Laserfiche WebLink
REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON FINANCE <br /> DATE: January 8, 2019 Re: Comm. No. 1165/Bill No. 210 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers (2016-2018 Council Term) <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i <br /> TIME: 10:29 a.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawai`i County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i 96720 <br /> Your Committee on Finance,to which was referred Bill No. 210, reports as follows: <br /> Bill No. 210, transmitted by Finance Director Deanna S. Sako, via Communication No. 1165 dated <br /> October 30, 2018, amends Chapter 21, Article 4, of the Hawai`i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as <br /> amended), relating to sewer service charges. <br /> This bill increases sewer fees incrementally on March 1 for three years beginning in 2019, as follows: <br /> Single Unit Residential: $12, $7, and $6; Multi-Unit Residential: $12, $7, and$6; Nonresidential: $17, <br /> $9, and $6; Private Haulers: $15, $10, and $5; and Gang Cesspools: $0, $6, and $3. The Department of <br /> Environmental Management requests these increases to eliminate the need for the General Fund subsidy <br /> and increase funding for facility repairs. <br /> The bill was first heard by Your Committee at its meeting of November 19, 2018. At that meeting, <br /> Mayor Harry Kim came forward to address the members. He commented that during a short period of <br /> time the Administration has been coining to the County Council for various a tax or fee increases. He <br /> emphasized that the fuel tax has not increased for 30 years, which presents the Council with the task of <br /> playing catch up, a difficult position to take to the public. This sewer fee increase is'the same situation <br /> where there has not been no increases since 2002. In this situation however, laws have since been <br /> passed regarding sustainability. <br /> William Kucharski, Director of Environmental Management (DEM) provided a PowerPoint summary <br /> relating to the proposed sewer fee increases and noted that Hawai'i County's sewer rates are the lowest <br /> in the State, adding that the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) requires construction and <br /> maintenance of sustainable sewer operations that are financially independent. He then went on to <br /> explain that the increase would be spread over a period of three years becoming effective on March 1, <br /> 2019. This would achieve DEM's goal to reduce the subsidy from the General Fund bringing it to zero <br /> at the end of the period. At the end of the three years with the sewer systems being financially <br /> self-sustaining, they would continue to be the lowest in the State of Hawai`i. <br /> FC Report No.: 5 <br />