HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-11-14.PCDP.ACMinutes.FINALHarry Kim
Mayor
County of Hawaii
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
PUNA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE
Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Phone (808) 961-8288 • Fax (808) 961-8742
1 Tuesday, November 14, 2017
2 Meeting Minutes
Michael Yee
Director
Daryn Arai
Deputy Director
3
4 CALL TO ORDER
5 Chair Larry Brown called the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) Action Committee (AC) to
6 order at 3:02 p.m. in the Pahoa Neighborhood Facility.
7 ROLL CALL
8 Action Committee Members Present: Larry Brown (Chair), Leila Kealoha (Vice -Chair), Elmer Solis,
9 Michael Bernard, Patti Pinto, Susan Osborne, Yumi Kawano.
10 Action Committee Members Absent -Excused: None
11 Staff: Keiko Mercado (Puna CDP Planner), LeAna Gloor, Hans Santiago, Eric Cook (CoH Planners).
12 Members of the public: 7
13 ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA:
14 ANNOUNCEMENTS:
15 1. Committee Member Michael Bernard announced that State Representative Joy San
16 Buenaventura was requesting feedback on broadband coverage in lower Puna. There is an
17 online survey accessible via: hLtps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/88KFH75 .
18 2. Ms. Mercado informed the Action Committee that the scope of the Pahoa Regional Town
19 Center Masterplan is close to being finalized and the Planning Department is estimating that
20 the project will begin in early 2018. It is anticipated that the project will take 18 to 24 months
21 to complete.
22 PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: None
23 APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
24 Committee Member Elmer Solis moved to approve the minutes of the September 12, 2017 meeting as
25 submitted. Second by Committee Member Patti Pinto. The motion to approve the minutes as submitted
26 passed with 7 votes aye, 0 votes nay.
27 BUSINESS:
28 1. Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation Commission (PONQ
29 Presentation: The goal of the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation
30 Commission is to solicit suggestions from the community for lands considered to be worthy of
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31 preservation and to provide the Mayor with an island wide list of prioritized properties. PONC
32 Commissioner Rene Siracusa updated the Action Committee on the process used for suggesting
33 parcels for preservation and how to apply for stewardship grants.
34 Commissioner Siracusa encouraged members of the Action Committee as well as the general
35 public to submit nominations of parcels for preservation as well as apply for stewardship
36 grants. She suggested the AC revive the Wai'ele suggestion from 2016. The Action Committee
37 asked Commissioner Siracusa the following questions:
38 Q: Is funding required to create access to the ocean and how is that funding is acquired?
39 A: If there is no access to the ocean than an easement would need to be applied for through
40 the Planning Department. The rules governing PONC acquisitions do not allow for any
41 hardscape construction, including roads. Maintenance of existing trails is permissible.
42 Q: What else is the county willing to do concerning maintenance costs?
43 A: Stewardship groups can clean up garbage, remove invasive species, and replant for habitat
44 restoration.
45 Q: Are properties under the PONC program typically managed by the Department of Parks and
46 Recreation or Finance?
47 A: The acquisition of land is through the Department of Finance and the Department of Parks
48 and Recreation approves the stewardship grants. The County is responsible for managing the
49 lands until stewardship grants are in place for the purchased parcel.
50 More information on PONC can be found on the County of Hawai'i website:
51 http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/edoc/89634/Public%20Access,%20Open%20Space%20and%20Natural%2
52 OResources%20Preservation%20Commission%20-%20Fact%20Sheet%20(9.15.2017).pdf
53 PONC Suggestion Forms for Lands and/or Property Entitlement for Acquisition can be viewed and downloaded
54 from the following website:
55 http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/edoc/88230/PONC%20Suggestion%20Form%20(3-13-17)%20fillable.pdf
56 PONC Stewardship Grant Request Form can be viewed and downloaded from the following website:
57 http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/edoc/80189/PONC%20Stewardship%20Grant%20Request%20Form%20(
58 application%20period%20801%20%2083117).pdf
59 Press Release and Handout from P.O.N.C. can be found here:
60 http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/1/doc/90178/Pagel.aspx
61 2. Mass Transit Master Plan Presentation: Ms. Cheryl Soon of SSFM International and Mass Transit
62 Administrator Ms. Tiffany Kai provided the Action Committee an update on the status of the
63 Mass Transit Master Plan.
64 Ms. Soon acknowledged that the Mass Transit Agency has struggled with bus maintenance
65 issues due to old buses and an old bus maintenance facility. The new bus maintenance station
66 should help to relieve some of that.
67 Ms. Soon reported that the paratransit system for disabled riders that was started a year ago in
68 both Hilo and Kona is proving to be very successful and continues to have increased ridership.
69 A213 Transportation is the current company being used for paratransit services.
70 The proposed vision for transit in Hawai'i County is "Create a high quality multi -modal
71 transportation system that provides safe, reliable, convenient, environmentally responsible, and
72 cost effective mobility choices that meet the needs of our residents and visitors."
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73 Ms. Soon stated that the most common recommendation they hear is the need for a
74 smartphone transit app. Another popular recommendation is for electronic bus schedule signs
75 at each bus stop.
76 Right now there are three types of bus routes: Connector Routes (traveling between two
77 communities); Circulator Routes (stays within a community); and Commuter Routes(traveling
78 between Hilo and Kona). The Masterplan is introducing three additional new route types: Hub
79 and Spoke (picked up on a circulator route, deposited at a hub, with the option to transfer to a
80 longer route if needed), Flex Service (the ability for buses to deviate % miles off of the main
81 route if requests are made 24 hours ahead of time); and Zone Service (similar to a Circulator
82 Route but only operates on specific days). The proposed hubs would be in Kona, Pahoa, and
83 Waimea.
84 The new Saddle Road improvements have made it possible for the Masterplan to consider it as
85 a transit route.
86 Ms. Soon informed the Action Committee that they are hoping to have a draft masterplan
87 ready by the first quarter of 2018.
88 The following questions were asked and answered following the presentation:
89 Q: Was there any feedback specifically from Hawaiian Paradise Park (HPP)?
90 A: No. [Ms. Soon will reach out to the HPP Owners Association]
91 Q: Are options for funding sources being included in your finance strategy?
92 A: The masterplan will be displaying typical sources used by transit systems.
93 Q: Is it feasible for the masterplan to be adopted by ordinance?
94 A: The masterplan is too dynamic to be tethered to an ordinance. [Ms. Soon does not
95 recommended adoption by ordinance].
96 Q: How long do busses from O'ahu last here on the Big Island?
97 A: The busses that Mass Transit currently has from O'ahu are 22 years old.
98 Q: Are there any private figures/companies that Mass Transit works with?
99 A: All of the bus drivers and some of the busses are on private contract.
100 Q: Is there currently a bus route that aligns with our public school systems?
101 A: Yes, there are routes running at the start and finish of the school day.
102 Q: Are student discounts offered?
103 A: Yes.
104 Q: Are there any employer sponsored bus passes?
105 A: Resort employees can have bus passes automatically deducted from their payroll, but it is
106 unknown if there are any employer subsidized bus passes.
107 Q: Has converting the busses to electric power or green energy been considered?
108 A: Yes it has been considered but it is twice as expensive for a green energy bus as it is for a
109 biodiesel bus.
110 The presentation slides from the Mass Transit Master Plan Presentation can be found here:
111 http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/DocView.aspx?dbid=l&id=90177&page=1
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112 3. Communication No. 2017-16 Action Committee Meeting Schedule: CDP Planner, Keiko Mercado
113 presented the Puna CDP Action Committee meeting schedule for 2018.
114 Beginning in 2018, the Action Committee will meet every other month on the first Tuesday
115 from Spm to 7pm. Meeting will rotate between the Kea'au Community Center, Pahoa
116 Neighborhood Facility, and Cooper Center in Volcano. Additional meeting dates can be
117 scheduled on the in between months if needed.
118 Planning Director, Michael Yee reiterated that the adjustment in meeting time was about
119 equity and an attempt to meet at a time when more people may be available to attend.
120 Action Committee members asked about the possibility for food and childcare to be provided
121 at meetings as the new meeting time is later in the evening. Director Yee mentioned that he is
122 inquiring about possible resources for the Puna Action Committee meetings.
123 Committee Member Osborne moved to approve Communication No. 2017-16 2018 - Puna CDP
124 AC Meeting Schedule. Second by Committee Member Solis. The motion to approve the 2018
125 Puna CDP AC Meeting Schedule was passed with 7 votes Aye, 0 votes Noy.
126 Communication No. 2017-16 - 2018 Puna CDP AC Meeting Schedule can be viewed at the following website:
127 http://records.co.hawaii.hi.us/weblink/DocView.aspx?dbid=l&id=90110&page=1
128 4. Recognition of Outgoing Action Committee Members: Retiring Action Committee Members
129 Susan Osborne, Leila Kealoha, and Elmer Solis were thanked and presented with a lei and a
130 certificate of appreciation from the Mayor's office in recognition of their commitment and time
131 served on the Puna CDP Action Committee.
132 AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING: (January 9, 2018)
133 1. Pahoa Regional Town Center Masterplan
134 2. Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Presentation
135 3. AC representation on the Connectivity and Emergency Response Subcommittee (CERS).
136 ADJOURNMENT: Chair Larry Brown adjourned the meeting at 5:04 p.m.
137
138 All Action Committee information can be viewed and downloaded from our website:
139 http://www.hawaiicountycdp.info/puna-cdp/implementation/puna-cdp-action-committee
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