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Finance Committee forwards five small budget amendments and a pedestrian-safety grant to council
Summary
The committee voted to forward Bills 114–118, including several federal grant appropriations for police programs and a $54,098 pedestrian and bicycle safety grant, after brief departmental explanations about intended uses such as education and enforcement.
KONA/HILO — The Hawaii County Committee on Finance voted unanimously to forward five budget-amendment bills to the full council, including several small federal grants for police programs and a pedestrian and bicycle safety grant.
Bills 114–117 amend the operating budget to appropriate modest federal grant revenues for police programs (examples discussed included a roadblock program and selective traffic enforcement funds). Each bill was moved and forwarded to council with a favorable recommendation by recorded voice vote; committee members repeatedly thanked department staff for securing federal funding.
Bill 118, which adds $54,098 to a pedestrian and bicycle safety grant account, prompted questions about planned strategies. Major Jeremy Evangelista of the Hawaii County Police Department said the grant’s work will begin with education about e-bikes and crosswalk behavior and may escalate to enforcement if risky behavior continues: “It begins with education and then it usually ramps up to enforcement when we’re done educating,” he said.
Committee members expressed appreciation for the department’s work in tracking and securing federal dollars that support public-safety efforts.
All bills were forwarded to full council with favorable recommendations (vote tallies recorded in committee minutes).
