HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-29-2012 SKCDP AC Minutes-Final.docx
SOUTH KOHALA
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
ACTION COMMITTEE MEETING
MINUTES OF MEETING
Held May 29, 2012
A regular meeting of the South Kohala Community Development Plan Action Commitee
was held on May 29, 2012. The meeting was called to order at 5:15 p.m. at the Waikoloa
Village Association Community Room, 68-1792 Melia Street, Waikoloa Village, Hawaii 96738,
pursuant to notice.
The following members of the Committee were present when the meeting was called to
order:
Loreli Eberhardt
Mike Fischer
John Hoover
Chris Roehrig
Achahn Schulze
Members Margaret Horwatt, Robin Inaba and Jojo Tanimoto were not present at the time the
meeting was called to order. Also present was Project Manager Terry Dunlap from the Office of
the Hawai’i County Planning Department and members of the public.
The Chairman called the meeting to order and noted that a quorum of the Committee was
present.
Members of the public were asked to submit a form if they wished to address the
meeting.
Margaret Wille spoke about North Hawaii Community Hospital’s plans for possible cuts
in services in the women's center and suggested that Bill Parks or another representative of the
Hospital be invited to address the Committee concerning the Hospital‘s needs and plans for the
future. She also discussed the Waimea Design Plan and questioned the methodology for
enforcement in the event of non-compliance. Finally, she referred to the plan for a raised cross
walk near the park across Lindsey Road from Parker School and indicated that Parker School has
reserved $10,000 for installation of the cross walk in accordance with a settlement agreement
reached with the Waimea Design Committee and stated that the County is considering placing
the cross walk at a different location. If the location is to be changed, Ms. Wille stated that the
new location should be submitted to the South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee for approval.
The members of the Committee then considered the draft of the minutes of the meeting
held on April 23, 2012, copies of which had been circulated to the members in advance of the
April meeting. It was noted that Ms. Tanimoto has requested that she be referred to as Jojo
rather than as Josephine in all minutes of meetings. In the absence of any further comments or
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proposed amendments or modifications to the draft other than the correction of the spelling of
Ms. Horwatt’s name and a typographical error, the Chairman deemed the draft approved and
adopted.
The Committee members next considered the Land Use Permit Activity Report that had
been made available by Mr. Dunlap in advance of the meeting, which summarized recent land
use permit activity. The Committee members had no questions or comments concerning the
report.
The Committee then heard Subcommittee reports.
There was no report from the Puako or Kawaihae Subcommittees.
Mr. Fischer reported for the Waikoloa Subcommittee. He advised the members that there
had been a meeting with a County representative for the Department of Mass Transit at which a
new location for the permanent bus stop shelter was identified, with an indication that the new
location would be utilized on a trial basis beginning during the last week of May. The shuttle
bus service within Waikoloa Village will not be initiated until the permanent bus stop shelter
location is determined. Mr. Fischer also discussed the delays that have been encountered in
obtaining final approval and beginning construction of the skate board facility in Waikoloa
Village and informed the members about efforts to encourage the County to construct an
additional portion of Paniolo Avenue north of the current paved section of that street so that
access to the new park facility in Waikoloa Village will be easier and will not necessitate driving
through a residential section where the streets were not designed for the additional traffic.
Ms. Tanimoto joined the meeting at approximately 5:35 p.m. during Mr. Fischer’s report.
Mr. Roehrig then reported for the Waimea Subcommittee. He distributed a handout that
had been provided by Ms. Horwatt which included information from the South Kohala Traffic
and Safety Committee concerning plans for flashing signs and crosswalks near the schools in
Waimea and indicated that the County would prefer not to work with private organizations
regarding the planning for this project and thus efforts to raise funds from private sources for the
project have been discouraged. Plans for the flashing lights and cross walks near the Hawaii
Preparatory Academy lower campus, which represent a segment of the project, are proceeding,
with the intention of establishing a 20 mile per hour speed limit in the vicinity at an expense of
$46,000.
Ms. Eberhardt then reported for the District-Wide Subcommittee. She advised the
Committee that she had met with Gabriel Malani, who represents the Kailapa Community
Association regarding water issues, to discuss efforts at fundraising and obtaining support for the
delivery of well water to the community from sites mauka of the community. She also has
communicated with community organizations located outside the District to learn how their
similar efforts have progressed. She stated that she is working with Mr. Roehrig toward the
possibility of coordinating a meeting of parties with jurisdiction relating to aspects of the water
supply issue and discussed the CDP points on this matter that appear at page 124. Finally, Ms.
Eberhardt informed the Committee that she will be resigning from her position with the
Committee effective immediately. She thanked the Planning Department and the other
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Committee members for their support of her efforts as a member of the Committee.
Mr. Fischer thanked Ms. Eberhardt for her dedicated service as a member of the
Committee and stated that she will be missed.
Mr. Dunlap then advised the members that the Planning Department is planning to add
additional information to the existing Planning Department website for the Action Committees
but will not make the website interactive due to the restrictions imposed by the sunshine law. He
encouraged the members to share information with him so that he could ensure the inclusion of
such information in the website content and thus make such information more readily available
to the public. Mr. Roehrig asked if the public could be allowed to submit inquiries and
comments to the website and Mr. Dunlap agreed to find out if that would be possible. Mr.
Hoover asked if “hot buttons” to other websites relevant to the affairs of the South Kohala
District could be included as well.
The Chair then invited comments from the public. Margaret Wille stated that she felt the
County’s approach to the website was unacceptable and urged that Larry Brown, who she
indicated is the Planning Department’s Project Manager for the Puna Community Development
Plan Action Committee, should be consulted for ways to make the website more effective. Ms.
Wille stated that the use of the term “administers” in the enabling statute in describing the role of
the Planning Department vis-à-vis the Action Committee does not mean that the Planning
Department directs the actions of the Committee but rather that the intent of that language, which
Ms. Wille had a hand in drafting, was to ensure that the Planning Department provided adequate
support and resources to enable the Action Committee to act in the manner the Action
Committee members deemed appropriate. She noted that the statute which enacted the CDP
calls for the Committee to advise the County rather than to advise the Planning Department. She
also urged that experts on the subject of the sunshine law be consulted for the proper
interpretation of that law because the positions being taken by the Planning Department were
unnecessarily restricting the conduct of the Action Committee.
The Committee then discussed the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting and
requested that the following items be included in the agenda for the June meeting:
1. a more detailed report from the Project Manager concerning the discussions at the Planning
Department meeting held to discuss the management of the Action Committees (including any
matters discussed other than the website issue);
2. the possibility of a meeting of representatives of all of the Action Committees to share ideas
on how to increase efficiency and effectiveness of the Committees;
3. a discussion of the state preservation meeting (requested by Mr. Hoover);
4. the proposal to have Waimea walkways and bikeways added to the CIP (Ms. Inaba’s motion);
and
5. a discussion of the plan to begin charging fees at Hapuna Beach Park for access by non-
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residents (requested by Mr. Schulze).
The Committee then noted that the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 25, 2012,
at 5:30 p.m. in Kawaihae.
There being no further business to come before the meeting, the meeting was adjourned
at 6:50 p.m.
______________________________
Michael B. Fischer
Chairman
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