July 28 HPPOA board Special Meeting

[punaticbychoice]

With the goings on in the election campaign and in some of the subdivisions, I wonder about whether we are ready for self- government yet.[]

[dchanmer]

I don't know which I find more discouraging...the albizias or the HPP board. I think the albizias are easier to deal with.

[james weatherford]

"The HPP Board" -- no matter who is on it -- is the longstanding target of verbal abuse.

The HPPOA Board is made up of volunteers, with quite substantial responsibilities, including: 130+ miles of road, 260+ miles of road shoulder, millions of dollars, 6 to 10 employees, an office building, garage, activity center, and 120 acres in six parcels of mostly undeveloped land meant for community services.

At the same time, the actual authority of the HPPOA Board is very limited beyond what happens to the roads. Matters involving crime (illegal dumping, traffic, etc) and general community welfare fall into a void between the Hawaiian Paradise Park Owners Association and Hawaii County.

The most important elements for the HPPOA Board, no matter who may be on it, are membership participation and adherence to the membership-approved bylaws. The best hope HPPOA has is for genuine membership participation and respect for the processes laid out in the bylaws.

That said, I have come to give real consideration to the sentiment articulated in Chunkster's Post on another thread (HPP Owner Meeting), 07/19/2014, 08:44:52 "...I have come to the conclusion that HPP is essentially ungovernable as it is constituted."
(And, I suspect the same applies to most Puna subdivisions).

The challenge of governing HPPOA with volunteer Directors and minimal authority is difficult enough when there is membership participation and respect for the bylaws. When that participation wanes, as it sometimes has, to there not even being a quorum at General Membership Meetings, there are problems. When the Board thoroughly disregards the processes established in the bylaws, those problems are magnified.
It would seem, the majority of the current board has brought HPPOA to the brink of very hazardous legal circumstances because they have disregarded the most basic processes for transparency.

[Seeb]

I think the only actual solution, is for HPP to become a municipality. I know there is resistance from Oahu. But otherwise it is going to be a contenual cycle of lawsuits and collapse into receivership.

[kalakoa]

the only actual solution, is for HPP to become a municipality

Not just HPP, either -- many of the large subdivisions suffer similar issues; they're just too large to be managed by an unaccountable board, and none of them can afford infrastructure unless they have real taxing authority.

Seriously: I've lived in several towns that were smaller than some of these subdivisions.

there is resistance from Oahu

Oahu resists any scenario that would result in delegation of power or authority.

[Obie]

As soon as all of the subdivisions bring their infrastructure up to county standards, it would be acceptable to form cities.

Some of us live in subdivisions that have upgraded the neighborhood we live in.I don't think it would be fair to require us to pay for your upgrades.

[csgray]

A municipality would levy its own taxes and pay its own way, so it wouldn't affect you at all Obie. Small towns the size of HPP everywhere in the United States, except Hawaii, have their own cops, fire, road crews, sewer systems, libraries, mayors, and city councils without charging people outside their city limits a single penny.

Hawaii is still hanging onto the over centralized system put in place during the plantation days where people look to the County and Honolulu for everything, instead of having local governments. I grew up in a rural county where the county seat was the same population and area as HPP. The surrounding rural areas had the same population as the rest of Puna. Town had full services and a lower tax rate than we pay Hawaii county, even if you added the town and county taxes together. It can be done, but the legislature on Oahu doesn't want us to be self governing or self sufficient.

Carol

[oink]

I think I'd be for HPP incorporating but don't think for a second that municipal politics and government cant be just as screwed up or more so than what HPP has now.

Pua`a
S. FL
Big Islander to be.

[Seeb]

Town gov has its issues, but their are rules and accountability. The chance for rural development grants. And most importantly self determination - the smaller the gov the more say the residents have, and the easier it is to track the money.

[Frank]

oink, carol, lay out your plan and forsight...