Hawaiian Homes Commission approves temporary permit and 20-year license framework for Anahola’s Kumu Camp, removes deposit and documentation fee

The Hawaiian Homes Commission on May 19 approved issuance of a temporary revocable permit and preliminary approval for a 20‑year license agreement to the Homestead Community Development Corporation (HCDC) for Kumu Camp in Anahola, Kauaʻi, and adopted amendments to the proposed permit conditions that removed a security deposit and a documentation-processing fee.

The vote came after beneficiaries and HCDC representatives described Kumu Camp as a long-running, beneficiary-driven effort intended to deter drug use and provide youth programming, training and cultural exchanges. HCDC representatives told the commission the campground has survived multiple administrative changes and now operates largely on community funds and volunteer effort.

Commission discussion focused on enforcement, community outreach, revenue treatment for homestead association licensees and the department’s policy approach to requiring audited financial statements from license holders. Commissioner Chris Neves moved an amendment to remove the security-deposit requirement and to waive the documentation fee listed in exhibit B of the staff submittal; commissioners approved the amendment and then approved the amended motion as a whole.

HCDC chair Kipukai Kuili told the commission Kumu Camp was established as an anti‑drug, youth‑empowerment project and that many of the campground design elements and fundraising came from homestead beneficiaries. “Kumu Camp has probably suffered more misinformation than anything,” Kuili said during testimony, asking the commission to preserve the beneficiary-driven stewardship of the site. Liliya (HCDC) and other witnesses described multiple community programs the nonprofit now runs, from youth camps to a certified kitchen and a small-marketplace project in Anahola.

Kaipo Duncan, land agent for Kauaʻi, told the commission the department would first issue a temporary revocable permit for HCDC to address the items shown in exhibit B; after HCDC comes into compliance the department will seek approval for a 20‑year license. Commissioner Neves and HCDC representatives said they want written agreements with the department’s enforcement unit and the county for coordinated responses to illegal activity on adjacent parcels and the beach; commissioners also asked staff to pursue memoranda of agreement with the county where appropriate.

The commission directed the department to: complete continued beneficiary consultation for any future expansions; clarify how license income and reporting requirements will apply across DHHL land tools; work with enforcement to maintain an active presence at the site; and bring a proposed policy on fee-setting and financial reporting for homestead land instruments back to the commission before applying any routine audited‑financial requirement to homestead associations.

The motion as amended removes the security deposit and the documentation-processing fee from exhibit B and maintains a $20-permit processing fee until the commission adopts a broader fee/pricing policy. There was no roll-call vote recorded on the transcript; the chair called the motion carried after commissioners verbally approved the amended motion.

Commissioners and HCDC leaders said the permit and eventual license are intended to give the homestead association a clear, long-term land instrument while preserving beneficiary stewardship. HCDC and supporters asked the department to treat Kumu Camp as a nonprofit, community‑oriented site rather than commercial enterprise and suggested a ‘gratis’ or low-fee approach be used until the commission adopts a formal pricing policy.

The department will return to the commission with the finalized license instrument and any required follow-up action once the temporary permit-holder has satisfied the compliance items listed in exhibit B and the department has worked with enforcement and county partners on coordination.

Votes recorded in the transcript show the amended motion passed by voice vote; the submittal and exhibit B remain the operative documents for implementation steps and the enforcement and fee-policy directions the commission requested.

Ending: The commission’s action formalizes HCDC’s stewardship role at Kumu Camp while requiring better coordination with DHHL enforcement and county partners, and it directs staff to draft a fee/pricing policy for homestead license revenue and reporting before expanding reporting requirements for homestead associations.