Morning, everyone, welcome to the committee meetings of June 18th.

Uh, we're gonna start off with our planning committee, Mr.

Bulasan.

I'd like to call the planning committee to order directly like all members are present except for excuse member councilmember Calvalo.

Um can I get the first and only item, please?

Bill number 2954, a bill for an ordinance amending chapter six, Article 14, Hawaii County Code 1987 is amended relating to the public access open space natural resources preservation fund.

Move to approve second.

Um we are here in the committee meeting.

Is there uh yep, it looks like we have Jody.

Um is there any update you want to start with?

Or yeah?

Yeah.

I'll suspend the rules.

Hi, Shaleya Koga on behalf of the planning department.

Um so just to give you a brief overview of this, um, this proposal is to amend the count Kawhi County Code Chapter 6, Article 14 of the Public Access Open Space Natural Resources Preservation Fund.

And this is basically to just align the Kwai County Code with the charter amendment that um was put on the ballot in November of 2024 and then was passed with a majority vote.

And so this is basically gonna implement um the charter amendment.

And so with this, if this is to pass, then the intent of the proposed ordinance is to if it's passed, go back to the open space commission and they'll set up administrative rules and a program that will they'll issue to help support nonprofit stewards with the maintenance of uh the maintenance of the acquisitions that are acquired by the fund.

And so no other properties will be able to use the five percent of the open space fund.

And so there's only about I would say like five or six properties that would qualify under this.

Um if you have any questions, we're happy to have questions, council members.

Thank you so much, Shalea and Jody, for your work on this.

And um, so let's just so I understand five percent of the open space fund, that would be what would come out of the whole year, which is 0.5% of the um revenue from the real property tax.

Five uh uh yes, so it's at any given time, whatever the fund has at the time.

So if we buy an acquisition and there's less money in the fund, it would be five percent of whatever that amount is.

Okay, so it's whatever the remaining amount is.

And so if I'm just trying to understand, I'm not I'm very supportive of this.

Let's say there's five parks, and there's five percent of the remaining amount is a hundred thousand dollars.

Would you kind of go 202020 or would it be like um uh hold on five percent?

Like what I'm just saying, does there's just amount how do you know which goes to which parks or like can one part grab most of it or so it would basically be used for the nonprofit stewards to apply through, and that's the program that we would set up in the open space administrative rules.

And so right now we don't have any stewards for these.

And so there's no if say we only had two stewards and they applied, however, the rules were set up, then they would get the money.

Okay, and so they would evaluate whether they they need to get a new mower and a weed whacker, or they would they would in their application correct?

They would say what they need and why they need it, yeah, and it would be evaluated that way.

Yeah.

And if there is only two applicants, then there's a little bit more funding, possibly, but they wouldn't get more than what they need.

Right.

Hey, and the intent of this was to kind of uh support stewards of particular areas or of the acquisitions that have formerly you know express interest to help support you know maintenance of the acquired properties, but they just we just didn't have a means to s provide any so you know monies to them to purchase weed whackers or new supplies in order to you know um replace ropes at Kamuomene, for instance, things like that.

So it was a means to allow um limited amount of funds to be able to support stewards who wanted to come forward and and volunteer to maintain some of our acquired properties.

Thank you.

Councilmember Codio.

You don't see this as like a perpetual maintenance cost, right?

Like every year the same guys are gonna get X number of dollars.

It's like they have to specify what they need it for, why they need it this year, and then based on their what they're asking for, then they'd be able to get a portion, right?

Right.

I think it's it's it will probably have to set up a budget similar to you know, through budget the budget cycle, because we'll have to assess how much is in the fund, you know, in order to allocate that 55%, and through that, then you know, roll out every year.

I this is just what I mean, this is just off the cuff, but we're probably have to massage it a lot with the open space commission, but most likely we'll have to create a annual process where stewards would seek X amount for what other purpose.

Any other questions, Councilmember?

I mean, it doesn't impact the budget in a sense because the five percent is the five percent.

I mean, I'm sorry, yeah.

The the this is off of the what what is put into that fund every year, so it's not gonna be mounting every year.

It's just whatever's in that fund, five percent can be used.

Right now, it's not only for stewardships, right?

I mean, the county could use these funds as well on parcels that are do not have dedicated stewards.

Um for example, the HANA Pepe parcels that we just purchased or we're purchasing.

I mean, the county could utilize that funds as well, right?

Um, I because I mean I don't see where there's a prohibition or that it is only limited to nonprofits.

Well, especially because it is open space monies, right?

And that it's a special different fund which which requires you know you your folks approval.

I think it we we we foresee it rolling out as not you know to supplement any other department's budget, but just you know, it's a means to you know help support maintaining specific open space acquired properties.