Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Local Government topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hawaii County Council confirms water-board nominee and approves grants, donations and budget measures
Summary
The council confirmed a water-board nominee, authorized a $68,000 hazard mitigation grant agreement, accepted AED donations worth about $130,000 for police use, and advanced several budget bills at first or final readings.
The Hawaii County Council took several administrative and fiscal actions at its Jan. 23 meeting in Kona. The body confirmed the nomination of Colin E. Murrah (communication 664) to the Hawaii County Water Board after a motion to accept the communication and confirm the nomination (moved by Council member Kagiwara and seconded by Council member Houston). The nominee thanked the council and the motion carried as recorded.
Council also approved Resolution 4-26-25, authorizing the mayor to enter an intergovernmental agreement with the State of Hawaii Emergency Management Agency to accept a federally derived hazard mitigation grant of $68,000. According to staff, those funds will support Phase 1 planning and preparatory activities for a community wildfire fuels reduction and defensible-space project.
Other approved measures included multiple small appropriations transferring funds to support local events and programs: $1,000 to the Kipuka Pharmacy project at the Puna Community Medical Center Foundation (Resolution 4-42-25), $3,000 to the Kupuna Hula Festival (Resolution 4-43-25), and $2,500 to Mauna Kea Gardens for its annual Awakau Festival (Resolution 4-44-25). The council also accepted a donation of 82 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) from the Hilo Benioff Medical Center Foundation with an estimated total value of $130,000 for the Hawaii Police Department (Resolution 4-47-26).
On the budget docket, the council advanced several bills: Bill 112 (amending the operating budget to appropriate $1.6 million in federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act grants) was given its first reading; Bill 113 (appropriating $68,000 in hazard mitigation grant funds) passed first reading; and Bill 110 (a state grant for Hawaii County Food Access Summit, $40,000) passed second and final reading. Bill 111 (a zoning change request) also passed at second and final reading as recorded.
Council members and department staff provided brief background for the actions. Neil Esvira, deputy director of Public Works, described the need for temporary access and bridge repairs related to a multiyear right-of-entry agreement connected to Resolution 4-49-26. Parks planning staff reported that archaeological inventories, environmental assessments and monitoring plans for a park restoration project are being finalized and that finance, HR and the mayor's office are coordinating to secure planning staff or contractors.
Votes on these routine measures were recorded as carried with six ayes and three excused, unless otherwise noted in the minutes. No contested final policy decisions beyond the advisory aquarium resolution were recorded.
