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Committee forwards three land-access and conservation resolutions to full council
Summary
Hawaii County’s Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions voted to forward three land-related measures—an exchange to straighten Wailele Road, a $25,000 maintenance grant urging for a fishing association, and a 2.39-acre conservation easement in North Kohala—to the full council with favorable recommendations (each vote 8–0, one member absent).
The Committee on Legislative Approvals and Acquisitions voted April 7 to forward three land-access and conservation measures to the full Hawaii County Council, including a proposal to purchase a conservation easement on roughly 2.39 acres in North Kohala.
Chair Council member Kimball opened the meeting and said the committee would hear public testimony and then consider several resolutions affecting shoreline and cultural-resource protections. Committee members voted unanimously in favor of forwarding all three items, with one member recorded as absent in each tally.
The first item, Resolution 499-26, would authorize a property exchange with the Stella Mae Swain Trust to align and straighten Wailele Road and secure public access to the Hilo Forest Reserve. The clerk read that the exchange affects portions of tax map key 280100999; the committee voted to forward the resolution to council with a favorable recommendation.
Resolution 500-26 urges the director of finance to award a grant to the Makanalua Fishing Association (community name in transcript) for maintenance of certain public-access easements in Pepeākeo. Blake McNaughton, president of the Makanalua Fishing Association, told the committee the group has helped keep access points open since 2003 and asked the county to partner and provide steady funding. "We've been doing it since 2003, basically keeping the roads open," McNaughton said. Chair Kimball said an initial amount of $25,000 is expected from the property-management budget to start the work, and that the finance department has authority under Chapter 2 to make grants to nonprofits up to that amount without separate council approval; the resolution was filed to create a permanent record of responsibilities and easement boundaries.
Committee members asked whether the measure formally approves the grant or merely urges it; Kimball confirmed the resolution urges the award and that staff would still negotiate contract terms, including who will perform surveys and how work will be administered. Property manager Shannon Architola said oversight and details of expense monitoring had not been finalized: "At this point, we have not had in-depth conversations about this, but...we would have further conversations about that and how to move forward," she said.
The committee also considered Resolution 513-26, asking the director of finance to negotiate acquisition of conservation easements on parcels in North Kohala (tax map keys listed in the resolution) using the Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Preservation Fund. Dane Kealoha of Hawaii Land Trust (HILT) told members the parcel contains an intact lo'i kalo with historic walls and that protecting the property would preserve cultural practice, food production and local water-quality benefits: "There is a historic Lo'i with ancient, walls that remain," he said. Committee discussion noted the parcel was ranked a high priority by the 2025 preservation commission and that the project has matching funds from USDA and NRCS; members and staff emphasized coordination is needed so federal timing and county procedures align as the county considers a roughly $150,000 match.
Votes at a glance - Resolution 499-26 (property exchange to align Wailele Road; Stella Mae Swain Trust): forwarded to council with favorable recommendation; vote recorded as 8 ayes, 0 no, 1 absent. - Resolution 500-26 (grant urging to fishing association for maintenance of access easements; ~$25,000 initial funding anticipated): forwarded to council with favorable recommendation; vote recorded as 8 ayes, 0 no, 1 absent. - Resolution 513-26 (authorize negotiations to acquire approx. 2.39-acre conservation easement in North Kohala; Public Access/Open Space fund): forwarded to council with favorable recommendation; vote recorded as 8 ayes, 0 no, 1 absent.
What happens next All three measures will move to the full County Council for consideration. Staff flagged that implementation steps — including final contract negotiations, expense monitoring for the maintenance grant, and timing coordination with NRCS and other federal partners for the conservation easement match — will require additional action by the mayor's office and finance staff before funds are disbursed or easements are finalized.
