Kaʻū News Briefs, Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Makahiki Grounds near Nāʻālehu are PONC acquired lands stewarded by ʻOlu Kohu, which testified in support of more stewardship funding and PONC management. Photo by Kahea Kaʻawa

LAND PURCHASES FOR PRESERVATION AND STEWARDSHIP RECEIVED UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FROM TESTIFIERS IN KAʻŪ on Friday. All eight Kaʻū residents speaking to the County of Hawaiʻi Charter Commission favored changes to support Public Access, Open Space, and Natural Resources Preservation.
     The PONC commission met in Nāʻālehu to seek public comment on a variety of proposed amendments to the county's charter. About 20 Kaʻū residents attended. Chairman Doug Adams reported receiving more than 500 comments on 27 proposed Charter Amendments. Those approved by the commission will be placed on the ballot for the November 2020 election.
     All testifiers spoke in favor of Charter Amendment-9 to create a position for one full-time staff member to work for PONC within the county Department of Finance. At present, PONC work is performed by a staff member with other duties. Supporters of CA-9 said a full-time staff person would cost the fund about $100,000 per year. More than one staff person could deplete the fund, which is primarily for land acquisition. John Vose from Ocean View said "a multi-million-dollar program - which PONC is - needs the full and undivided attention of at least one full-time staff person. The duties are far too important to be done in between other Finance Department tasks. The staff person needs to be focused on one very important job in order to do it to a high standard."

John Vose said PONC deserves a full time staff member. Photo by Annie Bosted

     Renee Dufault, a teacher at Kaʻū High, testified that the PONC fund should be kept separate from Mayoral and County politics to stop raids on the fund.
     Keoni Fox told the commission that he supports a full-time staff position as the county needs at least one person to carry all the responsibility. He said that the PONC program has huge potential to grow, and he wants to see it succeed.
     Annie Bosted, from Ocean View, pointed out that a full-time employee could save the county millions of dollars by applying for matching funds. She noted that when PONC bought the Kahuku Makai property, the county spent about three quarters of a million dollars to acquire a property worth $2.6 million - the rest was paid with state and federal grants. The price of Kāwā, the coastal property between Nāʻālehu and Punaluʻu, was nearly $4 million, but the county paid less than $2 million, thanks to grants.
     Testifiers also favored CA-18, which would transfer the administration of the PONC maintenance fund from the county's Department of Parks and Recreation to Finance. The fund receives half a percent of all property taxes collected, which amounts to about $500,000 per year. At present the balance in the fund is close to three million, which, critics say, points to poor management. Since 2013, only six organizations have received grants, which amounts to nine per cent of all monies deposited in the maintenance fund.

Kāwā is one of the PONC properties with stewardship by a nonprofit organization. Photo by Julia Neal

     Tomislav Gracanin of Ocean View, Chairman of the Cave Conservancy of Hawaiʻi, testified that "these resources right now are maintained by enthusiastic volunteers at no cost to the County. They do it at their own expense, and spend enormous amounts of time on important projects. These include invasive plant removal, garbage cleanup, resource evaluation (including plants, animals, cultural features, underground resources). This is a great deal for the County! So I do support the use of funds as proposed in CA-18 for controlled reimbursement for managers of 501(c)3 organizations that spend lots of time and money planning and organizing projects."
     John Repogle, of Ocean View, a Windward Planning Commission member who formerly worked for The Nature Conservancy, testified that the issue of building or providing toilet facilities on PONC lands needs to be addressed.
     Dennis Riordan, a County Park Maintenance Supervisor for Kaʻū, pointed out that PONC controls a lot of land. He said that we need to take care of it and make sure it is being protected, by keeping the PONC fund going. He advocated hiring a second full-time employee to inspect the properties.

Keoni Fox, seen here with petroglyphs on PONC's Kahuku Makai property, testified in support of PONC stewardship funding and management Photo by Annie Bosted

     Aina Akamu, a Kaʻū High teacher and volunteer for Kahua ‘Olohu, who cares for the Makahi Grounds PONC property on the eastern edge of Nāʻālehu, advocated keeping all PONC management and administration in the same county department. He explained that voluntary stewardship is a big commitment involving hard work, such as mowing, fencing and a "robust application for stewardship." It takes about two years for a stewardship grant to be awarded.
     Dufault advocated "giving power to the people at the community level," saying that they are the best ones to protect important cultural resources.
     Vose told the commission he favors the maintenance fund being administered by the County Department of Finance rather than Parks and Recreation. He said, "Parks and Recreation's track record is not up to standard. The department appears to lack the expertise to manage the maintenance grants." He also talked about timing of releasing money for stewardship. Submitting the budget to the County is based on a calendar year. "When they get their money in September, as happens, that only leaves four months which is definitely not enough time to accomplish a year's worth of tasks. These delays have caused frustration among groups of volunteers."
     Bosted agreed, adding, "I understand that there is $3 million in the stewardship fund, yet money is not being awarded to all the non-profit groups that steward the lands. Many applicants are turned down, and others must wait 'till September or so for the grants that they were awarded."
     Fox testified that Open Space lands are not parks, but natural resources, and so should not be managed as parks.
     Charter commissioners who attended the meeting were Doug Adams (Chair), Jennifer Zelko-Schlueter (Vice Chair), Billy Bergin, Paul K. Hamano, Kevin D. Hopkins, Michelle Galimba (who represents Kaʻū), Sally Rice, and Bobby Jean Leithead Todd. Three commissioners did not attend.
     Two Charter Commission public hearings remain, tomorrow, Wednesday, April 3 at Kona Council Chambers at 5 p.m. and Thursday, Hilo Council Chambers at 5 p.m.

Keoni Fox, who helps steward PONC lands in Kaʻū, gave testimony to the County Charter Commission.     Photo by Julia Neal

EXTENDING COUNTY COUNCIL TERMS TO FOUR YEARS got the cold shoulder at last Friday's County Charter hearing in Nāʻālehu. Testifiers supported keeping the two-year terms.
     Aina Akamu told the commission that council members need to be more involved in their constituencies, adding, "Kaʻū is used to being forgotten."
     John Vose said, "I am firmly convinced that a council member that faces re-election every two years is far more likely to stay in touch with the needs of his or her constituents, than one who faces re-election only once in an eight-year term."
     Tomislav Gracanin agreed, saying, "I do not support increasing the term from two to four years. The shorter term makes Council members more responsive to voters."

HELICOPTER NOISE CANCELLING TECHNOLOGY could help reduce noise along aerial tour routes over residential areas, according to Senate Bill 1069 SD1 HD1. The bill would establish a tax credit for a helicopter with any modification or equipment installed to reduce noise.
     The tax credit would be available 2020 and 2021. The bill would also establish "a tour helicopter surcharge," and "a helicopter noise-canceling technology system special fund."
     If the bill passes the third reading in the state House of Representatives, it will go to the governor's desk for approval.
     The House Finance Committee passed the measure on Friday, March 29. The House Judiciary Committee removed a proposed prohibition of "commercial flights of tour helicopters within one mile of residential neighborhoods" between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. Monday through Saturday, and between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m. on Sundays and holidays.

Residents testify helicopter flight noise disrupts  their lives. Photo from Big Island Video News

     Residents of Hawaiʻi Island, especially those in flight paths near Kīlauea, have spent years protesting helicopter noise, stating their quality of life is negatively impacted. Residents of other islands also complain to the state regarding helicopter noise.
     Helicopter companies contend the Federal Aviation Administration is the only entity with authority to govern U.S. airspace.
     Hawaiʻi County Mayor Harry Kim testified "noise canceling technology… might be welcome news, if it makes a meaningful difference." He "regrets" prohibitions on flight times were removed, and asked the Committee on Finance "be as stringent as reasonably possible. To qualify for the benefit of a tax credit, the helicopter industry must become a responsible and considerate corporate member of our community, and it is not there yet."

Mayor Harry Kim submitted testimony, asking for  stringency in rules about helicopter noise.  Photo from Big Island Video News

     Paradise Helicopters testified that "helicopter noise canceling technology currently does not exist," that the bill does not provide "the necessary guidelines to help reduce or mitigate noise, instead it penalizes both businesses and the consumer by placing a surcharge per seat that will make an already large expense even more expensive."
     Safari Aviation of Hilo and Lihue, Kauaʻi, testified that early morning complaints will continue as "the offenders are often self-labeled 'media flights' that both the National Parks and the FAA fail to properly regulate," and that "the State of Hawaiʻi seems intent on challenging the federal preemption of all aviation activities, as it seeks ways to discriminate between and among operators."
     Jeannine Johnson testified as an individual: "My neighborhood experiences loud invasions of helicopter noise on a daily, even hourly, basis. It is more than just a nuisance. It negatively impacts our quality of life, afflicting our health with undue stress, disrupting our sleep, and depriving us the right to the quiet enjoyment of our homes. If I had neighbors as noisy as the helicopters who fly incessantly overhead, I could ask HPD for help. I've called the FAA to report noisy helicopters at 11 p.m., 4 a.m., and many times in-between without relief. Is it fair that residents have to suffer endlessly while the helicopter industry suffers no consequences? So although I support Senate Bill 1069, all commercial flights of tour helicopters within one mile of a residential neighborhood should be prohibited, period."

Calvin Dorn, owner and pilot of Paradise Helicopters.  Photo from Big Island Video News

     Michael Schabel testified as an individual: "I oppose this bill because it is a bill that is being pushed with no real substance to it and no research that went into it. Decibel levels are never mentioned and it is clearly a viewpoint of some people that have a bias against an industry that employs many people."
     Michelle Matson testified as an individual: "Commercial tour helicopter operators repeatedly fly as low as 300 feet over residential areas, constituting helicopter harassment that causes unbearable living conditions for thousands of Island residents and places the health and well-being of entire communities at stake… Flight altitudes must be increased significantly and flight patterns must be controlled. Flight distance from residential communities and natural land forms must be increased... The FAA Flight Standards District Office, state Airports Division, and state Health Department need to work collectively to remedy helicopter tour noise impacts on Hawai‘i's communities… The affected residents, schools and businesses in Hawai‘i's impacted communities cannot wait another year for this to happen."
     Read the bill and testimony. Read more in Aug. 17, 2018, Kaʻū News Briefs.

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A SURVEY ON COMMUNITY SATISFACTION WITH SAFETY in Hawaiʻi County is open through Tuesday, April 30 at 4 p.m. Every three years, Hawaiʻi Police Department asks the public questions on how safe Hawaiʻi Island is, if or how residents have had contact with police, and their characterization of the interaction.