During a recent government meeting, trustees discussed the upcoming FESPAC festival, scheduled from June 6 to June 16, 2024, with the official bridal ceremony taking place on June 5. Festival director Aaron Selah presented a funding request of $1.5 million to support various festival activities, including heritage programming, a Pacific Traditional Leaders Forum, and opening and closing ceremonies.

Trustee Trask expressed her initial concerns regarding the festival's revenue and the inclusion of indigenous women from Hawaii and beyond. However, after further investigation, she retracted her previous request for an additional $100,000, acknowledging the efforts made for gender equity in the festival's planning.

The board had previously allocated $500,000 for the festival, split across two fiscal years. The current proposal aims to consolidate this funding into a single allocation of $1.5 million, which would enhance the festival's offerings and ensure a more robust celebration. The trustees are expected to deliberate on the funding request in the coming sessions.