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REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON FINANCE <br /> DATE: September 15, 2020 Re: Comm. No. 1062/Res. No. 724-20 <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Hilo, Hawai`i <br /> TIME: 9:03 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 Resolution No. 724-20, reports as follows: <br /> Resolution No. 724-20, transmitted by Finance Director Deanna Sako, via Communication No. 1062 <br /> dated August 27, 2020, authorizes the Office of the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the University <br /> of Hawai`i's Hawai`i Natural Energy Institute for the acceptance of a donation of a hydrogen bus. <br /> This resolution accepts a 2014 Eldorado 29-passenger Aero Elite bus with an approximate value of <br /> $500,000 to add to the Mass Transit Agency's transportation fleet. <br /> A motion to move Resolution No. 724-20 to Council with a positive recommendation was made by <br /> Council Member Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, and seconded by Council Member Rebecca Villegas. <br /> Deputy Director of Research and Development, Riley Sato, addressed Your Committee noting that this <br /> opportunity was possible through Hawai`i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) via a grant and collaboration <br /> with Mitch Yuen of the University of Hawaii and the County of Hawai`i. Responding to an inquiry as to <br /> the condition of the 2014 bus, Mr. Saito shared that said bus was hardly used and has been <br /> retrofitted/rebuilt from a diesel system to a hydrogen system. At present, the only hydrogen fueling <br /> system is on this island at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai`i Authority(NELHA), and has <br /> passed all required inspections. <br /> Council Member Richards shared that the bus was converted to the largest fuel cell for hydrogen as <br /> possible, making it close to being a state-of-the-art system as of right now, per his conversation with <br /> Mr. Yuen. He also added there is a transportation vessel currently available to move hydrogen across <br /> the island. <br /> Your Committee on Finance is in accord with the purpose and intent of Resolution No. 724-20, and <br /> recommends its adoption. <br /> db <br /> AYES NOES ABS EX Respectfully submitted, <br /> CHUNG X <br /> DAVID x COMMITTEE ON FINANCE <br /> EOFF X <br /> KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X <br /> KIERKIEWICZ X , W' OS <br /> LEE LOY X <br /> POINDEXTER x MAILE MEDEIROS D ' VTU,LHAIR <br /> RICHARDS X FC REPORT NO.: 136 <br /> VILLEGAS X ADOPTED: OCT 0 7 2020 <br />