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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-09-12 Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission Minutes1 HAWAI‘I COUNTY PUBLIC ACCESS, OPEN SPACE AND NATURAL RESOURCES PRESERVATION COMMISSION MINUTES-REGULAR SESSION September 12, 2016 Hawai‘i County Building, Council Chambers 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 Present: Chair Barbara Bell Vice-Chair Timothy DeLozier Commissioner Kai‘ena Bishaw II Commissioner Susan Fischer Commissioner William Meyers (left @ 11:58 a.m.) Commissioner Cynthia Nazara (arrived @ 10:36 a.m.) Commissioner Marilyn Nicholson Commissioner René Siracusa Commissioner Kekaulike Tomich Others Present: Amy Self, Deputy Corporation Counsel Hamana Ventura, Property Manager, Finance Alexandra Kelepolo, Property Management Technician, Finance CALL TO ORDER The meeting was called to order by Chair Barbara Bell at 10:03 a.m. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS RICK VIDGEN Mr. Rick Vidgen apologized to the Commission that there was an inadvertent error in that the previous archaeological maps presented were incorrect. They went on a recent site visit with Mr. Bob Rechtman who noted that at some point the property’s been partially bulldozed; however parts of the property have been restored by local people. There is definitely a need in this area for open space and this property has been able to progress on its own and they just wanted to clarify that to the Commission. CYNDY DYAL Ms. Cyndy Dyal commented that they’re just covering their bases; and it’s not going to be as easy as they thought. Mr. Vidgen added that the people that have been supportive of this project remain supportive. 2 Ms. René Siracusa asked if they are going to have the opportunity to re-vote on the property now that the status has changed. Ms. Bell replied that they can adjust their scores when they get to that discussion. Mr. Vidgen added that nothing’s been removed from the site, it’s just been partially bulldozed and they are not withdrawing their application. TRAVEN ‘PIKI Mr. Traven ‘piki spoke on behalf of the ‘piki family and in support of the Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund’s grant for K w . Over the past years and prior to working with Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, their family has focused on the cultural aspect, his great great grandfather’s hale is also there. Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund has removed over 3,700 cubic feet of invasive species and sediment from the Kaalaiki Pond and have brought down many school groups to participate in the clean-up. Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund has done a lot of work to restore the ecological well-being of the area including the cultural side as well. MATT CLARK Mr. Matt Clark, an archaeologist with ASM Affiliates, previously conducted the Archaeological Reconnaissance Survey at K w in 2013. He is currently in his second year with the Master’s Program at UH-Hilo and is conducting his thesis on trails at Hilea Nui and K w and is here to support Na Mamo O K w ’s grant application. He’s met with board members and has worked with the Youth Challenge students to cleanup the beach area. He will be working with Na Mamo O K w to help with cultural monitoring to make sure that cultural sites are not damaged and appreciates their willingness to do the same. MICHELE McDONALD Ms. Michele McDonald of Vipassana Hawai‘i spoke in regards to the letter of intent that was sent for Halelua. They have been stewards of these lands for about 20 years and feel that this is a good opportunity to preserve the heritage corridor. The property was King Kamehameha’s ancestral homeland and this lot comprising of 49 acres, includes the coastline, gulch, heiau and is important for historic preservation and also the fishermen. The property is a historical gem and an amazing resource for Kohala however they are going to have to put the parcel back on the market in October as they don’t have the financial resources to maintain the property. LAKEA TRASK Mr. Lakea Trask testified in support of Na Mamo O K w ’s grant application. He’s been going to K w for over 20 years and the saving grace is that the area and the people there want to take care of the resources. Their plan and approach is that the people from the community are going to do the work whether they get the grant or not. There needs to be place based stewardship; the people who have been there long time and have seen the elements work through the generations. 3 NEW BUSINESS Commission to discuss, review and make a recommendation to Parks & Recreation (P&R) for Communication No. 16-026 (PONC Stewardship Grant Six (6) Month Progress Report from P h h I Ka Lani for stewardship of Waipi‘o Valley Lookout, H m kua, HI) Ms. Bell asked to take the agenda items in New Business out of order. She asked if there’s any discussion and recommendation to make to P&R. Motion: Commissioner Susan Fischer moved to accept the report. Seconded by Commissioner Marilyn Nicholson; all other members voted aye, motion carried. Commission to discuss, review and make a recommendation to P&R for Communication No. 16-022 (PONC Stewardship Grant Application to Na Mamo O K w to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI) Mr. James Akau, born and raised in Pahala, is here to represent Na Mamo O K w which was created in 2012. He is a board member and thanked everyone here for supporting K w . The land is very special, their primary goal is to let the area bring back its’ healing energies, spiritually, ecologically and economically. Their intention for the next fiscal year is to continue the work that they’ve done which includes spring preservation, reforestation, creation of a seedbank, cultural monitoring, maintenance, security and access. Members of his ohana helped to clean up the trash in the camp area also making sure the porta pottys are maintained and not trashed. They also want to address access by maintaining the trail so people are less inclined to file complaints. They want to make sure that the property is easily accessible and in the long- term populate the roadside and the trails with native plants. They also want to use the pond to raise fish for sustainability to be able to feed families. They are asking for money to have someone be present down there to do maintenance and security in addition to looking out for endangered animals including the Hawaiian monk seal, turtles, seabirds, etc. Overall the goal is to create jobs for people who have an intimate connection with the land. Ms. Siracusa asked if they have been coordinating with the other groups for stewardship. Have all the groups planned to work together or is it one against each other? Mr. Akau replied that the overall focus is to steward and take care of the lands and 785 acres can offer a lot of opportunity for multiple groups collaborating to make a lasting impact. Any community driven process is slow and the goal is to work together and continue to communicate. Mr. Kekaulike Tomich noted that in the budget, $500.00 for native plants is small; it’s not going to get you much. Mr. Akau replied that they want to focus more on getting the materials and labor to clear the lands and let nature take its course. They want to introduce diversity into the gene pool and restore and rehabilitate the plants that are already present. 4 Ms. Siracusa noted that the budget item for liability insurance of $1,500.00 is high for one year. She is the president of Malama O Puna and they pay about $700.00 a year which is less than half. She suggested that they get other quotes to possibly lower that amount. Ms. Bell asked if there’s a formal process in mind for coordinating between multiple groups since there are four groups applying. Mr. Akau replied that the key is available at the N ‘lehu Police Station if someone is planning to go down. In the future there should be a calendar to schedule events to keep everyone apprised of what’s happening. Commission to discuss, review and make a recommendation to P&R for Communication No. 16-023 (PONC Stewardship Grant Application to Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI) Ms. Stacey Breining spoke on behalf of Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund, a local non-profit that’s been doing conservation work in Hawai‘i for the last 20 years. They are dedicated to education and research to conserve Hawai‘i’s native wildlife. Their project is focused on the small estuary also known as Kaalaiki Pond and the tidal flow has been restricted by invasive golf course grass also known as seashore paspalum. On the back end there’s another threat with California grass competing with the native reed. Seashore paspalum dissolves oxygen out of the water and fish surveys done there confirm that there are juvenile fish in the estuary along with other sea life. If allowed to continue growing it would retain sediment and could potentially be fatal to this unique coastal eco-system. They are proposing quarterly workdays with the community and in between they will be doing fish and crustacean surveys in the pond, marine debris removal and will be on the lookout for Hawksbill Turtle tracks and nesting sites. They started working on this property in 2014 and since March they have conducted eight clean- up events south of the estuary and removed over 55 bags of marine debris weighing over 1,200 pounds with 195 participants, 103 of them being keiki. Since October 2014, they’ve hosted 23 estuary workdays with 440 volunteers and have removed over 4,000 pounds of seashore paspalum. They have worked with various school groups including Ka‘ Learning Academy, Kea‘au, Kamehameha Schools, Youth Challenge, Big Island Substance Abuse and ‘Imi Pono no ka ‘ina. Ms. Siracusa noted that there’s a big ticket item in the budget for travel expenses. Ms. Breining replied that it would be for on-island mileage to remove the grass and sediment from the property and bus/van rental if needed for school groups. Ms. Siracusa noted that for field work they are asking for tabis, rash guards and hats. Ms. Breining replied that some of the volunteers have their own gear but they do like to offer to school groups. Ms. Siracusa asked how many volunteers they are looking at. Ms. Breining will have to find out and get back to her. 5 Commission to discuss, review and make a recommendation to P&R for Communication No. 16-024 (PONC Stewardship Grant Application to The Honu Project to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI) Ms. Lauren Kurpita, Coordinator of the Hawai‘i Island Hawksbill Turtle Recovery Project is based at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park (HVNP) and is a collaborative organization between private entities, State and Federal agencies. The non-profit they are associated with is The Honu Project. The grant application is to do monitoring at K w for the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle. Unlike Green Sea Turtles which have come back due to conservation efforts, the Hawksbill population is still very low and most people haven’t even heard of or seen one. In 2008 their project pulled out of K w and these funds are going to help the monitoring effort. Since turtles like to use coastlines, a few miles down from K w is Kamehame, which is one of the most active nesting sites in the State so it is very important that they monitor K w . Nesting season runs from May – December and their proposal is to check a few times a week which will also include trapping of non-native predators such as mongoose. Ms. Bell asked why did they pull out of K w in 2008. Ms. Kurpita replied that the supervisor for HVNP made the determination that there were too many interactions with the public and the potential for threats and hostility. Mr. Ventura noted that Mr. Abel Lui was living there at the time. Ms. Kurpita added that she receives reports that there are turtles nesting at K w and since they nest every 3-5 years, it’s very critical that they’re able to monitor the area. Ms. Siracusa asked Ms. Kurpita to explain the line item in the budget for UH. Ms. Kurpita replied that it’s an indirect cost that would be funded to The Honu Project and in turn transferred to UH so they can easily buy supplies for the project. Ms. Siracusa asked about the $7,000.00 for rent. Ms. Kurpita replied that they have local volunteers who are community members who walk the beach looking for tracks and nesting sites. There are also full time volunteers who are college students or graduates and they receive a meal reimbursement claim and hopefully housing can be provided to help support them. Ms. Nicholson asked if the housing is only for volunteers and where are they housed. Ms. Kurpita replied that yes it is and the house is located in the HVNP. The full time volunteers are in the field six nights however they also conduct day checks and go to various locations, not only K w . Ms. Nicholson asked Ms. Kurpita how she determined it was $7,000.00 since the volunteers are going to multiple locations. Ms. Kurpita replied that it’s a small fraction of what the project as a whole pays for. 6 Mr. Tomich asked what the total cost of the house is. Ms. Kurpita replied that it’s $2,700.00 a month for 8 people. Commission to discuss, review and make a recommendation to P&R for Communication No. 16-025 (PONC Stewardship Grant Application to Team Hawai‘i International Athletics to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI) Ms. Josephine Mamone spoke on behalf of Team Hawai‘i International Athletics and is a descendent of Harriet Napoleon and Timoteo Keawe who was one of the owners also related to the ‘piki family. Mr. Sergio Mamone, born and raised in Hilo, Hawai‘i and is a descendent of Harriet Napoleon. He played Hawai‘i Aloha on the ukulele as the song speaks about the youth and knowing that he comes from K w and the information that he’s learned from the past is to give back to the children of Hawai‘i and to make sure the patrons of the County of Hawai‘i have a beautiful place to go. He’s a director for P&R at Panaewa and first and foremost safety and liability is the biggest problem. The most dangerous thing about K w is people drowning. When he first met with Townscape for the management plan his idea was to come up with a volunteer lifeguard station which would be similar to a fire station where the volunteers would need to be certified. His next project is safety; getting together with families and groups such as BISAC and prison work- lines to give back and steward these lands. Walking paths needs to be established and made ADA compliant and eventually a restroom needs to be built along with a safety zone to park cars. He was raised down at K w and the Napoleon shack there was built in the early 1990’s and his family goes down to repair the shack when it needs to be fixed. Mr. Tim DeLozier noted that on the application status from Hawai‘i Compliance Express, it’s showing not compliant. Ms. Mamone replied that they missed the paperwork last year so they re-submitted and are awaiting approval. Ms. Siracusa noted that in regards to the budget, there’s a lot of heavy equipment listed and she’s not sure if the purchase of these items may be allowable, possibly rental of equipment may be acceptable. Mr. Mamone replied that the budget was big to maintain the 4-wheel drive road access and if rental of equipment is acceptable than that would be a good option. His idea is that whoever is awarded stewardship work with the community and non-profits in the area. Ms. Bell asked if he’s willing to manage the whole parcel. Mr. Mamone replied that’s the way the application was put out and it came with a map of 900 acres. He apologizes for the budget being so big and he can re-adjust their budget which would come down way less. 7 Ms. Nicholson asked that the major focus would be a volunteer lifeguard station. Where’s the lifeguard component in the application. Mr. Mamone replied that when he spoke to Fire Department, the County is not going to support it because of liability concerns; it would need to go through their non-profit. Ms. Bell asked if they have volunteer days with their group. Mr. Mamone replied that they operate out of Panaewa and he has football and volleyball teams and they do a lot of cultural activities and he has taken them out to K w to clean up the area. Ms. Nazara asked if the N ‘lehu and Pahala community are involved in his project. Mr. Mamone replied mostly his family, there’s a lot of resistance because he works for the County he’s looked at by people as a traitor and what he wants is to bring everyone together. Ms. Nazara suggested that he work with the National Park Service or Na Ala Hele Trails as they have a budget and can help him. In regards to lifeguards at Four Seasons Hualalai, just by changing the name from lifeguards to Alaka‘i Nalu they didn’t become liable, they just needed to be certified by DOCARE which is way easier. Ms. Bell commented that a permanent bathroom wouldn’t be allowed to be built with the maintenance fund. Mr. Mamone replied that he was looking at permaculture bathrooms. Ms. Bell replied that you could probably rent one but not construct. Mr. DeLozier thanked all the applicants for all that they do for the community and talked about how the language in the Charter is specific to what are and what aren’t allowable expenses and that there are a lot of things in all the applications that are not allowable. It’s the Commission’s job to make a recommendation to P&R who in turn will send a recommendation to Council for final approval involving a multi-step process. Commission to schedule site visits, if necessary for properties nominated for stewardship by submittal of a PONC Stewardship Grant Application to P&R Ms. Siracusa commented that considering the interest in K w they should definitely have a site visit so they have an idea of where they’re starting from. Ms. Nicholson suggested that they schedule a site visit with a representative from each group to discuss their proposal. Motion: Commissioner Nicholson asked Ms. Kelepolo to schedule a site visit with a representative from each group to go over what they’re proposing to accomplish in the next year. Seconded by Commissioner Siracusa. Chair Bell, Commissioners Fischer, William Meyers, Cynthia Nazara, Tomich voted in favor; Vice-Chair DeLozier and Commissioner Kai‘ena Bishaw voted against, motion carried. 8 Mr. DeLozier stated how can a recommendation be made to P&R if the site visit is going to happen. Mr. Bishaw added that their job today is to vote yes or no on the applications and it makes it difficult now since their decision can’t happen until a site visit is conducted and the report comes back to the Commission. Motion: Vice-Chair DeLozier moved to rescind the last motion. Seconded by Commissioner Bishaw. Ms. Nazara asked how can you discuss something if you don’t know what it looks like, you have to actually go there. Mr. Bishaw commented that these are County lands and they’re here to make a decision whether or not they are going to allow these groups to steward these lands and make a recommendation to P&R. They are not here to look into specifics and details; he wants to vote yea or nay on all four applications today. Ms. Self noted that they have six months from the date they review the application so if they want to do a site visit they can discuss it now and defer action for a later meeting. Ms. Nicholson noted that she’s prepared to make a recommendation to vote on the property today. She doesn’t feel like a site visit would be necessary for that although the idea of getting to see the property prior to work being done is a good idea. She would be willing to rescind the motion and waiting six months wouldn’t be good since the application still needs to go to P&R and Council. Motion: Vice-Chair DeLozier moved to rescind the last motion. Seconded by Commissioner Bishaw. Chair Bell, Commissioners Fischer, Meyers, Nazara, Nicholson, Tomich voted in favor; Commissioner Siracusa voted against, motion carried. Mr. DeLozier commented that rather than reviewing the grant applications one by one and since they’re limited in their power, there are serious concerns about the budget for each project, it’s not their job to knit pick and go through each line item. They could say in-depth review of allowable and non-allowable expenses, since P&R will re-do it anyway. Ms. Nicholson suggested that they quickly go through each application and say: yes, I support funding this fully and if it falls within the Charter, it should be funded partially, or I don’t think it should be funded at all. Recess: 12:01 p.m. Reconvened: 12:10 p.m. Ms. Bell said that by a show of hands they are going to take a few minutes per project to vote. 9 AMOUNT APPLICANT REQUESTED PROJECT AREA (PROPERTY/TMK) Na Mamo O K w $ 48,500.00 K w , Ka‘, Hawai‘i Tax Map Keys: (3) 9-5-16:06 & 25; 9-5-17:05 & 07 Applicant Share (in-kind): $ 85,000.00 Total Project Cost: $ 133,850.00 Chair Barbara Bell, Vice-Chair Tim DeLozier, Commissioners Kai‘ena Bishaw, René Siracusa, Marilyn Nicholson, Cynthia Nazara, Kekaulike Tomich & Susan Fischer voted that the project at this level of funding, as long as it meets the Charter, can move forward with a positive recommendation. AMOUNT APPLICANT REQUESTED PROJECT AREA (PROPERTY/TMK) Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund $ 13,200.00 K w , Ka‘, Hawai‘i Tax Map Keys: (3) 9-5-16:06 & 25; 9-5-17:05 & 07 Applicant Share (in-kind): $ 23,544.64 Total Project Cost: $ 36,744.64 Chair Bell, Commissioners Bishaw, Nicholson, Nazara, Tomich & Fischer voted that the project at this level of funding, as long as it meets the Charter, can move forward with a positive recommendation. Vice-Chair DeLozier and Commissioner Siracusa voted that that they have some concerns, however sees some good points and remains neutral. AMOUNT APPLICANT REQUESTED PROJECT AREA (PROPERTY/TMK) The Honu Project $ 24,665.00 K w , Ka‘, Hawai‘i Tax Map Keys: (3) 9-5-16:06 & 25; 9-5-17:05 & 07 Applicant Share (in-kind): $ 65,310.00 Total Project Cost: $ 89,975.00 Chair Bell, Commissioners Bishaw, Nazara, Tomich & Fischer voted that the project at this level of funding, as long as it meets the Charter, can move forward with a positive recommendation. Vice-Chair DeLozier and Commissioners Nicholson & Siracusa voted that they have some concerns, however sees some good points and remains neutral. AMOUNT APPLICANT REQUESTED PROJECT AREA (PROPERTY/TMK) Team Hawai‘i International Athletics $ 370,598.00 K w , Ka‘, Hawai‘i Tax Map Keys: (3) 9-5-16:06 & 25; 9-5-17:05 & 07 Applicant Share (in-kind): $ 30,000.00 Total Project Cost: $ 400,598.00 Chair Bell, Vice-Chair DeLozier, Commissioners Bishaw, Nazara, Tomich & Fischer voted that they have some concerns, however sees some good points and remains neutral. 10 Commissioners Nicholson & Siracusa voted that it’s not a good project and it shouldn’t move forward. (the commissioners went into discussion regarding the PONC Stewardship Grant Application for Na Mamo O K w ) Motion: Vice-Chair DeLozier moved to recommend approval of this grant application by P&R with suggestion of a more specific timeline provided by the applicant and a more detailed budget with supporting documentation of the amounts being requested for only items that are clearly allowable in the Charter. Commissioner Nicholson added to clarify that the $85,000.00 in human resources is not part of what the County is being asked to fund. Seconded by Commissioner Tomich; all other members voted aye, motion carried. (the commissioners went into discussion regarding the PONC Stewardship Grant Application for Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund) Motion: Commissioner Nicholson moved to recommend to P&R that this Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund project be funded to the amount allowable within the Charter but request that the applicant provide a more detailed budget. Vice-Chair DeLozier amended the motion to keep it in line with the last motion that carried and ask for supporting documentation as well. Seconded by Commissioner Tomich; all other members voted aye, motion carried. (the commissioners went into discussion regarding the PONC Stewardship Grant Application for The Honu Project) Motion: Vice-Chair DeLozier moved to recommend to P&R approval of this stewardship grant application with a more detailed budget with supporting documentation for items only allowable per the Charter. Seconded by Commissioner Bishaw; all other members voted aye, motion carried. (the commissioners went into discussion regarding the PONC Stewardship Grant Application for Team Hawai‘i International Athletics) Motion: Vice-Chair DeLozier moved that they don’t support the application at this time but encourage resubmission by the applicant. Seconded by Commissioner Nicholson; all other members voted aye, motion carried. Lunch: 12:50 p.m. Reconvened: 1:31 p.m. Ms. Bell suggested that when they set up the committee for site visits in January they also include a site visit to K w . Ms. Siracusa commented that once P&R executes the contract, they visit the property in order to establish a baseline on which to judge the success of any stewardship that takes place. 11 Mr. Ventura clarified that in regards to insurance policies, if the insurance agency is going to add additional insured there usually is a nominal charge so we should allow a cushion. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Ms. Bell asked if there are any changes. Ms. Fischer asked that on the top of page 5 to add in the first name of Jason before Armstrong. Motion: Commissioner Bishaw moved to approve the minutes of July 11, 2016, regular session, as amended. Seconded by Commissioner Nicholson; all other members voted aye, motion carried. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Communication No. 16-019: Letter dated July 20, 2016 to Barbara Bell, Chair, PONC, from Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey, Vipassana Hawai‘i, re: Landowner support for the acquisition of Halelua (North Kohala), TMK: (3) 5-3-07:10 by PONC Communication No. 16-020: Suggestion Form received on August 10, 2016 from Jeffrey Tsuda, re: Kaupalaoa (North Kohala), Tax Map Key (TMK): (3) 5-8-01:10 Communication No. 16-021: Suggestion Form received on August 10, 2016 from Jeffrey Tsuda, re: Mill Road (South Hilo), TMK: (3) 2-7-27:65 Communication No. 16-022: PONC Stewardship Grant Request received by P&R on August 26, 2016 from Na Mamo O K w to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI Communication No. 16-023: PONC Stewardship Grant Request received by P&R on September 1, 2016 from Hawai‘i Wildlife Fund to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI Communication No. 16-024: PONC Stewardship Grant Request received by P&R on September 1, 2016 from Honu Project to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI Communication No. 16-025: PONC Stewardship Grant Request received by P&R on September 1, 2016 from Team Hawai‘i International Athletics to steward lands at K w , Ka‘, HI Communication No. 16-026: PONC Stewardship Grant Six (6) Month Progress Report received by P&R on September 1, 2016 from P h h I Ka Lani for stewardship of Waipi‘o Valley Lookout, H m kua, HI Ms. Bell asked for a motion to accept and file communications. Ms. Nicholson asked since they’re filing these communications what will happen with the suggestion forms submitted for next year. Ms. Kelepolo replied that the applicant is aware that it won’t be considered until next year and will be notified when the submittals are being reviewed. 12 Motion: Commissioner Siracusa moved to accept and file Communication Nos. 16-019 – 16-026. Seconded by Vice-Chair DeLozier; all other members voted aye, motion carried. DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE REPORT Mr. Bishaw asked how much closer are they to reviewing the draft management plan for K w . Mr. Ventura replied that we met with Mayor and Townscape last week for an update and a draft report should be finalized in time for a November community meeting. Ms. Siracusa asked for any updates on the Vacationland Land Trust parcel. Ms. Kelepolo replied that we just got the purchase order for the shoreline certification which took some time since we needed approval from OCCL, Planning Department and Division of Aquatic Resources. Once we get an idea about the revised acreage then we can go ahead and order the appraisal update along with the other required items for the grant. Mr. Ventura added that we are going to be closing Kahuku by the end of the month. Ms. Kelepolo added that the acquisition cost is 2.6 million however the County portion will be about $764,000.00 and the remaining will be paid by federal and state grants. Ms. Kelepolo noted that this past Saturday she was involved in the rescue of an endangered Hawksbill Turtle on this property that had fell in an anchialine crack and assisted Ms. Kurpita and volunteers to lift her out and send her back into the ocean. OFFICE OF THE CORPORATION COUNSEL’S REPORT Ms. Bell asked that since they had a big discussion regarding education as a component for stewardship grant monies could they get some insight or possibly include as an agenda item at a later meeting. Ms. Self replied that she pre-dates the stewardship grants. Ms. Bell clarified that an application came before them whose main focus was education and they proposed to also do maintenance however it was difficult for the commission to make a decision. Ms. Self replied that based on what she sees for the purposes of the Charter, she doesn’t see education as the main purpose. The purpose of the Charter is for people to maintain and take care of the property which is what the fund was created for. Ms. Siracusa commented that this raises the question for the Amy Greenwell Gardens in Kona which has been an educational venue and education is the primary purpose. Would that go against the Charter since down the road the County may be acquiring this property and a stewardship grant request will be submitted. Mr. Ventura clarified the position that the County is going to be taking for Amy Greenwell Gardens if anything is to acquire a conservation easement. The parcels are deed restricted and can only be sold to a non-profit. 13 Ms. Bell noted that for future stewardship grants, they should think about limiting a portion of the grant to be for maintenance purposes. Mr. Ventura added that Councilmembers Karen Eoff and Maile David are looking at amending the Charter to address education as a component to make it easier for the Commission and future applicants. Ms. Nicholson commented that she didn’t see The Honu Project application as a maintenance project and would also like to see the Charter expanded so it would more encompass education, preservation of species, etc. CHAIRPERSON’S REPORT Ms. Bell had nothing to report. NEW BUSINESS PONC Ad Hoc Investigative Committee to provide a report to the Commission regarding site visit to Pohue Bay, Ka‘, HI, TMK: (3) 9-2-01:72 Ms. Fischer talked about how it’s a long way down on a very bad road, the scale is so huge and there are many residents in the area and she can see why they want to gain access. With the turtles, this is critical nesting area; it’s hard to see how the beach can be used for people. The beach is beautiful however; has dangerous water conditions and lifeguard safety would be an issue. There is also a water oasis, very natural with the palm fronds in the water and a large petroglyph field. She also summarized in the report the history of the request for development of the property including an airstrip and marina. Ms. Nazara was also able to attend and noted that she’s been there before and it looks the same, she is hesitant to think of anyone opening it up to the general public. There were just two people there that weren’t supposed to be there and after they left the site visit group collected a whole bag of trash. If we open the door and buy it, it will be ruined. The money is not as outrageous and exaggerated as it seems, its $250.00 per group for the weekend and the caretaker Chad takes care of the property and keeps it clean. Commission to discuss the ranking and approve the 2016 Prioritized List of Properties Ms. Bell read the properties and scores as ranked for the 2016 Prioritized List of Properties: #1 (387) - Amy Greenwell Ethnobotanical Gardens #2 (381) - Hapu‘u to Kapanai‘a Cultural Corridor #3 (372) - M hukona #4 (365) - Halelua 14 #5 (339) - Pohue Bay #6 (338) - Hakalau Valley #7 (335) - Lamaloloa #8 (304) - Keawenui #9 (303) - Kukuipahu-H ‘ena Corridor #10 (295) - Haleohiu Homesteads #11 (282) - Expanding Public Access to Makaula-‘O‘oma Section The 50 acre parcel in Mt. View, HI did not have enough points and will not be placed on the Prioritized List. Commissioner Siracusa moved to accept the 2016 PONC Prioritized List. Mr. Tomich asked if the Makaula-‘O‘oma property was sold to another owner. Ms. Kelepolo clarified that the property was submitted in January 2016 and was sold to a private owner in June 2016 so fee acquisition is not going to happen, however the owner did say he may be willing to sell a conservation easement instead. Ms. Nicholson commented that if the property is no longer available for sale they should take it off the list. Mr. DeLozier commented that he doesn’t see that they have the authority to remove a property however they can reflect that in their scores. (the commissioners went into discussion and adjusted their scores for the Makaula-‘O‘oma property) Ms. Bell clarified that Expanding Public Access to Makaula-‘O‘oma Section has dropped off the list and is no longer ranked. Motion: Commissioner Siracusa moved to accept the 2016 PONC Prioritized List with the exception that due to score changes, Expanding Public Access to Makaula-‘O‘oma Section has been removed from the list. Seconded by Commissioner Nicholson; all other members voted aye, motion carried. Commission to discuss and assign write-ups for the drafting of the 2016 Annual Report to the Mayor (the commissioners went into discussion) Ms. Kelepolo told the commissioners to submit their write-ups and revisions by October 24th. 15 ANNOUNCEMENTS The next meeting is scheduled for Monday, November 14, 2016, 10:00 a.m. in the West Hawai‘i Civic Center, Building G Conference Room, 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i. Ms. Bell set the agenda for the next meeting to include finalizing the annual report, election of new officers and scheduling meetings for 2017. Ms. Nicholson asked that they work on an evaluation form for stewardship grants which should be put on the agenda for the January or March meeting. Ms. Nicholson asked for a report from P&R on the application status and an update on the progress. Mr. DeLozier asked to have an agenda item for the Commission to discuss the application. ADJOURNMENT Meeting adjourned at 2:29 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Alexandra Kelepolo Property Management Technician