HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-01-15.PCDP.ACMinutes.DRAFTHarry 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
Michael Yee
Director
Daryn Arai
Deputy Director
1 Tuesday, January 15, 2019
2 Draft Meeting Minutes
3
4
5 CALL TO ORDER
6 Chair Larry Brown called the Puna Community Development Plan (PCDP) Action Committee (AC) to
7 order at 5:03 p.m. in the Pahoa Neighborhood Facility.
8 ROLL CALL
9 Action Committee Members Present: Larry Brown (Chair), Frances Brewer (Vice), Michael Bernard, Dan
10 Domizio, Susan Osborne, Yumi Kawano, Leila Kealoha, Mark Hinshaw
11 Action Committee Members Absent -Excused: Brent Norris
12 Staff: CoH Planners - Keiko Mercado and Eric Cook. Also in attendance — Ron Whitmore,Deputy
13 Director of R&D; and Bob Agres, Manager for Disaster Recovery Community Engagement &
14 Collaboration.
15 Members of the public: 40
16 ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA: NONE
17 ANNOUNCEMENTS: Chair Brown announced that discussion on agenda item #1 was postponed.
18 Committee Member Brent Norris who was to provide the presentation on this agenda item, was
19 unable to attend the meeting.
20 PUBLIC COMMENT ON AGENDA ITEMS: 8 Members of the public provided testimony.
21 1. Mr. John Olson, representing himself, provided testimony on agenda items 1&2.
22 Item 1: Mr. Olson questioned why a discussion was needed about growing hemp as an
23 agricultural product in Puna since hemp production had been federally legalized.
24 Item 2: Mr. Olson stated that he did not believe the County was well enough prepared to
25 handle the eruption event. He stressed that the County should have convened a "table top" to
26 clarify roles and responsibilities during disaster response, and should still convene one to more
27 effectively outline response and communication to the public for future eruption events.
28
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29 2. Mr. Scott Malis, representing himself, provided testimony on agenda items 1&2.
30 Item 1: Mr. Malis stated that while farming is a concern, it cannot be addressed until we first
31 address reestablishing access to farmlands. He also stated that he believed farmers should be
32 allowed to return to their land and begin farming again. "Being covered by lava does not mean
33 the land is useless, all of the farmland we have was once covered by lava."
34 Item 2: Mr. Malis stated that he would like to see the roads that make up 4 -corners reopened.
35 He believes that reopening these roads would draw more tourism to the area, which would
36 then in turn bring more money back into the communities of Puna. Mr. Malis stated that it was
37 his understanding that FEMA would pay for 75% of the road reconstruction and the State of
38 Hawai'i would pay for the other 25%, we (the County) just need to request it.
39 3. Ms. Hannah Hedrick, representing the Upper Puna Emergency Response and Preparedness
40 Team, provided testimony on agenda item 2. Ms. Hedrick requested that an update on general
41 emergency response and connectivity issues be added to the March Action Committee meeting
42 agenda. Ms. Hedrick also shared that she is currently updating the Upper Puna Connectivity
43 and Emergency Response Plan as well as working on a proposal for inter -subdivision
44 connectivity and development of a linear park at the Fern Forest, Eden Rock connectivity point.
45 4. Ms. Eileen O'Hara, representing herself, provided testimony on agenda item 2. Ms. O'Hara
46 stated that the critical action needed in recovery is the reopening of roads. She emphasized the
47 need for more than one way in and out of Leilani Estates and the need to reopen Highway 132.
48 Ms. O'Hara also stated that Senator Russell Ruderman would be submitting a bill requesting
49 $15,000,000 to reopen Highway 132.
50 5. Mr. Kepa Kaeo provided testimony on agenda item 2. Mr. Kaeo stated there are many cultural
51 sites that Native Hawaiians need access to. Due to the eruption event they do not currently
52 have access. He asked whether any recovery funds had been distributed to the Department of
53 Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL). If yes, how could one access those funds. Mr. Kaeo stated that
54 they currently know of approximately 40-50 displaced Native Hawaiians who are in need of
55 homes. He is hoping that recovery funds could be used to provide housing for these individuals.
56 6. Ms. Smiley Burrows, representing Kapoho Crater, provided testimony on agenda item 2. Ms.
57 Burrows emphasized the importance of reopening the inundated roads in lower Puna including
58 Highway 132, Highway 137, and Pohoiki Road connecting to Highway 132. Ms. Burrows had
59 started a community petition to get Highway 132, Highway 137, and Pohoiki road reopened.
60 7. Mr. Kumalani Kekipi, provided testimony on agenda item 2. Mr. Kekipi shared a proposal
61 developed by the "Pahoa Community Cultural Revive Project". The proposal calls for the
62 creation of a cultural community gathering center at the former site of Luquin's Mexican
63 Restaurant and the Akebono Theater and would help stimulate the local economy and promote
64 Hawaiian culture. He also shared that a stage had been built at the site and that they were
65 eager to move forward as a community gathering place.
66 8. Ms. Braja Tarletz, representing Gaia Yoga Gardens and Pu'a'a Community and Roads
67 Association, provided testimony on agenda item 2. She stated that she and other residents in
68 her area needed Railroad Avenue to be reopened. Ms. Tarletz shared that the closing of
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69 Railroad Avenue had increased her commute time from 10 minutes to 40 minutes and urged
70 the reopening of Railroad Avenue.
71 APPROVAL OF MINUTES:
72 Committee Member Susan Osborne moved to approve the minutes of the November 14, 2018, meeting
73 as submitted. Second by Committee Member Mark Hinshaw. The motion to approve the minutes as
74 submitted passed with 8 votes aye, 0 votes nay.
75 BUSINESS:
76 1. Opportunities to advance mixed-use agricultural development as it relates to the Puna CDP: This
77 business item was not addressed at the meeting because Committee Member Norris who was
78 to lead the presentation and discussion was unable to attend. Testimony was accepted and will
79 be provided to AC members again when the item is re-agendized.
80 2. Update on the Kilauea eruption recovery process: Bob Agres, Keiko Mercado and Eric Cook
81 provided a presentation outlining the Kilauea Eruption Recovery process to date. To date the
82 Kilauea Recovery Community Engagement Team has participated in 31 'Ghana Talk Story
83 Sessions and heard from over 300 Puna residents, businesses, and cultural practitioners. The
84 team has also received input from over 200 students from Kea'au High School. Kua 0 Ka La,
85 Hawai'i Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Boys & Girls Club of Pahoa. The input gathered
86 from the following communities: Ainaloa, Ala'ili, Black Sands, Hawaiian Beaches, Hale
87 Kamahina, Hamakua, Hawaiian Paradise Park, Hawaiian Shores, Hilo, Ka Wai a Pele, Kalapana,
88 Kamoleao, Kapoho, Lanipuna Gardens, Leilani Estates, Lighthouse Road, Malama Ki, Mt. View,
89 Nanawale, Noni Farms Road, Papaya Farms Road, Pohoiki, Seaview, the Continent,
90 Vacationland, and Volcano.
91 The presentation included examples of themes/topics that had emerged, as well as the larger
92 questions those themes brought to light regarding the recovery process moving forward. Four
93 of the over -arching questions that arose from the community were: What infrastructure should
94 be rebuilt and where?; How do we preserve our cultural resources?; What economic
95 development strategies should be employed long term?; and What permanent housing needs
96 remain, and where should they be addressed?
97 Ron Whitmore, Deputy Director of Research and Development, provided a brief update on the
98 status of Highway 132. The current plan is to reevaluate hazards in early April (2019) and make
99 decisions on the best course of action regarding the reopening of Highway 132. In the
100 meantime, the County is exploring a variety of methods for temporary access roads and
101 connection points that provide access to areas currently isolated by the recent flow. Mr.
102 Whitmore stated that Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) is considering options that limit their
103 liability while allowing residents access through their property. He also shared that PGV has
104 plans to reopen, but that would likely be several years down the line.
105 The rest of the presentation laid out the next steps of the recovery process and the Action
106 Committee's role and responsibility to prioritize the Puna CDP goals in relation and response to
107 the 2018 Kilauea 2018 eruption event.
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108 Gregg Murphy of Blue Planet Energy shared his experience working with disaster recovery in
109 Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria. Blue Plant's mission is to unlock the grid and create
110 resilient communities through the creation of micro grids. Mr. Murphy described how the
111 community leaders in Puerto Rico worked together taking recovery efforts into their own hands
112 funding from their government was sparse. The micro grid systems they set up in Puerto Rico
113 served to help small rural communities become more independent and resilient when faced
114 with future disasters. Mr. Murphy emphasized that these same levels of success are possible on
115 Hawai'i Island.
116 At the conclusion of the presentation the Action Committee was asked what additional support
117 they would need to support their prioritization of the Puna CDP goals moving forward. Aside
118 from an in depth report on the data collected through the community engagement process,
119 the Action Committee requested details on inundated roads (parties responsible, funding
120 options), a presentation from USGS outlining the current geological situation post eruption,
121 and the scientific access and safety implications moving forward.
122
Committee Member Kealoha suggested that the AC members sit down with the recovery team
123
individually to more closely review and consider the public input that has been gathered from
124
the community during the recovery process.
125
To view and download the presentation use the following link:
126
http://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/doc/97357/Pagel.aspx
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AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING: (March 5, 2019)
128
1.
Connectivity and Emergency Response in Puna.
129
2.
Draft letter from the Action Committee to support the reopening of the inundated roads in
130
lower Puna.
131
3.
In depth look at inundated roads in lower Puna, and the implications involved in reopening the
132
roads.
133
4.
Opportunities to advance mixed-use agricultural development as it relates to the Puna CDP.
134 ADJOURNMENT: Chair Brown adjourned the meeting at 7:06 p.m.
135 All Action Committee information can be viewed and downloaded from our website:
136 http://www.hawaiicountycdp.info/puna-cdp/implementation/puna-cdp-action-committee
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