Molokai Enterprise Community board action put on hold by recommendation from Washington

As enthusiastic anti-development crowds prepared for what was expected to be a tense meeting with the Molokai Enterprise Community (EC) board, the organization’s board members seemed outright relaxed. Board member Rikki Cooke had brought his dog, and executive director Abbey Mayer and newly appointed member Cheryl Corbiell joked easily 20 minutes before the start of the meeting. As it turned out, EC board members did have a reason to relax: Thursday’s public meeting wasn’t going to happen.

After the much talked about Enterprise Community (EC) meeting on March 15, which saw the controversial appointment of Corbiell and OHA Trustee, Collette Machado, few were expecting the EC April 19 meeting to be a quiet or poorly attended affair.

The crowd of community members who showed up to Thursday’s meeting in the OHA conference room at Kulana O`iwi were greeted with a sign proclaiming the meeting would be limited to just 50 people, apparently mandated by a Maui County Fire Marshall.

As anti-development member Leila Stone was ramping up to move the cramped meeting to a larger area nearby, board president, Stacy Crivello, announced that the meeting would not proceed as planned. Crivello revealed that the organization had been contacted by USDA Regent Officer, Sharon Colbert, who advised that EC board action be put on hold.

Colbert’s letter was read to the hushed crowd: “Greetings [Executive Director] Mr Mayer, the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington DC received an inquiry on Tuesday April 17 2007. In light of the short notice we would like to advise the board to consider holding off on any board actions while the correspondence is being reviewed.”

Quite likely, the inquiry in question is in reference to a community generated petition of 606 signatures, submitted April 17, which questions several pro-development members’ legitimacy on the board; namely that four EC members (three who have seats on the Molokai Land Trust, and one who is an MPL employee) present a conflict of interest in that their organization stand to benefit from EC support of the Master Land-Use Plan. The “plan” includes the development of a millionaire’s subdivision at La`au Point with cash and property kickbacks to the Molokai Land Trust.

The petition was submitted to the head offices of the USDA in Washington DC. Majority of Molokai’s EC grant is provided by federal funds distributed through the USDA. Locally, the EC grant is administered by the non-profit organization Ke Aupuni Lokahi (KAL).

Because of the grant’s federal origination, KAL is required to follow specific “sunshine” practices which include oversight and participation from the public. One of these coveats mandates the KAL/EC board to be comprised of no less than 55% of publicly elected individuals.

The aforementioned petition also questions EC board’s decision in appointing Machado and Corbiell who were decidedly defeated in the public board election on January 31. The petition further suggested that the EC should have put the Machado and Corbiell seats on the ballot as well.

Also put in question is board member Shannon Crivello’s legitimacy as an elected board member; the son of the board president, Mr. Crivello is the representative of Kalawao county (Kalaupapa) and is exempt from attending meetings as well as from running in elections because of his area’s remoteness and questionable lack of other representatives. Mr Crivello’s name has not appeared on an election bill since he was initially elected more than eight years ago.

The April 17 petition was not the first time USDA Washington was contacted by the Molokai community; Hui Ho`opakele Aina spokesperson Walter Ritte wrote a letter last December, to the USDA requesting an investigation into Machado and Ms. Crivello’s alleged conflict of interest issues.

After Thursday’s announcement to suspend board action, a motion to move the meeting to the QLCC Halau in the same complex led to the meeting’s adjournment; Crivello informed the re-assembled crowd that the EC did not have the required paperwork to use the Halau, and that she would not re-convene the meeting. There was some public outcry over this from community members who were noticeably frustrated when their opportunity to meet with the board had evaporated.

Members of Hui Ho`opakele Aina took the opportunity to speak to the assembly and clarify what had happened. “This is a mixed blessing,” said famed activist Walter Ritte; “they won’t be making any new laws, but none of their current projects will be put on hold, either. We also won’t have the opportunity to question their actions in public until there is a decision made by the USDA.”

Some in the group, like KAL meeting regular attendees Lawrence Aki and Patricia Chow were concerned over how the land battles are being perceived on other islands, and encouraged Molokai people to share their mana`o with Akaku community television and other media outfits.

There is no word on how long the USDA will be proceeding; Mayer said he was given no time frame for an official response. As of now, the next Molokai EC meeting on May 17 is still scheduled to take place at the usual time and place, and all other EC projects on Molokai will continue as planned action is handed down from the USDA in Washington.