Despite having more than $475,000 in the account and being instructed by the county charter to do so, Hawaii County has not advertised for community groups to apply for stewardship grants to take care of property purchased for public access and open space preservation.
Voters in 2012 approved the charter amendment to devote 0.25 percent of property taxes to a maintenance account for land preservation. At the same time, voters raised the minimum to go into the preservation purchase fund annually from 1 percent to 2 percent. Both ballot measures passed with 56 percent of the vote.
Proponents of the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund codified it into the charter in response to Mayor Billy Kenoi in earlier years freezing the fund to help balance the budget during tough economic times. Both the mandatory fund increase and the maintenance account were opposed by some in the administration, who cited the need for more flexibility in the county budget.
But Finance Director Nancy Crawford said Friday that the administration doesn’t oppose using the money for maintenance; it just hasn’t gotten to the point yet where it is ready to solicit community involvement.
The commission is scheduled to discuss the issue at its meeting starting at 10 a.m. Tuesday in the county building in Hilo.
According to the charter, the county must advertise by Aug. 1 of each year, provided money is available. There was $218,980 in the account in July, according to financial balance sheets on the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Commission website.
That grew to $475,433 on the Nov. 5 statement. The land purchase account as of Nov. 5 had a $6.3 million balance.
The county has so far spent $34,456 from the maintenance account, all for consultants to create a burial treatment plan and boundary stakeout for Kipapa Park.
Debbie Hecht, who sits on the commission, was a co-author of the charter amendment for the maintenance funds. She questions whether the county is following the charter since it didn’t advertise for, or create an application for, nonprofits to participate in the stewardship projects.
“It was our goal to make most of these funds available to empower community groups to care more for the lands they use. These groups have advocated for the purchase of these lands, they know what their communities want,” Hecht said Friday. “I believe that the county has violated the letter of the law written in the charter amendment by not publicizing that funds are available and not creating an application for funding. … I think this should be a transparent process with full disclosure by community groups and the county using these funds.”
At issue is the term, “provided money is available.” Hecht points to the swelling account as proof there is money available, while Crawford says the money, while not necessarily committed, is planned for consultants to create archaeological plans for several sites.
The plans need to be done by a professional working in conjunction with the State Historic Preservation Division. She said plans are for some work at Waipio Valley, as well as archaeological studies at Kaiholena, Paoo and Kawa.
“I know people have been interested in these projects,” Crawford said. “There needs to be a professional come in and actually draft a plan. Then we have an opportunity to bring in volunteer groups rather than giving a grant to a nonprofit group without a plan.”
Once the plans are adopted, the Hawaii County Department of Parks and Recreation will advertise for community groups, Crawford said. That probably won’t happen until the next fiscal year that starts July 1.
“P&R said all funds are accounted for this year,” said Deputy Corporation Counsel Bill Brilhante in an emailed response to Hecht. “P&R is in the process of developing a program for issuance of grants and accountability of the nonprofits for a time when funds are available.”
Hecht also questioned whether the account contains funds prorated from the day after the November 2012 election. Brilhante said money did not need to be deposited into the account until the end of the first quarter, according to his interpretation of the charter and county ordinance.
According to the charter amendment, the money can be used for repair work, conservation and restoration of soil, forests, shorelines, native wildlife, streams and wetlands. Wildfire and fire prevention activities and repair of existing buildings to meet code requirements, replacing signs and installing and repairing fencing and cattle guards are also allowable projects. Archaeological surveys, buffering of Native Hawaiian historical and cultural sites and biological studies for protection of Native Hawaiian species of plants and animals round out the list.