Emergency management seeks new staff and flood-monitoring funds after Kona storms; council weighs timing and cost

Director Randall Collins told the committee the administration added $300,000 in CD2 for flood-mitigation monitoring and asked councilmembers to consider adding five positions to DEM’s staffing roster to strengthen continuity and capacity. Collins said the department had already been allocated eight positions by the administration and currently funds 15 staff (12 full-time and three contract positions), but that recent storm response stretched the team thin.

Councilmember Kia’aina described the five requested positions in more detail — critical infrastructure and continuity program coordinator, hazard mitigation planner and project manager, preparedness specialist, logistics specialist and personnel clerk — and said those roles were prioritized in consultation with the director and managing director. She and other members pushed for clarity on the hiring timeline and cost: Kia’aina cited a total annual cost of $328,776 for the five positions.

Several councilmembers asked whether DEM could instead use contingency contracts or mutual-aid arrangements to rapidly scale operations during extreme events. Director Collins said DEM does not currently possess all needed contingency contracts and needs staff to put frameworks in place to activate external contractors, manage recovery planning after a presidential disaster declaration and pursue other federal grant opportunities. He estimated reorganization plus hiring would take roughly three to four months before most positions could be onboarded.

What happens next: Members accepted the amendments to DEM listed on page 17. Councilmembers asked for clarity on where operating funding and materials for increased staff would come from and for continued updates on recruitment timelines and vacancy counts.