HomeMy WebLinkAboutComm No 0021.019 - Testimony - CA-7 - PONC fund and Maintenance fundCharter Commission 12.14.2018
Good afternoon commissioners- my name is Debbie Hecht and I have been
the Campaign Coordinator for the 2% Land Fund since 2005. That is almost
15 years we have been revisiting the land fund and each time 63% of people
voted in favor. I will be commenting on two issues today, I am opposed to
CA -7, which guts the fund, and I support the new proposed CA -9. The Save
our Lands Citizens Committee is working on an amendment to strengthen the
Maintenance Fund for your February meeting.
CA7 reduces the 2% Land Fund to 3/4 % to about $1.5 million per year, and
caps the fund. It moves the Maintenance Fund, which provides money to
community groups and the county to maintain these lands. It is proposed to
put the Maintenance fund into the Hawaii County code where the mayor and
council can stop deposits to the fund, just like Mayor Kenoi did as his first
piece of legislation in 2006. Did you know that the the Land Fund only
receives 1.5% of the total income stream of the County? I've owned my own
business for 40 years and I can cut 1`)/0 of the budget in 5 minutes.
The new legislation CA -9 proposed by Commissioner Galimba will strengthen
the 2% Land Fund Program by paying for a full time staff person out of the
2% monies who will ONLY work on the Land and Maintenance Fund. This
will save the Finance Department one senior staff salary.
What you are considering today are also deletes the clause that says: "This
property (or easement) was acquired with money from the Public Access,
Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund. It shall be held in
perpetuity for the use and enjoyment of the people of Hawai'i County and
may not be sold, mortgaged, traded or transferred in any way."
This would also delete the potential matching funds, which is the great gift of
the Land Fund. WHY would these generous donors keep helping with
matching funds if these lands could be sold and the money put in the general
fund? That would be a consequence of deleting this clause.
Approximately 1/3 of the money used to purchase land in the past 14 years
was obtained from the USFWS and State Legacy Lands.
Soon after you were seated as commissioners, Mayor Kim said he wanted to
sell some of these lands because they couldn't be cared for. That is just not
true. The Maintenance Fund cares for these properties. Government entities
traditionally have Memorandums of Understanding to care for jointly
managed lands. For example, The National Park Service has the Ala Kahakai
Comm. No. 21.19
National Historic Trail Management plan and has cooperated with the county
to use 2% Land Funds to purchase parts of the trail in Ka'u near Honu'apo
and soon Waikapuna with a non-profit Ala KahakaiTrail Association. They
plan to apply for stewardship funds. This is a public private partnership. We
will be proposing changes to the Maintenance Fund at the February meeting.
We agree with the Commission and staff that the Department of Finance
should manage the entire 2% Land Fund program.
Right now there is approximately $16 million just sitting in the fund. This is
because there is no full time staff person to shepherd the 2% Land Fund
program. What we are proposeing as an antidote to CA -7 is CA -9. WE
want our proposed language to be very clear that this senior staff person will
be paid out of the 2% Land Fund proceeds ONLY if it stays at 2% and they
will work ONLY on the 2% Land Fund Program. This will be in addition to the
staff person who helps the Public Access, Open space and Natural
Resources Commission. We would like to add some clarifying language.
We propose that the Department of Finance will hire a full time senior staff
person to administer and manage the 2% Land Fund program, which are the
Land Fund and the Maintenance Fund. QUOTE"
Fund a senior staff person dedicated ONLY to the administration of the
provisions of this section, who shall be employed under the department of
finance and whose duties shall include, but not be limited to: assisting the
public with applications for acquisition; assisting the public access, open
space and natural resources preservation commission with its prioritization of
properties to be acquired; negotiation and acquisition of eligible
properties; seeking and acquiring matching funds; and managing the
maintenance of lands acquired by this fund, by overseeing and implementing
the provisions of Section 10-16 of this charter. This position shall be exempt
from civil service laws and classifications and be distinct from any other
positions that provide support for the provisions of this section, Section 10-16
of this charter, and any matters related thereto. THIS STAFF POSITION IS IN
ADDITION TO THE STAFF PROVIDED FOR THE PUBLIC ACCESS AND
OPEN SPACE COMMISSION IN THE HAWAII COUNTY CODE AT
SECTION
Comparing Hawaii County's 2% Land Fund program to Honolulu and Maui
and Kauai is like comparing apples to oranges to kumquats. Our island has
4000 square miles of land to Oahu's Oahu has only 600 square miles, less
open space and a much bigger tax base 1/2% is appropriate for that island.
Maui County's fund is 1`)/0. Maui is just over 700 square miles and has a
larger tax base; Kauai is roughly 500 square miles. Our shoreline access and
lands have been threatened by resort development where parking is now
limited at Kukio, the Mauna Lani, Kohanaiki and Hokulia to 30 cars per day.
Imagine if someone did that in Hilo at Richardsons? A resort was proposed
for PUnalu'u. There have been 186 properties proposed for acquisition to
the PONC commission and only 14 have been acquired. There is much work
to be done; we NEED a full time staff person. Putting a cap on the fund would
kill the fund because there would never be enough money to acquire
properties of any size.
I'll move on to comment on the 2% Land Fund program.
I know that you have received lots of emails from concerned citizens. At the
last meeting, Mr. Roherig asked why we supported the 1`)/0 Land Fund that
was proposed 10 years ago by the Charter Commission. WE wanted to make
sure that changes to the Land Fund program could only be approved by the
people, not at the whim of the mayor or county council. These lands are what
makes the Big Island one of the most beautiful places in the world. Our land
and water provide the foundation for our tourism industry. The Ala Kahakai
Trail is starting to be acquired around the island with 2% money. This could
be the basis for a 150 -mile long hiking trail round the island that would link
the national parks, like the Appalachian Trail.
The 2% Land Fund started when'Trust for a ubllic I,_ands (,,,rI""PI,,,,,,) did a
survey of Ih lawalili County residents to ask lif they would (like to see a 1 %
....and I.,",and or 2% I....aind Fund,. A airge irna„joirlity of residents said they
would want a 2% I....aind Fund because and lis so expensive on tie IB1ig
and. Sa iii iii money i e Stanbro I:� ii�o d o iii ated tie ii�e ii�no to T I.,,) I...... for tis survey.
2. The Save Our Lands Citizen's
Commiittee .,,, etiitiion riive
collected 9,600 sliginatuires from ApirliI to July of 2006. Thlis was duirliing
Ih
any Kms first term. County Clerk Co iii iii li e IKli irli u and County Co a iii se
I,,,,,,liincolin Ashlida disqualified almost 6,000 sliginatuires for Ieavliing off I
St. or I'ZJ, or lif husband and wlife used ditto marks for theliir address
when signing under each other or lif the year was left off, (we collected
sliginatuires from May to July so lit was only duirliing 2005 wlilicli made tie
year Iiimpllied and liirirelevaint)
3, VVe needed 4„400 sliginatuires, but because of the disqualified sliginatuires
we didn't get enough, The County Council l decided to pace tie ballot
measure on tie ballot for 2006 anyway.
4. Iaesplite the Corporation Counsel subimlittliing coinfusliing ballot lainguage
usliing double negatives, the amendment to the Code passed by 63% of
voters wile voted on tie issue and become Dart of tie HawaH County
Cade,.
5 n 2008 Mayor Ke no and the County Coundl suspended de posts to
the ""'und for two years as is very frst piece of egus atuan after taking
office because tie le4is ation was part of the h. awaH County Code,.
6. n 2010, tie Charter CommissJon put the and ""'und on the ballot again,
out only as the 1% and 'und. VVIE wanted tis to pass because t cou d
only be undone by a vote of tie people. Again tie _and ""'und passed
by 63% of voters, wile voted on tie measure,.
T. n 2012 to honor a I tie -people who §igned the -petitions and worked so
lard over tie years, Depple kcit and Brenda ""brd reakized we
needed to but the 2% ...and ""'und pack on the baHot as a Charter
Amendment, together wIti a 1/4% Madntenance ""'und. VVe wanted to
make sure the Coundl and Mayor couldn't stop fund de posts and a
ciarter amendment can on y be undone by a vote of tie people,. Again,
63% of voters approved boti measures. As part of tie 2% Land Fund
le4islation, every property optained wfth our taxpayer funds shall have a
covenant that runs wfth the and stating that hese lands are to be held
ii perpetufty for tie Citizens of the County of I- awall and cannot be sod,
traded, mortgaged etc,. Ths las a ready bloc.ced a potentia and trade
wfth the State of h.
8 The Madntenance ""'und was c arIfied ii the HawaH County Code ii 2016
to a ow the HOC CommissJon to review StewardSND Grants and to
recommend wici grants to approve to tie [)rector of H""'Inance,.
WE ask you to VOTE CA -7 t
hat
loner the 63% of people on t
H GUT the 2% _and ""'und program,.
and wile voted yes Three times.
case
VVe ask you to VOTE O'"(' CA -9 TO strengthen tie _and :::'und Program by
incuding language Ii tie ciarter to fund a fuH time staff person under the
jepartment of :::Inancewio w work OLY on the 2% _and :::'und program,.
Ma la o
De bbk Hkcit
808-989-3222
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