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Finance Committee closes files, forwards Esri and tower agreements and approves indemnification resolution
Summary
At its June 17 meeting the Hawaii County Council Committee on Finance closed two communications on county finances, forwarded three resolutions (Esri software, a radio tower license, and an indemnification resolution for two former police officers) with favorable recommendations and postponed Bill 38 to July 8.
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — The Hawaii County Council Committee on Finance took several administrative and policy actions on June 17, voting unanimously on multiple file closures and forwarding three resolutions to the full council with favorable recommendations.
The committee voted 9–0 to close file on Communication 23.13, a report of fund transfers authorized April 16–30, 2025, from Acting Controller Wilson Kreider. Councilmember Inaba moved the motion; Councilmember Eustace seconded.
The committee also voted 9–0 to close file on Communication 335, a "supplemental summary of bonded indebtedness" as of May 7, 2025. Finance Director Diane Nakagawa said the report described a $142,140,000 issuance of general obligation bonds (Series 2025) and summarized net funded debt across categories. Nakagawa told the committee the net funded debt in the report was about $566,000,000. Treasurer Chris McConnell added that a 2008 series was a USDA bond amortized over 35 years for water improvements in Kona: "that 2008 series was a debt issuance for a USDA bond, which has a 35 year amortization," he said.
The committee forwarded Resolution 214-25 to full council with a favorable recommendation by a 9–0 vote. The resolution would authorize a three-year multi-year agreement for Esri software and services for the county’s GIS systems at an approximate annual cost of $180,400 plus taxes. Director of Information Technology Corey Stone told the committee the multi-year contract reduces annual increases and supports countywide GIS work, including a housing-dashboard collaboration.
Also forwarded 9–0 was Resolution 215-25, which would authorize the mayor to enter a five-year license agreement with the Bernice Pauahi Bishop Trustees for continued operation and maintenance of a noncommercial communications facility (a 300-foot tower at Kealakekua/Keauhou Ka‘ū) at an approximate annual cost of $5,000 plus taxes.
The committee also forwarded Resolution 217-25 by a 9–0 vote. That resolution would authorize indemnification for two former Hawaii Police Department officers, Justin Gaspar and Chad Taniyama, who are named as individual defendants in litigation arising from an officer-involved shooting dated on or about March 10, 2023. Deputy Corporation Counsel Mark Tischer described the incident in brief: "as this is an open forum, I'm not gonna go into too much detail, but, basically, this is an officer involved shooting." He also said the trial previously scheduled for July was moved to February 2026. Tischer and Deputy Corporation Counsel Kira Wong explained the county code process: Hawaii County Code section 2-188 requires a council resolution to authorize joint defense and indemnification for officials and employees named as individual defendants.
Votes on the forwarded resolutions were unanimous; the committee recorded nine members in favor on each matter.
The committee ended the meeting after postponing Bill 38 to the July 8 committee meeting to allow further review by Finance, Real Property, and Corporation Counsel.
