Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 2, 1 February 1993 — OHA Board Business [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]
OHA Board Business
Na kuleana a ka Papa Kahu waiwai
by Deborah Ward and Ellen Blomquist
The Ofhce of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trūstees held its monthly business meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 22, 1992 at the OHA Honolulu office. Present were Chairman Clayton H.W. Hee, presiding, Vice-Chair Abraham Aiona and trustees Moanike'ala Akaka, Rowena Akana, A. Frenchy DeSoto, Klna'u Boyd Kamali'i, Kamaki Kanahele, Moses Keale, Sr. and Samuel Kealoha, Jr. Guests present included Myrna and Eddie Kamae, Haunani Apoliona, executive director of Alu Like, Inc„ Lela Hubbard, Abby Napeahi and Rusty Rodenhurst. Chairman Hee welcomed new trustees Kamali'i and Kealoha to the OHA board. The meeting agenda was approved unanimously. The minutes of the board's meetings on Nov. 10, and Dec. 10, 16 and 18 were approved with amendments. Following that action, the chairman's report was approved. Deferred to the next meeting was approval of the administrator's report.
Community concerns Lela Hubbard shared her eoncerns with the board about Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and Hawai'i Housing Authority joining together in housing development projects. She said she would like to see OHA encourage these agencies to begin training Hawaiians to do joint housing developments and to manage such projects. She also said that any housing project should first take a survey of the community's needs and wants, and recommended that prefabricated construction be investigated as a source of less expensive, high-quality units. Budget, Finance, Policy and Planning A motion carried unanimously to approve a three-party contract between OHA, the Bank of Hawai'i and the state director of finance to secure and protect all OHA funds on deposit with the bank, in keeping with state law that requires federal grant monies to be fully collateralized.
A proposed action item to establish an OHA employment program for students, and to authorize use of the balance of special funds approved for a temporary summer hire program in 1992, was referred back to committee for further review. A motion to approve the board's report on the fiscal biennium operating budget for FY 1 993- 1 995 was approved. Trustee Akana voted no. Budget chairman Aiona said the proposed budget takes into account Hawai'i's eeonomie and social conditions in a period of slow growth nationally and overseas, as well as OHA's agreement with the State of Hawai'i for payment of past-due ceded land
īneome. OHA is proposing program increases to benefit native Hawaiians and Hawaiians that will emphasize eeonomie development, housing, land and natural resources, and planning for the next four years. Trustee Akaka said she was concerned that OHA should itself begin to provide direct health and human services to beneficiaries rather than fund other organizations, such as Alu Like, ine., to provide such services. OHA chair Clayton Hee noted that given the state's fiscal pieture, the OHA budget most likely would not survive untouched in the Legislature. The total budget request (general and special funds) for FY 94 is $9,698,550. The total budget request for FY 1995 is $9,647,069. Referred back to committee for further review were a proposal for an OHA interim eontingency plan and a proposed revision to the OHA bylaws on trustee conduct and behavior.
A policy amendment on grants, subsidies and purchase of services, whieh will add a referenee to subsidies and purchases of services to the list of meehanisms by whieh OHA may disburse funds was adopted. The move also clarifies OHA's procedures for the award of grants, subsidies, purchase of services and donations in conformance with Article VII, Section 4 of the Hawai'i State Constitution. Trustee Kealoha abstained from voting on the motion. A motion was adopted to approve waiving $2,000 in legal fees of Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation in the quiet title case of Houghtailing et al. Trustees Akana and Kealoha abstained. A request for $50,000 from the Asian/Pacific Foundation of Hawai'i was approved, Trustee Kealoha abstaining. This request was to provide assistance to Hawai'i filmmakers Eddie and Myrna Kamae, who were invited by the Hawai'i International / ^
rilm restival and the Amenean Film Institute to participate in the AFI Film Theater at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. in May 1993. The Kamaes will premiere their latest film, "Nahenahe: The Sound of Hawaiian Slack Key." They will also show their previous films, "Li'a: The Legacy of a Hawaiian Man," and "Listen to the Forest." The board also approved $1,500 for travel expenses and accommodations and subsistence to Native American attorney Walter Eehohawk, who served as a resource person during meetings related to proposed amendments to the federal Native American Religious Freedom Act. Trustee Kealoha voted no. Education/Culture The board adopted a motion to approve a request from Bedford Properties to inter, at Pahua Heiau in Hawai'i Kai, Hawaiian skeletal remains found at Queen's Beach. Bedford is to cover all costs associated with proper reinterment of the remains.
The board also approved a recommendation to present the Ke Kukui Mālamalama award for 1992 to Harriet 0'Sullivan, Jack Yama, Rubellite Johnson and Abraham Pi'ianāi'a. Entitlements A motion was adopted to approve the hiring of an appraiser for parcels at Honokōwai, Maui and Hanapēpē, Kaua'i, in order to compare the appraisals to the state's findings. Another motion was approved to adopt the recommendation that OHA communicate to the Hawai'i Housing Authority that OHA intends to conduct an independent appraisal of sites at Wai'anae, Waimānalo, KalihiPālama and Lōkahi public housing, and intends to seek data from HHA on the potential ineome stream of these projects so that OHA ean determine whether it should do a more
detailed financial analysis. The board approved studies and an appraisal to be done of potential costs and feasibility of development of land at Ke'ehi Lagoon. The state has offered the land to OHA on condition that OHA build a eanoe center with the idea OHA could use the remainder of the land for other development. OHA Relations A motion was adopted to approve a recommendation that the motto of the Centennial Observance Committee shall be 'Onipa'a, whieh means "steadfast." It was the motto of King Kamehameha V and Queen Lili'uokalani. The official logo was designed by professional graphic artist Momi Cazimero and presented to the committee as a gift. Announcements Resolutions were adopted by the board to thank former OHA Trustee Thomas Kaulukukui, Sr., former state Sen. Mike Crozier and former state Rep. Daniel Kihano for their service to OHA and to the people of Hawai'i.
The Board of Trustees reconvened for another business meeting Wednesday, Jan. 6 in the OHA board room. All members were present. The agenda, minutes, chairman's and administrator's correspondence report were approved unanimously. Chairman Hee talked about the different forums to whieh he has been invited to speak on sovereignty, about the memorandum of agreement being developed for the $112 million past due revenue, and meetings with Dennis "Bumpy" Kanahele, of the 'Ohana Family Council. Hee said that "OHA channels are open to concerns of different Hawaiian groups," mentioning Trustees' Akana and DeSoto's participation in a spiritual observance on the Big Island on Jan. 2. Richard Paglinawan, OHA administrator, discussed eompletion of OHA's biennium budget
request to the legislature, eentennial observance activities, and OHA's continuing relief effort for victims of Hurricane 'Iniki. Under unfinished business, revised policy for grants, subsidies and purchase of service passed second reading. Under new business, several items eame to the Board from the Budget, Finance and Policy Committee chaired by Trustee Aiona. First heard was a proposal for an informational/educational campaign on Hawaiian issues and OHA activities for television and print. Of the $145,000 approved 7-2, Akaka and Akana dissenting, $70,000 goes to Hill and KnowUon, a puhlie relations firm, for creative services; the halanee will be used for media buys. A request for $7,240 from the Hawaiian Broadcast Company for a "you are there" style eentennial production to air on Hawai'i public radio was granted. The request passed 8-1, Keale dissenting. Also passing 8-1, Akana dissenting, was the financial audit by Deloitte and Touche for the period 1991-1992 and a revision of Ka Wai Ola editorial policy, 8-1, DeSoto dissenting. A proposal from the Queen Lili'uokalani Commemoration Commission for $60,000 funding additional to the funds appropriated for neighbor island continued page 23
Board Business from page 2
activities by Act 285 SLH 92 was passed unanimously with certain provisos: that Lāna'i receive $5,000 of the $60,000 since no funds had been provided for the island by Act 285; that the remaining $55,000 be disbursed after eaeh island had exhausted the funds already appropriated; and that the Chairman of Budget, Finance & Policy and the Administrator review eaeh line item, deleting or amending as needed to meet
the legislative intent of Act 285. The final action item was presented by the Planning, Eeonomie Development and Housing committee, a memorandum of agreement for preservation and interpretation of Hawaiian cultural sites at the 'Ewa Beach marina; the Board approved the item unanimously. Under announcements, a resolution honoring former Trustee Louis Hao was passed for Board signature.