Committee forwards Philip 'Ippy' Iona to full council for Water Board with favorable recommendation

The Committee on Government Operations and External Affairs voted to forward Mayor Kima Alameda’s nomination of Philip 'Ippy' Iona to the Hawaii County Department of Water Supply (water board) to the full council with a favorable recommendation on Feb. 18, 2025.

Mike Alameda, the mayor’s executive assistant, introduced Iona as a Waimea native, small-business owner and former candidate for elected office. Iona told the committee he grew up in the restaurant business and described experience with local water issues, including a problem with fire hydrants that affected his restaurant’s permitting. "I believe some of my strengths are communication," Iona said, adding that he had met with the Department of Water Supply and that he intends to be an active, community-facing board member.

Council members praised Iona’s local roots and business perspective. Councilmember Eustace said Iona brings a "small business owner perspective" about rates and department interactions that will be valuable to the board. Councilmember Villegas urged attention to a long-overdue comprehensive water use and development plan and stewardship of watersheds and cultural sites; he said "water is life and is wealth" and encouraged Iona to work on ensuring the department’s technical systems and mapping are upgraded. Councilmember Onishi and others pressed Iona to avoid being a "rubber stamp" and to advocate for infrastructure improvements where current lines and pressure are insufficient.

The nomination would fill the seat vacated by Benjamin Nye; if confirmed by the full council, Iona would serve a five-year term ending Dec. 31, 2029. The committee closed the file and forwarded the nomination to the full council with a favorable recommendation; the clerk recorded nine ayes.

Context and next steps: Council members raised a range of island-wide water priorities—updating the comprehensive plan, addressing infrastructure constraints for farmers and homesteads, and responding to audit findings referenced in the hearing that suggested an accounting discrepancy in the Department of Water Supply (discussed by members as "approximately $2.5 million to $10 million" in the meeting). These issues were left for oversight by the Water Board and the council in future budget and policy reviews.