Hawaii County is seeking civic-minded residents to join action committees around the island to help shape policy for most of the island’s districts.
All districts in the county save for Hilo have developed Community Development Plans intended to implement the goals of the greater county General Plan on a local level. To facilitate this process, community members can join CDP Action Committees to help determine how those goals are carried out within their home districts.
County Planning Director Zendo Kern said via email the county is seeking applicants for Action Committees in all districts except Hilo who will serve terms of up to four years.
“The (Action Committees) are an integral part of the planning process as they provide an opportunity for the community to engage in civic dialogue and contribute to the identification of community priorities,” Kern wrote.
Puna Councilwoman Ashley Kierkiewicz said the Puna AC was heavily involved in gathering community feedback to develop the Kilauea Recovery and Resilience Plan following the 2018 eruption. She added that the county seeks “a variety of expertise” in committee applicants.
According to a county statement, members must be able to commit to quarterly evening meetings and must be able to “invest a minimum of eight hours of work each month advancing CDP implementation through priority projects and initiatives.”
Other desirable traits among prospective members include “a deep love for their community, a passion for equity and a motivation to work for the greater good of their community.”
Kierkiewicz said she hopes the county can bolster the effectiveness of the Action Committees, saying the different district committees remain separate and rarely if ever work as a collective unit. If they did collaborate frequently, she said, they could wok together to help advance legislative priorities for the county and identify priority projects for funding.
Kierkiewicz also noted the overall effectiveness of the Action Committees has been hampered recently by the pending update to the county’s General Plan, which currently is undergoing an extended public comment period through February before eventual consideration by the Windward and Leeward planning commissions.
She said she has asked the County Council to consider ways to improve the Action Committee framework in general, and other council members have questioned Hilo’s lack of a CDP during recent meetings.
Applications for the committees are accepted on a rolling basis. Members will be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council.
More information can be found and applications can be submitted at hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and-commissions.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.