Admin Committee Meeting Check-in with FD Aaron SalāMonday, December 20, 2021
3:00-3:30pm, Zoom
Committee Members: M. Benham, S. Bento, J. KeʻohokaloleFestival Director: A. Salā
Excused: K. Kaʻanāʻanā
1. Reviewed the December 6th Commission Meeting discussion regarding the need of a fiscalagent & employer for FestPAC. It was suggested that FD Salā meet with Randy Tanaka to learn
more about how IUCN was managed.
2. FD Salā brought committee members up-to-date on venues discussion with UH-SystemPresident D. Lassner. More to discuss with venue committee.
3. FD Salā brought committee members up-to-date on his discussions with R. Tanaka, CarlsmithBall LLP, and other pertinent/connected organizations. He stated that before moving forward hewill be meeting with Gary (new AG for commission).
4. Committee asked FD Salā to draft a presentation for the Jan. 10th Commission Meeting thatwill bring the full commission up-to-date on his efforts as well as present the commission withnext step action items to set up an administrative structure. The Admin Committee will meet todiscuss on Monday, January 3, 2022, 5pm via zoom.
Admin Committee Meeting Check-in with FD Aaron SalāMonday, January 3, 2022
5:00p-6:00pm, ZoomCommittee Members: M. Benham, S. Bento, K. Kaʻanāʻanā, J. KeʻohokaloleFestival Director: A. Salā1.

FD Salā and Chair Kaʻanāʻanā discussed the role of an administrative provider that wouldinclude:a. Fiduciary responsibilities to include the intake of funds
b. Insurance Coverage for the festivalc. Employ FestPAC staff
d. Retain legal services for the event
2. Committee discussed the need to procure (RFP) an Administrative Provider. This would take,at minimum, 6-months.
3. In light of the need to immediately establish a functioning administrative structure that can(at minimum) begin to intake funds and support the efforts of the Festival Director,committee discussed the need for an MOA with an “interim administrative provider”.
4. Committee will present a motion at 1/10 commission meeting to advance an MOA between
HTA and DBEDT to support NaHHA as the interim administrative provider through June
2023. During this time the administration committee will develop RFP & search for apermanent FestPAC Administrative Provider.

MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION ON THE 13TH FESTIVAL OF
PACIFIC ARTS & CULTURE (FestPAC) MEETINGMONDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2021 AT 2:30 PM
VIA VIRTUAL APPLICATION ZOOM: VIDEO / AUDIO CONFERENCE
Commission Members Present:
Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā, Chair
Maenette Ah Nee-Benham
Sylvia Hussey
Jamie Lum-

Richard Onishi
Makanani Salā-

Māpuana de Silva-Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) Designee
Governor’s Designee
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)
Department of Business, Economic Development
and Tourism (DBEDT)House Speaker’s Designee (Arrived 2:47pm)
City and County of Honolulu Designee (Arrived2:48 pm)
Community Member At-Large (Arrived 2:40 pm)

Guests:Hannah Braswell
Jackie Burke
Mamiko Carroll
Maka Casson-Fisher
Kealiʻi Haverly
Dede Howa
Lynn Martin Graton
Ngahiraka Mason
Monte McComber
Manulani Aluli Meyer
Diego Sanchez Garcia Peralta Aaron Salā
Mālia Sanders
Kēhaulani Puʻu
Kimberly Scott
Kanoe Takitani-Puahi
Pris Texeira
Luis Harry Thimason
Margot Vitarelli
Caroline Yacoe
Staff:

Public Member
Public Member
Public Member
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority
Public Member
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority
Public Member
Public Member
Public Member
Public MemberPublic Member
Festival Director
Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
City Department of Parks & Recreation
Public Member
Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
Public Member
Public Member
Public Member
Public Member

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, December 6, 2021, at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 2 of 5

Margaret Ahn
Marlene Hiraoka
Timothy Tiu
Scott Tome
Apologies:
Snowbird Bento
Jarrett Keohokālole

-Deputy Attorney General
DBEDT
DBEDT
DBEDT-Community Member At-Large
Senate President’s Designee

At 2:35 p.m., Chair Ka‘anā‘anā conducted roll call of Commissioners present: Chair, Ms. AhNee-Benham, Ms. Hussey, Ms. Lum. With Ms. Ahn’s advice that the wehena may be conductedwithout quorum, Chair Ka‘anā‘anā invited Ms. Ah Nee-Benham to introduce Dr. Manulani AluliMeyer to conduct the wehena (opening).
Dr. Meyer introduced an initiative that was created at University of Hawaiʻi West Oʻahu(UHWO) called Niu Now. Dr. Meyer also reminded meeting attendees that it is Makahiki
season – with hopes that the season of peace, gratitude and excellence will guide everyone. Sheemphasized that today is about Lono (Hawaiian god of peace, agriculture and abundance) andreferenced “Nānā I Ke Kumu” a series of volumes of Hawaiian cultural practices that emphasizes
resilience and pono (doing what is right), cultural landscaping and cultural agroforestry.
Niu Now is a movement that was founded by herself and Mr. Indraji Gunasekara who isoriginally from Sri Lanka, a country that has maintained a relationship with niu for over 3,000years. The movment focuses on coconuts as pivotal food resource and cultural rejuvination toolto effectively transform Hawaiʻi. She shared slides that depicted the project and practitioners
that she feels represents Hawaiʻi’s history and future. She noted that 180 niu (coconut) seedlings
were planted at Kūkaniloko, Oʻahu. Coconut palms have been used ornamentally in film/arts,and coconuts have also, at times, been considered a liability. Niu Now is a movement thatconnects the islands of Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to coconuts that are rooted in community andaloha ʻāina (caring for the land).
Dr. Meyer mentioned that Ms. Ah Nee-Benham asked her to conduct the wehena today because
Niu Now was initially prepared to participate in FestPAC 2020, a community movement
embedded in UHWO. When the 2020 Festival was cancelled, the group continued conducting
webinars and other informational sessions virtually. She commented that coconuts are a foodresource and can also be viewed as a cultural rejuvenation tool.
Dr. Meyer acknowledged and thanked Ms. Hussey and OHA for supporting their efforts at
Kūkaniloko, Oʻahu. A conference is scheduled to be held from May 12-14, 2022. She requested
that coconuts be considered for FestPAC programming because it has a pivotal role in areas suchas cultural weaving, vinegar, and food production where Sāmoans, Tongans and other PacificIslanders would be able to relate to.
Chair thanked Dr. Meyer for the wehena.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, December 6, 2021, at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 3 of 5

CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order by Chair Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā at 2:48 p.m., who welcomed
everyone present via ZOOM and Facebook Live.
At this time, Chair noted that Ms. de Silva, Vice-Chair Salā, and Mr. Onishi joined the meeting.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā invited members of the public to testify on the agenda items. Hearing none, heproceeded with the rest of the agenda items.
APPROVAL OF NOVEMBER 22, 2021 MEETING MINUTES
The minutes were distributed and reviewed by Commissioners. Chair asked if there were anycomments or changes to the minutes. Hearing none, he asked for a motion to be made and amotion to approve the minutes was made by Ms. Ah Nee-Benham and seconded by Ms. de Silva.
A roll call vote was requested with the following Commissioners approving the motion toapprove the minutes of November 22, 2021: Chair Ka‘anā‘anā, Vice-Chair Salā, Ms. Hussey,Mr. Onishi, Ms. de Silva, Ms. Lum, Ms. Ah Nee-Benham.
Motion was unanimously approved.
REPORT ON PERMITTED INTERACTIONS, PURSUANT TO ACT 103, SESSIONLAWS OF HAWAIʻI 2021
Chair reported that there were no Permitted Interaction Group meetings held between the lastCommission meeting and today’s meeting.
ADMINISTRATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT & UPDATENo meeting was held by the Administrative Committee.
VENUES COMMITTEE REPORT & UPDATENo meeting was held by the Venues Committee.
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR REPORT & UPDATE
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā turned over the next portion of the agenda to Festival Director (FD) Salā.
FD Salā reported that he hopes to meet with the UH Mānoa Executive team soon regarding theFestival Village. He also would like to schedule meetings with commissioners individually. The
FD reported that he also met with key partners – Mr. Jonathan Johnson of the State Foundationof Culture and the Arts; Ms. Mary Hattori of the East-West Center’s Pacific Islands
Development Program; representatives of the Bishop Museum and Polynesian Cultural Center.
The FD also discussed matters related to operational actions specifically pertaining tofundraising and friend-raising and the need to identify a fiscal agent for the 2024 Festival. He
would like to solidify operational actions to build MOUs with partners at OHA, the East-WestCenter and other organizations. As soon as the Festival Village venue has been confirmed, hewill need to operationalize and recruit staff; however, he expressed the need for some guidancein these areas.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, December 6, 2021, at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 4 of 5

Chair invited Commissioners for comments or questions.
Ms. Benham asked the FD to elaborate further on his idea of a fiscal agent. FD Salā mentionedthat he and the Chair met a few weeks ago to discuss these matters. He understands that there isa trust fund at DBEDT, however, it would be more beneficial to funders if their contributions
were made to a 501(c)(3). He suggested creating a new non-profit for this purpose. He notedthat his contract is with NaHHA through funding support from the HTA. He believes thatcreating a new non-profit organization would enable funds and agreements to remain separate for
Festival organization purposes. He also suggested NaHHA becoming the fiscal agent, however,
he would like to have further discussions with appropriate individuals and return with his
recommendations to the Commission. However, he would appreciate the Commission providing
guidance.
Ms. Ahn commented that she would be interested in seeing a written document that would
describe how funds would be accounted for. Chair commented that funders would not be able totake tax breaks if funds are contributed to a State agency trust fund. He suggested consideration
to establish a non-profit entity that would have a sunset date in line with the Commission’s life.
Ms. Ahn commented that there would be a procurement issue if a State agency contracted withthe fiscal agent. DBEDT does not have the authority to establish a 501(c)(3). Chair stated thatthe HTA does not have the authority to create a non-profit organization. Ms. Ahn indicated thatshe would discuss this matter further with the Chair and HTA’s Deputy AG.
Mr. Onishi asked Ms. Ahn whether the Commission would have the capacity to authorize theestablishment of a 501(c)(3). Ms. Ahn stated that because the Commission is part of the State,that scenario would not be possible. She reiterated again that there needs to be documentation
regarding how funds will be accounted for.
Ms. Lum commented that regarding DBEDT’s trust account, if donors are looking for tax writeoffs, that would not be possible if funds are directed to DBEDT. When funds are added to State
coffers, even if it is a trust account, procurement rules would apply. She suggested that the FDcontact Mr. Randy Tanaka who chaired the World Conservation Congress regarding how thatevent managed private contributions. Vice-Chair Salā gave an example that Honolulu City
Lights is run by a non-profit organization.
The FD indicated that he met with Mr. Tanaka and learned that the University of Hawaiʻi (UH)Foundation and the Research Corporation of the UH were used in the case of the World
Conservation Congress. He asked whether a non-profit could be formed via a Request ForProposal (RFP) process.
Chair commented that today’s discussion was intended to begin conversations regarding these
operational considerations. He asked the FD to continue conducting due diligence and reportback to the Commission during the January Commission meeting.
Mr. Onishi commented that the Commission consider establishing a working relationship withNative Hawaiian Hospitality Association (NaHHA) as a fiscal agent. Chair stated that the HTA

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, December 6, 2021, at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 5 of 5

is required to follow all procurement rules. He also mentioned that the HTA’s contract withNaHHA ends in June 2022. Without additional funding, it limits NaHHA’s ability to assist theCommission far into the future.
Mr. Onishi pointed out that the FD brought up a second issue related to staffing. He suggested
that the FD develop a proposed budget for staffing, the fund developer’s position and otherpositions required for project execution purposes. The Commission should review functionalityof the operation/budget and make budgetary adjustments as needed.
The FD stated that he will put together a budget and work with Commissioners. He indicatedthat he would use the Festival Handbook as a guide. Once the Festival Village has been
confirmed, he will develop a budget. Chair advised that the FD’s draft would go through theAdministrative Committee (AC) first before being presented to the Commission.
Ms. Ah Nee-Benham commented that the FD will conduct due diligence to identify entities for
fundraising, setting up an office, and identifying the extent of administrative support staff
needed. Chair stated that developing a budget is fine, however, at this time, there are no fundsavailable.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā invited the public to again offer comments. Hearing none, he moved intoannouncements.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Chair indicated that in 2022, Commission meetings will begin at 3:00 p.m. instead of 2:30 p.m.
He asked Ms. Sanders to distribute the 2022 calendar of meetings and noted that adjustments todates can be made as needed. Related to Act 220, Session Laws of Hawaiʻi, there are someSunshine Law changes for Commission meetings. Staff will need to identify a physical location
for members of the public to observe virtual meetings.
NEXT MEETING – DECEMBER 20, 2021
The next FestPAC Commission meeting is confirmed for Monday, December 20, 2021, at 2:30
pm. Chair commented that given the holiday season, there may be a need to cancel theDecember 20, 2021 meeting.
ADJOURNMENT
Chair Ka‘anā‘anā adjourned meeting at 3:13 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
12/10/2021
Kalani Ka‘anā‘anā
ChairDate