The Office of Hawaiian Affairs and the state attorney general have set additional community meetings to discuss the settlement OHA reached with the state administration over past due amounts of income and proceeds from ceded lands in the Public Land Trust. The settlement was signed Jan. 17 and announced the following day.

The meetings scheduled so far will be held:

Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Waimanalo Library.

Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. at Pearl City High School Cultural Center Hall.

Saturday, Feb. 16, at 10 a.m. at Maili Elementary School.

Monday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m. on Moloka'i at Kulana 'Oiwi.

Wednesday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. at Lihu'e Public Library.

Saturday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. at Maui Community College in Kalama Room 103.

Monday, Feb. 25 at 7 p.m. in Hilo at the Queen Liliuokalani Children's Center in Hilo.

OHA will also hold an electronic meeting on the World Wide Web:

Halawai Punaewele on Friday, Feb. 22 at 9 a.m. by logging on to www.oha.org/pastdue/.

Additional meetings will be scheduled in downtown Honolulu and Kona. OHA will update the public on the meeting schedule as new venues and dates are set.

The purpose of the meetings will be to share with beneficiaries and the general public the terms and conditions of the settlement as well as to receive comments and recommended improvements to the settlement. The information gathered from the meetings will be included in a report to the Legislature. The settlement requires that both the Executive Branch and OHA agree to any changes proposed by Legislature.

"The upcoming meetings will provide a venue to educate the public about the settlement and to clear up misinformation," said OHA Administrator Clyde Namu'o. "We want to make sure that information is comprehensive and accurate and that as many people as possible have an opportunity to hear from us. It will also be an opportunity for us to hear from the public."

The settlement came about after four years of negotiations between OHA and the state administration. The settlement is pending approval before the state Legislature.

The community meetings are in addition to other outreach already conducted or planned by OHA. For information on the meetings, to download documents related to the settlement or watch streaming video of a one-hour program on the issue, the public can go to www.OHA.org/pastdue/ .

Those who are unable to attend the community meetings may also participate in "Halawai Punaewele" or an electronic meeting over the Internet on Friday, Feb. 22, at 9 a.m. (Hawai'i time) also at www.OHA.org/pastdue. The electronic meeting will also provide an opportunity for beneficiaries living outside of Hawai'i to learn more about the settlement, ask questions and provide comment. Further information on the electronic meeting will be announced once details are finalized.