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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-05-14 NKCDP Minutes Final NORTH KOHALA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE MINUTES MEETING DATE May 14, 2012 TIME 4:32 pm PLACE Kohala Senior Center, 54-3900 Akoni Pule Highway, Kapaau, Hawaii 96755 ATTENDANCE 1. Members Present: Hermann Fernandez, Susan Fischer, Frank Cipriani, Giovanna Gherardi, John Winter, Joe Carvalho, Collin Kaholo, and Christopher MacKillop 2. Members absent: Marlene Ching Also present were Project Manager Rosalind Newlon and Terry Dunlap from the Office of the Hawai’i County Planning Department. 3. Public Attendance: Kate Sterling, April K. Lee, Margaret Wille, Toni Withington, Megan Solis, Jim Pedersen, D. Cambcin, Jesse Wells, Gerald Skelton, Lisa Andrews, Denise Nekrash, Wendy Kucera, Clark Kucera and Stephanie N. Naihe Laxton STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: Margaret Wille made an announcement of several upcoming meetings and encouraged people to attend the next senior meeting st on the 21. Denise Nekrash said that she doesn’t want the AC meeting time changed if the Planning Department staff cannot attend and asked if the subcommittees could change their meeting times. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS: 1. Minutes of the April 11, 2012 meeting were reviewed and discussed by the AC. Two name corrections were suggested along with a replacement of sentence under Infrastructure A subcommittee report regarding feral cats. Motion for approval was made with changes by Collin Kaholo and seconded by John Winter and unanimously approved. 2. Rosalind Newlon proposed a revised schedule due to two holidays, which includes meetings for the rest of the year to be held on June 25, August 13, September 10, October 8, and November 26, 2012. The revised schedule proposed no meetings for the month of July and December 2012. The start time of the meeting will be changed to 5 pm beginning with the June 25, 2012 meeting. Giovanna Gherardi made a motion to approve the revised NKCDP AC meeting schedule; Collin Kaholo seconded the motion which was unanimously approved. REPORTS 1. LAND USE PERMIT ACTIVITY REPORT – Rosalind Newlon, NKCDP Project Manager reported on Planning Dept. permits received in the previous month for the North Kohala district. Rosalind said she is still researching the Bartsch variance and will report more at next month’s meeting 1 2. Investigative Committee Report. Joe Carvalho reported that they had talked to a webmaster and that the cost to create a website was $1,200 and $30 monthly to maintain. Rosalind Newlon explained that the Planning Director had made a decision that the department would not be able to create new websites for the Action Committees and that we would continue to maintain the current CDP website and take suggestions to include more information. Joe Carvalho said that the committee will not pursue the creation of a new website and will thank the people that helped. The Action Committee requested that an email list be generated to distribute information, such as agendas, to other groups. NEW BUSINESS: 3. Public Access, Open Space & Natural Resources Preservation Commission – This item was deferred until the next meeting OLD BUSINESS: 4. NKCDP AC SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS st Growth Management: The Subcommittee reported that they meet the 1 Monday of each month from 6-7 pm at the Surety Kohala office. Hermann reported on the L-Three Holding Subdivision and said that it will have one lot serviced by the Dept. of Water Supply and a private water system with a well that will provide potable water for the other four parcels, and the well will need to comply with DLNR regulations. Hermann said that he has a copy of the Tentative Approval letter if anyone was interested. Hermann said that John Winter is on the subcommittee and will be writing procedures on how the subcommittee will obtain information, disseminate information and work within the time periods of the Planning Department. Public Access: Joe Carvalho said that their subcommittee meets at 4:30-6pm here at st the Kohala Senior Center on the 1 Wednesday of each month. Toni Withington gave rd the report and said that Kauhola Lighthouse celebration will be on June 23. She said that the Coast Guard Road will be an access road to Mo’okini Heiau and Kamehameha Birth site and said that with Kohala Kai they are working with DOT to create a fisherman’s parking lot near the mauka-makai access trail. Stephanie Laxton of Maikai Kamakani ‘O Kohala gave an update on the Kauhola Lighthouse and that they were working on an access driveway to the property. st Infrastructure A: The Subcommittee reported that their meetings are on the 1 Tuesday of the month at 5 – 6:30pm at a location to be determined. Giovanna said that th the subcommittee met on four occasions and that they met on May 24 with Parks and Recreation, Council Member Pete Hoffmann, Department of Health, Bobby Command, and twenty–two residents. She said that the infrastructure A subcommittee is trying to facilitate meetings between the Friends of the Park to discuss the feral cat issue and they are concerned about the amount of fecal matter and urine in the park and want to bring in new soil. Bob Fitzgerald, Director of Parks and Recreation, stated he will appoint a member of his staff to work with Friends of Mahukona. Giovanna mentioned that the projected priorities at Mahukona have to address the Federal Law with regard to 2 ADA by 2013. She said that John Winter is providing support to the Friends of Mahukona for Mahukona Beach Park. Giovanna clarified the role of the subcommittee members and said that the community members are the decision-makers. She also said that they have decided not to start-up the non-profit park management program as they found out that the AC cannot manage it. Giovanna said they want to relocate the feeding stations; and to develop a model for feral cat containment, per Council Member Pete Hoffmann. Plans to place a large sign at Mahukona instructing people of cat dumping and establishing a feral cat educational program at the elementary school were discussed. rd Infrastructure B : The Subcommittee reported that they meet on the 3 Monday of each month and that the next meeting is May 21 at 5:30pm at St. Augustine summer school room. Susan showed the map of the HELCO loop planned for Kohala. She said that there is resistance to the coastal route due to opening land to development and that underground lines are preferred. Susan said that there are applications available for the PUC’s Integrated Resource Planning advisory group and that she hopes that someone from Kohala will be included. She also discussed plans for sending Big Island geothermal power to Oahu. Hermann Fernandez asked if there has been a cost given by HELCO for underground versus poles for long term maintenance. Susan has not received such a comparison from HELCO. rd Affordable Housing: The Subcommittee reported that they had a May 3 meeting at 6:30pm with the Credit Union to see who was interested in taking the Home Buyer’s education class. Collin said that the biggest thing people want to see is their credit rating. Collin put together credit score myths and tips. He said that he had one person interested in the class that is held on Fridays and Saturdays. He said that once they fill out the application that they can be a member for life. Collin said that the application gives guidelines. Collin said that interested people need to maintain payments so that rd they can purchase a home. Collin said that their subcommittee meets on the 3 Monday of each month except that this month they will meet on a Thursday. Agriculture – The Subcommittee reported that they meet on the last Tuesday of each month at 6 – 8pm at the Intergeneration meeting room at Kamehameha Park. Frank Cipriani discussed Important Agricultural Land (IAL) incentives and went over the Act 183 criteria for IAL such as used for agricultural production; coffee, vineyard; has sufficient water; designation of IAL consistent with County; productivity; and more information available in handout. Frank also went over the IAL incentive programs under Act 283, including additional farm dwellings, taxable credit by HDOA, loan guarantees, low interest loans, state agricultural water; expedite permits by DOH, and more included in handout. Frank noted that Parker Ranch went through the IAL designation process on the Big Island and 2 on Kauai and 1 on Maui went through the IAL designation process. Frank said there are two ways to get land designated as IAL; go though County adherence or through voluntary adherence. Frank then spoke about citrus crops and the woman known as the “juice lady” who is getting “seconds” from growers in Hilo and selling juice and how he would like to get something like that going in Kohala. Frank then discussed soil reconditioning at existing farms and projected farms and said that a 3 lot of agricultural lands are not conducive for farming and said he knew of someone who had some ideas of ways to increase usability of lands. Frank said that his company has identified some large lots for diversified aquaculture and waste to energy diversified aquaculture and land below Hoea agricultural park. ANNOUNCEMENTS: STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: Stephanie Laxton said that there is a bill coming up in the State describing agricultural lands that have a house on it that will either qualify as agricultural or may change the zoning. Margaret Wille referenced various parts of the North Kohala CDP to illustrate that the CDP Action Committee is accountable to the community, stressing the importance of a direct relationship with the community. Margaret cited the View Plane Protection Program for Kohala Mountain Road and Akoni Pule Highway on page 38 of the NKCDP to show that any HELCO proposal to run transmission lines across North Kohala needs to be consistent with the CDP by not interfering with view planes. Denise Nekrash said that an email coming from the County does not mean it is generic, but that it is official, and that the community wants to stay informed. Denise Nekrash also said that she would like a workshop on what the CDP is about and what the subcommittees’ functions are. AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING: Administrative Matters AC meeting schedule Approval of minutes Open Space Commission Elect New Chair and Vice Chair NEXT MEETING: Date: Monday, June 25, 2012 Place: North Kohala Senior Center Time: 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, Giovanna Gherardi made a motion and Christopher MacKillop seconded the motion to adjourn the meeting which was unanimously approved. The meeting adjourned at 6:07pm. 4