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REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER AND ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY <br /> DATE: May 16, 2012 RE: Comm. No. 710/Bill No. 256 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i <br /> TIME: 10:10 a.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawai`i County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 <br /> Your Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability, to which was referred <br /> Bill No. 256, reports as follows: <br /> Bill No. 256, transmitted by Council Chair Dominic Yagong via Communication No. 710, dated <br /> May 8, 2012, amends Chapter 2, Article 36, Hawai`i County Code 1983 (2005 edition, as <br /> amended), by renaming and redefining the Geothermal Relocation and Community Benefits <br /> Program to the Geothermal Relocation and Public Safety Program. <br /> There were 48 testifiers from the public: 30 from the Hilo Council Chambers and 18 from the <br /> Pahoa Council Office. Of the 48 testifiers, 11 provided comments, 29 spoke in support, and 8 <br /> spoke in opposition. There were also 29 written testimonies submitted: 3 in support and 26 <br /> opposed. <br /> Mr. Yagong submitted amendments to "Section 2-182._" via Communication No. 710.1, which <br /> changed the title from "Terms of relocation" to "Qualifications for relocation" and deleted the <br /> deadline of December 31, 2012, for homeowners to apply for relocation. The amendments <br /> passed unanimously (Mr. Ikeda, Mr. Onishi, and Mr. Pilago were absent). <br /> During discussions on the main motion, Committee Members expressed their concerns and <br /> suggested some amendments for consideration as follows: <br /> Mr. Hoffmann felt there were some inconsistencies with the bill and asked why all references to <br /> the County selling acquired properties through the relocation program were not deleted. If the <br /> County will be selling acquired properties, then the title in Section 2-178 should remain the same <br /> as "Purchase and sale of affected properties" without deleting "and sale." Mr. Yagong <br /> responded that he wanted to leave the option open for Puna Geothermal Venture (PGV) to <br /> purchase acquired properties so that they could be used as a buffer zone. Mr. Hoffmann also <br /> mentioned that in Section 2-177, "the Puna Geothermal Venture's Plant" was deleted and <br /> replaced with "a geothermal power producing facility," which implies any geothermal plant that <br /> may be located anywhere on the island; however, in Section 2-181, the amendments state that <br /> expenditures relating to public health and safety shall be expended only in Lower Puna. <br /> AWESC Report No. 2 <br />