Hawaii County Cultural Resources Commission met May 8.
Here are the minutes provided by the commission:
Hybrid in-person and interactive video conference through Zoom with live observation through YouTube. The in-person location was held at the Hilo Planning Department Conference Room, 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3, Hilo, HI 96720.
The full YouTube video of this hearing can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6Lf5tPJVOE
COMMISSIONERS PRESENT VIA ZOOM: Matthew Clark (Chair), Desmon Haumea, Roberta “Kuʻulei” Keakealani, Nicole Lui, Scott Mahoney, and Aaron Spielman.
COMMISSIONERS EXCUSED: Natalie Kurashima (Vice Chair) and Kealohanuiopuna Kinney.
ALSO PRESENT: Jean Campbell, Deputy Corporation Counsel; Kevin Sullivan, Planner; Kim Tanaka, Planner; and Ashley DeVera, Board Secretary.
Commissioner Haumea provided a pule to open.
Chair Clark called the Cultural Resources Commission (CRC) meeting to order at 10:08 a.m. A quorum was established with six members in attendance. It was announced that pursuant to Act 220, Session Laws of Hawaii 2021, which amended the Sunshine Law to allow meetings to be remotely conducted online, effective January 1, 2022, the Cultural Resources Commission meetings will be held online, with an in-person location for the public to provide testimony. The meeting can be viewed live online, and a link to YouTube can be located on the County website, as well as links to reports and surveys reviewed at this hearing. Commissioners were reminded that only one person may speak at a time and were asked to raise their hands to be recognized before speaking.
Commissioners were asked to introduce themselves and in accordance with the Sunshine Law, identify any member(s) present within the household. All members reported being alone in their location except Commissioner Spielman who identified one individual; Commissioner Lui who identified three individuals; and Commissioner Keakealani who identified one individual.
Staff introductions were made.
There were no addendums or supplemental agenda items.
STATEMENT(S) FROM THE PUBLIC
At 10:11 a.m., Chair Clark opened the floor to receive public testimony. Procedures for testimony were provided. There is a three-minute time limit on each agenda item; statements must relate to items on the agenda.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 4:38]
No testifiers were present on Zoom or in person.
Public testimony closed at 10:12 a.m.
BUSINESS OF THE COMMISSION
1. Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park Draft Traditional Cultural Property Study (PL-CRC-2023-000008)
Location: Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park, Districts of Puna and Kaʻū District, Hawai‘i Island TMK(s): (3) 1-1-001:003, 006, 007, 012, 018, 9-6-013:001, 9-8-001:001, 9-9-001:006, 013
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 6:03] This agenda item was called to order at 10:12 a.m.
There was one team member from the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park in attendance. There were no members of the public present and no public testimony provided.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 7:30] Commissioner Spielman disclosed that he worked on a project in the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park with the Shipman House at ʻĀinahou for the National Park Service. Chair Clark disclosed that he previously and is currently working in the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park on projects. Commissioner Haumea disclosed that years ago, he worked on restoring the Ahu'ena Heiau.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 10:32] A presentation was provided by Summer Roper Todd, Supervisory Archeologist, CRM Program Lead and Section 106 Coordinator for the Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park. The disaster recovery efforts after the 2018 lava eruption includes removal of Jaggar Museum and Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO), build a new HVO facility near the Kilauea Military Camp ball field, realign Crater Rim Drive, addition of a roundabout, and rehabilitate the Kīlauea Visitor Center. There will be an exterior halau and exhibits built adjacent to the visitor center.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 15:43] There are three national register nominations which include the Crater Rim Historic District, the Kīlauea Administration and Employee Housing Historic District, and the Traditional Cultural Property (TCP) study. It will be updated with the post project conditions and any other changes that occurred. They will have archaeological monitoring for any ground disturbance and a website to highlight the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) history with a story map.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 23:06] The TCP designation was established and added to National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) law in 1980. To be eligible, the living community has cultural practices or beliefs rooted in the community’s history and is important in maintaining the continuing cultural identity of the community. The TCP is identified through interviews with knowledgeable users of the area, and/or through other forms of ethnographic research. To document the cultural significance of Pelehonuamea and all her physical elemental representations, they have consulted with native Hawaiian individuals and organizations. The challenges are the TCP must be described and significance documented, must have a boundary, and the property must meet the national register eligibility criteria.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 29:25] The TCP has three parts, TCP background ethnohistorical overview, oral history interviews, and historical documentary references. The national register format is a statement of significance; contributing resources, which are the items you have to consider for protection; non-contributing resources; and the boundary area.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 32:30] Commissioner Spielman asked questions regarding the difference between contributing and non-contributing. Ms. Todd clarified examples of contributing resources for this project could be the quiet, steam, or volcanic element and a non contributing resource could be the road. Chair Clark asked questions regarding the status of the project. Ms. Todd responded that the TCP study is out for review, the comment period is until June 7th, then the comments will be included in the TCP and given to the contractor to finalize the full nomination packet. There will be consultation meetings, the boundary will be defined, review of the contributing and non-contributing factors, consultation with the kūpuna group, submittal to the national register, and then possibly address the comments from the national register.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 43:34] Chair Clark asked questions about the primary benefits that this nomination would have and if there are any drawbacks. Ms. Todd responded that the benefits would be to protect the cultural resources for future generations, to show the different layers of history, and the resources would be protected in a formalized way with all the documentation.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 44:58] Commissioner Haumea requested a list of consultants for this project, which is listed on page six of the introduction of the TCP study. There are no public meetings, but the draft TCP study has been sent to the consultant list for review and comment.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 1:04:01] Commissioner Lui excused herself from the meeting at this time. Quorum was confirmed with five remaining participating commissioners. Commissioner Keakealani requested expanding the consultant list.
This matter concluded at 11:21 a.m.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
1. Approval of minutes of the meeting held on March 13, 2024.
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP – 1:14:26] Commissioner Spielman motioned to approve the minutes as circulated; Commissioner Haumea seconded. No discussion occurred. The minutes were approved without opposition with a unanimous aye voice vote.
2. Next meeting tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, June 12, 2024.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, a motion to adjourn was made by Commissioner Spielman and seconded by Commissioner Keakealani. The meeting was adjourned at 11:25 a.m. with a unanimous aye vote.
https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/edoc/135720/2024-05-08%20Cultural%20Resources%20Commission%20Meeting.draft.pdf