(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi island CDP Action Committee meetings are cancelled for the foreseeable future.

Hawaiʻi County Planning Director Zendo Kern sent the following written message to Community Development Plan Action Committee Members on Monday:

Due to recent staffing changes in the Long-Range Division within the Planning Department, it has become necessary to adjust staff time and resources. This means staff will unfortunately not have the capacity to organize or facilitate AC meetings for the foreseeable future. Please know that this does not prevent your continued participation and involvement in community-driven efforts to implement CDPs. In the time being, we aim to empower your active involvement in community groups and Permitted Interaction Groups (investigatory subcommittees) to continue working and moving forward. We will also continue to aid and promote efforts of AC members to organize independent, official meetings. The CDP Team is continuing to support the implementation of CDPs and to serve as your resource for news and updates regarding our community planning efforts.

In the absence of County led AC meetings, the CDP Team will engage in a forward-looking approach to help shape the future of this program. This will include a concerted effort to connect with you and the broader community to gather feedback, along with consultation with Corporation Counsel to assess the benefits and limitations relative to Action Committee engagement. This effort will focus on the applicability of Sunshine Law and County mandates that place constraints on AC community-based stewardship of CDPs, and the ongoing challenge to develop a robust approach to Community Planning. In addition, the CDP team will continue to collaborate on other planning initiatives, including but not limited to the continued work of the General Plan Comprehensive Review.

“We appreciate your ongoing advocacy and diligence in implementing the Community Development Plans of our island,” Kern concluded.

There are CDPs in place for Hāmākua, Puna, Kaʻū, Kona, South Kohala, and North Kohala.