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From: He r ickHNECA(ia),aol.com To: puna-cdp-participants@hawaiicountycdp.info CC: jen.ruggles@hawaiicounty.gov, eileen.ohara@hawaiicounty.gov, valerie.poindexter@hawaiicounty.gov, rterry@hawaii.rr.com, tcallis@hawaiitribune-herald.com, jhansel@hawaiitribune-herald.com, dyanahilliard@gmail.com, fcommend@yahoo.com, t1boyles1@yahoo.com, nannettesavage55@gmail.com, stephbath@gmail.com, pintonian@gmail.com, mhapai@aol.com Sent: 5/9/2017 1:04:12 A.M. Hawaiian Standard Time Subj: Re: Puna -CDP -participants Digest, Vol 79, Issue 1, PCD�P AC meeting, Connectivity Thank you so much for posting PCDP AC meeting information, Tuesday, May 9, 3:00, Keaau Community Center, on our list serve. I encourage all those involved with developing the PCDP attend this meeting to learn how their issues are being addressed. I hope there will be an opportunity to talk about Inter -subdivision Connectivity (in addition to S. Lauko connectivity between Fern Acres and Highway 11). As we know from Tom Calllis' article in a late March HTH, the State DOT Deputy Director Ed Sniffen refused to release the $15 million appropriated for Puna roads because using the funds for upper Puna inter-subdivsion connectivity "could impact priority projects, such as improving Highway 130." In the meantime, nearly 9 years after passage of the PCDP AC and 9 months after the County Council emphasized the importance of implementing the PCDP priorities related to inter - subdivision connectivity, not one single connection has been planned in detail, much less completed. For the past year, residents of Fern Forest and Eden Roc have been trying to communicate with their respective "roads" Boards about removing the barriers blocking the connectivity location at lower Kaleponi/Punahele (Road 17). Jennifer Ruggles attended an Eden Roc roads board meeting and heard the president and vice-president (the only Board members in attendance) adamantly refused to remove the concrete barricade blocking Punahele/Road 17. She later visited the site and saw the rusty debris and overturned van the Fern Forest Board placed at the Fern Forest boundary. Volunteers had spent more than 100 hours preparing a "visual represenation" of the existing roadway, pulling out rusted car parts, breaking down massive berms of huge boulders and dirt, and hauling away invasive species, including Himalayan raspberry. At its May 6 meeting, the Fern Forest roads board announced that when the rusty debris and van are removed, (with assistance from Solid Waste and Recycling departments), it will spend mandatory road fees to purchase a $2500 concrete structure to prevent residents with family members and properties in both subdivisions from having access to them. Past boards have also illegally blocked this existing convenient access to employment, education, health care services, early responders and emergency vehicles, etc.