REP FC 274 04/21/2008 2006-2008 - Laserfiche WebLink

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• • REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE DATE: Apri121, 2008 PLACE: Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa 78-128 Ehukai Street Kailua-Kona, Hawaii TIME: 4:53 p.m. Re: Comm. No. 1062/Res. No. 551-08 Council Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred Resolution No. 551-08, reports as follows: Resolution No. 551-08, transmitted by Director of Finance William Takaba, via Communication No. 1062, dated February 27, 2008, authorizes the payment of funds of a later fiscal year and of more than one fiscal year for amulti-year contract scheduled to be issued or before March 4, 2008, for aWaste-To-Energy facility to be built close to the current site of the Hilo Landfill. At the Finance Committee meeting on March 11, 2008, Councilmember Jacobson moved for Resolution 551-08 to be held over for three Public Hearings. Meetings were scheduled for March 25, 2008 in Hilo, where 26 members of the public testified' April 7, 2008 in Waimea, where 18 members of the public testified; and April 17, 2008 in Kona, where 16 members of the public testified. At the Finance Committee meeting on March 24, 2008, Councilmember Jacobson moved to reconsider the vote to close file on Communication 1062.10 and hold a public hearing in Pahoa, then amended the motion to include a public hearing in the district of Ka`u. Meetings were scheduled for April 15, 2008 in Pahoa, where 39 members of the public testified, and on April 18, 2008 in Pahala, where 6 members of the public testified. Councilmembers and members of the public expressed frustration over the "process" this has gone through. One member of the public suggested the County seriously look at the current RFP process and find ways to make it more efficient. Chair Hoffmann reminded the group that a vote today would not lock the County into anything yet, it would merely allow for the Councilmembers to be able to look at the overall costs for the project as Wheelabrator does not have to release that information until a contract is signed. Councilmember Yagong commented that we would need another landfill no matter what technology the Council chose, in order to avoid trucking to West Hawaii. He advocated for amending the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan and siting a landfill as soon as possible, as permitting can take up to five years.