Comm No 0024.084 - Testimony - CA-9 - staff for PONC fund and Maintenance fund

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TESTIMONY OF RICK WARSHAUER TO CHARTER COMMISSION, 25JAN19 would really like to see the Charter Commission forwarding to the ballot some more measures that I could support—measures that would benefit the county's people and 'aina. CA -9 is one such constructive measure that would greatly enhance the PONC's Maintenance Fund. It centralizes the operations and administration of the PONC program within the Finance Department, which will refine this evolving program that actually responds to public requests to preserve meaningful lands. However, it would be pointless if the other two PONC measures before you succeed in altering the charter. As I testified December 14, CA -7 would gut the PONC program and relegate the program's funding to the momentary whims of the administration and council. CA -13 is equally appalling and most likely will result in similar defunding. You should not move either measure forward. notice in the county's county code website, that the PONC fund portions (Art. 42) are flanked by two other special funds: (1) the Disaster and Emergency Fund (Art. 41, to accumulate sufficient supplemental financial resources to respond to public health and safety emergencies) and (2) the Budget Stabilization Fund (Art. 43, to be used as a temporary, supplementary source of funds for times of financial hardships). These special funds already exist for the purposes purported in CA - 13. Successive administration's lack of fiscal discipline to correctly utilize these funds —that is not to raid them regularly—should not be an excuse to embed another raiding mechanism into the charter. Do not pass forward this pointless proposal. Kill it now. Contrast the negative nature of these proposals (CA -7 and CA -13) to the words of Gov. Ige in his state of the state message last Tuesday: "These places are worth saving for us and for future generations. That's why we are requesting increased funding for land conservation, by removing the $6.8 -million cap on the 10 -percent conveyance tax to the Legacy Land Conservation Program." In this age of wholesale off -shore purchase of our 'aina and wahi pana, Governor Ige recognizes the importance of preserving those special lands advocated for and nominated by the PEOPLE in the state's equivalent of the PONC program. Why can't you? These two land conservation programs, and those of Maui, Honolulu and Kauai counties, are very popular and vital. They are popular because they are the PEOPLE's small part of government where residents can have a big say in saving from development some of the wahi pana that they cherish. Residents nominate lands and advocate for them at meetings of their commissions. Do not confuse these land conservation processes with those that acquire lands for other public purposes like needed infrastructure, or even parks, which are usually taken from state lands. These lands are from the people's wishes for the people's future. Don't thwart them with destructive proposals. Please follow your hearts, not bad suggestions. Comm. No. 24.84