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Council approves dozens of small community grants and nominations; water, budget and code bills advance
Summary
Hawaii County Council approved a large slate of Contingency Relief Fund grants supporting community events, cultural programs, DARE Day, and fire and police equipment; the council also confirmed a batch of nominations and advanced several budget and code measures including a $52 million increase for Hilo wastewater rehabilitation (Bill 43).
The Hawaii County Council approved a broad package of community grants and appointments during its May 7 session, awarding contingency relief funds to local nonprofits, schools and events across the island and confirming multiple nominees to boards and commissions.
Among the community grants, the council authorized funding for DARE Day celebrations in East Hawaii, a Kupuna Hula Festival, the Hilo Lei Day Festival, local sports and arts programs, and equipment purchases for Kea'au Fire Station and community policing bike patrols. Testifiers representing DARE Hawaii, Hospice of Hilo, Rotary clubs and Lions clubs described how the grants would fund events, safety equipment, cultural programming and outreach.
Council members repeatedly noted these CRF awards are one-time, community-level appropriations; many passed by unanimous or near-unanimous votes. The council also confirmed several candidates to local boards and commissions earlier in the meeting, including nominees to the Leeward Planning Commission, Board of Ethics and Real Property Tax Board of Review.
In other business the council advanced multiple budget and code measures: Bill 21 (nepotism definitions) passed second and final reading; Bill 36 (salary ordinance) and several operating-budget adjustments (Bills 37, 41, 42) were approved; and Bill 43, increasing funding for the Hilo wastewater treatment plant rehabilitation project from $17 million to $52 million, passed at second and final reading (8 ayes, 1 excused).
