By KYVELI DIENER Hawaii Tribune-Herald
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Hawaii County is holding another hearing to consider proposed entry fees for Pana‘ewa Rainforest Zoo &Gardens.

The public hearing with the Department of Parks and Recreation will be held at 5 p.m. on June 3 at the Aging and Disability Resource Center at 1055 Kino‘ole St. It can also be attended via Zoom by visiting www.zoomgov.com/j/1616958546 and using meeting ID 161 695 8546.

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Written testimony for this hearing must be filed by Thursday, May 29, with the Department of Parks and Recreation Administrative Office at 101 Pauahi St., Suite 6, Hilo, Hawaii 96720.

The upcoming hearing is the second time entry fees have been proposed for the zoo, which has been free of charge for nearly 50 years.

The only zoo in the United States located in a tropical rainforest habitat has been reliant on donations in the form of monetary gifts, volunteering, memberships, symbolic animal adoptions, and donated items for the animals.

At the first hearing on this subject in late November, attendees were not in support of the proposed fees of $4 for adult residents and $1 for local children. In the amended plan to be discussed on June 3, the adult fee remains $4, but there would be no entry fee for keiki under 18 or kupuna over 60. The cost for tourists remains the same as the previously proposed fee structure, with a $12 fee for adults and $5 for children.

Another change to the proposed fee structure that could, if approved, go into effect on July 1 is the introduction of a $25 annual pass to view the nearly 300 animals in the zoo.

Mayor Kimo Alameda suspended the previous zoo admission fee proposal when he took office in December, saying it “needed to be fairer to residents.”

“After several months of review, we believe this new proposal will keep the zoo affordable for families and people of all ages … while ensuring that nonresident guests also contribute,” Alameda said of the new fee structure. “Importantly, the revenue from these fees opens the possibility for new projects, exhibits and programs that enhance the zoo and ensure it remains a vibrant community space where residents create lifelong memories.”

The proposed entry fees raised concerns in November ranging from the historic zoo needing to remain free on principle to the negative effect charging for this recreation could have on low-income residents.

Pat Engelhard, president of the nonprofit Friends of Pana‘ewa Zoo, also raised concerns in November about an estimated cost of at least $100,000 to pay entry-fee collectors. Additionally, Engelhard voiced worry in November that fees would go into the county’s General Fund, where the money could be used for things completely unrelated to the zoo. The money from donations that currently support the zoo can only be used to operate the zoo, she said.

Looking ahead to the June hearing, Engelhard said the nonprofit’s secretary will speak there to propose the creation of a special fund where a portion of the fees collected would be dedicated to zoo needs exclusively.

While Engelhard said she finds the cost of the proposed fees to be reasonable — especially the introduction of the annual pass and the free admission of youths or elders — she worries that residents having to pay a fee will make them less inclined to donate directly to the zoo online and at the on-site donation boxes.

Engelhard said the donation boxes alone bring in over $1,000 per week, and that the top internal source of funding for the zoo — the gift shop — might also be less of a draw to residents who already spent money just to get in.

“We would be missing out on those donations if there was a fee charged (because) people don’t feel obligated to compensate for the wonderful trip they have had to the zoo, because it’s a really beautiful place,” Engelhard said.

County officials have said their main focus in developing the fee structure over the past three years has been to enhance the zoo while keeping it affordable to residents.

Pana‘ewa Recreation Complex Administrator Mindy Runnells said the county budgets $1.25 million to maintain and operate the zoo, and that the addition of two full-time and three part-time employees would cost an estimated $220,000. She said that added expense would be offset by the projected revenue from the fees, which is estimated to be between $600,000 to $800,000 for the upcoming fiscal year.

Runnells also said she is confident that money will continue flowing into the zoo through donations and gift shop purchases even if entry fees are added. She said the gift shop is bringing in some new “beautiful items, including artwork and products, some made by our zookeepers.”

“I believe that people will always donate to support zoos and conservation. With keiki and kupuna remaining free, the incentive to donate is still there. The keiki don’t realize the difference they are making when they spin their change into the Wishing Well,” Runnells said. “I also believe that guests will continue to symbolically adopt animals through Friends of the Zoo, support the gift shop, and attend our special event fund-raisers.”

Runnells said adding fees could potentially allow for an increase in the staff and the actual size of the zoo, and that a main goal for the increased revenue is to elevate the level of care provided to the animals.

“It takes an incredible amount of money to maintain a zoo, even a small one. We are increasing our level of care for our collection animals with better quality food and enrichment items,” Runnells said. “This is their entire life, and we are here to make it the best it can be. We have incredibly dedicated staff that are extremely knowledgeable about these animals, and we want to ensure they have access to the appropriate funds to be able to care for these animals.”

The proposed zoo fee structure — along with proposed changes to the fee schedule at the Pana‘ewa Equestrian Center that would see fee increases on stalls phased in annually — can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/bdpychjk.

Email Kyveli Diener at kdiener@hawaiitribune-herald.com.