Hawaii County committee postpones vote on zoning changes for meeting facilities to Aug. 5

The Hawaii County Policy Committee on Planning, Land Use and Economic Development postponed consideration of Bill 60 to its Aug. 5 committee meeting, Chair Ashley Kirkwitz said July 9.

Bill 60 (draft 2) would amend Chapter 25, Articles 1, 2, 4, 5 and 7 of the Hawaii County Code (1983/2016 edition, as amended) to remove existing zoning regulations for community buildings, churches, temples and synagogues and create new regulations for meeting facilities, the clerk said during the meeting. Kirkwitz said members of the faith community had raised concerns about the draft and that staff and council needed more time to review suggested language.

"Members of the faith community continue to reach out to my office to relay their concerns," Kirkwitz said. "We've consolidated all of that information and have provided it to the planning department. But we need time." She added that the planning department is working under a court order tied to a lawsuit and that the county must resolve the identified issues by October.

Councilmember Holaka Inaba moved to postpone the matter to the committee's Aug. 5 meeting; Councilmember Michelle Galimba seconded the motion. The committee adopted the postponement by voice vote, recorded as eight ayes and no opposed, with one council member excused. The clerk did not record individual roll-call votes in the transcript for this item.

No members of the public testified in Hilo or by Zoom during the meeting, staff confirmed. The committee opened the meeting at 9:30 a.m. and adjourned at 9:33 a.m.

Bill 60 was introduced "by request" of Councilmember Ashley Kirkwitz and had been postponed previously in June 2025, the clerk said. The committee did not take further action on the ordinance text at this session; the matter will be back before the committee Aug. 5 for continued discussion and possible action.