Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 7, Number 3, 1 Malaki 1990 — OHA Board Business [ARTICLE]

OHA Board Business

By Ann L. Moore

The board of trustees of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs held its January business meeting Friday, Jan. 26, at OHA's office, 1600 Kapiolani Blvd., Suite 1500, Honolulu. Present were Chairman Kaulukukui and trustees Burgess, Ching, DeSoto, Hao, Kahaialii and Keale. Chairman's Report The administrator and deputy administrator reported a eali from Arnold Leong of the county of Kaua'i public works division about worried Hawaiian residents concerned about possible flooding in the Kekaha area of Kaua'i. The chairman authorized the administrator to investigate the matter with Trustee Keale. Mayor Yukimura's office was called and they advised there was no imminent danger and that the county would go immediately to pump the neighborhood yards, free. Davianna MacGregor and Edward Ayau presented the bill relating to burials authorized by Hui Malama I Na Kupuna whieh was introduced at the current session of the legislature. The board voted unanimously to receive the report and refer it to staff for review and recommendations. The chairman announced he will seek advice from the trustees concerning the 1990 community meeting schedule for the board of trustees. The board voted unanimously to approve a letter to the Administration for Native Americans ( ANA) in support of the Native Hawaiian Advisory Council's application for a grant to protect and preserve Native Hawaiian rights and uses of water.

Administrator's report Announcement was made of an informational hearing on the status of the Hanapepe Cliffsides and Lahaina projects on Monday, Jan. 29 at 3 p.m. at the state Capitol conference room 226. The trustees voted unanimously that the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation represent OHA in the Public Utilities Commission investigation on lntegrated Resource Planning; that an inihal $1,000 be allocated to begin the process and that NHLC submit a detailed line-item budget request and a time frame for the intervention process so that funding sources may be determined. Committee reports Committee on Native Hawaiian Status and Entitlements A committee recommendation to waive OHA's "Hawaiian versus Hawaiian policy" was unanimously approved to allow the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation to provide services to disinherited Hawaiian descendants of John Palmer Parker. The board voted unanimously to accept and fund a $65,000 contract with Professional

Communications so OHA ean provide information to the general public on settlement, with the governor, of the ceded land revenues issue as mandated by the state legislature. The approval was made provisional on settlement of the issue. The trustees voted unanimously to adopt a position statement recommended by the committee whieh provides that a coordination of all interested agencies, organizations and invidividuals will be actively pursued by OHA and that OHA does not support, and will not support, any efforts whieh exclude or ignore the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. This position was taken in regards to an ANA grant request by pro-sovereignty groups that wanted to exclude OHA, Alu Like and the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs from proposed sovereignty information workshops. Committee on Operations and Development Acting on recommendations by the Committee on Operations and Development, trustees had a second reading of an amendment to the OHA policy and procedures manual regarding public hearings. Also on a recommendation by the committee, the board voted unanimously to approve $63,348 for the Hawai'i County Eeonomie Opportunity Council to cover the cost of house designs and administrative work for a self-help housing project at Keaukaha-Panaewa. Programs Committee Responding to a recommendation by the committee, trustees voted unanimously to approve a bill to go to the legislature for an act relating to tuition waivers for Native Hawaiians to attend the University of Hawai'i system. Trustees also accepted a recommendation by the committee to oppose the application of Bowner/Brown for land use reclassification in Waioli, Hanalei, Kauai, and to seek penalties for the destruction of historic and cultural sites on the property.

Committee on External Affairs There were no action items to report. Committee chair Louis Hao gave a brief report on the external affairs workshop held Jan. 24 regarding sites G5-86, G5-110 and the H3 freeway. Executive Session Following an executive session the board, in open session, ratified the following actions taken in closed session. Trustees approved the administrator's recommendation to hire Jean Luka as legislative assistant on a temporary basis to assist the Government Affairs Division officer. Trustees announced a primary lobbying team for the anticipated negotiated settlement on ceded lands. The team will consist of trustees Burgess, Ching, DeSoto, Kaulukukui and Keale. The trustees accepted the resignation of Keone Nunes, OHA cultural specialist.