Patti Pinto suggested that a future agenda include a presentation by a member of the 161 Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONC) 162 on the nomination process and the types of properties the Commission is interested in 163 acquiring. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 01:02:57] 164 Announcements 165 The next meeting of the Puna CDP Action Committee was announced for Thursday, April 166 23, 2026. 167 The Planning Department is continuing to seek applicants for the Puna CDP Action 168 Committee and encouraged interested community members to apply through the 169 County’s boards and commissions process. The link to the boards and commissions 170 PUNA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of February 26, 2026 6 website can be accessed here: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and-171 commissions 172 Adjournment 173 Chair DeMello adjourned the meeting at 6:10 p.m. 174 These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s 175 Puna Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi 176 Public Documents Repository. These documents may also be requested from the 177 Planning Department by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing cdp@hawaiicounty.gov. 178