HomeMy WebLinkAboutAC Minutes 12Mar2013William P. Kenoi
Mayor
County of Hawaii
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
BJ Leithead Todd
Director
Margaret Masunaga
Deputy Director
PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE
Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Phone (808) 961 -8288 • Fax (808) 961 -8742
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Meeting Minutes
CALL TO ORDER
Chairperson Patti Pinto called the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) Action Committee
(AC) meeting to order at 3:00 p.m. in the Kea "au Community Center and asked Madie Greene to
assume the role of chairperson in conducting the meeting. The following persons were present:
Action Committee: Madie Greene, Keikialoha Kekipi, Patti Pinto, Oshi Simsarian, June Conant, Dan
Taylor, Farris Etterlee and Sharon Daun. Excused absent: Rene Siracusa.
StafE Larry Brown, PCDP Project Manager.
Members of the public: 8
ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: None
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Larry announced that the combined CDP Action Committee training was set for April 11 in
Waimea at the Lilly Yoshimatsu Senior Center. The training program will be expanded to
include a land use orientation presentation.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: None at this time.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Dan moved to approve the minutes of the February 12, 2013 meeting as submitted with the
corrections shown in red. Second by Patti.
Motion passed with 8 votes aye.
NEW BUSINESS
1. Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resource Preservation Commission Report:
Steve Hirakami briefed the AC on the purpose and process of the PONC and handed out a
printed summary of its purpose, authority, recent acquisitions, and highlights &
accomplishments. He also provided AC Members with CD copies of the PONC 2012 Report to
the Mayor.
2. Communication No. 2013 -13 re. Mass Transit Hub & Spoke System:
Public Testimony
Hawai `i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
i. Jon Olson gave the AC an update on the last meeting of the Mass Transit Commission
where he asked for criteria MTA uses to determine sites for bus stops, park & rides,
terminals and other infrastructure. He reported that apparently no such criteria exists.
ii. Hannah Hedrick handed out an Action Plan for the implementation of a mass transit hub
and spoke system as called for in the PCDP and asked for AC consideration of the plan.
Stephanie Bath introduced and offered some amendments to the draft letter to Tiffany Kai,
Acting MTA Administrator, from the PCDP AC. The primary immediate request is to begin
looping buses from the Kea`au primary transit hub to secondary hubs in Pahoa and Volcano.
Patti moved to accept and send the letter as amended by Stephanie. Second by Dan.
Motion passed with 6 votes aye and 2 votes nay (Oshi & Sharon).
3. Communication No. 2013 -18 re. Red Road Scenic Byway Designation:
Farris briefed the AC on the State of Hawaii Department of Transportation Scenic Byway
Program's nomination process and introduced a draft letter of support from the AC for the
nomination of the Red Road — Highway 137 as a Scenic Byway. The draft letter, as submitted
included several suggested amendments by Larry that were indicated in red. AC Members
suggested several other corrections to the draft.
Oshi moved to approve and send the letter as amended. Second by Sharon.
Motion passed with 7 votes aye and 1 abstain (Keikialoha).
4. Glenwood Park:
Public Testimony
i. Terry Daun testified as to the existing situation with the park site, being directly across
Highway 11 from Hirano Store, and its use being dominated by persons engaged in
public drinking and drug use.
Sharon led a discussion on what might be possible to make the park more family and keiki
friendly. A plan for possible expansion and development of the park will be developed and
proposed to the AC at a future date for consideration and submittal to the Department of Parks
and Recreation.
5. Communication No. 2013 -17 re. Supplemental CIP Budget Requests:
Larry introduced two supplemental Capital Improvement Projects Budget requests from the AC
to provide funding for the Planning Dept. to contract with consultants as may be necessary to
help with drafting of the Pahoa Regional Town Center Plan and the Volcano Village Center
Plan.
Oshi moved to accept the supplemental CIP budget requests as submitted. Second by
Patti.
Motion passed with 8 votes aye.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. Connectivity and Emergency Response Subcommittee (CERS) Report:
Marlene Hapai introduced three (3) documents for consideration by the AC as follows:
2
a. A request for AC approval for the CDRS to plan and implement a Puna Regional
Emergency Response (PREP) fair as described in Communication No. 2013 -14 and
tentatively scheduled for August 31, 013.
b. Communication No. 2013 -15: The meeting minutes for the February 26, 2013 meeting of
the CERS.
c. Communication No. 2013 -16: Minutes for meeting between the CERS and Bill Hanson of
Civil Defense on January 24, 2013.
June moved to approve the request by the CERS to plan and implement the PREP fair.
Second by Keiki.
Motion passed with 8 aye votes.
2. Communication No. 2013 -9 re. Criteria for Action Committee Definition of Community:
Public Testimony:
Hannah Hedrick referenced the previously developed Puna CDP Fact Sheet that
outlined a process for community -based efforts to implement specific actions called for
in the PCDP.
ii. Stephanie Bath reiterated her concerns with the references to community associations
being automatically being recognized as a legitimate voice for a given community.
June moved to table Communication 2013 -9. Second by Sharon.
Motion approved with 7 votes aye and 1 vote nay (Dan).
3. Outstanding Projects Reports:
Larry briefed the AC on the status of their FY 2013 -14 General Operating (GO) and CIP
budget requests. All GO budget request were removed from the Planning Department's
budget request. All CIP budget requests from CDP ACs are included in the Mayor's CIP
budget submittal to the Council.
b. Sharon informed the AC that Parks and Recreation will be implementing the Mt. View
playground equipment project and that this project is a high priority item for Council
Member Zendo Kern, but that strong public support for the project is encouraged as there is
a lot of competition for the limited funds available for park projects.
c. Dan expressed his concern that a number of project on the PCDP AC Priority List are not
being worked on while other projects not on the list are getting significant attention. He
suggested that the list should be kept up to date more frequently.
AGENDA REQUESTS FOR NEXT MEETING (April 9,2013):
1. Revisit Action Priority List - Dan
2. KAPONO Report
3. PONC application for Wai`Opae land acquisition
ADJOURNMENT:
Without objection, the Chair adjourned the meeting at 5:55 p.m.