The decision by the University of Hawaii Board of Regents regarding proposed Maunakea administrative rules will be made on the Big Island instead of Oahu.
A public meeting of the regents was scheduled for Nov. 6 at UH-West Oahu to discuss proposed new rules for how the university will “provide for the proper use, management and protection of cultural, natural and scientific resources of the UH management areas.” That meeting is still scheduled for Nov. 6, but will now be on the UH-Hilo campus.
The decision to move the meeting was made to facilitate more participation from the people most impacted by the rules, said UH spokesman Dan Meisenzahl.
The final draft of the proposed rules will be unveiled no later than six days before the meeting, and follows eight public hearings about the rules in 2018 and this year. Members of the public also will be able to testify during the November meeting.
The regents could adopt the proposed rules during the November meeting, propose a new round of public hearings on new draft rules or defer the decision to a later date. If adopted, the rules will go through a further approval process before going to Gov. David Ige for final approval.