10-22-2010, 02:19 AM
CoH to HPP: Trust Us.
10/21/10
I attended the Hawaiian Paradise Park BoD meeting at which Mayor Kenoi’s assistant Hunter Bishop and Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason described the goal of putting a park in HPP as part of a $56 million bond currently before council. The portion of the bond intended for improvements within HPP is $5.5 million.
Hunter Bishop led off with describing the unmet needs in HPP and the county’s desire to acquire a 20 acre parcel for a public park. HPP would be required to donate the 20 acres to the county. Hunter made the point that the HPP board needed to make a decision soon.
I would personally very much like to see Paradise Park acquire a nicely developed 20 acre recreational area. Once completed the yet to be named park would be operated and maintained by Parks & Recreation Department. It is long, long over due. But pay attention to the details.
Emily Naeole-Beason stood and said that she needs the support of HPP at council and that Brenda Ford was trying to take the $5.5 million to Kona and that Emily was fighting hard to keep the money for Puna.
Three things about the presentation cause me concern and I would like to have the residents of HPP, their Board of Directors and the public at large simply consider some history, facts and current Herald Tribune news.
1. It was eight years ago, during another election year, that Mainstreet Pahoa Association deeded 56 acres to the County of Hawaii for a district park. I was on the Board of Directors at the time and personally added my signature to the release of the property to the county. We were told to “Trust us” and we did just that. Eight years later nothing has happened. The land sits doing nothing. Our community, frustrated by the lack of performance by the Department of Parks and Recreation, turned our attention to building the Pahoa Skate Park and as you know we completed it. But the 56 acres remain to this day neglected. Promise not kept. It became an investment in cynicism.
2. While Pahoa’s unused land donation sat these past years it became a bit of a political football with current and past council representatives wanting to use it for purposes other than a district park. Most recently, just this past summer, Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason was proposing placing a homeless shelter on the same donated park land. These are facts. I am not against a homeless shelter but the land was gifted to the county for a district park.
3. Councilwoman Naeole-Beason’s description of Brenda Ford attempting to “take the the 5.5 to Kona” and that Emily had to fight her for it is at odds with the recent Herald-Tribune article on the topic.
(http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/arti...ocal02.txt)
According to the Trib: At council Brenda Ford made a motion for the borrowed money to be specifically earmarked for the Mayor’s priority projects. Quoting the paper:
“"We, the council, need to know where this money is going, and our constituents need to know," said South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford.
Ford proposed amending the bill to tie funding to the projects Kenoi has prioritized and prevent the administration from diverting it.
"It's our responsibility to make sure we know what's going on," she said.
In talking with people actually at the council hearing absolutely no attempt was made by Brenda Ford to divert funds from an HPP park to Kona. The opposite actually occurred and Brenda Ford attempted to have the funding specified for the HPP park. Brenda’s motion to specify the funding was defeated with Councilwoman Naeole-Beason voting against it.
When Hunter Bishop was asked by the HPP BoD about the promised $5.5 million possibly being used for other purposes Hunter admitted that the funds were not dedicated and could in fact be used in other ways and implied that if the HPP BoD doesn’t come together and hand over the 20 acres the money could go somewhere else. Actually as it stands the money could go somewhere else even if HPP deeds over the land. This project is in the conceptual stage or even pre conceptual stage.
Having been on the short end of county promises eight years ongoing I want to offer some small advice to the HPP BoD. Some of whom are recently elected, just as I was eight years past, and I would like to see HPP succeed where Pahoa did not.
Get a lawyer.
Examine as quickly as possible at least three things. A) Can the transfer of 20 acres be done in a manner that 100% restricts the future use to a public recreational park. B) Can the transfer of the 20 acres to the CoH contain legal contingencies which obligate the CoH to actually complete the park within a reasonable amount of time or, failing that, the land would revert back to the HPP Association. C) Can HPPOA have practical approval of the development plan.
Hunter indicated that a dedicated use might be acceptable - he had to check. Hunter also indicated that conditions of actual performance might be a deal killer. It is my belief that in numerous locations property has transferred from private to public hands with performance conditions included.
CoH to HPP: Trust Us.
Pahoa to HPP: Get a lawyer. Please.
10/21/10
I attended the Hawaiian Paradise Park BoD meeting at which Mayor Kenoi’s assistant Hunter Bishop and Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason described the goal of putting a park in HPP as part of a $56 million bond currently before council. The portion of the bond intended for improvements within HPP is $5.5 million.
Hunter Bishop led off with describing the unmet needs in HPP and the county’s desire to acquire a 20 acre parcel for a public park. HPP would be required to donate the 20 acres to the county. Hunter made the point that the HPP board needed to make a decision soon.
I would personally very much like to see Paradise Park acquire a nicely developed 20 acre recreational area. Once completed the yet to be named park would be operated and maintained by Parks & Recreation Department. It is long, long over due. But pay attention to the details.
Emily Naeole-Beason stood and said that she needs the support of HPP at council and that Brenda Ford was trying to take the $5.5 million to Kona and that Emily was fighting hard to keep the money for Puna.
Three things about the presentation cause me concern and I would like to have the residents of HPP, their Board of Directors and the public at large simply consider some history, facts and current Herald Tribune news.
1. It was eight years ago, during another election year, that Mainstreet Pahoa Association deeded 56 acres to the County of Hawaii for a district park. I was on the Board of Directors at the time and personally added my signature to the release of the property to the county. We were told to “Trust us” and we did just that. Eight years later nothing has happened. The land sits doing nothing. Our community, frustrated by the lack of performance by the Department of Parks and Recreation, turned our attention to building the Pahoa Skate Park and as you know we completed it. But the 56 acres remain to this day neglected. Promise not kept. It became an investment in cynicism.
2. While Pahoa’s unused land donation sat these past years it became a bit of a political football with current and past council representatives wanting to use it for purposes other than a district park. Most recently, just this past summer, Councilwoman Emily Naeole-Beason was proposing placing a homeless shelter on the same donated park land. These are facts. I am not against a homeless shelter but the land was gifted to the county for a district park.
3. Councilwoman Naeole-Beason’s description of Brenda Ford attempting to “take the the 5.5 to Kona” and that Emily had to fight her for it is at odds with the recent Herald-Tribune article on the topic.
(http://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/arti...ocal02.txt)
According to the Trib: At council Brenda Ford made a motion for the borrowed money to be specifically earmarked for the Mayor’s priority projects. Quoting the paper:
“"We, the council, need to know where this money is going, and our constituents need to know," said South Kona Councilwoman Brenda Ford.
Ford proposed amending the bill to tie funding to the projects Kenoi has prioritized and prevent the administration from diverting it.
"It's our responsibility to make sure we know what's going on," she said.
In talking with people actually at the council hearing absolutely no attempt was made by Brenda Ford to divert funds from an HPP park to Kona. The opposite actually occurred and Brenda Ford attempted to have the funding specified for the HPP park. Brenda’s motion to specify the funding was defeated with Councilwoman Naeole-Beason voting against it.
When Hunter Bishop was asked by the HPP BoD about the promised $5.5 million possibly being used for other purposes Hunter admitted that the funds were not dedicated and could in fact be used in other ways and implied that if the HPP BoD doesn’t come together and hand over the 20 acres the money could go somewhere else. Actually as it stands the money could go somewhere else even if HPP deeds over the land. This project is in the conceptual stage or even pre conceptual stage.
Having been on the short end of county promises eight years ongoing I want to offer some small advice to the HPP BoD. Some of whom are recently elected, just as I was eight years past, and I would like to see HPP succeed where Pahoa did not.
Get a lawyer.
Examine as quickly as possible at least three things. A) Can the transfer of 20 acres be done in a manner that 100% restricts the future use to a public recreational park. B) Can the transfer of the 20 acres to the CoH contain legal contingencies which obligate the CoH to actually complete the park within a reasonable amount of time or, failing that, the land would revert back to the HPP Association. C) Can HPPOA have practical approval of the development plan.
Hunter indicated that a dedicated use might be acceptable - he had to check. Hunter also indicated that conditions of actual performance might be a deal killer. It is my belief that in numerous locations property has transferred from private to public hands with performance conditions included.
CoH to HPP: Trust Us.
Pahoa to HPP: Get a lawyer. Please.
Assume the best and ask questions.
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