HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP FC 136 2020/09/15 2018-2020 REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
DATE: September 15, 2020 Re: Comm. No. 1062/Res. No. 724-20
PLACE: Council Chambers
Hilo, Hawai`i
TIME: 9:03 a.m.
Council Chair and Members
Hawai`i County Council
Hilo, Hawai`i 96720
Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred Resolution No. 724-20, reports as follows:
Resolution No. 724-20, transmitted by Finance Director Deanna Sako, via Communication No. 1062
dated August 27, 2020, authorizes the Office of the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the University
of Hawai`i's Hawai`i Natural Energy Institute for the acceptance of a donation of a hydrogen bus.
This resolution accepts a 2014 Eldorado 29-passenger Aero Elite bus with an approximate value of
$500,000 to add to the Mass Transit Agency's transportation fleet.
A motion to move Resolution No. 724-20 to Council with a positive recommendation was made by
Council Member Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, and seconded by Council Member Rebecca Villegas.
Deputy Director of Research and Development, Riley Sato, addressed Your Committee noting that this
opportunity was possible through Hawai`i Natural Energy Institute (HNEI) via a grant and collaboration
with Mitch Yuen of the University of Hawaii and the County of Hawai`i. Responding to an inquiry as to
the condition of the 2014 bus, Mr. Saito shared that said bus was hardly used and has been
retrofitted/rebuilt from a diesel system to a hydrogen system. At present, the only hydrogen fueling
system is on this island at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai`i Authority(NELHA), and has
passed all required inspections.
Council Member Richards shared that the bus was converted to the largest fuel cell for hydrogen as
possible, making it close to being a state-of-the-art system as of right now, per his conversation with
Mr. Yuen. He also added there is a transportation vessel currently available to move hydrogen across
the island.
Your Committee on Finance is in accord with the purpose and intent of Resolution No. 724-20, and
recommends its adoption.
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AYES NOES ABS EX Respectfully submitted,
CHUNG X
DAVID x COMMITTEE ON FINANCE
EOFF X
KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X
KIERKIEWICZ X , W' OS
LEE LOY X
POINDEXTER x MAILE MEDEIROS D ' VTU,LHAIR
RICHARDS X FC REPORT NO.: 136
VILLEGAS X ADOPTED: OCT 0 7 2020