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Home My WebLink About2016-34 Puna Community Meeting111916Communication No. 2016-34 Report from Puna Community Leaders Meeting Nov 19, 2016 Akebono Theatre Attendance 37. See attached roster Jon Olson opened the meeting 12:10 pm. Justin Avery brought up the federal civil rights complaint filed in 1998 and the 2008 Puna Community Development Plan (CDP) Implementation Plan. Implementation Table from the Puna CDP was provided to all participants. Attendees were asked to provide their top concerns relating to planning for Puna. Justin Avery facilitated with notes taken by Amber Shouse and Nelson Ho. Below is a summary of comments: • Provided history of federal complaint and lack of service issues relating back to the Puna planning effort in the 1990s which resulted in a plan never adopted by the County. • Need Wastewater Treatment Substation for Pahoa —the scope of this project currently stops one parcel short of the state land acquired for the Puna Community Medical Center (PCMC). Need to expand scope. • Volcano — Wants to do community plan. There is no recognized governance lower than county govt. • Need more water spigots, police presence, homeless, building code, wifi, • Need a clean place for homeless to shower, homeless not be criminalization, drop in center, secondary access, • Need low income housing, drop in center for homeless, public amenities, bathrooms, parking, • Streamline zoning now stifled by county planning, need affordable housing, eliminate special use permits, • Need homeless shelter, substance abuse reform, too difficult, current building code adds too much expense for low income residents. • Need for health and welfare. Concerned about substandard subdivisions. • There is a disconnect with State laws and roadwork with licensed contractors required for roadwork over $1,000. Water on roads remains a problem. • Need a Puna makai alternate route (PMAR), widening of 130, more jobs and services within our communities. Revamp bus system. Puna is underserved by State. • Need for transportation to go to medical appointments, maintaining recreational facilities. Infrastructure is needed and expensive. Need better connectivity & emergency response. • Need homeless shelter, lots of successful models Bend OR, Ashland OR, drug free zones -use that. Bad permitting process. Lifestyle decisions - non standard housing. • HPP connectivity. Issues with puna makai thru HPP alignment proposals. Go mauka of HWY 130 so no takings of land for alternative routes. Use micro economic zones, • Need signs to draw people off the By -Pass and into Pahoa Village, • Need wastewater feasibility study for Pahoa • Wants monthly meetings for the Puna CDP Action Committee (AC). CDPS are hobbled. Wants better resources for community associations to do planning at that level. • Do the master plans for regional town centers called for in the Puna CDPs - that will address 80% of the problems listed. CDP calls for three levels of village, town and regional centers. • Need low income housing and homeless drop in center. • Revise building codes. Need better internet services. Don't punish the people for being unable to comply with laws. Need smart planning. • Lack of jobs and focus on economic development. Plenty of models for rural communities to utilize that have been effective catalysts for job creation. Hawaiian Shores/Beaches needs second route out of subdivision. • HPP has a multitude of issues. It is the elephant in the room with regard to Puna plans. • Wants the PCMC expansion project advanced. Full service medical center -Hilo too far • Need better bus system needed. Key to economic development. Buses are shabby. With improved bus system, crime lessens and businesses flourish • Wants a prioritized list of actions from the CDP to present to incoming Mayor Harry Kim. Deal with HPP issues first because HPP now meets federal guidelines for urban, not rural densities. With >9000 lots and ohana possibilities, HPP could grow to 45,000. Currently estimated at 15,000. PART 2 SMALL GROUP DISCUSSION - Eileen O'Hara facilitated, 18 individuals stayed for this breakout session ROADS & CONNECTIVITY: According to Patty Pinto, Mr. Kim has already been contacted about reinstating monthly meetings for the Puna CDP Action Committee (AC) and indicated he will address this request. Per Mr. Paleka's actions as Councilmember for District 5, $11 million was approved in the County CIP but not allocated yet for implementing the Upper Puna connectivity plan. $15 million in the approved State CIP budget to develop the Puna Makai Alternate Route (PMAR) from Rep. Joy San Buenaventura. County needs to commit to the project for the money to be allocated. State Department of Transportation (DOT) not in support of this project. With a commitment from the County, and if CIP monies are appropriated and released to County, the funds could pay for an Environmental Assessment (EA) which will address the kind of roadway and alignment. A Lower Puna connectivity plan is also needed similar to work done for the Upper Puna connectivity plan. Jen Ruggles wants an ad hoc road committee. Volunteers: Patti Pinto, Madie Greene, John Olson, Leilani Bronson, Ariel Murphy, Ralph Boyea, PAHOA TOWN: Pahoa needs parking. Purchase of the larger portion of the parking lot of the Akebono & Luquin's was approved by County but has encountered an encroachment issue. Needs to be resolved. Jen Ruggles and Eileen O'Hara need to get clarity on status of this county acquisition. The county should stick to its original offer amount. Showers considered in the parking lot area. Need to provide a place for the farmers market to continue and flourish. County Code already allows P&R Dept. to manage farmers markets. Master Plan for Pahoa regional town center needs to move forward. The Master Plan, including a wastewater feasibility study, was on track to be contracted with a sum of over $400,000 when Mayor Kenoi pulled it because of the 2014 lava flow threat. The money should still be there. Use of drug free zones need to be moved on. With the opening of the regional park, all of Pahoa town is now in a drug free zone like around public schools. The laws need to be enforced. Owner of Tin Shack Bakery advised to call vice squad right now and let them do undercover regarding observed drug sales from identified dealers and vehicles. This prompted a call for an enforcement zone of repeat trespass offenders in Pahoa town as done in other municipalities. We do not have adequate police coverage in Pahoa town. Discussion ensued about accountability and oversight of the County police department. A full service police station for Upper Puna is needed, as response from Pahoa station for the entire Puna district is not working. Current and anticipated population growth justifies this. Open up the county shower facilities at the pool, even if more personnel needed. It was noted that the Water Department only serves customers it has, no obligation to serve customers in need. Lack of water development is holding up economic development in Pahoa. We need systemic change to the way Water Dept. is managed which will likely take a charter amendment. Increased concerns about public health threats from water borne organisms (rat lungworm, dengue, Zika, etc.) puts greater onus on residential water catchment systems to maintain quality. Building Codes and County Approvals: Jen Ruggles would like to start an ad hoc committee to focus on streamlining the approval process. Matt Purvis, Jon Olson, Rob Tucker, and Sara Steiner offered to be part of this group. They will need to address how to make buildings safe, yet economic, for the home owner. How to deal with the unpermitted structures and how to encourage compliance? Currently the only path is to meet the current code. Discussed an amnesty program that provides a relaxed code that unpermitted structures must meet. County Tax office currently gives homeowner exemptions to unpermitted homes which impacts revenues to the county. Some unpermitted structures built are vulnerable and need to be evacuated if they are not safe or causing a public health nuisance. Even structures built to current code can't withstand a hurricane category 2. Must consider equity issues if extending a relaxed code to permit currently unpermitted structures as those who have met requirements will feel discriminated against. One idea was to eliminate all home exemptions on unpermitted buildings built after a certain date (1995?) and offer a "transient" permit if structure is inspected and meets the relaxed code. With this new permit homeowners then qualify for a reduced (75%) home exemption. Provides incentive. Unpermitted structures do not qualify for insurance for buyer or owner of a structure and sell at around 50% the value of a similar permitted structure. Financing is limited and often unavailable. Subdivision covenants are up to the subdivision to enforce and are not supported in the planning approval process at the County. That is a very difficult situation and creates added problems for new construction. Discussed having separate standards for lots over an acre where the structure would not be a threat to a neighbor. Scheduling of another meeting discussed but will not occur until after December 5th when new council members are sworn in. Meeting ended 3:00 pm. Attendees 11-19-16 Akebono First Last Orqanization 1 st Priority 2nd Priority 1 Carla Ahu Mass Transit/bus routes for police (ccrime) economic development 2 Ginny Aste Author of 1990s Puna Community parks Development Plan 3 Richard Bidleman Board member PCMC medical internet 4 Ralph Boyea resident, PCMC health and safety I lane highway 5 Henry Brazil Secretary, Mainstreet Pahoa housing (low income) homeless (drop in center) 6 Leilani Bronson PP resident roads (pmar) Economic Development (micro economic zones, business incubation) 7 Larry Brown Chair, Puna CDP Action Committee community development (Pahoa Master Plan- regional town center) 8 Greg Dencker roads roads 9 Madie Greene VP, Mainstreet Pahoa secretary, wastewater (feasibility study) economic development Chef Paolos (create jobs) 10 Roger Guenette resident, Hawaiian Shores economic development (lack roads (alternative access) Community Assn economic opportunity) 11 Mark Hinshaw hair, Pahoa Regional Town Center economic development (commercial community development Steering Committee kitchens) (rezone pahoa village) 12 Hazen Komraus President, Seaview Association building (building code) internet 13 Amanda Moses observer 14 Ariel Murphy VP Orchidland Community roads- state law- cannot use water Association & Secretary, PCMC unlicensed contractor to make roads 15 Daniel aleka Councilmember for District 5 infrastructure roads (connectivity) 16 Susi Paleka ransportation (patients) parks for youth/ infrastructure 17 Bill Parecki Savio Realty & Board member medical Mainstreet Pahoa 18 Patti Pinto Member, CDP Action Committee & roads (connectivity) community development Connectivity Plan Subcommittee (fund community associations) 19 Matt Purvis President, Mainstreet Pahoa homeless (center Pahoa)/reduce permitting process crime & drug dealing 20 Russell Ruderman State Senator District 2 widenting hwy 130 jobs and services - (bus system, wastewater) 21 Hans Santiago fanner, County Planning master plan for pahoa/puna Department 22 Oshi Simsarian homeless (shelter) substance abuse center 23 Rene Siracusa ED, Malama O Puna & PCMC medical (wastewater for medical medical (ambulance) member building) 24 Alan Smith water spigots PP Board Member HPP Issues 25 Jerry Sodan 26 Sara Steiner Water spigots police (presence) 27 Dan Taylor Volcano Community Assn Long range plan for volcano 28 Rob Tucker Friends of Puna's Future Economic development uifding (permits) 29 Sarah Williams Pahoa Museum owner homeless (shelter) homeless (drop in center) 30 Wendy Tatum Organizers First Last Organization Justin Avery Council Aide to Councilmember- Elect Eileen O'Hara Dist. 4 Nelson Ho Legislative Assistant to Councilmember-Elect Jen Ruggles Dist 5 Barbara Lively Legislative Assistant to Councilmember-Elect Eileen O'Hara Dist 4 Eileen O'Hara Councilmember-Elect Dist. 4 Jen Ruggles Councilmember-Elect Dist. 5 Amber Shouse Council Aide to Councilmember-Elect Eileen O'Hara Dist. 5 Jon Olson Community Organizer