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Planning department advances CZM Atlas and general plan work while flagging enforcement and staffing gaps
Summary
Planning staff briefed council on the General Plan update, a new coastal zone management (CZM) Atlas story map, TVR/SDVR registration software and enforcement workflows; members pressed for fee review and raised alarm about inspector vacancies that slow enforcement.
Hawaii County Planning presented its FY27 priorities and a progress report on the General Plan and zoning code work, launched a new coastal zone management (CZM) Atlas story map and outlined enforcement and staffing challenges.
Director Jeff Darrow said the planning department is continuing work on the County General Plan (2045 vision and 2026 updates), zoning and subdivision code updates that will follow the plan’s completion, and the department recently secured software and a contractor for the short‑term/hosted rental (TVR) registry required by Ordinance 25‑50 to go live July 1. Planning also unveiled a CZM Atlas story map—developed with technical assistance from an outside firm—to give public access to coastal hazards, sea‑level rise, ecosystem and land‑cover data.
On enforcement, Darrow described the department’s complaint workflow: an intake leads to a courtesy letter, site inspection, violation notice and (if unresolved) daily fines and referral to corporation counsel. Councilors pressed for more transparency around outcomes and asked planning to include more detail in future performance reports about complaint resolution and how many cases are closed versus escalated.
Staffing and funding were recurring concerns. Planning reported eight current vacancies and the loss of some CZM‑funded positions; the department said it had recruited without success for planning inspector roles and that enforcement capacity is strained, particularly after recent turnover. Several council members urged the administration and finance to consider recruitment incentives and reclassifications that would help retain inspectors and make field enforcement sustainable while Bill 147 and the TVR expansion will increase workload.
Ending: Planning said it has $100,000 allocated to begin the Hilo Community Development Plan groundwork this fiscal year and expects procurement and community outreach to ramp up in summer/fall; councilors asked planning and finance to collaborate on fee schedules and enforcement resources.
