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r 5�p9 EA 'y\ <br /> . County of Hawaii Report <br /> a) County Council passed a resolution to urge the Administration to acquire hydrogen <br /> buses to accelerate achievement of Hawaii's renewable energy goals. <br /> b) Hawaii Fire Department received a donation from the Sayre Foundation of a tanker <br /> truck, worth $301,000, to be used in the Kohala area, which is prone to wildfires. <br /> c) County Council passed a resolution urging Bank of America to make good on a <br /> mortgage loan commitment to the Native Hawaiian community, which was <br /> promised after BoA was found to be discriminatory towards Native Hawaiian and <br /> Filipino applicants. <br /> ) Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit established an ad hoc committee to <br /> to identify immediate and long-term solutions for zero emissions buses and to mar- <br /> ry these plans with implementation of the County's Dass Transit Master Plan. <br /> e) County Council passed a resolution urging DLNR-DOBOR to establish a working <br /> group with lawai a (fishermen/fisherwomen), individuals with familial and cultural <br /> ties to Puna, and the County of Hawaii to plan and develop a boat ramp for Puna, <br /> as they Pohoiki boat ramp was buried in sand as a result of the 2013 volcanic <br /> eruption events. <br /> f) A resolution supporting Senator Kai Kahele's request of the Governor to issue a 60- <br /> day moratorium on construction passed the County Council, 6-3. <br /> g) A revision to the 2016 ordinance banning polystyrene food containers passed the <br /> Council, with the support of community and industry. Recognizing that an industrial <br /> composting facility, which was noted in the original ordinance, was not developed, <br /> needed to ensure that ordinance language was clear in making the shift away from <br /> polystyrene and towards more environmentally friendly options. <br /> h) Lava recovery continues to be a focus of the County, with work happening on inter- <br /> im and comprehensive recovery plans. A case management system is being stood <br /> up to follow up with displaced and impacted residents to ensure they receive ap- <br /> propriate support around housing, business and recreation, if needed. <br /> i) The County's General Plan has been reviewed, and an islandwide speakers circuit <br /> will launch in September. The interactive, drop-in style event dubbed "SpeakOut" <br /> will allow residents to drop by and stay for as little or as long as they want, and <br /> learn as well as share many o on topics they are interested in. A pilot SpeakOut <br /> was hosted in Puna, with a focus on informing recovery efforts. <br /> 4. County of Kauai Report <br /> a) County Council passed a bill giving the Planning Department the authority to lien <br /> properties based on illegal buildings or illegal use. The primary targets are vacation <br /> rentals and B&Bs that are illegal. Current fines are significant, but do not provide <br /> enough ammo to deter illegal usage. While there is some gray area, Council feels <br /> confident in this new authority for Planning Department and their ability to stay <br /> within the boundaries articulated in the bill. Some cease and desist letters were <br /> sent to illegal operators a few years ago, but many have actually gone into busi- <br /> ness because they have attorneys who served in Planning and have knowledge to <br /> find loopholes in the system. <br /> b) Kauai has a massive parakeet problem, with more than 15,000 parakeets around <br /> the island. Many flew out of their cages during Hurricane Iniki, and over the last few <br /> decades, started to propagate in the wild and grew into a huge problem. Many lo- <br /> cal crops such as lycee, guava, and rambutan are doing poorly because of the <br /> parakeets. The State has been working on a pill to eliminate a parakeet's ability to <br /> breed, but it's been five years and can't keep waiting while the problem continues <br /> to grow. Even if the pill were developed and issued now, we would still need to wait <br />