Laserfiche WebLink
REPORT OF THE <br />COMMITTEE ON PARKS AND RECREATION <br />AND PUBLIC SAFETY <br />DATE: September 6, 2022 Re: Comm. No. 911.2/Bill No. 195, Draft 2 <br />PLACE: Council Chambers <br />Hilo, Hawaii <br />TIME: 10:43 a.m. <br />Council Chair and Members <br />Hawaii County Council <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />Your Committee on Parks and Recreation and Public Safety, to which was referred Bill No. 195, <br />Draft 2, reports as follows: <br />Bill No. 195, draft 2, transmitted via Communication No. 911.2, from Council Member Ashley L. <br />Kierkiewicz for District 4, dated August 17, 2022, amends Chapter 7, of the Hawaii County <br />Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended), Relating to Disaster and Emergency Management. <br />This measure changes the title of Chapter 7 from "Civil Defense" to "Disaster and Emergency <br />Management" and revises and reorganizes the sections therein. Replaces definitions; inserts <br />sections to clarify Civil Defense Agency organization and duties; clarifies requirements for <br />Emergency Action Plans and use of multi -governmental services; and delineates the Mayor's <br />authority to declare a state of disaster or emergency and ability to exercise emergency powers. <br />On August 16, 2022, Bill No. 195 was amended with the contents of Communication No. 911. 1, <br />by amending Item (8) in Section 7-1-3 to change "maintain" to "manage", and passed with eight <br />ayes, one absent, resulting in Bill No. 195, draft 2. This matter was then postponed to September <br />6, 2022. <br />On September 6, 2022, Council Member Ashley L. Kierkiewicz introduced Communication <br />No. 911.5. Administrative Officer- Barry Periatt with Civil Defense came forward to explain that <br />this amendment was made to use the FEMA definition which is more appropriate. The vote was <br />taken to approve this amendment with eight in favor, one absent. <br />Ms. Kierkiewicz introduced Communication No. 911.6 to clarify "warning point" and explained <br />that this is a division that civil defense is charged with, which will create this twenty-four hour <br />warning point branch. Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno said that the State has a <br />twenty-four hour warning point branch, and Mr. Periatt stated that warning point duties are <br />currently being done by Police dispatch. <br />In response to inquiry by Council Member Aaron Chung, Mr. Periatt said that this warning point <br />division is structured after police, and that the total cost would be $427,000 per year, for ten <br />personnel, twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week, with two persons staffing 8 hour shifts <br />each day. <br />Council Member Maile David commented that we've never had a warning point division in civil <br />defense which has been handled so far by Police, and that it makes sense to have a division in <br />civil defense that is dedicated to warning point notifications. <br />PRPSC Report No.: 36 <br />