Some 18 months after the county called a halt to filling citizen boards that advise the government on planning and design because the administration wanted to take a hard look at how the boards can best be used, the county has filled some of the regional boards but is actively searching for volunteers for the Kona and Puna boards in particular.
A press release Wednesday from Mayor Mitch Roth’s office asked for volunteers living in Kona and Puna to step forward for consideration.
To apply, residents are asked to visit https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and-commissions or contact Pomaika‘i Bartolome at pbartolome@hawaiicounty.gov.
The island’s six regional Community Development Plan action committees implement the CDPs that direct physical development and public improvements and may contain detailed land use and zoning guide maps, plans for roadways, parks, other infrastructure and public facilities, planning for watersheds and natural resources and any other land use matters relating to the planning area.
The mayor’s office is seeking action committee members willing to make a number of commitments, the press release said: A commitment of up to four years, the ability to attend quarterly evening meetings and devote a minimum of eight hours a month advancing CDP implementation through priority projects and initiatives.
In addition, the county seeks personal commitment from individuals who possess “a deep love for their community, a passion for equity and a motivation to work for the greater good of their community,” as well as a learning commitment to “attend training workshops relative to facilitation, network development, local government, planning processes, equitable community engagement and work with the community to identify other capacity-building needs and opportunities, an action commitment to “develop priorities and a work plan to implement community actions in the CDPs, intentionally and explicitly engage all factions of their community with specific attention to those who are marginalized and underrepresented and organize and attend public meetings and workshops.”
The county also wants a collaboration commitment “willing and able to be a point of contact for CDP and AC initiatives, develop partnerships with individuals, non-profits, businesses, and community groups/associations, transmit project updates and involvement opportunities regularly to their CDP region, document and share lessons learned/successes with CDP ACs around the island and agree to follow meeting ground rules and operating principles of the Action Committee and Planning Department,” according to the press release. Some of the committees have resumed meetings, but noticeable gaps in membership have kept other CDP committees inactive. After announcing in March, 2021, that it would no longer work to fill the committees, the county announced in August, 2022, it would no longer staff them.
In particular, the North Kohala CDP action committee is operating with only one of nine positions filled, and that by a holdover member, whose position has expired, but is serving until a replacement can be named. The Puna CDP action committee has four vacancies and four holdovers on its nine-member board. The status of the Kona CDP action committee couldn’t be ascertained by press-time Friday, as links to the committee return error reports.
The announcements had raised concerns in West Hawaii in particular, with various community members as well as Kona Councilman Rebecca Villegas weighing in on the matter.
“I’m deeply grateful for the leadership of April Suprenaut in Long Term Planning, and her commitment to reinvigorating our CDP Action Committees,” Villegas said Saturday. “I’m also hopeful that more passionate, perceptive and capable members of our community will answer the call and step up to serve in one of these vital roles. The future of our island home depends on it, literally.”
Other county officials couldn’t be reached for comment Friday, a holiday vacation for some government workers.
Both the CDP action committees and the Kailua Village Design Commission are set in county law, so any substantial changes would require a bill through the County Council.