Wizard.

Okay.

Okay.

I think we got everybody.

We have two items on today's agenda.

Since these two items are 7D presentations with no legislative action, we will jump straight into opening remarks and presentations before receiving testimony and then followed by discussion.

Okay, so the first item, transitioning Kalawell County to Maui County.

In 2019, we made the effort to hold committee uh committee meetings in the district that the item uh was most related to so that we could be in the community more and give folks in-person access.

So Mahalo uh to my colleagues for making the trek over to Molokai for this important legislation, and I hope to continue to provide these opportunities to our islands so that we are on Molokai more often uh for our community.

While no votes will be taken today, the goal of today's meeting is to bring everyone together to make clear the intention and expectations of the Kalawell County transitioning into Maui County.

Last February, this uh committee scheduled uh this item as its first ever agenda item on Granicas on our website.

Uh, you'll find the first five items are from last February's meeting.

The intention of last year's meeting was to provide background on Kalawau County, explain the roles and responsibilities of each of the departments that operate there, and to start the discussion on the transition.

In the 2025 session, the Department of Health introduced SB 1432 and HB uh companion bill HB 1113, both of which are posted on today's agenda.

SB 1432 was ushered through the Senate committees despite testimony from myself and administration requesting a pause to get better a better understanding on responsibilities and potential costs Maui County may be expected to assume with the transition.

My office spent 2025 working on getting those questions answered so that our council and the admin uh administration could be better prepared to support the bills.

On Granicus, you will find correspondence that provides information to those questions from the National Park Service and the Department of Hawaiian Homelands, as well as the current MOU with NPS from our Department of Fire, and we're still waiting on the Department of Police to transmit their MOUs with uh NPS.

Representative Mahina Poipoy has confirmed that she plans to recall SB 1432 to be heard in the House's water and land committee after crossover, and that's where it left off last session.

Um this will allow additional opportunity to gather community feedback prior to the hearing.

She has proposed amendments to the bill that will extend the county's transition timeline to allow uh to align with the Department of Health two-year transition period as well as add language to allow Maui County to request funding to help offset transition related costs.

Additionally, she plans to suggest incorporating annual community meetings involving the Department of Health and other relevant agencies to provide updates on transition planning and activities, along with general updates on their respective Kulana in Kalawal County.

Again, there is no legislative plan uh action plan for today, but we hope that all parties here take the opportunity to clarify any questions they may have on the record.

Joining us for both um agenda items today are Nancy Holman, Kalau Papa Superintendent, National Park Service, Nancy McPherson, Planner and Community Liaison, Department of Hawaii Hop Hawaiian Homelands Planning Office, Ryan Kanakaole, Acting Chair, Department of Land and Natural Resources, and representatives from the State Department of Health, including Debbie Morikawa, Deputy Deputy Director, Health Resources Administration, and Doc uh Dr.

Diane Felton, Chief Communicable Disease and Public Health Nursing Division, Baron Shann, Chief Hansen's disease branch, and Michael Casey, planner, Hansen's disease branch.

And as I mentioned earlier, we have online managing director Josiah Nishita and Public Affairs Director Mahina Martin.

If there are no objections, I would like to designate the individuals just introduced, including our managing director and public affairs director as resource persons under Rule 18A of the rules of the council.

Are there any objections?

No objections.

Mahalo members.

Followed by Ms.

Holman from NPS and Deputy Director Moreikawa.

Okay.

And then I'll ask members to please uh save your questions until uh after we close public testimony.

After we receive opening remarks from all the individuals, I just listed public testimony for everyone to speak to this item.

I see McPherson on.

Aloha, Mahalo for joining us.

Oh, sorry, Ekalamai.

Aloha Kakau, uh Kako, Councilwoman Rollins Fernandez, Comique Alohaina members, staff, and community members.

For the record, my name is Nancy McPherson.

I'm a land use and environmental planner and the DHHL Planning Office.

Mahalo for the opportunity to offer some comments today on behalf of DHHL.

We did submit a letter yesterday afternoon responding to your Comike's request for information.

And I won't uh recite that in its entirety here, but I'm just gonna uh summarize and read the first two paragraphs if that's okay.

Excuse me.

The State Department of Hawaiian Homelands takes our Kuleana for the Trust Lands in Kalapapa very seriously.

The DHHL staff and administrators have been participating in multi-agency transition planning meetings since 2015.

Based on past discussions with the National Park Service, the State Department of Land and Natural Resources, State Department of Health, and the County of Maui Mayor's Office regarding transitioning post Department of Health.

DHL anticipates that very little, if anything would change for the County of Maui from current responsibilities.

NPS would continue to operate, maintain, and upgrade the electrical water, wastewater telecommunications and transportation systems and facilities in the peninsula and would assume all operations and maintenance responsibilities for structures and infrastructure upon the department departure of Department of Health.

DHL relies on NPS compliance with the terms and conditions of General Lease 231 for management of DHHL lands in Kalopapa, which contain most of the Kalapapa settlement structures and infrastructure.

NPS has site control over TMK 610101 in its entirety and is responsible for maintaining structures and facilities under its purview.

As the remaining facilities and structures transition from DOH to NPS, DHHL will continue to meet monthly with both agencies to assist with coordination and communication so that the transition process can proceed in a logical and coherent manner.

So we did uh concur with all the um understandings about uh the extent of county responsibility, um those first four items and uh first three actually and then the fourth item, which in the proposed legislation um the statement that the county will extend its authority to Kalawau County for activity within the special management area.

Um we uh have to assert um the Hawaiian homes commission's authority over land use and zoning on Hawaiian Homelands.

So per the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920 as amended, the Hawaiian Homes Commission has exclusive control over land use and zoning on Hawaiian Homelands.

Um, and there's a citation there for a uh Hawaii State Supreme Court decision.

When a statute or ordinance is clearly contrary to the interests of Native Hawaiian beneficiaries, it is in conflict with the act and therefore of no effect.

DHL's current position is that projects on Hawaiian homelands within the SMA are not subject to county SMA and shoreline rules.

DHL is currently participating in a NOAA funded project with the State Office of Planning and Sustainable Development to explore a pathway forward for clarifying DHL's jurisdiction on Hawaiian homelands within the SMA and along the shoreline.

We did express some concerns about uh the administration of the SMA and shoreline rules for topside Molokai relative to uh capacity and access and timing and scheduling, and uh we also address uh environmental uh CZM concerns in environmental review processes such as HEPA and NEPA, and we work closely with the National Park Service on HRS Chapter 343, Chapter 205A, and Chapter 6E compliance, um, as well as NEPA and Section 106 compliance for all NPS projects on Hawaiian Homelands.