MINUTES OF THE COMMISSION ON THE 13TH FESTIVAL OF
PACIFIC ARTS & CULTURE (FestPAC) MEETINGMONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2021 AT 1:30PM
VIA VIRTUAL APPLICATION ZOOM: VIDEO / AUDIO CONFERENCE
Commission Members Present were:
Senate President’s Designee
Community Member At-Large
Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA) Designee
Governor’s Designee
House Speaker’s Designee
City and County of Honolulu Designee
Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Designee(arrived at 2:43pm)
Department of Business, EconomicDevelopment and Tourism (DBEDT)

J. Kalani English, Chair
Māpuana de Silva
Kalani Ka‘anā‘anāMonte McComber
Richard Onishi
Makanani Salā
Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu-Jamie Lum-Jacob Aki-Maka Casson-Fisher
Hailama Farden
Lawson Fernandes
Jean-Emmanuel Frantz
T. Ilihia Gionson
Dede Howa
Blaine Kia
Terrance Liu
Lynn Martin Graton
Ngahiraka Mason
June Matsumoto
Malia Sanders-Director of Communications, Hawai‘i State
SenateHawai‘i Tourism Authority
Kamehameha Schools
Mayor’s Office of Culture and Arts (MOCA)
Public Member
Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association
Hawai‘i Tourism Authority
Public Member
Public Member
Public Member
Aotearoa Representative
Public Member
Native Hawaiian Hospitality Association

Margaret Ahn
Marlene Hiraoka
Timothy Tiu
Scott Tome
Selma Malcolm-Deputy Attorney General
DBEDT
DBEDT
DBEDT
DBEDT

Guests:Staff:

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, January 25, 2020 at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 2 of 6Apologies:
Snowbird Bento-Community Member At-Large

Call to OrderThe meeting was called to order by Chair English at 2:31 p.m., who welcomed everyone present
via ZOOM and Facebook Live.
Chair English called upon Mr. McComber for the wehena (opening).
Public Testimony On Agenda Items
Chair English invited members of the public to testify on the agenda items. Hearing none, hecontinued with agenda items.
Approval of January 11, 2021 Meeting Minutes
The January 11, 2021 meeting minutes will be deferred for review and approval until the nextscheduled meeting.
Financial Report – Update On Festival Funding
Ms. Lum provided a financial report as follows:
The financial summary that was presented to Commissioners included funds that wereappropriated by the Hawai‘i State Legislature from 2017-2019. The summary identified allfunds that were spent or encumbered and is included as an attachment to the meeting minutes.
Ms. Lum mentioned that funds that were directed to the Hawai‘i Convention Center will be usedfor venue and facility costs for the 2024 FestPAC event.
A balance totaling $9,216.25 remains in a trust account at DBEDT that was from a $10,000
private donation. A portion of these funds was used for website hosting services provided by
Strategies 360 for January – June 2021.
Ms. Lum invited questions from Commissioners about the financial report.
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā asked about a $10,000 private donation that was received in 2017. He indicatedthat it was reported at the April 10, 2019 meeting. Ms. Lum reported that private donations werereceived from Smith’s Motor Boats, Royal Hawaiian Center, and Stanford Carr Development
and recorded accordingly. Donations from Smith’s Motor Boats and the Royal Hawaiian Center
were returned at the donors’ request due to the downturn in the economy resulting from theCovid-19 pandemic. The donation from Stanford Carr Development remains in a DBEDT trust
account. Mentioned earlier, some funds were used for website hosting fees via Strategies 360.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, January 25, 2020 at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 3 of 6Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā mentioned that the donation he is referring to was made from Ms. Barbara
Smith. Ms. Lum will be checking with PA‘I Foundation about the status of the donation
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā made reference to and will follow up with this inquiry at the next scheduled
meeting.
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā asked whether the 2021 website hosting fees were included in the $25,000 paid
to Strategies 360 listed in the financial summary. Ms. Lum responded that this website hostingfee is listed as a separate item, the last item listed for $783.75 for the first six months of 2021.
Mr. McComber asked Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā about how the funds to the Hawai‘i Convention Center
were accounted for. Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā mentioned that the funds were specifically directed to theFestPAC event, a licensed event, and has been paid to the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
Ms. de Silva asked Ms. Lum if the funds in the Hawai‘i Convention Center have been spent.
Ms. Lum responded that DBEDT has a License Agreement with the Hawai‘i Convention Centerand that these funds will be held there until the event. Ms. Lum explained that expenses paid tothe Convention Center related to the Council of Pacific Arts and Culture (CPAC) meeting wereaccounted for in the Commission holdbacks category. Ms. de Silva asked for clarification onwhat has been spent or encumbered. Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā explained that amounts under contract withthe Hawai‘i Convention Center are considered spent. Meeting rooms needed to be secured and adeposit was required as part of the Licensing Agreement. Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā further stated that if
we need to cancel the Agreement, that discussion can be held at a later time. Ms. de Silva said
she was wondering how much money in private donations needed to be raised.
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā requested that DBEDT prepare the financial report in a more traditional manner
like a balance sheet or a Profit and Loss Statement. He mentioned again that $9,216.25 is what
remains in the trust account at DBEDT. That is all the cash that FestPAC currently has on hand.

Council of Pacific Arts and Culture (CPAC) Working Group Update
Mr. McComber provided an update to the CPAC Working Group as follows:
The CPAC Working Group issued a Request for Proposal (RFP21-007) to review the FestPAC
model. More details can be found at https://bit.ly/398sti6 The deadline for proposals is to bereceived on or before February 17, 2021 by 4pm Fiji time. A sub-working group was created todiscuss and guide the Youth Ambassador Group. CPAC would like to know how they can
engage in planning discussions and determine whether there might be costs involved.
The RFP was shared on Facebook via Islands Business Partners via their website as previouslymentioned. Mr. McComber also shared links to the Proposal Submission form and theinstructions document for submissions of proposals which can also be accessed via thepreviously mentioned website. Mr. McComber indicated that Aotearoa – New Zealand would beproviding leadership for this process and that the Pacific Community would be making the final
selection. The sub-contractor will work for the Pacific Community and CPAC. He encouraged

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, January 25, 2020 at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 4 of 6Commissioners to share the RFP with Hawaii based companies that may have an interest insubmitting a proposal.
Mr. Miles P. Young will be the Director of Human Rights & Social Development, Ms. Leituala
Kuiniselani Toelupe Tago will be the acting Regional Director for Polynesia, and Ms. Cresantia
Frances Koya Vaka‘atu Ph.D. as other support staff.
A follow-up discussion regarding the 2022 Virtual Festival will be made with Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā.
Chair English again asked about who would be paying for the 2022 Virtual Festival. TheCommission needs to be mindful about costs as well as the need to have shared costs. The next
update regarding the Virtual Festival will be held on February 8, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. (HST). Thismeeting will be held prior to the FestPAC Commission meeting that will be held on the samedate at 2:30 p.m.
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā recommended that the Commission engage in a formal discussion andsuggested that this matter be discussed during the next meeting. He believes that a virtual
summit with youth will help to address topics such as climate change, meaning of culture, etc.
The Commission could organize the sessions and plan on creating smaller sessions withrespective countries. He requested Commissioners to think about these ideas before the nextmeeting. The Commission may need more time to determine costs and identify who would beresponsible for costs to implement the Virtual Festival.
Festival Program – Offerings, Venues, Schedules, and Other Logistics
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā asked that this agenda item be deferred until Ms. Bento is able to attend andcan report on this matter at the next meeting.

Delegations
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā requested that Commissioners revisit the cap for delegations which was initiallyconsidered at 100 participants. Chair English concurred that having a smaller in-person andlarger virtual event would be ideal. Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā mentioned that based upon discussions
regarding programming, with the exception of theatre, dance troupes and wa`a (canoe) withhigher numbers of participants, other program areas would not have as many participants. Mr.
McComber expressed that, as the host, Hawai‘i needs to provide accommodations forparticipants; however, delegations would need to pay for expenses beyond what is agreed upon.
Chair English mentioned that, in the past, the average number of participants per delegation wasapproximately 30 for in-person festivals.
Mr. Onishi recalled that two delegations with 100 participants were planning to cover their own
expenses if the Festival had been held in 2020. FestPAC 2024 is three years away and we do notknow what the economy will be like at that time as well as the status of the pandemic. Twodelegations were willing to pay for their expenses; however, Chair English remindedMinutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, January 25, 2020 at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 5 of 6Commissioners that negotiations with these delegations will need to be revisited again. Within
the next three years, there will be leadership changes representing delegations and theCommission will need to determine what would be feasible at that time. Chair English
mentioned that with a hybrid format, perhaps a lower number of 30 or 40 participants perdelegation could be considered.
Ms. de Silva suggested that the Commission look at delegation numbers from previous festivals
and reduce the number by 20 percent because of financial considerations. She also suggested thatthe Commission review those numbers again six months before the Festival to make adjustments,
if need be. In the past, Hawai‘i was represented by 80 participants during the Festival in New
Caledonia and 60 in American Samoa. She feels that delegations could pay for additional
participants and that it would be a fair request to be made. She believes that people will
understand about reducing the maximum number of delegates.
Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā requested Mr. McComber research delegation numbers from previous festivals.
Commissioners’ Roles and Responsibilities
There was no discussion on this agenda item.
Festival Logo
The Festival Logo had been approved in the previous meeting and a new letterhead wasdesigned. There was no further discussion on this agenda item.
Legislation To Extend The Commission
Chair English reported that there are two FestPAC related bills that have been introduced during
this year’s legislative session: SB696 and HB625. In addition to extending the date of theCommission to August 31, 2025, the measure also permits commission members to discussmatters relating to official board business without regard to Sunshine Laws because theCommission is a working commission. SB696 shows only Senator English’s signature as theintroducer on the hard copy, however, the measure also was introduced by Senators Gabbard,Ihara, Kanuha, Keith-Agaran, Kidani, Lee, Moriwaki, Riviere, Shimabukuro, Wakai, Baker,Fevella, Kouchi, Misalucha and Nishihara.
Mr. Onishi reported that the House of Representatives has the same process with one
signature by the introducer on the hard copy which was Representative Gates as the new Culture,
Arts and International Committee Chair. Other introducers included Representatives Branco,
Eli, Hashimoto, Holt, Ilagan, Nakamura, Onishi, Takayama and Tarnas. The bills should movealong in both houses. If it passes both houses, it will go directly to the Governor for signature.
Chair English mentioned that since no money was added to the bill, there is more of a chancethat it will be heard. Chair English also mentioned that this year’s session has been shortened to55 days.

Minutes of the Commission on the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture
Monday, January 25, 2020 at 2:30pm via ZOOMPage 6 of 6

Public Comments
Chair English asked for public testimony. Hearing none, discussion moved to the next agenda
item.
Next Meeting
Next meeting is scheduled for February 8, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. The meeting calendar for 2021
was shared and will be distributed to Commissioners. Mr. Ka‘anā‘anā also mentionedthat quarterly half-day meetings are scheduled as well as one annual meeting for a deep dive.
The legislative schedule was taken into consideration in the scheduling of the Commission
meetings.
Adjournment
Chair English adjourned meeting at 3:12 p.m.

Respectfully Submitted,

Senator J. Kalani English
Chair

2/13/21
Date