HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN COUNCIL 2020-10-14 2018-2020 EMERGENCY
Hawai‘i County Council
Emergency Meeting
rd
53 Session
Hawai‘i County Building
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawai‘i
October 14, 2020
CALL TO The emergency meeting of the Hawai‘i County Council was called to order at
ORDER: 1:02 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Chair.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Chair
Ms. Karen Eoff, Vice Chair (via videoconference from Kona)
Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member (via videoconference from Kona)
Mr. Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder, Member
Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member
Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member
Ms. Valerie T. Poindexter, Member
Mr. Herbert M. “Tim” Richards, III, Member
Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member (via videoconference from Kona)
STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Council to proceed to the next order of business,
FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items.
PUBLIC ON
AGENDA ITEMS: CHR. CHUNG: Do we have any statements from the public today?
MS. AIELLO: No. We had people sign up, but they have not shown up in the
meeting room yet.
CHR. CHUNG: All right. In Kona—they’re in Kona? Oh, virtual. Okay, do we
have a phone number for them?
MS. AIELLO: I can contact them. And if they do come into the room, I can let
you know.
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, okay. And we’ll do some things ahead of time. So, let’s
go back to Statements from the Public when we can get in touch with those
persons who have signed in. Okay, let’s go on to “Communications.”
COMMUNI-The Chair directed the Council to proceed to the next order of business,
CATIONS: Communications.
Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Chair?
CHR. CHUNG: Yes?
Motion to Agree Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to agree with the findings
that an Emergency presented in Comm. 1120 that an emergency exists.
Exists: Seconded by Ms. Lee Loy.
CHR. CHUNG: Any discussion? And this is going to enable us to hold this
meeting today.
MR. HENRICKS: With a two-thirds vote.
CHR. CHUNG: Yes. Okay. No discussion? All those in favor, signify by
saying “aye.”
Vote on Motion to The motion to agree with the findings presented in
Agree that an Comm. 1120 that an emergency exists was carried by the
Emergency Exists: following voice vote:
(Approved)
Ayes: Council Members David, Eoff,
Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz,
Lee Loy, Poindexter, Richards, Villegas,
and Chair Chung – 9.
Noes: None.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
CHR. CHUNG: Motion carried. So, Mr. Clerk, we’re able to hold this
emergency meeting, right?
MR. HENRICKS: Yes.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay.
Comm. 1120: REQUESTS A BRIEFING BY MAYOR HARRY KIM ON THE STATUS OF
TRANS-PACIFIC TRAVEL REGARDING COVID-19 TESTING
REQUIREMENTS AND RELATED MEASURES TO REDUCE POTENTIAL
FOR SPREAD
From Council Chair Aaron S. Y. Chung, dated October 13, 2020.
Motion to Close Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to close file on Comm. 1120.
File: Seconded by Ms. Lee Loy.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
CHR. CHUNG: I guess let’s go on to the presentation by Mayor Kim. Let me
make just a few prefacing remarks, if I may. Mayor, you want to come up? Who
else is going to come up with you? Talmadge? Or just you? Okay.
(Note: At this time, Mayor Harry Kim came forward to address the
members of the Council.)
CHR. CHUNG: Well, let me explain the reason for—well, at least my reason. I
can’t guess as to what other people are feeling. But maybe a few weeks ago, there
was news that Hawaiʻi County had opted out of the Governor’s protocol, right?
And then, right after that, there was another article that said that, that article was
mistaken and that Hawaiʻi County was actually implementing a program whereby
a second test would be conducted, right.
So, there’s been a lot of misinformation going around. And I’m not going to
blame any particular person or entity. But since that time—and I’ve got a whole
th
bunch of these newspaper articles. This one is Star Advertiser, October 6, about
“Mayor Kim pushes to test system”; October 13, Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald, “No
one seems to know.” And that was the impetus for us holding this meeting today.
And then, this was, I think, yesterday’s Star Advertiser: “Hawaiʻi Reopening;
Plans Hazy.” I think they mean the State of Hawaiʻi on this one, yeah? And then,
today’s “Extra Layer of Protection.” So, it’s certainly not—and first of all, I want
to thank you and your staff for all of the hard work that you guys have been
putting in. I know it’s taken a lot of time, and it’s taken a toll on each of you. It’s
not a position that anyone envies. I certainly don’t envy your position. It’s
damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Right? I mean, whatever you do, you’re
going to get criticized, no matter what. We all understand that, yeah.
So, it’s not my intention to make things worse or try to criticize or anything like
that. Certainly not. But given all of these articles and we’re on the cusp of
reopening tomorrow, that’s why we had to have this emergency meeting today.
We want clarity. We just want to make sure that we understand completely
what’s going on so that whoever has to administer this, or whomever that may be,
understands as well. So, we just want to have a comfort level here. Right?
You have made the decision. We may have our own personal feelings on issues,
but that’s neither here nor there right now. We just—I just want clarity. Okay.
And we’ll probably have a lot of questions. But, Mayor, why don’t you go ahead
and tell us what the program is on this island. You can present it however you
want because there will be a lot of questions. So, go ahead, Mayor.
MAYOR KIM: May I take my mask off, sir?
CHR. CHUNG: Yes. Please.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: Thank you. First of all, a couple of days ago, the Governor and I
made an agreement never to use the words “opt in” or “opt out” again. And I am
serious about that because that caused so much problems in interpretation. The
Governor wanted to know what each mayor was going to do on those words of
“opt in” and “opt out,” which means will you support what his “opt in” means
when all the pretesting are of 72 hours before you come to the State of Hawai‘i. I
called him, excuse me, that I will not agree to the opt in, and that’s what was
printed. Because I used that term and so did the Governor.
What the media did not elaborate on, although a couple of them did explain that
what I had said to the Governor was, “I will follow and present a proposal besides
the opt in, opt out. It will be to supplement that.” And the reason for that,
Mr. Chair—by the way, I really, and I mean this sincerely, I really appreciate this
opportunity to come here and clarify because it really needs to be clarified. And I
know I’m guilty of really adding to the misinformation or miscommunication.
More miscommunication than misinformation. Excuse me again.
In regards to that, I think it was very simple in regards to why. But like
everything we do, people know that I will require why we’re doing it. And every
single—and I do mean every single—expert that I listened to, read from, and
heard from, and including the Director of the present Department of Parks and
Recreation, including the national Dr. Fauci, who a person not one of the people
that medically or professional involved in this did not recommend and say why a
one-test option was not adequate.
I made a conclusion based on all of the recommendations that’s for the protection
of our job, as far as people of Hawai‘i. And I’ll read our mission. We have three
missions tested and—thank you very much—in regards to hoping to complete this
soon, but of the moving target. The testing mission is, “Early detection of virus
with a comprehensive testing strategy.” And I’ll say it quite openly, I think we’re
the only County with a comprehensive testing strategy.
Number two is “Rapid testing response of close contacts to identify and isolate
positive cases to minimize the spread.” And I think if you’ve been listening to the
Civil Defense message, it says that almost every day the purpose of testing.
“Free travel and post-arrival testing capacity to manage the risk of incoming
travelers.” Our comprehensive testing strategy, Mr. Chairman, members of the
Council, are the following of the kind of testing we do at this time. And I will
state again, I welcome anyone here to check with all the other islands. We’re the
only one with this kind of testing strategy in regards to, from the very beginning,
No. 1, we divide the island into districts that we would test regularly to get a
database for each district.
This testing is open to the public and these are all your political districts of Puna,
South Hilo, North Kona, Hāmākua, South Kohala, North Kohala, North Kona,
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South Kona, and Ka‘ū. And we will schedule testing for each district on a
schedule basis at a fixed site. That has been really altered because of the demands
for other places where clusters open up.
On targeted testing, we test at specific areas within these districts, and that is open
to the public also. Selected locations of known or potential clusters to rapidly
determine extent of spread and what the spread is. I think you know of some of
them in regards to, for example, Miloli‘i. We did that type of testing. Spot
testing is testing at specific locations or populations, like your care centers, like
your veterans home, and other places. And that is our comprehensive testing
strategy of where we test and why we test there.
Actually, to do all of that, Mr. Chair, is a lot of resources and all of the testing
element is from the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security)
fund. At this point, I can truthfully say that all equipment, all manpower was for
the CARES fund, and none of it from the County fund because, obviously, our
funds are all budgeted for the year and we would have to come back to you for
any additional from that. And as you know, we never did come back because of
the adequacy of the Federal funds that you know was approximately $80 million
st
to be expended by December 31 of this year.
Point of Order: MR. KANEALIʻI-KLEINFELDER: Point of order, Chair?
CHR. CHUNG: Yes, go ahead.
MR. KANEALIʻI-KLEINFELDER: Mayor, is the test being provided—is there a
free test for the public?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, it is. But it is still stated that those that are sponsored by the
public, I mean, County government of Hawai‘i. If you have a medical card, to
bring it with you.
MR. KANEALIʻI-KLEINFELDER: And then the testing type is?
MAYOR KIM: PCRs (Polymerase Chain Reaction).
MR. KANEALIʻI-KLEINFELDER: PCR test?
MAYOR KIM: Yeah.
MR. KANEALIʻI-KLEINFELDER: Thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. Go on, Mayor.
MAYOR KIM: That is basically our testing strategy for the island. And I’ll take
this opportunity, Mr. Chair, and I hope it’s not interpreted as a negative to other
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counties. But I know there’s a lot of concern for the people of Hawai‘i Island that
our numbers and figures, as far as positive tests, seem to be very high. And it is.
But I think we’re the only County that does our testing based on that strategy. We
work every single day with information from the Department of Health,
vigorously, to look at what’s going on. And I do mean every single day, seven
days a week. And I do mean the assessment of every positive test—who they are,
where they are, who tested them, and when they were tested—to make a response
of where we go or where we should go.
CHR. CHUNG: Mayor, can you pull that mic closer to you?
MAYOR KIM: Oh, I’m sorry.
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, we’re getting calls that some people can’t hear you. And
is that thing on, by the way?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, oh, there we go. Yeah.
MAYOR KIM: And I think that’s an important element to understand, of our
testing. Our testing is targeted testing in regards to where we go. I’ll give easy
examples of immediately switching resources to the veterans home. Immediately
switching those spot testings. Immediately Miloli‘i because of information we’ve
seen from testing the people there, so that your so-called target testing—and
numerous other places like the Kona Hospital, the apartments in Kona, and over
here.
And I’m proud of that simply because it’s based on a plan of where we test and
when we test and, most especially, why we test. So, when we test places that are
already identified as clusters or semblance of information that is beginning to
build there and we should take a good look at it, naturally our numbers will go
high. And I think if you do check the other counties, Mr. Chairman and members
of the Council, that is not done. You know, this is our strategy, I’m not saying
it’s right or wrong.
You know, we were advised by people that I depend on. This is what you should
do in regards to knowing where the clusters are or the people are getting the
disease so you can remember the purpose of testing is very simple: identify,
isolate, treat, so they don’t spread it around. And that’s a lot of work obviously
for the Department of Health in regards to identify and treat by isolation. And
they do try to do a damn good job in regards to all of that. And because of that
you will always see Hawai‘i County, I think by per capita in comparison with the
other counties, we are extremely good in regards to the number of people we test
on a regular basis.
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There are people that we have contacted; Premier Medical; we do have S&G
(Labs), and we do have Ali‘i. The three companies are under contract with the
County of Hawai‘i. If you want to pause on that, if you have any questions on
that I welcome it, because that is a key factor to understanding between Hawai‘i
County differences and other places on test strategy.
CHR. CHUNG: You know, I’m going to call on Ms. Poindexter, but you know,
at some point, we’d like to go back and really hash out, you know, the reopening
plans, right? Okay, but I understand that, you know, it might be good that we go
segment by segment, but may I just ask one question? You know, you said you
were advised by people who you guys depend on, and I’m just wondering because
I think the public would like to know.
If you don’t mind, who are these people that you’re, you know, depending on in
terms of, you know, to get information on this Coronavirus and all of these things,
is it Josh Green or is it somebody else? I mean, who are—if you’re at liberty to
say, who are your inner circle people who are providing you the information
relative to Coronavirus?
MAYOR KIM: The main people that I depend on first layer is Department of
Health. And prior to the present Director, it was Dr. Bruce Anderson. And I
think if anyone was to follow-up, I think you’ll see that what I stated basically
reflected a lot of what he said. But in regards to that, I assure you that he as well
as other people gave us several names that if you wanted to verify what they said.
And I will get those names for you if you wanted.
CHR. CHUNG: No, no, no.
MAYOR KIM: But basically, these are government people, and I always
mispronounce his name, Dr. Fauci (Anthony). You know, he said it nationally, he
said it 101 times in regards to multiple testing should be done. More than one, he
did say multiple, more than once.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. Ms. Poindexter, go ahead.
MS. POINDEXTER: Yeah, and I’m glad you asked that question, and who is our
Strategic Planning Team. Because when you tell me Department of Health, that
scares the shit out of me, because they have not. And if you look at their map,
they have failed to report anything in a lot of our rural communities. If you look
at the map, have you seen the Big Island map? I just want to know, how are we
going to get that data, because this is our island? They’re not reporting that.
You know, maybe that’s why Hilo’s numbers are big, because some people are
getting tested, but no data is available in a lot of rural communities. And it’s
because they said, “Well, you guys get a thousand people or less in those zip code
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areas, so we don’t consider you guys or anything.” So those numbers got to go
somewhere.
So when you tell me about Department of Health, I have no faith in them. I want
to put our faith in our government, and I think that’s our kuleana. And when we
talk about the Strategic Planning Team, we need people on health care who has
dealt with disease control. Or you know, I know that, God bless you, you’ve dealt
with disasters. The lava flow and all of that. This is different. We’ve had people
dying, and our Strategic Planning Team doesn’t—I mean I’m just mind-boggled
by that.
Okay, so, when we talk about comprehensive testing strategy, we just cancelled
Hāmākua and North Kohala, I think it was. We had people lined up. I had
Hāmākua Health Center calling me, people are waiting; testing got cancelled. Yet
it was on the radio broadcasted the day before that they were going to have testing
so people flocked there.
Now, to have the testing in Hilo and Kona, great. But to expect our people and
our kūpuna to travel those long distances to go take a test, is just shameful.
Across the gym where we were going to have testing is a senior housing; they
could just walk from their place just to go there and get tested, but everything got
cancelled.
So, I’m really disappointed with that because in healthcare too, we’re contracting.
Like you talked about the veterans home that got contracted out, so bad decision
to contract outside because the care is not what we got, right? Something was not
right about that. Same thing about testing, we have health facilities. We have
Hāmākua Health Center, we have Bay Clinic. We have all these testing facilities
in those areas, and most of the people getting tested are their patients. And when
we talk about the continuum of care, it’s important that they have those records
too. So I’m kind of confused as to why we would contract outside for tested
versus working with health facilities in each of the areas.
Puna, we have the health facility in Puna. I mean, you know, most of them are
their patients. So when we talk about continuum of care, it’s so important. And
when we talk about contact tracing, all of those facilities are trying to do as much
as they can with contact tracing with all of their patients.
Now, contracting with them would be the ideal way to go for continuum of care
for our people. So that is another—why I’m confused and wondering who’s on
your Strategic Planning Team, because when you talk healthcare, these people
will have the expertise of knowing what needs to be done in order to have that
continuum of care.
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So, how are we planning to do a better map than Department of Health is putting
out? So that we can truly know where those cases are. Because if you look at the
map, and I’m sure you did, there’s a lot of gray areas. And those gray areas add
up to, you know, maybe just under 1,000; it maybe 995 in one community and
they don’t put the data out. But you add up all those communities, where are our
numbers?
So, I’d like to see a strategic planning team that includes every single FQHC
(Federally Qualified Health Center) on this island or a look-a-like. Waimea has
one that is not quite a FQHC, but they’re federally funded as well. And Puna has
a Community Health Center, they’re not a FQHC, but they’re a look-a-like as
well. Kohala has one. We have them around the island.
Each CEO (Chief Executive Officer) should be at that table on that strategic
planning team. This is a pandemic. A disease that we need to try and get control
of. And the only way we can do it is to have healthcare professionals who know
their patients and know our island. That’s what I’m concerned about. I don’t
know what direction we’re moving in. I’d like to hear from my colleagues. I’ll
yield at this time. Thank you, Chair.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. You know, before I call on Ms. Kierkiewicz, I understand
that both of our testifiers are now on standby. So could we just hear from them?
Would that be okay?
STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Council to proceed to the next order of business, Statements
FROM THE from the Public on Agenda Items.
PUBLIC ON
AGENDA ITEMS: The following individuals registered to speak and came forward when called by
the Chair:
La Raine Seifer: Comm. 1120, comment.
Jessica Hashimoto: Comm. 1120, comment.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, Ashley, Ms. Kierkiewicz, go ahead.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Chair. I just want to clarify, are we free to ask
any type of question, or does it need to pertain to testing only?
CHR. CHUNG: Because, you know, it looks like we’re going to get into the
reopening. We haven’t gotten to that yet, right? But, you know, since we are
talking about the comprehensive strategy, why don’t be just talk about what the
Mayor spoke of right now. Because, you know, that probably will set the base for
the broader discussion on reopening. So that’s okay, go ahead.
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MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, thank you Chair. Thanks for that discussion.
Mayor, I have about five questions, but I have two related to what you’ve shared
so far.
The first is regarding testing. You mentioned Premier Medical Group, S&G
Labs, and Ali‘i. I’m just wondering the total cost that’s being expended on
engaging these three entities, the duration of their contract; wondering about the
procurement process because we’re using CARES money. And I know that the
Finance Department was very, very focused on making sure that we did
procurement for everything, because we’re afraid of an audit and clawback in
going to Federal prison. So just wanting some clarity and information around
testing and engaging these particular entities.
MAYOR KIM: Yeah, because I don’t want to go to federal prison or any prison
for that matter. In regards to those questions, I would like to address
Ms. Poindexter is first a little bit.
CHR. CHUNG: Go ahead.
MAYOR KIM: And I will come back to your concerns Ms. Poindexter, but I’ll
address this. All of our funding comes from the CARES Act, and the Finance
Department controls that in regards to, I think you’re all familiar with some of the
programs of the County has established for the use of those funds. And we’ve
asked for obviously a certain amount to be set aside for testing. And we’ll stay
within that budget. And right now, I don’t have a summary of how much all of
this has cost, but I’ll get to you. I’ll get that through the Finance Department. But
as far as the airport testing, just to be specific, we set aside approximately $3.5
st
million because all funding has to be expended by December 31.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Yes, thank you. And you know, just kind of spring
boarding off of what Council Member Poindexter brought up earlier
about the inconsistencies and the data and the information, it’s so true. I was on
the State ArcGIS Dashboard earlier today, and it notes, 992 total cases for our
island; 736 released from isolation; 52 required hospitalization and 18 deaths.
But when I checked my Civil Defense message; my text from this morning, huge
discrepancy.
And so I thing that the confusion, and the anxiety, and the stress that we are all
stewing in stems from the fact that there isn’t clear, simple, accurate, consistent
information from all levels of government. And so it really erodes the trust that
we have in people in government that we are expecting to kind of help us navigate
this process. So my question is what can we do to be more proactive in
coordinating all levels of government with our messaging so that we can rebuild
trust in our community?
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MAYOR KIM: One hundred percent of the figures that we put out is from the
source of Department of Health or the hospital situation. Where there is conflicts
sometimes, and we try to correct it, because we’re a day late or information comes
out ahead of us, because it comes out at night. And in an effort to really make
that what I consider minor corrections, by minor I mean we try to explain why
ours is earlier or later, we decided not to do that and make only one report a day.
And we explained that. And that comes out after we get the morning report.
Initially, it was by my guidance that Department of Health that you need to get,
because of the number of listeners out there, try to get the information out, the
first report, as early as possible. But that in itself caused a problem, because some
of the information we needed an update would not come out till the afternoon, and
there we automatically see the conflict.
In regards to conflict of data or difference in data, the one area that there were
differences, were the number of people who died. And we explained that also.
And I really don’t know how to correct it, because the hospital would release
information in regards to someone dying. So that’s the information we use, what
the hospital gives to us. However, Department of Health officially cannot report a
person who’s dying from that specific cause, like the COVID until all the death
records and confirmation by the doctors, etcetera, are received. And naturally that
is sometimes received, not until days later.
And so, you know, the discussion is, if we hold back or we try to explain it, we’re
going to cause more confusion. And so, we just explain it, why there is a
difference. The Department of Health sometimes will wait until they get
confirmation. We get it, and if you listen to the messages, the message clearly
states our information is from the Hilo Medical Center on deaths.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, thanks for trying to explain these discrepancies.
Chair, I’m going to yield for now because I’m interested in what more the Mayor
has to share about our reopening plans. Thank you, I yield.
CHR. CHUNG: Matt.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you.
MAYOR KIM: Can I answer Ms. Poindexter’s, if I may?
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, go ahead.
MAYOR KIM: In regards to—she had several points, but I need to clarify
something because her issues are, you know, the rest weren’t, but really
something that needs to be clarified. And I’m not quite sure where the figure
1,000 came from. Truthfully, I’ve never heard it.
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MS. POINDEXTER: Department of Health.
MAYOR KIM: Okay, but like I said, I never heard it in regards to—our testing
schedule is based on political districts and from cluster-type of information.
When we had a cancellation because a decision is made when some crisis came
up, and we had to shift personnel. For example, you know, we had to shift
personnel in regards to testing. The most obvious was the Veterans Home. And
so we cancelled a district testing, but to be rescheduled as soon as possible.
But even like Hāmākua, that was one of the places that our people, testers went
right up to the Hāmākua Health Center. You know, the care home, to test some
people there. If you have any information of where people were waiting for
testing and we did not arrive, I’d sure like to know about it, because we should
correct that.
We did have one cancellation, and we had even people at the park in the morning
notifying anyone who came to say there will be no testing and why and it would
be rescheduled. All radio stations immediately announced of the postponement or
cancellation of the testing. And if there’s any other type of things we should do,
you know, we will do it. Because those things will happen where some kind of
cluster information comes out that we have to cancel something.
In regards to why we don’t contract these independent people. Those are people
like your, you know, Urgent Care, all over the place. And Bay Clinic, etcetera.
They have the capability obviously to take the test, but they have no capability in
regards to reading the tests. They all go to Clinical Lab. And the Clinical Lab, I
think now will have, in regards to PCR capabilities at the Hilo Medical Center,
that it will be greatly improved to a test capability of 1,000 a day.
Prior to that coming in, you know, all of the tests will be basically sent to
Honolulu and account for some delay time. I’m very grateful for Department of
Transportation. It’s a real roundabout story of how we found out that one of these
instruments was available in Tennessee. We made arrangements immediately to
purchase it because we felt that the Island of Hawai‘i needs that. Maui had it and
Oahu had it, but we didn’t have it. And so, the Department of Transportation
found out about it, and they intercepted us and said, “We’ll pay you for it.” And
they made arrangements to take it over, and that has been transported and will be
stationed at Hilo Medical Center.
I know of no other thing in regards to testing that would make it better than what
we have now. I really can say that openly in regards to the lab; in regards to your
suggestions of why don’t we go with these independent labs? Because they are
not capable of going out to the community. Their testing is all in-house.
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MS. POINDEXTER: Yeah, and, Chair, if I could just before I lose that train of
thought, when you just mentioned, you don’t know why. And that’s the
importance of having a healthcare professional on your strategic planning,
because you’re not aware of the continuum of care, and how important those
words are, continuum of care. Because even if Hāmākua Health Center, Bay
Clinic, West Hawai‘i, the Puna Health Center, or whatever tested and it goes to
the labs, they have this in their patients’ records if they’re the patient.
That’s what the continuum of care is, and that’s why it’s so important, because
that person may be Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetic that they got to take more care
because of that underlying health condition. So this is where I see that we are
failing. We are not healthcare professionals, and we’re deciding all of these
things.
That’s why we need healthcare professionals at the table to understand what is the
continuum of care, because I hear you talk about sending them to the labs and the
labs giving the results, that’s great, right? But where’s the continuum of care?
Where’s that care for that patient that took that test? Because no health facility or
their doctors are now—that puzzle piece is missing. So that’s why I’m saying and
you may not understand that at this point, and that’s why we need healthcare
professionals at the table. So, thank you.
MAYOR KIM: In response to that, I do understand I think. First of all, those
who go to all the private sources—first of all, the law requires that regardless of
where you take the test, the test results must go to two people, in regards to if it’s
a private sector it goes to the doctor, and it goes to the patient, and the Department
of Health. The Department of Health will advise those people in regards to going
to their private doctor or if they need to go to the hospital, or they need to be just
quarantined.
We don’t do, and the Department of Health people who follow-up on it don’t do
that kind of medical personal healthcare. That is still left up to the private
physician in the hospitals. We do not do that, and neither does the Department of
Health people. Except for follow-up on quarantine issues. Not for care. And
remember, by law, all of these testing must be reported to them and that’s what
they follow-up on. Whether it be the private individuals or the controlled testing
that we do.
CHR. CHUNG: Before I call on Matt, you know, let me just make a comment.
You know, I did say it’s good to have this basic discussion about, you know, how
you guys are handling this matter. But the basis for our emergency meeting today
was the impending opening of transpacific travel, and as it may relate to inter-
island travel as well. So, I’m going to let Matt, you know, ask some questions,
but then I want to kind of get to the meat of why we had this emergency meeting.
It’s happening tomorrow. I want to make sure that everybody’s all on the same
page on that thing. But go ahead, Matt.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: I’ll tie it in on the travel Chair, thank you. I
have more questions, but I’m just going to ask—one is going to be a statement.
When we talk about opening tomorrow, one thing that we’ve struggled with like
many of the Council Members so far have said is how we track the information
and, you know, how we trace it, and we have a lot of different methods at our
disposal and we all know what they are.
But from what I’m seeing, the online kind of groups that are running a lot of these
data collective sites, what they’ve been struggling with is everyone’s basing on
DOH (Department of Health) numbers, and that’s good. So we have a reliable
source. But we’re tracking 28 days of cumulative data that are plus cases, minus
cases, cases released, and deaths. So that 28 days’ worth of data is incredibly
hard for anyone to pick any real data out of. We have total number of cases, but
28 days’ worth of information makes it very hard to decipher what’s happening
immediately in our County.
So if I were to offer any solution, it would just be, if it’s possible, if we could
drop that from 28 days to seven days or 14 days, we can start to see a very clear
picture of what’s evolving in our community as it’s happening and not try to go
back and fine tune what information is coming out and the total cases minus what
went out; minus what came in, especially when we start to reopen.
That’s just my comment. I have more questions, but I think I’ll save them for
later when we talk about the actual travel. But as we go to reopen, if DOH is
listening—I think we have DOH in the room, too, today, can we please have a
shorter version of time, a shorter amount of time that we track data in, so we can
actually make good calls going forward.
If we can see cases blowing up in Kona or per zip code, then we can react better
than seeing 28 days’ worth of data and trying to estimate how many cases went
out and how many cases came in to the same zip code. It’s just easier for us to get
a grip on cases that are happening now. So that would be a solution for what
we’re talking about.
MAYOR KIM: I’m sorry, but I need clarification on the 28 days,
Mr. Councilman. I’ve never heard that before. I know how the present system
will work in regards to real time or the amount we needed for follow-up testing.
But I’ll turn to Eric if he knows what you’re referring to.
(Note: At this time, Acting State Department of Health Hawai‘i District
Lead Officer, Eric Honda, came forward to address the members of the
Council.)
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you for coming up Eric and I don’t
want to get too deep into this. From everything I’ve seen so far, the numbers that
we tracked are 28 days’ worth of information, is that right?
MR. HONDA: So just to clarify, you’re talking about the map that’s on the
DOH’s Dashboard?
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah, the zip code maps.
MR. HONDA: The zip codes broken up. It is by 28 days. I don’t know exactly
why it’s 28 days, but I can bring that issue up and concern, and see why it’s 28
days.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah, I think what Val touched on earlier
was, when we have some zip codes that are not being touched because there are
1,000 residents or less in that area. So they say no data available versus zero
cases, which is confusing. I had a lot of questions on my Facebook and my social
media pages. But more so, a lot of the guys were doing statistics—not guys, but
people who were doing statistics, and running numbers, and using our DOH data
are frustrated because they can’t make any real-time decisions, because you’re
seeing a 28-day block of information but trying to figure out where the new cases
are. You see plus cases in Hilo and Kona right now, even Kea‘au, but it’s hard to
decipher what number actually happened like yesterday. Because it’s minus cases
that were released, any deaths, and incoming cases all grouped into one number
per zip code.
That’s really hard. I mean how can you pull a good number of what happened
yesterday? And I’m just going to say, this is historical data we use too, because
the tests are—the results that we get are three days post testing, yeah? Because
that’s our lag time.
MR. HONDA: Twenty-four to 48 hours.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Or a little bit longer. But that’s the best
case, yeah. 24 to 48?
MR. HONDA: Currently, yeah.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay with that in mind, if you can run that
by some of your uppers and say, look, if we had better information, reopening
may not be so daunting, because we can actually see real time what’s happening
per zip code across the island, which allows residents to make their decisions go
forward.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MR. HONDA: I think, one thing to clarify too, is that the location of these cases
are based on their residents. It doesn’t specifically relate to place of exposure.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, yeah, thank you.
MR. HONDA: So I’ll go follow-up.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: Thank you.
MAYOR KIM: On that if I can just clarify? The data that we receive as far as
where the test was taken and who took the test, you know, it’s known on a daily
basis. And that’s how we make our decisions. I know we’re talking about a
different set of data but know that the data we get is almost real time. No later
than, I think, three days after the test is taken that we get the information.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. Alright. And, you know, before we allow you to go on,
you know, I just wanted the record to reflect since we had Eric up here. Eric
Honda from Department of Health. Also present here is Maurice Messina, your
Administrative Assistant; your Managing Director, Roy Takemoto, as well as
Corporation Counsel and Assistant Corporation Counsel, Joe Kamelamela and
Renee Schoen respectively.
Alright, you know, well why don’t we—you know, you issued an amendment to
your COVID-19 Emergency Rule No. 12. It takes effect tomorrow, right? You
want to just talk about that, or what? Let’s talk about the reopening and why do
some people feel confused? I mean is there a confusing message, or are there
things that need to be clarified here?
MAYOR KIM: Back on February 28, is the first time I met with the Governor
and Department of Health and told them that this is going to be a different type of
emergency. This is something that’s not going to end tomorrow, and this is
something that’s going to need statewide coordination. I think if you check with
the Governor’s Office and Department of Health that we met, and they’ll verify
that. That it was so very important that we be unified in certain kind of policies.
CHR. CHUNG: Mayor, I don’t want to interrupt you, but can I just ask you an
off-the-cuff question.
MAYOR KIM: Sure.
CHR. CHUNG: Having seen all of this happen, do you think there’s been
Statewide coordination? Just between, I mean well—I mean, you know, are you
willing to be—I mean, in your opinion, how has the coordination been?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: Well that’s a difficult question. If you’re asking me, has there
been statewide coordination? The answer is, yes. If you’re asking me if it’s a
good coordination, the answer is, questionable.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, now go on. I’m sorry, I just wanted your personal opinion
on, you know, having this thing evolve over months and stuff.
MAYOR KIM: And that is so important because that minimizes and mitigates
confusion of information. Because right now, who can blame anyone for having
confusion in regards to counties having different policies. The present policy is
this: on the transpacific policy, it is the Governor’s and one policy of incoming.
Where it differs is after you get here, the counties. The three counties have
opted—
CHR. CHUNG: Well let’s start with the Governor’s policy. Let’s start with that,
what is that?
MAYOR KIM: The policy is the pre-test pilot program. If you are willing to
take a pre-test within 72 hours of departure, and the test given is by certified
people, not just by anyone. So that was checked. In regards to if you get a
negative result from that test, you know, you will be allowed to be a tourist that
can just go where you want to go. If you do not get your results by the time you
get here, you will have to be under quarantine until the test results are in. If it is a
negative, then you will go under the rules and regulations of Department of
Health. That means quarantine, isolation, and whatever it calls for.
CHR. CHUNG: You said if it’s negative, but you’re talking about if it’s positive,
right?
MAYOR KIM: I’m sorry, yeah, if it’s positive. And so that’s their policy now.
In regards to where that “opt in and out” word that we don’t want to use anymore
because of natural confusion, the counties were given authority or opportunity to
add to that. I took the opportunity to say that one test was not enough. The three
other counties said they will go with the one test. And our difference is that we
made a request for people, when they arrive on this island, they are to be given a
rapid antigen test.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, hold on again. So, okay, we’re going to go two tests,
right? I mean that’s been in the news.
MAYOR KIM: Right.
CHR. CHUNG: So what are the other counties doing?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: The three other counties, it’s a little confusing, but basically what
it says is that they will go with that. And I think even the State has said they were
going to do some kind of testing, approximately ten percent, or the percentage
doesn’t matter to re-test on a voluntary basis. What they’re going to do with that
information has been clarified. The Lieutenant Governor is the one that came out
with that initially. He’s the one that said approximately ten percent will be
voluntarily tested. And that’s the rest of the system right now.
CHR. CHUNG: You mean, just randomly?
MAYOR KIM: Just random type.
CHR. CHUNG: And as they’re coming through? Or how does that work?
MAYOR KIM: Yeah, Mr. Chair. That’s the question being asked. We felt my
question was very simple. You know, how many are you going to test? Do you
have thresholds of responses after you get the test results? And all of that. So far
the answer is non-specific. The only answer specifically that we got that Maui,
Kauai, and the State have stated was that this would be random type testing. “X”
percentage and it’s for them to get a picture of what’s been happening. They have
set for no scales of thresholds of what they would do or not do based on the
numbers.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. So by and large, the three other counties are following the
Governor’s protocol. We are going to do the extra test.
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, now go on, I’m sorry.
MS. LEE LOY: Chair, I’m sorry,
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, yeah, go ahead.
MS. LEE LOY: This is really on point to this. It’s very straight forward, Mayor.
If the pre-travel test is good for everybody else, why is it not good enough for us?
MAYOR KIM: I made a statement on that in regards to that I felt for the
acceptable risk for Hawai‘i people. That was not adequate because of the margin
of error. And not by me because I’m not an expert on that. I stated you can really
check whoever you give credibility to that recommendation. And I will state
openly, every single person from the National down to the State down to the
directors, I said, of the Department of Health, have statement disagreement with
the one-test system.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MS. LEE LOY: So, I’m going to try ask that one more time. Is the test different
from out-of-state? Because what I’m not understanding is, we’re going to go to a
two test. And I understand the risk prevention that you’re trying to implement.
My concern is whatever test is being given is good enough for everybody else. I
just want to be clear why it’s not good enough for us. Because aside from outer
island or outer state travelers, we had a testifier talking about trying to travel to
come home and take care of her aging mother. And so, I’m confused, because it
sounds like it’s good enough for Kauai, Maui, and Honolulu, but not good enough
for us.
CHR. CHUNG: Before you answer that question, explain to me this, is there a
different protocol for transpacific travelers and inter-island travelers?
MAYOR KIM: The protocol policy? Oh yes.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, so we’re talking about transpacific right?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, go ahead now, you can answer that.
MAYOR KIM: The purpose of the testing is to identify possible or real people
who are infected with the virus. And I’ll say this, Ms. Council Woman, there is
no difference of opinion by anyone in regards to the margin of error of this PCR
test. I think I can confidently say, I don’t care who you call, there is no difference
in the interpretation of the margin of error of 20 or 30 percent and what it means.
I stated that because of that margin of error, and because of the loopholes of the
one-test system, I agree with these people, that we will propose the minimum of a
two-test system. If you look at proposals by other people—I’m talking about
people, you know, more experienced. They propose a three- or four-test system.
And they’re all employees. There is no disagreement by anyone that the one-test
system is good enough. It was a decision made, and I made it on an acceptable
risk because of the margin of errors. There was none.
MS. LEE LOY: Thank you, Mayor. That actually answers my question. You
based your decision on a second test based on the margin of error that this test
provides. Because it’s all the same test, is what I’m hearing. But it’s the margin
of error that you made the business decision that Hawai‘i County will do a second
test.
MAYOR KIM: It’s because of the loopholes where they say approximately
20 percent or more of the people, you know, that tested for whatever reason,
could have been in error. And I stated that’s not an acceptable risk.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MS. LEE LOY: Great. Thank you, Chair.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. Yeah, and how quick are the results on these tests, the
ones that we have?
MAYOR KIM: The ones we’re doing? The rapid antigen? Fifteen minutes or
so.
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, so real fast. No cost to anyone?
MAYOR KIM: Not to the—we have to pay it.
CHR. CHUNG: But no cost to the traveler?
MAYOR KIM: That was the condition of the Governor that whatever we put
forth as a proposal shall do several things. Number one, the County Government
has to bear and ensure that the traveler who has already paid the initial cost of the
first test will not have to pay additional costs once he gets here.
And the second thing is that we will not add in regards to quarantine outside of
the one that was established, which was is you did not get your results, you know,
you have to start quarantine until you get the results, or if you are tested positive.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, so what happens if somebody didn’t get their results and
they came in and they tested negative, for example? Are they free to—?
MAYOR KIM: No, they still have to wait.
CHR. CHUNG: Still have to wait for their other one?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, okay.
MS. LEE LOY: Chair, I have a follow-up to that.
MS. VILLEGAS: Chair Chung?
CHR. CHUNG: Yes, Rebecca.
MS. VILLEGAS: Just as a reminder, here in Kona, there’s some of us who have
some questions and would like to join the conversation.
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, yeah, okay.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MS. VILLEGAS: When the next appropriate break happens between—
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, we’re still trying to let Mayor Kim, you know, go through
the protocol. And if they test positive with your rapid test, now what?
MAYOR KIM: Then they take a PCR test, which is considered the goal standard.
That’s your deep nasal testing.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay.
MAYOR KIM: Upon waiting the results from that, they will be quarantined
because to get the results from that would take anywhere from 24 hours to
36 hours.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, why don’t we let Ms. Villegas—go ahead, Rebecca.
MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you, Chair Chung, appreciate it. Thank you,
Mayor Kim for being here today and taking the time out of what I know has been
an extremely exhausting schedule that you have been abiding by in your service
to the County.
I have a couple of questions here, and actually they’re reflections of concerns that
have been presented by constituents. And so, first off, I guess my question for
you is, who decides whether or not the Big Island maintains its 14-day inter-island
quarantine? Is that something in your jurisdiction as Mayor or does that get
dictated by the Governor?
MAYOR KIM: Dictated by the State, the Governor.
MS. VILLEGAS: I’m sorry, by the State and the Governor. So you do not have
the power to remove the 14-day quarantine for inter-island travel?
MAYOR KIM: We could propose a plan, in regards to that it’s different, like I’m
doing now.
MS. VILLEGAS: Okay.
MAYOR KIM: But regards to—on the 14-days, I don’t think we can get less
track, but we don’t have the authority for that.
MS. VILLEGAS: Okay. So a couple of things come to mind with this. It’s been
pointed out by a number of different constituents that they see blatant irony in
CARES funding being utilized to test visitors coming to our State instead of being
utilized to test our residents in order for them to be able to travel inter-island
without a 14-day quarantine.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
I have also taken a look at, and am extremely grateful for the ʻAina Aloha
Economic Futures’ press release that came out with recommendations on
protecting both kama‘āina and mālahine. I really appreciate many of the words
listed here, and the use of ho‘okipa, which recognizes that visitors can only be
well hosted by the people of Hawai‘i when our families and communities are safe,
strong, and can exercise our ability to be stewards of our islands.
Ho‘okipa includes a reciprocal relationship where hosts and visitors have kuleana
or responsibility for the wellbeing of each other. Residents need to trust that
visitors are not going to infect us, and visitors need to trust that Hawai‘i is safe.
You know, the purpose of their recommendation is to start by opening our
inter-island travel by going back. You know, we went from quarantine to
inter-island travel to no quarantine, and then back to quarantine, but now we’re
looking at transpacific travel opening up.
I agree with the constituents that feel slighted by the use of—I know that the tests
are not inexpensive, and that they don’t have the opportunity to utilize this testing
protocol when traveling inter-island to see family, as one of the women that
testified earlier said.
I also feel in reading through—a gentleman by the name of Steve O’Neal has
been sending numerous emails, I believe, to all of us on the Council, and he’s a
former pandemic response expert. And he states that a second test is one of three
critical legs to a good project and plan. And I think that a pre-flight test to detect
those who are generally past day four or five of their infection, which is going to
show—they’re going to potentially test positive, but we need to still have some
quarantining on the other side. And then a second test—and thank you for
implementing the mandatory second test.
I have gotten emails and phone calls from a lot of people saying, “Yes, please, we
need a second test.” But I think it’s also important that we take into consideration
the timing of that second test, because to just test somebody on the mainland and
then test them when they get here right after, that operates on the premise—I
think somebody’s microphone is on somewhere because I’m hearing background
noises, if you could check the microphones? But that’s operating on the premise
that the reason for the second test is to just ensure that somebody didn’t get
infected while in flight.
However, what we do know about the nature of this virus is there’s an incubation
period and there’s a timeframe in which the virus load builds up in your system
and you show symptoms if you end up being symptomatic. Some people don’t
even become symptomatic, at which point they can a potential source of
super-spreading.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
So in all of these areas of concern, I feel like we’re getting closer, but we still
aren’t there. You know, we’ve received a number of questions from people
asking about testing at all the Big Island airports instead of just at Kona, and I
want to once again commend you for including those other airports because that
was causing a great deal of concern. I’m also seeing concerns from short-term
vacation rentals, and I want to quickly ask, are short-term vacation rentals now
being opened up as a place for transpacific travelers to stay?
MAYOR KIM: Sorry, no.
MS. VILLEGAS: No. Okay, so short-term vacation rentals remain closed during
this time. So, I guess I would come to you—and can you use short-term vacation
rentals for quarantining? Not for quarantining. If they had already quarantined in
a hotel, then they can rent a short-term vacation rental?
I guess I’ll unload and I’m just going to put this out there, I am not comfortable
personally or professionally with the transition that we are facing in the next 12
hours. I think it premature and I’m extremely concerned about the prioritization
of bringing visitors, guests, tourists, back to the island for the sake of our
economic rebounding versus continuing to be as cautious as we have been.
You know, in an ideal situation right now we would be talking about the exact
procedures that would be implemented coming tomorrow morning for inter-island
travel. And we would be using our CARES funding to provide complimentary
testing for people who need and want to travel inter-island. And in doing so we
would be creating the template; not only creating the template, but we would be
actually activating the example of the system that would go into play.
It’s really difficult to trust that that is already established when I’ve heard from a
number of travelers who have come either from the mainland or even inter-island
who say the amount of chaos in the airports and the confusion, and the irony, and
some of the things that happened just aren’t—you know, I really feel for the
people that work in our airports right now and the challenges they play.
So I would implore you, Mayor Kim, to implore our Governor to take into
consideration the wisdom of these decisions and to utilize an internal protocol,
and to make sure our systems are strong and capable before opening it to
transcontinental. And thank you for listening to my concerns.
And thank you to the constituents of District 7 and the rest of this island who’ve
taken the time and the energy to reach out and express their concerns and their
ideas to us and to myself so I could share it here on Council today. With that, I
yield.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, Harry, before you comment, and I don’t think there is a
need to comment. But from what I gather, Ms. Villegas is concerned about just
th
the whole reopening plan, October 15 reopening plan. But I want to make sure
we’re all on the same page. This was a directive by the State, right?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, Sir.
CHR. CHUNG: The Governor. You guys are reacting to—I mean the County is
reacting to the Governor’s directive, right.
MAYOR KIM: Correct.
CHR. CHUNG: You didn’t have, I mean it’s not your decision to open up on the
th
15?
MAYOR KIM: No, it was not.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, it is the Governor’s, alright, okay. But you know, I mean
she also brought up, but she brought up some good points about the inter-island
travel which I’m sure is really on the minds of a lot of us. But let’s still talk about
this reopening thing, because you know, what I’m looking at, and you know, it
th
could have been taken out of context too, but this is from the October 13
Hawai‘i Tribune Herald and I’m thinking it was in the West Hawai‘i Today as
well.
But there’s a guy named Carl Bonham, Executive Director of the University of
Hawai‘i Economic Research Organization. And he stated, and I think this was at
a legislative briefing, I think. But he was stating about the County, “What we’re
hearing right now is continued confusion,” right? “No one seems to know exactly
what the rules are and we’re three days from when we’re supposed to be
accepting visitors under a new set of rules that are still being worked out. And all
we’re doing is really prolonging the pain because we cannot come up with a set of
guidelines to make this happen.”
But, I mean, that really was the impetus for this meeting, because you know, it
seemed someone, whether justified or not, seems to have some confusion as to
how this thing is going to be implemented. That’s why we wanted to give you an
opportunity to explain a lot of things, but what’s your take on that?
MAYOR KIM: First of all, I repeat, Mr. Chair, you’ll never know how much I
appreciate the information notice that you wanted to meet. Because as I stated, I
know the confusion we caused; we, meaning the totality of Government. We as a
government was notified last week Wednesday that this was going to be in effect
this week Thursday.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
So that gave just a few days for me to come with alternatives, because I really do
believe and I know there’s disagreement, but I don’t think much disagreement,
and I don’t know who, that a one-test system is not adequate. I think you know
that’s internationally, and nationally, and locally has been said. And I repeat,
even the Governor’s Director of Department of Health stated that. And even
stated that again yesterday. I just made a decision based on that to be a simple
analysis by professionals for a one-test system to open Hawai‘i is inadequate.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, first of all, it’s very clear that the Governor made the call
th
to open up on the 15. Then let me ask you this, because you guys have a direct
line to the Governor’s Office, right? And you know, we don’t. I’ve asked him
several things and he never agreed with any of them. So, but if you can explain,
and if you can’t, that’s okay too. What’s different with our current situation in the
State of Hawai‘i relative to COVID than what it was maybe a month ago, two
months ago, three months ago, or even at the beginning?
th
How did he come up with this October 15 opening? I know it’s for the
economy, we all know that, but I’m just saying if that’s the case, why didn’t we
just open up a long time ago if there are no measurables which justify this current
opening? I’m just kind of curious if you know what the answer to all of that is.
MAYOR KIM: Absolutely, because I was involved all along the way voicing
opinions on establishing dates. We talked with the Governor, with all the Mayors
present at least two or three times a week. From the very beginning some of you
may remember that it was Hawai‘i County, myself, who stated to open up
Hawai‘i Island to visitors from the mainland from the most infected states of
California at that time and Texas at that time, as the percentage is still very high
today, but not the highest percentage that it was, that Hawai‘i Island is not
receptive to inviting new University students.
I even talked to the President of the University and the Governor, etcetera, with
the same statement. We are not ready for that. These people are coming from the
greatest source of infection and we’re going to open ourselves up to it? My
recommendation at that time was very simple, for the University to cancel all first
semester classes except for on-line and focus on local. I said the same thing to the
colleges here. The Governor thought that would be approved and would be okay
because he said okay. And open is to all the University of Hawai‘i system outside
of Hawai‘i Island.
Always he established dates—always, I said we cannot establish dates based on
only what is happening here. You have to look at where the people are coming
from. And until that is stabilized or until we have a system of checks or vaccine,
you know, we should not open our doors up until that is. On this date, Hawai‘i
st
changed from—initially, if you can remember it was September 1, and then
stth
October 1, and now it’s October 15.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
And because he felt, and people felt that—his advisors—that the situation in the
State of Hawai‘i has stabilized and the numbers are down that we can do this. I
disagreed with that the same way. Look at the source, look at the testing
capability, and I felt that we are not ready.
th
We were notified last week Wednesday that he’s going to go ahead on the 16.
My position has not changed. And so this is why contacts of hold I stated when
he made that plan, I would like an opportunity to present a two-test situation.
And Mr. Chairman, even at that time I looked at all the recommendations, even
one specifically made, that you should consider even a three test. And that should
be our goal too. Because our goal is not to only protect the people here, but the
visitors as well. And especially the workers who has to deal with them.
The decision was made by him and his advisors to go tomorrow, and I still don’t
agree with it, but I am trying to minimize the risk to Hawai‘i people that’s why I
added the second test.
CHR. CHUNG: And I’m glad you shared that with us, because that’s really not
available to the general public. You know, in terms of what kinds of discussions
are being had at the highest level. And you gave your candid, you know, opinion
as to what you think of the decision. You disagree with it, but you have to react
to it. You have to address it.
And you know, quite frankly, I think what’s really scary about this whole thing is
that we’re allowing transpacific visitors from the mainland. I think everyone, I
mean, there will be a portion of the community that will disagree with this
statement, but I believe that we have a failed national policy regarding COVID.
That’s what puts us, you know, our State that relies on tourism, at substantial risk
with this decision by the Governor, but whatever, that being the case. But I just
wanted to thank you for sharing that.
Second thing before I call on Kona and Ms. Lee Loy, it seems that our ability to
do this two-test program is a function of the fact that we have available to the
County of Hawai‘i a whole lot of rapid testing kits. Correct? I mean, or is it
available to all of the counties?
MAYOR KIM: On that, even that was such a rapidly changing situation. When I
was looking and searching for, you know, possibilities of a second testing,
naturally you have to look on availability of the medical care. Dr. Miscovich of
Premier Medical, you know, who is under contract with us, you know, I talked to
him and he assured me that if you do this—because this is what he believes
should be for the whole State, that he will assure me that all of the necessary kits
to go second testing will be made available to us. To backtrack a little bit, I think
you know how lucky we are also to have Mr. Marc Benioff, a very generous
person, (inaudible) sales force, you know, to be part of that also, that he will help
us in any way he can.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
And skipping the subject a little bit, but I just want to say, he has offered and he is
coming through with it. He has ordered three mobile units for testing for Hawai‘i
Island only. And with a doctor assigned to each unit; five employees along with
that, all you know, through Premier Medical. And he will pay for all costs. The
only thing we will be responsible for is the use of them. And you know, that’s an
unbelievable contribution in regards to from this one person. And as you know,
he’s the same person that donated all of that 1.8 million face masks.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, but so, we’re in a different situation than the other
counties then?
MAYOR KIM: But when I called Miscovich, and you can, you know, I’m not
going to mislead you with half the truth or anything. He explained to me why he
was so lucky to be able to assure Hawai‘i Island of that. And as we talked about
it in regards to ideal, the ideal would be that these kits would be available to the
whole State.
I called the Governor because he assured me if that is what the State would want,
he will, you know, get a commitment for that. And I talked to the Governor after
he assured me with his contacts that I can assure the State an unlimited amount of
these test kits for the State of Hawai‘i if they want him to pursue it.
The response, at this time I don’t know what the response is but obviously at this
time, they’re not going to pursue that. But I can assure you, Mr. Chair, we are
fortunate to have that commitment. We’re going to have Premier Medical,
Dr. Miscovich is going to be there tomorrow to make sure everything is running
smoothly.
Our personnel out there, we have the tremendous cooperation of Department of
Transportation at the airport site in Kona, a new place that they haven’t even used
yet. That’s why the misinformation, I think is that I stated it would be at the old
rental car unit places. And then they notified me that we’d be welcome to use this
place that has not even been open yet. So it’ll be right within the airport facilities.
So you can see that all of this second testing would not have been remotely
possible without these people cooperating and offering their services.
CHR. CHUNG: How long are these—30,000, I think right? I understand we
have 30,000 test kits or more?
MAYOR KIM: No, unlimited.
CHR. CHUNG: Unlimited, okay. There, that answers my question.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MS. VILLEGAS: Chair Chung?
CHR. CHUNG: Hold it, hold it. You know, what I’m going to do, I’m going to
ask Kona if they have any more questions. But I want to just focus in on the
transpacific travel component, because I know, all of us have some questions
relative to inter-island. We’re going to hold that to the very end, okay? But so,
does anyone in Kona have any questions or comments about the transpacific
protocols? Rebecca?
MS. VILLEGAS: Yes.
CHR. CHUNG: Go ahead.
MS. VILLEGAS: I received a really great question from somebody that wrote in
and asked, so if travelers have to, from the mainland that come in, transpacific
travelers, walk across the road to the old rental car facilities at the Kona Airport in
order to do their testing, what they wanted to know is, what happens to their
baggage in the interim?
They also wanted to know what security precautions would be installed that
would prohibit people from, once they’re out of the gate, there’s really not much
control over what happens currently at the airport. So how are they going to be
guided directly to and—essentially forced to follow on a path directly to that
testing facility because they have to go out of the gate area that’s within the
security confines at the airport and then cross the street and go into a new facility.
That’s one question.
And then my second question is then, if I need to go to Oahu to visit a family
member who’s ill and I cannot afford the 14-day quarantine when I get home—
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, Rebecca, we’re going to hold off on that one. Let him
answer that first question. As I said, we’re going to talk about the inter-island one
little later, okay? Go ahead Mayor.
MS. VILLEGAS: I wasn’t finished with my question. It did have to do with
transpacific, but he can answer the first question.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, go ahead.
MS. VILLEGAS: My question is then, it behooves me, well maybe it’s just a
statement. It behooves me to fly to California and get on a plane and fly home to
the Big Island from California that may cost me a couple hundred more dollars;
it’ll save me two weeks in quarantine, but it does not do what we intend for it to
be done, which is to keep people safe from transmission of COVID. So that was
my transpacific irony.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
CHR. CHUNG: Well, that’s a comment. Okay, so go ahead, Mayor, answer that
question. Operationally. Good question.
MAYOR KIM: The State of Hawai‘i counties were not given an option in
regards to say, change of policy. It was in regards to participate or not to
participate in regards to how we’re going to do it.
CHR. CHUNG: I think what Rebecca was talking about was operational, the
logistics. You know, if people have to cross the street to to—
MAYOR KIM: The site, I was answering is—yeah, I stated a correction on that.
You know, initially the site that was offered to us with Department of
Transportation was the old site of the car rental facility right across the street.
However, since yesterday or what is today, Wednesday? On Monday, you know,
they notified us that this new place that they have built is on the same side, that is
not being used, will be offered to us for use and then we’ll be using it as this site.
In regards to her question of baggage and those things, the simplest thing would
be to get your baggage and go right there on the same side.
CHR. CHUNG: So they can get their bags and then get tested? That’s how it’s
going to work.
MAYOR KIM: Yes, Sir.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, and where exactly is this testing site going to be? Does
anyone know?
MAYOR KIM: Talmage is the one that can really identify it. I would just get
you confused.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, Talmage?
(Note: At this time, Civil Defense Administrator Talmage Magno came
forward to address the members of the Council.)
MR. MAGNO: Good afternoon, Talmage Magno, Civil Defense. So Civil
Defense, County, and our partners, Airports have been working since we got word
that we’re going to start this operation up. As the Mayor said, the initial offer was
to utilize the old rental car space at the Kona Airport. Since then, you know,
we’ve met with the management at the airport, looked at their facilities. You
know, they underwent major renovations there, improvements. They’ve got this
big baggage building that they constructed.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
They also have this building that’s supposed to be the main TSA (Transportation
Security Administration) screening building that everybody’s going to be
funneled through. It’s still vacant at this point. And so that was offered to us to
use that space. So all those areas are still within the sterile security zone of the
airport.
So people do not get released, you know, we screen them. They come through the
Safe Travels Hawai‘i screening. I’m not sure if you guys have traveled during
this event. So you come through the Safe Travels screening portion that we have
contracted with Roberts Hawai‘i. At that point they’ll filter out who needs to go
to that secondary testing. The folks that aren’t going through the secondary
testing, they move out through the double doors and then they go on their way.
CHR. CHUNG: Logistically, you guys have the manpower?
MR. MAGNO: Yes, we’ve wrapped up, so you know, utilizing everybody that’s
been part of this event. And brought in extra help to help, especially in Kona.
Same thing at the Hilo Airport, we’ll all be operating within the sterile, secure
portions of the terminal.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, let me go back to Kona then. Rebecca, do you have any
follow-up questions based on what was just represented by Talmage and the
Mayor.
MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you, Talmage, I really appreciate that. It is a direct
reflection of—but I have not traveled at all since the coronavirus pandemic has
come through. So thank you for confirming that these new facilities are up and
available for use. It’s very helpful to myself, and I believe that it will be very
helpful to anyone and everyone watching this. And whatever new sources, pick
up on it, that people have that better understanding of how our airport will be
utilized. So, thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: How about Maile and Karen. Do you guys have any questions
regarding transpacific travel and the reopening on October 15, and the protocols,
logistics, or anything like that?
MS. EOFF: My, oh I’m sorry.
MS. DAVID: Go ahead.
MS. EOFF: Mr. Chair, my comment would just be that I understand Mayor
Kim’s thinking, and I appreciate the fact that although he may not have been in
charge of the reopening date to transpacific travelers, he is trying to require, or he
will be requiring the second test as just a precautionary measure for our island.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
My question has to do with the inter-island travelers not being afforded the same
second test protocol, so I guess I can save that for later.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, Maile you want to say anything?
MS. DAVID: Thank you, Chair. That was going to be, I think, my question is
kind of centered around what Ms. Eoff is talking about too, inter-island travel.
But maybe this has something to do with the transpacific travel. A clarification
please about these tests that people are going to be required to take. Now, are
these tests free or is there a charge associated with it? I know the testing we’re
giving is free, but what about people that are traveling here. Do they have to pay
for these tests, or are these tests coming exclusively out the CARES funding? I’m
getting mixed messages as far as transpacific travel, whether they have to—
people coming to Hawai‘i will have to pay for their own tests. And that’s the
question I’m being asked. And that goes for inter-island as well.
MAYOR KIM: Any individual who are participating in any program that
requires a testing from the mainland will be required to pay their own way.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, does that answer the question, Maile?
MS. DAVID: Sure does, but okay. Then I have other questions. But I’ll wait,
thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, go ahead.
MS. DAVID: Oh no, then basically, if this is all the tests are being required by
this pandemic and we have funds for this, I mean, I don’t know. It just seems like
these tests or the costs for these tests should be part of the COVID monies. That’s
all. And that goes for inter-island also. So I’ll just wait for the inter-island stuff.
Thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. Alright. Ms. Lee Loy? Oh, Mr. Richards, he didn’t get
to talk yet.
MR. RICHARDS: Let Sue go first.
CHR. CHUNG: Go ahead, Ms. Lee Loy.
MS. LEE LOY: Thank you, Chair. And I promise, this will hopefully get
everybody back on task to what was announced in the agenda. Mayor, to
summarize, the reason why we’re having the second test is because of the
20 percent false negative that possibly the first test could have. So you’re putting
in a second guardrail of tests, right? My question is, if you could describe in
detail and maybe Talmage might need to come back up.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
Walk us through, they get off the plane; they go into the second test site, then we
get to the Safe Travels. How is that information uploaded to the platform so that
other people can access that dashboard? How is it connected to the visitor? Is all
of that happening? I want to hear that detail. I think that’s what this meeting was
really about. And my follow-up question to that is what if they say, “No, we no
like take the second test.”
MAYOR KIM: They will be required by County laws that they are required to
take that test. If they do not take the test, they will be subject to arrest. In regards
to your first part of your question regarding the 20 percent. I didn’t say, the
20 percent of false negative. I said 20 percent of possible error; whether they
caught it after they took the test or misread the test, but not a false negative. And
naturally, that’s a roundup percentage. And I don’t think anyone—because I’m
not an expert on that, you all know that. But those figures are not my figures.
Even Dr. Green who’s pushing for this will say that there’s an expected about
20 percent margin of error in regards to people who are positive or not. I mean
negative or not.
You know, I’ll end with this, our effort was only one. Everybody, I don’t care
where you stood on it, knew that we have to do whatever we can to get our
economy going again. Our job, meaning Civil Defense and your Mayor’s Office,
we’re part of Civil Defense on this job here, is to determine what is an acceptable
risk level.
There is no program at this time, except for looking forward to a vaccine, and
even that, based on what is happening nationally, that so many percent are saying,
“I’m not going to take that vaccine.” So even if when that’s possible, I think
we’re going to have to address that at that time also. I don’t think anyone
disputes the fact that a one-test system is not adequate; to say 100 percent or even
90 percent. I made a decision that that’s not an acceptable risk, not based on my
opinion, but like I stated, you know, your national guru has said that. Your local
State directors have said that. So based on those things of my expertise, I made
that decision.
And we are trying to develop a system that will still have loopholes in it. I wish it
would be 100 percent, but it’s not going to be. We’re just cutting down our odds
a little better.
CHR. CHUNG: Well, you know, I quite frankly don’t think anyone is criticizing
the second test. I mean that’s, you know, it’s a very quick test. What did you say,
couple seconds?
MAYOR KIM: Fifteen minutes.
CHR. CHUNG: Fifteen minutes.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: But it’s, no, it’s not invasive. That’s what I’m saying.
CHR. CHUNG: Right, but it’s very short. And you know, I think actually if I
were a traveler, I’d want to get tested again, too.
MAYOR KIM: You know, Mr. Chairman, I said that, and I’m glad you said that.
That you know, if I’m infected I’d want to know. I don’t want to endanger other
people’s lives, especially if I’m traveling with my family, you know.
CHR. CHUNG: No, I don’t think anyone, you know, is doubting the wisdom of
that. You know, particularly since, and I don’t know if this is a correct statistic,
but I think the Governor in a recent press conference, maybe yesterday, said that
88 percent of our Intensive Care Unit beds are occupied right now. We cannot
afford really to get any worse, yeah?
So that’s okay, but I think we’re just concerned about operational aspects. That’s
why Ms. Villegas asked that question about, you know, people walking across the
street. Very valid, and you know, with these other comments being advanced by
people whom we don’t know, but they have nice titles. You know, they were
expressing confusion and concern. And that’s why we wanted to have this talk
with you.
MS. VILLEGAS: Chair Chung?
CHR. CHUNG: Yes, go ahead Rebecca.
MS. VILLEGAS: I have two more specific questions relating to this.
CHR. CHUNG: Relating to transpacific, right, right now? Yes, go ahead.
MS. VILLEGAS: So what is in place for those traveling from transpacific
travelers? Is it an option for them to not get tested and then arrive? What’s in
place to make sure that they adhere to the 14-day quarantine? Or are we
removing any option for transpacific travelers to travel, not get tested and
quarantine instead?
CHR. CHUNG: You’re talking first of all, pre-travel, right, testing? Who are
refusing to take the pre-travel test? Okay, go ahead.
MS. VILLEGAS: Yeah, what’s in place to monitor those who do not get
pre-travel tests? And then ensure that when they get here, they do quarantine.
CHR. CHUNG: And I guess, an addendum to that question, is it going to be the
State’s kuleana on that one or is it the County?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: State.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, so they’re going to have some people—well explain, go
ahead.
MAYOR KIM: When we get to the inter-island, this is just going to elaborate on
the problems of this testing and screening. But at this time, this is why it says
there, “If you are part of the State’s program of a pre-test . . .” And in that it
states if you don’t care to do it, then fine. It’s your voluntary choice. If you do
that then you will be subject to a 14-day quarantine. And on boarding and
traveling, they know that. That is well publicized. And on that, I will say that
that is a major problem. And on the inter-island it will connect also.
It is a major problem of everyone here because the responsibility says, by the
State, once they leave the airport, the responsibility of monitoring these people
who are quarantined for 14 days is a responsibility of the County Government of
Hawai‘i. And that’s one of the major reasons why we stated to the University, we
don’t have the capability to monitor all of their students.
And I’m glad they cancelled eventually, but that is still a major problem, even as
we speak in regards to insuring the enforcement of these policies. And again, the
program is voluntary. Your screening, if you are not on this side of the line, that
means you’re not in the program to be tested again. You will go straight to your
hotel and be quarantined for 14 days.
CHR. CHUNG: And who’s going to send them there?
MAYOR KIM: They go on their own. And if you look at that program, it’s so
full of holes. Let’s say a person is infected, who’s going to check him; or if it’s
possible to check him from here to there? From the airport where they stopped at
the stores, restaurants, or the beach, or wherever. There’s no way that we can do
that.
CHR. CHUNG: So what Ms. Villegas brings up might be a weak link in this
system then.
MAYOR KIM: It’s a major weak link.
CHR. CHUNG: And it’s going to be run by the State, right? But yet it’s up to the
counties to enforce?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: I can see, yeah okay. Anyway, Ms. Villegas, go ahead.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you, I had one more question that came up. So for
transcontinental or transpacific travelers who do participate in the voluntary
testing before traveling, and who participate in the testing when they arrive, if
both tests are negative can they then go, because they’re not required to
quarantine? Can they go to a short-term vacation rental?
MAYOR KIM: No.
CHR. CHUNG: He said, “No.”
MS. VILLEGAS: Okay, I would just suggest that that be very, very effectively
clarified because it’s currently my understanding that only if you’re quarantining,
so—
CHR. CHUNG: Rebecca, there’s some discussion over here at the highest level
of the Administration, so. You can’t see it, but we can see it.
MS. VILLEGAS: Okay, I’ll be quiet Chair Chung. I’ll be quiet. Okay.
CHR. CHUNG: No, I mean, and I think they want to address your question.
Maybe they might have clarification on their “no” answer, so let’s just hold on a
little while. Everybody’s whispering here.
MS. VILLEGAS: Okay.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, Mayor, go ahead.
MAYOR KIM: I’m sorry for the whispering, I know that’s rude. No, but just to
clarify, if you’re negative on the pre-test, then you can go to short-term rentals.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay.
MAYOR KIM: But if you did not get your results yet, you have to go a hotel.
MS. VILLEGAS: Okay.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, you got that one?
MS. VILLEGAS: So, if you get a result of negative before you get on the plane,
which is what you have to do before you get on a plane anyway, is show your
result of negative. Then you arrive here in Hawai‘i and you go and take another
test and that’s the quick turnaround test, and that comes back negative, then you
are free to go and rent a short-term vacation rental?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: Correct, except for one. You can take the test and not get a result
and wait till you come here. Because of time element, you didn’t get your results
yet, but if you do that, you arrive in Hawai‘i without the determination of
negative, then you have to go to a hotel.
MS. VILLEGAS: Okay, until you can show those two negatives; double
negatives, okay. Thank you so much. I appreciate you clarifying these questions.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, Mr. Richards, you haven’t spoken yet, I’m sorry.
MR. RICHARDS: That’s alright Chair. I appreciate you coming before us so we
can clarify and clean these things up. I have a list of questions; I think we can go
through reasonably quickly. I agree with you as far as the two-testing protocol.
We can argue about the timing of the second test, but we have a logistical
problem that we have to deal with. So I appreciate you trying to balance it as best
as you can.
The way I see the COVID-19 disease safety, we have a triad. We need testing;
we need trace-back; and we need the social distancing, hygiene, and washing
hands. We got to do all three at the same time. Specifically, we are focusing in
on the testing right now. And you said who pays for the test, that’s going to be
through the CARES funding right now. My question is, and you can answer these
at the end, Mayor. That funding runs out in a couple months, then what?
A comment was made that we have a 72-hour pre-departure or arrival because is
someone is coming from London 72 hours before departure, you’re days before
they get here. So is it 72 hours before arrival or departure? What’s the
clarification on that?
MAYOR KIM: Departure.
MR. RICHARDS: Departure, so it could be days before on the other side of the
world. Is that correct? Okay. The question came up on the legality of enforcing
testing on arrival, and you’ve already clarified that. The enforcement of being
quarantined, and you’ve clarified that as well. One of the questions that came up,
private jets coming in. Who’s enforcing that? And who’d doing the post-arrival
testing and verifying pre-arrival testing?
MR. MAGNO: So we understand that’s a pretty big industry on the Kona side,
and so we met with those private entities that deal with those aircrafts. And so,
we will shuttle down because they’re going through the screening already, the
Safe Travels Hawai‘i. So all of these travelers are being screened already. Since
April the County has been at the airport screening these folks. It’s evolved from
paper to a digital platform. First the County had it, now the State has that
platform. So we access that, screen everybody.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
This is just adding another layer onto the screening already. So what’s been
worked out is that the testing team will go down with the Safe Travels Hawai‘i
screening team. They’ll go down to Signature Air, those private aircrafts, and
they’ll screen for Safe Travels Hawai‘i and they’ll test them as well at the same
time.
MR. RICHARDS: So we have staff standing by because they’re not on the
schedule.
MR. MAGNO: I know, they’re all over the place; early in the morning, late at
night and stuff. And Premier had said that they’ll meet those flight arrivals.
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, so arrangements are made to deal with that?
MR. MAGNO: Yes.
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, thank you. The short-term vacation rentals who test
positive on arrival, and I think you covered this, Mayor. They have a negative the
first test; positive second test, which the second test is more of a screening test.
The specificity isn’t as high. What do they do until they get the results of the
second?
MAYOR KIM: They have to check into a hotel.
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, do we have hotels set up to deal with this quarantine?
MAYOR KIM: We have places that they can stay, whether you call it a house or
hotel, there are places they can be channeled to.
MR. RICHARDS: So this information will be available at the airport in case
someone comes up positive? Okay. What documentation will the hotels receive
when they come in? Who’s giving this information to the accommodations that
they have tested positive or negative coming in?
MAYOR KIM: The app should do that.
MR. MAGNO: So several things, you know, and we’ve been in discussions with
the hotels. Not all of them want people that are positive. And so for the ones that
don’t want positive, they’re going to have to be put up in our facilities. And the
other ones, these people actually become the responsibility of the Department of
Health. So, us working with the Department of Health will figure out what
facility they’ll go to.
MAYOR KIM: That is a real difficult question you ask, Mr. Councilman,
because I’m sure a lot of them who made reservations have money down.
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MR. RICHARDS: Right.
MAYOR KIM: You know, but that’s—I’m not trying to pass the buck, but that’s
their problem, of getting reimbursed.
MR. RICHARDS: And I agree with you, Mayor. I mean we’re talking about
trying to manage a disease here, and I get that. The question that I have coming
from the hotel side, is how are they getting the information that these people have
tested negative?
MR. MAGNO: So, because it’s gone digital, everybody on their Smartphones,
which most people have. They’ll be emailed their QR (Quick Response) code,
which also has the information that says that you’ve tested negative. And so, they
can present that to the, you know, hotels or restaurants as they travel around the
island. It’s available for businesses to look at. Folks that don’t have that
capability and we urge people to carry this as well. They can have paper
documentation of that. We understand that’s where, you know, the possibility of
fraud could be happening, but you know, the State went with specific partners, so
that they could print out that documentation and have that with them. So
electronic and paper copies of what’s been produced through the State system is
documentation to show that they’re negative.
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, and that would be—Chair, do you want to—someone’s
mic is open. Kona do you have a mic open on that side?
MS. DAVID: No, we don’t.
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, because this information needs to get to the hotel, the
front desk. So if they have an app that they can put forth, that will give them the
assurance that they’d had the follow-up testing.
Now coming to the final couple questions, Mayor. You talked about we’re going
to have more than enough tests available to our County for the second test. If
that’s true it would be probably the only county in the nation that has that. How is
that going to work? Because I know these are in short supply, and I’m
questioning that. How do we know we’re going to have this number of tests,
please?
MAYOR KIM: I assure you your concern is multiplied by me by a hundred
times, because it was me giving the word to the Governor that your conditions
will be met. And this is why I had the Governor speak to this person,
Dr. Miscovich. I have the background which I’m not going to say why he is so
lucky, or whatever word you want to use to be able to make that commitment.
But I have no reason to doubt of any kind and I don’t think the Governor has
either, that his commitment—that if the State wanted to follow this, I’m quoting
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his words that an unlimited supply will be assured to the State, and the same
information was given to me before I pursued it. Because if I could not get that
commitment and verified it, I would have gone nowhere.
If something happens that shows that this is all not true, obviously, I’ll pay the
price for that. We will monitor this to make sure as everything goes according to
and with all the glitches that I know will come until we get it smoothly run. But
that part is the most important, that every day we will check with them of his
commitment of unlimited supply to the County of Hawai‘i.
MR. RICHARDS: And to verify again, who made this commitment?
MAYOR KIM: Dr. Miscovich, head of Premier Medical.
MR. RICHARDS: Alright, I appreciate that. And you made a comment about
sales force. What is the relationship of the County of a salesforce?
MAYOR KIM: I’m trying to figure that out myself to tell you the truth. I think
Mr. Chung that I read what he said, and I told myself, you know, I wonder about
it too, sir. I got a call one day.
First of all, I made a commitment to him that we will really limit public exposure
of his name, because he said he’s not interested in that. But everybody seems to
know already because I identified him some time ago.
I got a call through an attorney. He wanted to speak to me. This was over a
month or so ago. We’ve had communication with him and his exec through Roy
daily. These guys don’t sleep, I think in regards to what he dreamt of Hawai‘i
Island. He stated of his love for Hawai‘i as a visitor. And he stated his love of
Hawai‘i’s people and the Hawaiian culture through the Akaka’s. He stated that,
you know, someday he would like to live here and be a permanent resident. I
don’t think anyone here has to question his financial ability to meet all of his
promises because it’s in black and white there on Google.
He stated he wanted to make Hawai‘i Island a safe place. He stated that he
wanted to make Hawai‘i Island the template on how to address this virus. And
basically, that’s why he made that commitment to give us, you know, whatever
we need in resources to achieve that goal.
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, thanks Mayor, I appreciate that. And then, final one,
just to follow-up, Chair. Enforcement of the quarantine, this is supposed to fall
on the County?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, I appreciate the frank answer, because that’s where, I
think we’re going to be running into our biggest problem, is enforcement.
MAYOR KIM: I’m just going to ask you to work with me and do it.
MR. RICHARDS: Okay, me and you. Okay, jump in my car, we go. With that,
Chair, I yield. Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
CHR. CHUNG: With regard to enforcement, though Mayor, I mean I’m
assuming that the Police Department is fully on board, right, on this?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir, but you know, not to minimize it’s a tremendous task—
CHR. CHUNG: It is. I think we all know that, but you know, we also hear a lot
of these things. I don’t know how much of it is myth; I don’t know how much of
it is reality. But my understanding is, you know, Kaua‘i has really done a great
job, right, in handling this matter? Smaller island, of course, we all know that, but
the reports I get from Kaua‘i, are you know, their enforcement is top notch. I
mean they’re on it. So, you know, I’m hoping that we can have that same level of
enforcement. Of course, tougher, bigger island; but you know, we still have to
make people know that they have to abide by the law, right? You cannot have
guys fall into this kind of comfort level that Hawai‘i County is not going to
enforce laws, right?
MAYOR KIM: I have a great appreciation to our Chief of Police. They’re with
us at every single meeting. But our island is 4,000 square miles and our people
are spread out all over. I remember the first time that Kaua‘i was talking about a
quarantine, and we discussed whether that’s even remotely possible for Hawai‘i
Island. And I remember the Chief—of envy, nothing else. It would be nice if we
had as limited an area to patrol as Kaua‘i—just almost one way in regards to
where most of the tourist stay.
CHR. CHUNG: But we understand what the advantages are, you know, that
Kauai—I just wanted to hear, because you’ve been really frank. You’ve given us
some, you know, frank comments about various issues. All we want to know is
that we have that level of commitment from the Police Department.
MAYOR KIM: We have that level of commitment, but we don’t have and we
cannot have that level of execution because of the area covered and manpower
available. That’s just our point, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: And I appreciate that frankness too. Expectations, too, you
know, have to be based on the realities, you know, of the situation. The hotel
availability. When are hotels going to start opening?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: That’s independent and I got an okay to really answer that,
because all I know is that we have been meeting with the resorts in regards to
their preparation and also their assistance which will be needed. And I think the
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major ones are looking forward to the 15. How much of it they will open, I
cannot respond, but we have been communicating with them. And they’re all for,
obviously, to open it.
CHR. CHUNG: This might be a silly question, but you guys have the rapid test,
right, ready to go tomorrow already?
MAYOR KIM: Ready to go tomorrow, yes.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. Matt?
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you, Chair. Just some, logistically,
how many people are supposed to come in tomorrow?
MAYOR KIM: Approximately, at least a thousand, I’d say.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Thousand people coming in tomorrow.
MAYOR KIM: Additional.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Additional to Kona?
MAYOR KIM: Yeah.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: So a thousand people land in Kona
tomorrow, and logistically we are ready to do the first ever second round of rapid
result testing in the airport, yeah?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay. Because I’m just thinking Lū‘au, and
you’re going to make a thousand plates. Give people a nametag, a plate, a drink,
and get them on their way. And not only that, you’re going to come back at the
end of their food and you’re going to ask them how everything was and if their
okay or need a follow-up?
MAYOR KIM: I don’t know where the lū‘au plate came from.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Just, you know, just as a representation.
Because imagine yourself in a line of people for a lū‘au. A thousand people long.
So I’m just logistically in my mind watching you guys do what is supposed to be
a 15-minute result test—and I’ve taken one of those rapid result, three-minute
tests, and it’s quick but it still takes time. And you have to track—
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: We’re not promising them anything less than, you know,
half-an-hour for the whole process. Because to take the test, just is a swab of a
few minutes, but to individually to get the results, will take at least 15 minutes.
And we know our responsibilities.
We have Research and Development involved, you know, the resorts involved, to
see how we can make this as pleasant as we can. I have a great deal of gratitude
to the DOT (Department of Transportation) Office. It’s a brand new place. You
know, a place to sit, and all of these things have been evaluated and we’ll try to
make it as pleasant as possible.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay. And then you said something
interesting, which was DOH (Department of Health) is going to be handling
visitor arrivals now.
MAYOR KIM: DOH, no they’re just part of the program.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, because classically, Civil Defense has
been in charge of tracking all visitors that come into the Island.
MAYOR KIM: Well, we have Roberts under contract. We have obviously DOT
staff. The National Guard has been helping. This is going to be a multi-agency
response.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay. Let’s just say someone comes in
positive, what happens to the other people on that plane where we had a positive
case?
MAYOR KIM: That’s a good question because that’s an everyday question in
regards to walking down the street. You know, somebody may be positive, that’s
true. And the point here is that the airlines is going to be requiring full face masks
all the way through, and hopefully, nobody’s symptomatic, because nobody is
symptomatic that should be on the plane. And no positive cases identified will be
on that plane.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: I know there’s a good chance it’s going to
happen.
MAYOR KIM: Oh, yeah, it’s going happen, sir. This is way the second
testing—you know, why they said these are one of the areas that a person may
have contacted the virus after they were cleared.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah, I thought from the beginning that a
72-hour test before departure leaves a lot of room for contacting someone who’s
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had COVID before they got on the plane. I mean honestly, I think that’s—I don’t
quite agree with that, but I understand that’s the Governor’s prescription.
MAYOR KIM: That, and the element of, you know, the mistake by the test
capability. Every testing will not have a hundred percent. And that’s a part of the
20 percent. It could be all the way along the line of that.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, so, if someone’s positive on a plane,
is everyone good to go on the plane? They get off, they take the test, because
obviously they’ve been in a very confined space for about six hours minimum
coming in from California and they’ve all been on the plane, one person was
positive, I mean at least the rows around that person could have a very good
possibility of contacting COVID.
MAYOR KIM: And the possibility, sir of every flight.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, but I’m saying, what are we going to
do?
MAYOR KIM: If they were tested positive after?
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: If someone comes in and they tested
positive coming off the plane. At least the rows around that person. I mean what
is our remedy going forward?
MR. MAGNO: So we’ve actually had that situation already. So just protocol as
far as two rows forward, two rows back and people adjacent; they all get
investigated. And so, you know, it’s all part of Department of Health in their
investigation. You know, get the airlines involved, you get the manifest, and then
you track back that way.
Of course, the person getting off the airplane and so forth, that’s why in our
processes, we maintain the distance; everybody’s been PPE’d (Personal Protective
Equipment) so that, you know, they’re determined positive. You just focus on the
airplane where they’ve been for all those hours, but everybody that they’ve
tracked through the airport should be fine.
As we’ve found already in previous positives that have come through the airport,
all our precautions have paid off where nobody’s been infected that way. So, you
know, citing what’s been used before, we’ll use those protocols again.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, let’s take it one step further then.
Let’s say a family of five comes in. Dad tests positive, the rest of the family is
now in limbo. They came in for a two-week vacation. Unfortunately, dad caught
the disease on the way in. And then, now what? What happens to the rest of the
family?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: That’s what you call tracing, closed quartered, and that’s up to
Department of Health to follow-up.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: No, now I mean you have dad who’s
positive who has to quarantine now. And the rest of the family can go on their
way? They tested negative but most likely, they’re going to be positive.
MR. MAGNO: No. So close contacts, when determined by the Department of
Health, the close contacts have to be quarantined.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, so you’re sticking with that line of
thinking. So the whole family then has to go quarantine.
MR. MAGNO: Yes.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: And that’s at their cost?
MR. MAGNO: Yes.
MAYOR KIM: Except if they choose to stay at one of the identified places where
we’ll house them.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, and that was the question, too, that
kept popping up was is there places provided for people? And I’ve heard it, yes,
but I think a lot of people still have a question. Even if it’s a resident who lives in
a place that maybe it’s not possible for them to quarantine safely. We do have
places for them to go, yes?
MR. MAGNO: Yes.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, and I’ve heard they contact DOH or
they contact Civil Defense?
MAYOR KIM: Department of Health will take care of the referrals.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay. As far as the standard, what is our
standard for this rapid result testing?
MAYOR KIM: I’m sorry?
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: What is the standard for the rapid result
testing when they come in? I’ve heard that the person who gives the test has to be
with the person who’s tested all the way through, or is just prick blood, drop it
and they can go, we’ll find you later, or what is the procedure there?
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MR. MAGNO: So, as I mentioned before, in Hilo, we’ve got that big—about half
of the lower waiting room area, the ground floor area. In Kona, we’ve got that
big TSA security area. And so that will be the holding room while they wait for
that 15 minutes or a little bit more process. So they get witnessed, and it’s a
shallow nasal swab. And then, you know, we’ve got tables, chairs where they can
kind of relax, hangout until their results are done. The names will be called, and
they’ll be screened and released.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, and we touched on this earlier, but
there was a good question about the legal basis for acquiring an additional
quarantine as well as a mandated second test. I know that you said that you can
be arrested if you don’t take the test. But what is the legal basis for that?
MAYOR KIM: I have my attorney in the back, because that’s their job to keep
me out of jail.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: I don’t think you’ll go to jail, but it was a
good question.
MAYOR KIM: No, that’s a joke, but that’s what I tell them from the very
beginning. Keep me out of jail. So that was reviewed, and I will let you answer
instead of me just relaying it.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Joe, yeah, because that was an interesting
question that came up. What is the legal basis for this?
(Note: At this time, Corporation Counsel Joseph Kamelamela came
forward to address the members of the Council.)
MR. KAMELAMELA: Joe Kamelamela, Corporation Counsel. So, there is a
statute that addresses this, HRS (Hawai‘i Revised Statutes) 127, I think. But
whenever there’s a disaster or things that are happening now, both the Governor
and the Mayors have certain authority so they can try to minimize, you know,
many of the health concerns that we have with it. So everything is coming from
the statutes.
And so, what the statute has is that if the Governor issues what he has been doing
throughout this whole time, his Emergency Proclamation, you know that’s the
document that we rely on. In addition, the Mayor also has similar type of
authority for things that happen within this district. So as long as we follow those
things and then we state the basis, you know, that’s the legal authority. So you
know, we already had at least three challenges in different courts on the orders.
And so far, the courts have upheld all of these orders.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, so you’re saying HRS 127, which is
the Emergency Proclamation, powers granted to the Mayor or the Governor to do
under that Emergency Proclamation. Under that statute, we are given the right to
mandate a test and mandate quarantine?
MR. KAMELAMELA: Yeah, as long as there’s a reasonable basis, you know, to
kind of draw the nexus. You know that should be enough, and so far from what I
recall at least three courts have upheld the orders. And we have been involved in
one of them that happened in the Circuit Court on the Kona side, where one of the
judges had upheld the orders.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, thank you, Joe. Appreciate it.
MR. KAMELAMELA: You’re welcome.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, thank you, Mayor. Last question
then. If we see a surge in cases and it’s in Kona or its Hilo depending on what’s
going on, are we looking at another shut down; are we going to be more specific?
And are we ready to handle that surge in cases? Because this really is the fear of
reopening. This is why we’re stalled. And I do want to say, we have been given
kind of a warning that we will be reopening from September. So to get to
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October 15, and say, “We weren’t prepared.” It’s kind of, I mean, it doesn’t
quite jive. I’m just going to say that. Because we should have been ready for this
because we were primed and prepped as of September to be opened, but they kept
pushing it back.
th
So here we are October 15, stressing about tomorrow, but I mean, we’ve had
time to be getting ready. And I wouldn’t say it’s your guys’ fault. You know, it
takes all of us to do it. It’s a kākou thing. So if we see a surge in cases, what are
we going to do?
MAYOR KIM: We will handle it. I think we are prepared for that. There’s only
one element of that, that nationwide is a problem that we identify by count every
day is of hospital units. The positive on the virus is this, initially they were
notified, the experts said there’s plus and minus of this virus. Number one, it’s a
weak virus. By that they meant that at least 80 percent of the people who contact
it may not even know they had it, or they will not require hospitalization. And
that has been proven to be very true.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: It may be a weak virus, but it’s crippled the
entire world.
MAYOR KIM: Absolutely.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: That’s one hell of a virus.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: That 20 percent is hell of a punch.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay.
MAYOR KIM: So our concern is not the temporary stays or quarantine at home
or whatever, it is to really keep on it and that is done every day. And what units
are available or being used. What are we not ready for in the State like
everyplace else, if you have the kind of surge like New York did where you have
literally hundreds of thousands that are admitted in a very short time that needs to
be hospitalized. No one is prepared for that. But as best as we can, the hospitals
are all preparing for it. Not because of this, but because from the very beginning
if there’s a surge, regardless of who causes it and where it is, every hospital is
identified, “How many intensive care units you have available and to prepare for
alternatives.”
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah, just from watching it, if we see a
surge in Kona and we go shut down again, what I hope we don’t do it, because
our economy cannot handle this, yeah, but I’d like to see more of a specific, you
know, region as we adjust to surges and cases versus a shutdown of the whole
Island.
Because our business, I think we’ve lost at least 500 to 1,000 businesses already.
They’re not going to reopen. So we know we can’t continue. There’s a reason
behind this. But just going forward I’m wondering about of that plan of attack as
we see. Because we will see spikes, yeah? So I’m just wondering what that goal
is, what the intention behind this is.
MAYOR KIM: Sir, that’s a nightmare that, you know, I’m sure every jurisdiction
prays against, and in some jurisdictions a nightmare has occurred. I think for the
world, not just for Hawai‘i, the answer is from the very beginning we stated that
this is a public issue, and this will take a public response for us to handle this.
And I think it’s been said, and I’ll say it because of the opportunity, if we and all
citizens accept it as our kuleana to know the importance of masking, distancing
and gatherings, the world can lick this in two months. Every expert has said that.
You can halt the virus if every single person—we can have all our beaches open,
all our parks open, all of our restaurants open if within that, we practice
distancing, gathering and face masking. Our problem whether it be here or there
is this, violations of that.
And that is where we’re ramping up education programs. As you say, you even
see signs and even on those signs, I think maybe 20,000 signs have already been
donated by Benioff. Those nice signs that you see, it says that he donated those
signs.
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MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Are we under contract with Benioff? No,
everything’s a donation?
MAYOR KIM: Everything is donations, sir. And not one single dollar has he
asked for. And I’ve told you that he has lectured me in a friendly way more than
once saying, “I’m not interested in any kind of publicity or anything.”
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: You know, funny story, the company I used
to work for actually installed a very large solar system at his house. He has a
beautiful piece of property in Kona.
MAYOR KIM: Oh, you know where he lives?
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah, and we put in a large ground mount
system. And I never did meet the man, but you know, he has a very nice piece of
property, and he has a very nice solar system as well. I yield, thank you, Chair.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, and you know, Matt brought up a good point, though, you
know, about what’s going to happen if we do have that surge. Who’s going to
make that call, Mayor? Is it the Governor or the Mayors?
MAYOR KIM: If we have a surge?
CHR. CHUNG: Yes.
MAYOR KIM: Or a cluster, rather?
CHR. CHUNG: Let’s say, just this island, or you know, a surge that is really
untenable? Who will make the call to adjust the protocol? Would it be the
Governor or is there anything within the powers of the Mayor—I mean I agree
with Matt, it would be devastating, and that’s why the frontline people are so
important right now. And I kind of anticipate some bad stuff happening. I hate to
say it, but whose authority will it fall under?
MAYOR KIM: It’s a matter of authority, but I’m not playing word games with
this matter of whose responsibility is it? I have Eric in the back of me that finally
took two days off since February. It is our responsibility of County and State; the
County Health officials, and all of the other officials that work with him to
monitor this every day. A surge will not happen overnight, you know, you can
see it coming.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
I am proud of this island, Mr. Chair, and I know it’s flaunted, but I am proud of it.
That you can go from here to there. And I don’t think you’ll find a system that is
of closeness working together. But I said we monitor this every day. We monitor
it every single day, seven days a week.
He does a lot of work in regards to getting the kind of information we need, of
who is positive, where they live, what the conditions are; what their needs are,
etcetera. Monitoring all of that is a huge task. We have promised him any kind
of assistance he needs to do his job. He will work with us even in the same
facility at Aunty Sally’s. We have the operational center there.
So you will see this coming. So it is his responsibility and my responsibility to
watch it. And if there’s a point where we know this is beyond the capabilities of
the resources of this island, we will work together to call whoever we need to give
us that assistance.
CHR. CHUNG: Who?
MAYOR KIM: Me and Eric would make the decision whether we’re not capable
of handling whatever the surge is.
CHR. CHUNG: What is the role of the Governor in that situation?
MAYOR KIM: To respond.
CHR. CHUNG: He would ultimately be the one to make the decision whether
to—
MAYOR KIM: Not decision. There’s no decision to be made. The decision is
already made. We notify him, we are in need. It’s their responsibility now to
plan for that, which they are doing.
CHR. CHUNG: Well, I’m just talking worse-case scenario, and I hope this never
happens. What if we have an explosion on this island? I mean a total, total
explosion. Who do we turn to now on this one? Is it the Mayor who will—does
the Mayor have authority to say, “Hey stop.” Or is it the Governor?
MAYOR KIM: Stop what, I’m sorry?
CHR. CHUNG: Travel.
MAYOR KIM: Oh absolutely, the Mayor has to initiate that.
CHR. CHUNG: The Mayor’s call or the Governor’s call?
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MAYOR KIM: It’s a together call.
CHR. CHUNG: Who ultimately has that decision?
MAYOR KIM: If it’s transpacific, it’s the Governor.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay.
MAYOR KIM: If it’s the inter-island, we can do it.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay now, I’m going to call on these two guys. Short questions
maybe, then we’re going to segue into inter-island, which I think should be a short
discussion, because we’re all kind of on the same page. But there are some
questions that we would like to ask in that matter.
MAYOR KIM: Well, I would like to thank you for setting that tempo, we are all
on the same page.
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, okay. Ashley, go ahead.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Chair. Mayor, I just want to clarify because I
think a lot of our ears perked up when you talked about arrests. And so, an
individual can get arrested if they fail to complete certain form upon arrival. Is
that correct?
MAYOR KIM: That’s correct.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay. A person can also get arrested if they refuse the
second test. It’s not an option of take the test or quarantine. You must take the
test, or you will be arrested.
MAYOR KIM: That’s correct.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay. I just wanted to be crystal clear.
MAYOR KIM: But I’d like to clarify on that.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay.
MAYOR KIM: There was an article in the paper of a person who was
approached by the police because people called in and said this person was not
wearing a face mask. The police approached and warned and gave him a face
mask. Very shortly thereafter, the same person was turned in at the same place
not wearing a face mask and ordered by the police to wear a face mask. He
refused. And then and only then, did the police do what is their policy.
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First of all, they’re not here to arrest, they’re here to educate. Every police officer
on that carries face masks to give to those who don’t have it. But if they refuse to
comply with a law, it’s like any other law whether it be a stop sign or anything
else, they will be arrested. And arrested means they’ll be taken into custody.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you for that clarification. My next question is
around island hoppers. And so, say someone flies into Honolulu or Maui, there’s
the pre-travel test requirement. But then they’re flying into our Island, I mean
what is the protocol there? They just need to have a rapid test or is another
pre-travel test required because they’re coming from the mainland?
MAYOR KIM: For the neighbor island?
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Someone from the mainland, yes. No someone that is
traveling from the mainland, a mainland resident flies to Oahu or Maui; spends a
couple of days or hours there; hops on a plane and comes to the Big Island. What
is the testing protocol for that person in that situation?
MAYOR KIM: Same situation.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Same situation. Okay, so just the rapid test. They don’t
need a second pre-travel test if they spent time on a neighbor island? Okay.
And then, you know, Chair Chung brought up potential for surge in cases here.
And you said that we have a number of hotel rooms and homes around the island
for people to quarantine at if they need that assistance. Are you able to give us a
number of how many rooms and homes are available?
MAYOR KIM: You know, we have a problem in the limitation. Our job is to
work within that limitation and find those places. For Hilo, I think we all know
that we were lucky to have one of the hotels and we grabbed it. And with the
anticipated numbers, hopefully that’ll be more than enough.
And the West side, because of them not wanting to do that, you know, we had to
go and get private homes, rentals, and those things. Yes, that kind of situation
that Mr. Chung says, an explosion or surge of the numbers beyond us. We’re
going to have to do everything we can to identify things.
If necessary in regards to authority, whether you need—you can do it with ours or
the Governor’s. We will do whatever we need to find those places. You know,
those are just scenarios, whether they be of a huge hurricane, or God forbid, some
war element, which I hope I never see, and nobody wants to say that. That’s a lot
of the things you will going to react, that you know is a worse-case scenario that
you have to plan for.
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MS. KIERKIEWICZ: So Mayor, sorry, I’m just looking for a number, a range of
how many hotel rooms; homes are on-island available to quarantine, then, that are
under our jurisdiction.
MAYOR KIM: Under our jurisdiction now?
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Sure.
MAYOR KIM: Oh, that number is limited based on what we think we need, like
right now—you know, I don’t want to mention a hotel, but we—
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: You don’t need to, just a number. Is it 100, is it 300?
MAYOR KIM: We have, I think 53 rooms in that one hotel.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: That’s one hotel in the Hilo vicinity?
MAYOR KIM: Yeah.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: And then on the West side, how many homes?
MAYOR KIM: We do not have a hotel. We have one that we were using for
homeless, but over there the hours are very limited, and we have homes that we
get.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, and then the—
MAYOR KIM: And so we’re okay so far, but this is something that Talmage
knows we always have to keep looking.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: So it sounds like under a hundred is what we have
island wide. Is it island wide or is it just Hilo and Kona?
MAYOR KIM: You’re correct; for now.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, and so what is the percentage of occupancy? How
full of COVID positives are in these spaces?
MAYOR KIM: What do you mean by percentages of occupancy, of the rooms?
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: When you talk about there being a hundred rooms that are
under our jurisdiction, I’m just curious.
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MAYOR KIM: Well it depends if it’s, you know, a lot of these cases,
unfortunately it’s one individual per room. And that’s why they need that kind of
isolation.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Right, but are half the rooms available?
MAYOR KIM: Oh, right now?
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Yeah.
MAYOR KIM: Three-fourths.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Three-fourths full, okay.
MAYOR KIM: More than that.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: More than that, okay. And so then if they opt in to be
taken care of by the County, we have to pay for their food?
MAYOR KIM: Correct.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: And so when the CARES money is exhausted and we still
have travelers coming to visit, and there’s a need to house them because they need
that assistance, how are we going to pay for that?
MAYOR KIM: I’ll come before you and cry. Now, no time to joke. All of the
CARES money is this, you will encumber and expend all funds by
st
December 31. On that, I think all of us in government that uses CARES funds,
because it’s a double-edged blunt thing that hit you on the head.
Our economy is down, therefore our revenues are down everywhere in the United
States. And so revenues is a problem with everybody. I think everybody is
hoping that Congress will pass Rule 4.5 or whatever they’re calling it. And as we
know politically up there, there’s very little movement on that. But hopefully,
everybody’s hoping that after the elections, there will be definitive movement.
The point-blank fact is this, I do not think any single government is fiscally
capable now of handling the kind of scenario without Federal assistance. We can
handle, as I said, I don’t think we have more than three-fourths not available. We
have at least, I would say, you know, 75 or 80 percent of those facilities we’ve
identified as still available. If you look at the number of cases we’ve had, few are
(inaudible). Fortunately, unfortunately, all the people in Life Care we don’t have
to worry about. They stay there, like the Veterans Home and those things.
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If a scenario occurs or begin to occur, and this is why I value the Department of
Health’s willingness to meet with us every day to monitor it every day, first of all,
to take mitigation where we can. But if the worse-case scenario that Chairman
Chung has identified occurs, we’re going to have to do everything we can to find
more places.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, thank you, Mayor. Chair, I’m going to yield for
now. I have a few more questions, but I want him to finish his presentation.
Thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, well, and Tim, you have some questions?
MR. RICHARDS: Yeah.
CHR. CHUNG: Related to the transpacific? Okay, go, because let’s wrap that up
and then let’s go into inter-island, which as I said, shouldn’t take too long,
because you know, we all have the same concerns, right? And same requests?
MAYOR KIM: Inter-island now?
CHR. CHUNG: No, one more question.
MR. RICHARDS: Mayor, we talked about the promise of all the test kits and that
we would be using CARES funding to pay for that. And the County would be
paying for that using the CARES funding. But I didn’t ask, how much is each
test? Because my concern is it’s going to be a huge cost, and in January, not
foreseeing any other funding coming forth, this could be a big problem.
Matt pointed out 1,000 people tomorrow. I think numbers coming into our
County, we probably estimate 3,000 with a conservative 2,500. I was one of the
first people tested for COVID because I came back from D.C. right when this
whole thing blew up. And I saw what my cost was. It was about $250. How
much are these tests going to cost? Are they being done at cost? Is there profit in
here? What’s going on with that?
Because I’m concerned for our County going forward, and I know you are too,
Mayor. But if we are having, you know pick a number, 2,000 at $200 a day or
$200 a test. Do the math. We’re going to be bankrupt real quick. So I ask, what
is that? Is it done at cost, and what is that cost? Because I’m told these can be as
inexpensive as $30, or $40, or $50. But I’ve also seen bills over a couple
hundred. So that’s my concern. That’s my question, Chair.
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MAYOR KIM: I think there’s been enough publicity too. As a matter of fact, I
got a letter yesterday when I went home. A person from Seattle wanting to come
back home for family and said, “I cannot afford the $250 it costs to get it and I’m
not going to come home and stay at a hotel,” this and that.
The financial costs and suffering of people is so widespread including just buying
food, or not paying any rent. And the Council is very instrumental in creating
programs to help along that line. Those problems are still there. There are
problems that’s still growing, and those problems might be immense depending
on the scenarios.
And your question on profit. I don’t know what their profit margin is, but I know
they’re making some profit. I don’t know how you measure profit. It’s profit just
above and beyond all fixed costs including employees. I don’t dwell into that. I
do know that this test that we are using in the kit itself costs $40 a kit. And we’ll
see what the charge is. But I’d be lying if I thought this was all at cost and no
profit. I do believe in the people who have offered this to say that they are going
to minimize any costs to us as best as possible.
MR. RICHARDS: Thanks Mayor, and I appreciate that. That’s in the ballpark of
the numbers at cost $40-ish or maybe $30, somewhere in that ballpark. But the
$250 that I paid, that’s my concern for our County going forward. Chair, I yield.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay. You know, let’s move on to inter-island, okay. But
before we do that, I just want to ask you one question. You know, are the
numbers of people who test positive, for example, on the second test and have to
go on to the third test, are those numbers going to be available to the public?
MAYOR KIM: Sure.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, alright, good. That’s very important, I think. So we can
see the efficacy of this program, right?
MAYOR KIM: Correct.
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, so we’re hoping it works. Okay, let’s go on to this inter-
island thing, and whoever wants to take the lead on this is fine. Because I think
we all have the same questions, and we all want to see the same results. Who?
Anybody?
MAYOR KIM: You mind if I cover what the—
CHR. CHUNG: Why don’t you go? You start off, go ahead.
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MAYOR KIM: I want to go over what the present policies are.
CHR. CHUNG: Alright, fine.
MAYOR KIM: And then where we are. The present policies prior to the change
that was just made; that’s going to be made by Maui, Kauai, is that they are going
to adopt a 72-hour pretest. And then anyone who takes that and they’re negative,
they will be, you know, free to come and go. And no quarantine. Those who do
not participate in that, obviously, will be subject to the 14-day quarantine.
CHR. CHUNG: And that’s a big change, right?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: When is that going to come online?
MAYOR KIM: Effective tomorrow, I think.
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, fantastic.
MAYOR KIM: This is Maui and Kauai.
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, what about us?
MAYOR KIM: I’ll will go into that.
CHR. CHUNG: Sorry, okay go ahead. I’m sorry.
MAYOR KIM: Because the question was asked, what about Hawai‘i County?
First of all, this came about just this week. And I do mean, just this week that this
County said they we’re going to do that. I asked several people whether we’re
going to participate or not. First of all, my immediate response was, you know,
I’m so busy making sure all our pukas are patched in regards to the transpacific.
And that’s where my focus is.
But I asked a lot of questions and the answers was very dissatisfactory for me to
even consider accepting it. So I will say, point blank, that I am not going to
consider what they’re proposing at this time and I’ll give you reasons for it.
On the 72-hour, first of all, we find out that a lot of our travelers that go between
here and whatever island stay a few days and then come back because of work, or
whatever reason. If you look at the 72-hour, Chairman Chung, and if you take the
test the day before you go or whatever day you go and you get cleared, and you
stayed in Honolulu three days—well a lot of the workers it’s a week or Sunday
through Friday kind of thing.
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Before you come back you’ve got to pay for another test. And please remember
all tests that you take are borne by the person who is going to take advantage of
this program. And we feel that it resolves nothing, except incur a huge cost factor
that to me is going to be very, very difficult for most people. Even with partial
payment of medical.
The second element of that is this, the biggest problem for our Island, and I think
for every other island, is the exemptions of the inter-island system. You know I
got very shocked—on the present exemption system, we have approximately
4,000 people per month on that. Or 8,000, doesn’t really matter. That does not
count the exemptions given by the State, because the present system is this, the
State has all the authority to override our exemptions in regards to who is eligible
and not eligible. I don’t even have the figures for it. I try to get it; I don’t know
it, because that’s not passed down to us.
CHR. CHUNG: And who are those guys that can override?
MAYOR KIM: General Hara’s group.
CHR. CHUNG: So they have to make application to General Hara?
MAYOR KIM: Well, to the State. There is a website—you can know what the
process is.
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, okay.
MAYOR KIM: And I don’t even know what their numbers are. The present
system exemptions is so unbelievably difficult for us to monitor. Right now, we
had to hire four people seven days a week to review the approximately 200
requests that come per day; and give them a timely response. And you can see
how impossible that is.
I’m looking at this and I had several meetings already for staff and people I call
on for good thinking. What is our alternative for what is inter-island now? And I
don’t know what it’ll be because I told people I will make up, you know, a
proposal and see where we go within a week or so before the end of the month.
I will say this openly, the present system is not good. I would say the present
system because there’s a huge inconvenience and difficulty for most people. I
would say that the present system of exemptions is full of loopholes in regards to
who can get it and not get it. Because it is so subjective. I will say the present
system that as I said to the State to have two levels of authority: I say “no,” they
can say “yes.” And you know how impossible that is. I will say the difficulty it
poses to the average traveler is very difficult except the ones that the present
system is okay, except for paperwork. That if you’re going to go for the day—
like I just accompanied my wife to the doctor in Honolulu, and it’s just
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paperwork. So if you go for the day, you come back and there is no check besides
that.
That is the present system. What am I looking at? I’m trying to see if it’s
remotely possible and still within the major responsibility of keeping Hawai‘i’s
people safe to eliminate the travel for inter-island rules and regulations. But the
only way I can make that with confidence is to ensure that we establish more
programs of enforcing the rules of separation in the rules for face masking and
rules of distancing.
With all the loopholes of the present system and monitoring that, this would be an
improvement if we do that. If any of you have suggestions of how we can make it
better or problems with the present system, please call Civil Defense, or Roy or
Moe. They’re probably cringing but just call anybody but don’t call me on any
suggestions of where we can do. Because this, nobody can deny that this is a
problem.
You know, I’m trying to find a way that we can resolve this, and right now, the
best I’ve heard is, “You are trying to protect the people of Hawai‘i. This is where
you have the most, you know, control in rules and regulations. Beef up all of the
preventive programs including the punitive ones. It would be better than the
program we have now.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, and you know, I think you understand the dilemma that
we’re faced with—well, not dilemma because it’s our kuleana. I mean it is our
kuleana. See I have to go back and forth, I have to fight with myself now. But
it’s a matter of fairness really I think, you know.
A lot of the residents are saying. “What the heck, you know, they’re going to open
up transpacific travel, allow these guys to come in, albeit presumably COVID free
because they’ve tested, but how come it’s not available to us as residents?” And
that’s all, I’m just trying to articulate what’s in the minds of residents, because I
am after all a resident. And I’m thinking, huh?
MAYOR KIM: Please do that, Mr. Chair, because I openly admit this present
system really is not a good one. But if I do and copy the Governor’s system and
require if you want to be out of that quarantine, pay for it. And it will cost, as
already stated, an unreasonable amount of $200-something per test, and the
waiting time, etcetera, etcetera.
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So that answer to me is not acceptable here to ask anybody, you want to be part of
the program, no quarantine? Or approve every time, and you can show me you
got a paper that says you took the test within 72 hours, because beyond that you
got to take another test.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, yeah, so I was going to ask that. For Maui and Kauai, you
take the test 72 hours before, you go there and you got to take another test before
you—
MAYOR KIM: But if you’re not going to come back within the 72.
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, you can do it within that whole 72? Oh, okay.
MAYOR KIM: Yeah. But if you look at who travels, Mr. Chung, a lot of—I’m
kind of surprised. I knew there was a lot, but I didn’t know that there was that
many people that spend, you know, so many days of their lives working on
another island, and weekend come home. They would have to take two tests a
week. And you cannot tell me that that’s reasonable to incur that cost on a
person.
I would rather have a real strict enforcement; minimize the spread, and this is the
best suggestion I heard, make it where everyone who travels; when you come
back, you know, except for one night—even the one-day kind of thing had posed
a problem, because what we do with Eric and I would say with Eric, you know, is
tremendous. He’s like part of our—we’re all part of the same team. You know,
we know the hardship of what’s happening.
But I cannot see us imposing that kind of cost to be a system designed for them
and the rest quarantined. I just talked about this one person from Seattle, just one
time, $250 was not affordable. I’m really trying to find a way, and I think the best
suggestion I heard was, okay let’s create a program and testing, you know, the
convenience and really convince people that go inter-island, when you come back
take a test to see if you, you know, have anything. Because the average person,
especially of family who’ll be very conscientious that they don’t want to spread it
to their friends or family, especially the working class people, because then they
won’t be able to work also.
But that’s what I mean by we’re trying to look at everything, Mr. Chung, and I
think so far, it’s the best idea I have. You know, consider cancellation, and
consider how do you mitigate that for guys to go back? Because truthfully, as
Eric can give you specifics on it, a lot of the people who are the index or the
infected, the base of community spread, are people that went to another island and
back.
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And so, even with the policies, it doesn’t address that, but maybe if we really push
a policy and make it available that when you come back within a day, go take a
test. And make it available for them free of charge. And I think we could be
successful on that.
CHR. CHUNG: But then it gets to what Ashley asked about, the tourists who go
island hopping. How do we differentiate or how do we justify that when our
residents are not able to do that? I don’t know if that’s under your authority or
what?
MAYOR KIM: It’s basically our authority that we can propose. Remember all
proposals must be approved by the Governor. But to propose it would be ours.
CHR. CHUNG: Alright. Anyway, Matt, go ahead.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: My suggestion would be, if you’re inter-
island, because I think right now, if it’s one-day travel, there is no requirement for
quarantine, is that right?
MAYOR KIM: That’s correct.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Especially if it’s medical or something like
that, because we were having holdups due to medical reasons. We don’t want to
hold up anyone from getting a medical test or anything else.
MAYOR KIM: That’s correct.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: That’s good. But what we seem to know
about the virus at this point is that within three to five days, you’ll be showing
symptoms if you’ve got it. There’s a delay, yeah?
MAYOR KIM: That’s correct.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: So if you were to test someone at three days
of any inter-island trip with the rapid result test or a PCR (Polymerase Chain
Reaction) test, any kind of test you want to do, at that point, they should be
showing symptoms if they’ve caught it on their trip.
MAYOR KIM: That’s correct.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: So instead of holding someone for 14 days
in a quarantine where they can’t go to work, they can’t leave the house, which is
very difficult for most people to comply with, if we could offer a free test at
72 hours of their arrival at their home island, whatever that may be, that would be
an option. I see that as an option.
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MAYOR KIM: That’s the option I was just discussing, sir.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, because that makes sense to me.
MAYOR KIM: And make sure that it’s highly publicized and make sure that the
testing place and time is convenient for that.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah, and there shouldn’t be a difference
between anybody coming in from transpacific or inter-island at that point.
Because if it holds good for someone three days out before departure on the
mainland to get a test and that holds good here for any county except for ours,
why not?
I mean if I could apply that here and say, three days before you leave to go on
your neighbor island visit, you can take a test and you’ll be good. So I see it as a
little bit backwards, it’s ironic, but I understand you need—actually all of our
need to protect everybody here. But there’s got to be a way to get us out of this
14-day hold on a trip to another island.
MAYOR KIM: Absolutely, I agree with you totally, sir.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: So you guys are working on that right?
MAYOR KIM: Yes, sir. I promised that I would try to come up with a finished
product as a recommendation to the Governor within a week. So I will do that.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Chair, I have one more question.
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, go ahead, Matt.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Sorry, and are we working with any of the
groups? Like Sustain Hawai‘i that PERSEUS (Planned Emergency Response
System Engaging Unified Support) app that we talked about and we brought up, is
that coming? Are we going to move on anything like that, so we have a better
way of tracking and tracing and being a little bit more digitally quicker with
information?
MAYOR KIM: I don’t think the information we need can be any quicker than
what we’ve arranged now with Travel Safe Hawai‘i. We’re working obviously
very closely with them.
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MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: I respectfully disagree, because I’ve been
watching very closely the different people who’ve interacted with DOH, Civil
Defense and seeing lags and lapses in quarantine; or getting a notice of or getting
the results. So, I think there could be better ways as far as getting results and
tracking where people have been, especially when you start tracking more people.
Because we’re talking about increasing our load not decreasing our load. We’ve
seen 300 percent drops in visitor arrivals, and we’re getting ready to reopen. I
mean a thousand people-plus tomorrow, which is not anywhere near what we
used to do per day.
So, but as we step towards increasing, your workload will increase, the Council
has so far has brought up some very valid reasons on why we should be worried,
because in three months, CARES funding runs out and we’re on our own as far as
covering all the costs of this. So I know we’re utilizing Civil Defense, using
CARES funded positions, to track visitors coming in right now. When those
funds run out, you know, we’ve got to have a method of tracking, tracing, and
getting updates to people as quickly as possible.
And I don’t know that logistically we have the ability right now without using
technology. And I’m just going to say for the record Safe Travels, put on by the
State, that is nothing more than a glorified spreadsheet, okay? I’ve checked it out,
it’s interesting. I wouldn’t call it an app. You could call it an app if you wanted
to, but I really wouldn’t call it an app.
MAYOR KIM: I agree partially, and I disagree partially, but in a whole, you’re
right in regards to the difficulty of monitoring. I make no pretense of that. I just
say we had to hire four people, using CARES money again, because you know
any added position, I’ve got to come back to you if it’s County Government
funds. They work seven days a week. And if you can imagine, what are we
th
going to do after December 30 if there’s no funding.
You know there’s nothing in the County coffer to cover that, and this is
something that’s really a nightmare—what’s going to happen to something you
had zero control or influence, and that’s at the Federal level. The State has no
monies for that. You know, they’re in the same situation we are in.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah, I agree.
MAYOR KIM: And what will all the governments do because it’s not just
Hawai‘i? All the governments will do, come December 31 and there’s no
supplementary Federal funds—truthfully, sir, I don’t know.
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MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: So it may be in our best interest to really
nail down one of these guys and get them moving within our County so we can
start saving some money now and put it towards testing so we can test residents
and visitors. You know and use the funds more towards that edge than trying to
track and trace, which is going to be difficult. I don’t envy you guys at all.
Trying to track everyone coming in and visitors and residents. That is—I can
barely remember where I was last week, given the time of year.
MAYOR KIM: I’d say yesterday, I cannot remember. It’s a problem and I’d be
foolish to even minimize that. So I’ll summarize with this. Almost 100 percent
of the funds that we are using for the responsibilities of the COVID-19 are
Federal CARES Act funds. Almost 100 percent of what the State is spending is
that. And I think you will find this universal with all 50 states.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: That’s good, that’s what it’s there for. So,
let’s try and save what we can going forward.
MAYOR KIM: And I was going to say, there’s nothing to save. You know, our
st
budget is all encumbered. But December 31 to me is right around the corner.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Yeah. Thank you, Mayor.
CHR. CHUNG: Mayor, before I call on Ashley, I just wanted some clarification.
I wanted to make sure that we’re working on the same set of facts here. You
know, when Ashley asked you a question about tourists who go island-hopping,
what was your answer on that one again?
MAYOR KIM: They’re under the responsibilities of the same inter-island travel
rules.
CHR. CHUNG: Oh, okay. So they’re not exempt from it.
MAYOR KIM: No, no.
CHR. CHUNG: I see, okay, so it’s going to be very difficult for them to go
island-hopping in other words.
MAYOR KIM: Unless they want to stay in a hotel for 14 days.
CHR. CHUNG: Right, okay. No, I misheard you I think, yeah?
MAYOR KIM: Okay.
CHR. CHUNG: I thought you said they could do so with their testing protocol
already in place. Okay, that’s—thank you very much. Ashley, go ahead.
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MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Chair. Mayor, I want to share some reflections
that I got a couple of people that have traveled recently. And so it’s not hearsay,
you know, I’ve gotten it straight from the source. And I share this with you, and
it’s great that Eric is here because there are clearly some massive puka in our
system, and we really need to tighten it up before reopening tomorrow. We are,
and it’s inevitable, sorry.
You know, a colleague was returning from Maui for work, and he noticed that
folks were using the app and QR (Quick Response) code, wasn’t working, but
people are just being flagged through anyway. Folks were asked, you know,
“Where are you going?” A guy says, “I’m going to Pōhākuloa.” No
documentation was requested or asked of the individual to confirm that he was
actually, you know, doing work at Pōhākuloa.
You know, someone I know very recently traveled to this island, and the last call
that he received from whoever was checking up on him was two days before he
left. And the person said to him, “By the way, this is the last call you’re going to
get from us.” And so, I’m like, “Wait a second,” everyone feels that they’re very
prepared for tomorrow’s reopening and that we’ve got everything in place, but I
think that all the folks that are out in the field doing the hard work who are
making those calls, I think they just need to refresh. They need a refresh on the
expectations so that we can be sure we are keeping our community safe.
I have three questions for you. The first is around the medical exemption and the
inter-island travel. And if that’s going to be relooked at. My understanding is
right now, it’s a one-day travel exemption. Is that correct?
MAYOR KIM: That’s correct.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, so the problem that I have, and Moe knows this,
because he was a gem. He saved me on something. I had a constituent reach out;
single mom needing to get chemotherapy every other week and because Hawaiian
Airlines is the only carrier that the insurance pays for and they’ve scaled back
their flights, getting on to the last flight home is very difficult because it’s not late
into the evening as it once was. And so a number of constituents have called me
to say that they’re actually foregoing treatment because they can’t quarantine.
So I ask you, I don’t think it’s feasible me to go to Moe every time I have a
constituent that needs assistance getting an exemption for a life-saving procedure
and medication. And so, just wondering is it within your jurisdiction? Take
another look at that. Medical exemptions for, you know, within inter-island
travel; it going beyond a day. Just putting it out there.
MAYOR KIM: If I may respond?
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MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Sure, please.
MAYOR KIM: I think you just gave another incentive where I better get off my
butt and finish this inter-island change.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Please.
MAYOR KIM: I think that’s a good example of what’s wrong with our present
system, along with many, many others similar to that. Of all the weaknesses we
have, the inter-island system I think is the greatest. Because the harm is
especially, you know, to our people here. I will promise you this, and this is
Wednesday, I’ll finish what I’m going to do by Friday and make a
recommendation to the Governor.
I wish there were simpler answers, but it comes down to this and this is why I’m
asking for all of your help because of your positions and your influence on
people. Every person I speak to and every person that has appeared before
Congress and the Center for Disease Control have said the same thing. If we all
obey the rules of masking, distancing and gatherings, we could be on top of this
within a very short time.
I think I’m obviously leaning towards changing the inter-island system to address
the problems you have addressed here. And I think now you fully understand
why I did not join Maui, Kauai, and Oahu with their change, because what did it
resolve? In my opinion, nothing. All we did was incur a cost for within 72 hours
that you’re free from quarantine. You wouldn’t have answered any of that, the
problems you talk about, or the rest of you talked about.
And I will gather the people that I depend on to see how we will word this to
address this. And if you have different ideas outside of what I’ve stated, of
consideration of dropping inter-island restrictions, but really reinforcing of the
enforcement things that we need to do, especially that of creating a system that all
inter-island travelers that go overnight and more, as soon as they come back,
within a day or two get a test done.
One thing I cannot—I should discuss here, remember at one time the whole State
was free from the virus. It was identified as we went along that it was coming
from elsewhere, transpacific. Then the horrible day that it was what they call
local community-based. That’s why now, you know, you’re in a different
ballgame of trouble. And we will address that. So, if you look at—I know I’m
going to be criticized there, because “Harry again, you don’t want to play ball,” or
whatever. But I hope because of this opportunity you understand to go along with
the rest of the counties answered none of your concerns. And all we said was,
you want to travel and be okay for so many days, go take a test. And it resolves
nothing.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Mayor. We look forward to getting a copy of
that revised plan. My second, you know, set of questions is around the COVID
Taskforce. Earlier this year, March, you came before the Council, another
emergency meeting, and you provided us a list of individuals that was part of the
taskforce. So I’m just going to read their names real quick and let me know if
there have been any changes and any additions, because we saw an article in the
paper related to Benioff earlier this week.
So, we got Eric Honda, Dr. Jon Martell, Lance Uchida, Deanna Sako, Diane Ley,
Horace Farr with Office of Aging, Rose Bautista, who’s supposed to be leading
facilities; Bill Brilhante. We’ve got, you know, Captain Bugado, Talmage
Magno, Roxie Waltjen, David Yamamoto, and Sharon Hirota. Am I missing
anyone from the taskforce?
MAYOR KIM: Harry Kim.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Yes, obviously. Leading the charge.
MAYOR KIM: No, I’m only kidding, it’s a bad time for jokes. There are a lot of
taskforces.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay.
MAYOR KIM: There’s different taskforces that was not even mentioned. For
example, one of the major taskforces was Programs of Prevention and Education
and people that serve on that. For me to just go by memory, I’m going to make
mistakes all over the place. So immediately, we’ll send you an updated list of all
the task forces.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, and then, you know, we read in the paper that
Benioff has a seat at the table.
MAYOR KIM: Who?
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Marc Benioff, Salesforce. And that he or maybe in
partnership with you and some others were working on some kind of economic
recovery plan. And I’m curious to know, you know, what sort of plans have been
developed around public safety, and reopening, and continuity of government
operations, right? What’s been developed over the last six months, and you
know, what can we expect to see from this Administration? Especially, around
economic development because that’s why there’s this big push by the Governor
to reopen tourism to infuse some kind of life back into our economy.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
So sorry, very layered question, but you know, what’s Marc Benioff’s
involvement in crafting that, or is there a team in place working on an economic
development recovery strategy for our island?
MAYOR KIM: First of all, everything in economic development or the
beginning of that stems around one thing and one thing only. That is to control
the spread of the disease and to contain it as best as you can. So when they talk
about plans on how to do that, you know, they say economic recovery. But
basically all they’re talking about is controlling the disease.
Specifying Marc Benioff, his plan does not identify economics. Economic
recovery will be a result of his controlling the COVID virus. So I just want to
make clear, he’s not involved in any of the discussion in economic recovery. And
the plan is not the plan of that specific, it is all the things you can do, should do
and consider to control this virus. So that’s grouping to the economic recovery.
But it’s also grouping to school recovery, etcetera, etcetera.
And yes, he’s submitted to me a plan in regards to all the things we can do and
consider. All of it centers on one thing; of face masking, testing, a whole slew of
recommendations. For example, and it may be the best example, of having testing
done at least three times in regards to tourism. But that’s economic recovery.
And so that’s his only involvement on it.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, thank you for that. I mean at some point, will you
be filing any of these plans that you’re getting from various experts with the
Council just as an FYI?
MAYOR KIM: Well, I steal from his plan. No that’s the truth, you know. I’ve
just got some pages written that I stole even some of his graphics, because he’s
got professional people. But some of it I don’t think I’ll ever get because we’re
talking about the testing, three minimum. You know, you can imagine what the
response would have been if I said at this point, I will support nothing except
three minimum testing. And I steal from that the ideas of why the importance of a
second testing is important.
But his went way beyond that, of a program to test all employees that deal with
tourists. His program went beyond that. If you’re going to stay here in Hawai‘i
longer than four days, you should have another test. You know, those are just, not
economic recovery plan but one mission, how to stop this virus.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Sure, which helps us get back to talking about the
economy. Great, thank you, Mayor. My last question is around protecting our
most vulnerable because we are opening ourselves up to more and more visitors
starting tomorrow.
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I’m very concerned about our kūpuna. Our high-risk population. And I say that
because, you know, I had a personal experience. A constituent works at Yukio
Okutsu and she got my number, called me over the weekend. And you know, this
was many weeks ago, but I have to tell you the handling of that situation by
Avalon. And this is not to be offensive, but County and State included, horrific,
horrific. She calls me and she tells me that she’s positive, but here’s the kicker,
right? You told me earlier, you told us earlier, test results go to a doctor, patient,
Department of Health.
Do you want to know who told her she was positive? Her HR (Human
Resources) manager as she was going to work pulled her aside and said, “You’re
positive. I’ll give you $100 a day stipend to go quarantine.” And she’s freaking
out because she’s wondering, “Well, I don’t make enough. I can’t afford this. Is
there a County program that will give me an extra $50 so I can go quarantine?”
And I’m frantic, because I’m like, “Shit, I don’t think so, I don’t know, but there
should be something available to you to go quarantine.”
So I’m connecting with members of your Administration being told to go to Civil
Defense; call Civil Defense, right? First time I call I explain the situation,
wondering if there’s a stipend, wondering where this woman can go and
quarantine. I’m put on hold for five minutes, and then I’m told, “You know what,
let me get you Department of Health information, hang on, let me Google it.”
Like there wasn’t already a sheet there with all the critical phone numbers to
provide community members.
I called Department of Health, right? Just because I wanted to make sure I had
this like phone and paper trail. Get a voicemail obviously, because it’s Saturday.
Call Civil Defense back; again, put on hold. And you know, by the way, I’m not
telling her who, you know, that I’m a Council Member, right? I’m just someone
from the community wanting information, wanting to help someone.
Put on hold for another five minutes. Somebody else picks up, “What you
waiting for?” Having to re-explain myself all over again. I mean, thankfully I
was able to track down Jason Delacruz and get him to explain to me the process
and everything. But what really bothered me was after all of these months, we
still didn’t have a tight system in place to communicate.
This woman was provided information on a Friday evening, calling me frantically
noon the next day wondering when the heck is Department of Health going to call
me. And then, when I bring this up to people in levels of influence, right, and
authority, they kind of laughed me off and said, “Well, that was just like 12 hours
ago.” Seriously? She’s a healthcare worker taking care of her veterans. She has
a family. She was provided no guidance on isolating.
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And I was like, Auntie, where you stay? She goes, “I’m outside in my garage, but
you know, my family went out to get tested.” And who knows if they went to go
stock up on essentials, I don’t know? But there’s so many puka in the system that
I don’t think you’re seeing because you’re at that high level view, but we on the
Council, we’re real boots on the ground and we hear these stories every day,
Mayor.
So I just want to share that with you, because as we reopen up, I just want to make
sure our most vulnerable are taken care of. You talk about a prevention and
education arm of the taskforce, but you also have somebody on your taskforce
right now that I thought was leading communication and support for these types
of facilities. So I don’t know, maybe some balls are dropping there. Not sure, but
maybe you could provide some insight into plans that we have or are in
development for protecting our kupuna and our most at risk?
MAYOR KIM: When this all started in February, it started before that but I’m
talking about the County. I think Mr. Chung remembers that we were the first to
declare an Emergency for the State. One of the things we identified because of
information from the national level and international level at that time, not
anymore, the belief was that this virus would be very vulnerable especially for the
seniors with underlying health conditions. As a matter of fact, at that time, there
was even belief that the very young was not open to the contamination of the
virus.
So in February a taskforce was identified to work with all of the care homes. And
I think I can safely say that, you know, a hundred percent or near hundred percent
of all the care homes, direct contact was made. And the example you gave, the
only place I dispute with you—and not to dispute, that’s not a good word, but
differ—is the County involvement in the situation of Avalon and Life Care or any
program. All you have to do is investigate the history of Avalon, the Veterans
Home, and you will see that if it weren’t for the County Government, I don’t
know when action would have been taken. It was the County Government that
demanded change of Administration. It was the County Government that did all
of the follow-up on that.
In regards to the particular example you gave of a person, the way she was
treated, I find that to be the most unprofessional that anybody could do, because
obviously it is a doctor that’s supposed to notify. And I don’t know who this
person was or is, but if I knew, he or she would be reprimanded. You don’t talk
to people like that, even if you have authority. And if you have their name, I’ll go
talk to them and make sure that she never does it again.
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In regards to all the other holes, there will always be holes that we’re always
trying to patch. Every one of the people in back of me are seven days a week.
Eric, Department of Health, I joke with him all the time, in regards to, “Hey,
speak with more energy.” Not knowing that he’s working every night to get me
the information I need. I think finally since February, this past weekend was the
first weekend he took off.
If you have information in where we have holes, we welcome it, because that’s
our job to try to identify it and make it better. And I’ll say that as sincerely as I
can, that’s our job. If you have information where there are holes that are causing
harm or should not be, let us know.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Mayor. I appreciate that. Chair, I don’t have
any other questions. I just want to thank Mayor Kim and his team. I don’t envy
the position that you’re in. So thank you for working on behalf of our County; of
all of our residents. It’s not an easy job, and I know that we can often be very
critical, right? Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. But thank you for
continuously trying to have an open door for us to come and talk story.
And just know that we’re all here to help. We are all here serving because we
love our island and our community. And so, we all have our own strengths, and
talents, and assets and networks. Leverage us, you know, the theme that we’ve
been saying these last few Council Meetings is it’s a kākou thing. It’s about all of
us working together, right. So just know that we are here to support and to be a
resource. But also, to be that helpful check and balance in the system, right?
MAYOR KIM: I have absolutely no doubt of that, and that’s why I’m here. And
I thank you people for allowing me this opportunity. And it is open. I speak for
all the people behind me. If you have information that can help us, even
identifying where we did not do right, please let us know.
MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Mayor. Thank you, Chair. I yield.
CHR. CHUNG: Hey Kona, how you guys doing over there? Any questions?
MS. EOFF: We’re still—
MS. VILLEGAS: Yes, please?
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, you know, Rebecca, we’ve been going three-and-a-half
hours over here. Val wants to talk, Matt, and I think Tim. But let’s kind of keep
this thing—let’s move real quickly already on this stuff, okay? I think we know;
we got the information we need. We know the invitation is there for us to talk
with the Mayor and his team, you know, regarding suggestions. But go ahead,
Rebecca.
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MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you, Chair Chung. Thank you again, Mayor Kim, for
being here and for the rest of your team for being here and going through the
details and specifics. Thank you for your vigilance in requesting a second test.
And thank you for enduring listening to the suggestions, and recommendations,
and frustrations of those of us here on the Council. And I’m sure you get an
earful from the community all the time.
I have to say that I’m still extremely concerned about a thousand people arriving
at the Kona Airport tomorrow. The airport on the west side of the Big Island is
the only airport that gets direct transpacific flights at this time. I will say, you
know, quite honestly Governor Ige, if you’re out there, I do not feel that this plan
is sound. I have a lot of concerns about potential negligence and people being
seriously harmed.
I have to recognize the irony is that in the fact that most of the issues we are really
struggling with right now are based on the fact that some people still believe that
right now is a good time to travel and go on vacation, which I know it’s been said
a number of different times and a number of different circumstances, that we want
to do our best to make sure that relations between visitors and kama’āina always
remain on a positive tone.
I also have a number, you know, of friends and constituents whose businesses are
suffering just tremendously, and so this potential uptick to their business could be
lifesaving for them. But it just—those ironies of the challenge of, I’ve heard
some people are really challenged to trust visitors who are choosing to travel and
go on vacation during a global pandemic to also then follow with a quarantine
protocol. And they express frustration and feeling like they’re collateral damage
for whatever happens to the kama’āina.
More specifically, there is a resident on the west side who recently tested positive.
It was a big surprise. That person yesterday called the Department of Health and
Talmage and asked for a place that she could go to quarantine so in order to avoid
potential contaminating—potentially giving the disease, the virus to her husband
and was told directly that there is currently no place in Kona, which is extremely
concerning to me, because the kama’āina that have chosen to quarantine outside
of their home for the sake of the rest of their families have to drive to Hilo to stay
there. I’m really concerned with a thousand people flying in, and if our only
resources for people to be quarantined are in Hilo at the Seaside, we don’t have
the facilities available.
The other issue that just becomes very apparent to me, and I hear from a number
of people is a disproportionate spending of the CARES funding and resources
being spent on the east side, you know. The distribution of hubs is a direct
reflection of that disparity with us only having one hub here on east side.
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And I just really would implore and ask Mayor Kim and the rest of the members
of the Administration to please take into consideration that the transpacific
travelers will be landing in Kona, and for us to have no facility for them to
quarantine in, just once again, brings up extreme concerns.
Once again, I recognize you’re in a rock and a hard place because it’s County, but
it’s all going to fall to us, and right now it’s looking like it’s all going to fall on
the west side. So please help. Please recognize that disparity and take action as
quickly as possible to rectify that situation. Thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: Thank you. Okay, Val, go ahead.
MS. POINDEXTER: Yeah, really quick, I think when we met back in March, I
had brought up something. And you know, I keep hearing, you know, what are
we doing to take care of the kupuna and other people who are vulnerable, you
know, with underlying health conditions.
So I just want to remind our Civil Defense too, that, you know, we’re still in
hurricane season. And I’m hoping that what I had mentioned in March, that we
took to heart and we’re planning on making sure that the facilities and evacuation
centers that we’re making sure that we have some kind of control on where
kūpunas go or where those who are infected go. You know, and how do we
separate that? So I’m hoping that plan is in place, because should we get a
hurricane or some kind of disaster happen now across the island; we’re in the
middle of this pandemic and we’re struggling with the inter-island travel and all
of these other things that we talked about today.
But yet, one thing we didn’t talk about the disaster preparedness within this
pandemic. We don’t have to go into it today, I just want to make sure that is on
the table, being talked about, and addressed. Because at any moment, we can
have a disaster, and we need to make sure we’re taking care of that at the table
right now, the talks are—it’s part of the discussion. So, thank you.
CHR. CHUNG: Thanks Val. Matt?
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Mayor, what do we have in place for
frontline workers, which is going to be hotel staff, airport workers, and airline
workers? What kind of, you know, we have visitors coming in. They’ll be using
hotels. What is in place for them? Because a lot of the families in Puna actually
go to Kona to work at the hotels and come back. I know we need to get them
moving again, but I also want to take care of our community. So, are we going to
be doing bulked up testing as we start having more visitors arrive? And what are
we doing to protect those frontline workers?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MAYOR KIM: Our testing program is best in the State bar none. I’ll say that
openly and braggingly in regards to our regular testing schedule every week,
every part of the island. In regards to anyone of these that are drive-through are
all free for them and are well publicized. There isn’t a weekend where someplace
doesn’t have a test; there isn’t a place that, at least two places on the island that
we’re not giving tests and that will continue.
And that’s what I think we do that no other county does. And this is what the
importance of having district testing that is fixed that is important in regards to
having target testing which is identified as a specified area; and spot testing, you
know, for apartments and those things. If that person or people are having
difficulty finding the place for tests, please call Civil Defense. And we have that
update every single day where the testing are.
In regards to and I wanted to address very briefly, that’s what we call a nightmare
of having a need for certain kinds of hurricanes that you cannot crowd people in
because of the togetherness. And I’ll make no pretense that is a major problem.
In regards to the thing about the Kona person. We do not have hotels in Kona
identified because no hotel wanted to take part in this. And we thought we were
close to one, but we failed on that. But we have homes. So if the person insists
on having a hotel, we don’t have that.
MS. VILLEGAS: No, she was told directly that there were no homes, there was
no facility available at all.
MAYOR KIM: Then something is wrong on our side on communication on that
because we do have homes identified. And if she was to call me, I’ll follow-up on
it.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, thank you. Chair, we have Eric
Honda here, I don’t know if you want to bring Eric up?
CHR. CHUNG: For what purpose?
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Just to have him give us any information or
have him say something if he has anything to say. I mean he’s been here very
patiently for almost three hours. And he’s the lead for Department of Health here
on the island.
CHR. CHUNG: Does it have to do with our—I mean you can ask him a question
regarding the transpacific travel, because that’s what’s on our agenda.
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Alright, Eric, do you have anything you
want to add? I mean you’ve been very patient, you’re here. You know, I’m glad
you’re here so we can ask questions of you, but we really hammered on our
Mayor. But, you know, do you have anything you’d like to add or anything we
need to know. I mean if it’s pertinent to travel inter-island or transpacific?
(Note: At this time, Acting State Department of Health Hawai‘i District
Lead Officer Eric Honda came forward to address the members of the
Council.)
MR. HONDA: Well I think what the Mayor said, you know, as far as the testing
protocol, the department does support a second test. Not only one test. And you
know, implementing this new program on such short notice is very difficult. But
a lot of the things that Mayor Kim said, you know, as far as protocols, the
Department of Health’s position, we support.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, anything that we need to know, or the
public needs to know going forward?
MR. HONDA: No, I heard Mayor Kim talk about the need for community
responsibility and practicing all of the preventive measures that we’ve talked
about for many months now. And I think, you know, as far as your outreach to
your constituents, you know, what you can do to help is passing that message
along the importance of following the preventive measures, the face coverings,
the physical distancing, the gathering sizes, things like that. That will go a long
way.
I think Council Member Richards you mentioned about the three-legged stool,
testing, contact tracing, and the preventive measures. And that is very important
because without any one of those components, you can’t use the stool. So all
three components are very, very important. That’s it.
MR. KANEALI‘I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, thank you. I yield. Thank you, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: You know, Eric, there were some things stated during the course
of this discussion regarding the Department of Health. And you know, they were
strongly worded at times, but I will say this, I don’t anyone was directing it at the
local level. It was more at the policy making level, you know, depending on how
people look at it of course. But certainly not meant to disparage your efforts,
right? Because you’ve been there, you know, since day one really working hard.
And the Administration, I know, has really had said good words about, you know,
your involvement in all of this, yeah? Just wanted to make that comment, right?
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Hawai‘i County Council-53 October 14, 2020
MR. HONDA: Thank you for that, but you know, I do realize that the department
as a whole has gone through some rough times and we need to build back up our
credibility. So we’re working towards that.
CHR. CHUNG: Yeah, good, nice statement. But not meant to, you know,
disparage your efforts, though really. Tim, bring us home, please, can you?
MR. RICHARDS: Okay. Thanks Chair. And Mayor, this is reasonably short.
You said, what can your office do to help? My office has received some
complaints, concerns about non-responsiveness. And so, I think, you know, you
made a promise to Ms. Kierkiewicz about having the island plan pau by the end of
the week.
And I think if we collectively as a Council that all of our offices could have a list
of these exemptions. You know, what could potentially be exempted? And then,
so we have one message coming from the County. We can help communicate
that for you, but we need the responsiveness from your office to come forth. And
I think if you have that travel plan for the inter-island travel crafted by the end of
the week I think this is going to solve it. So I think that’s going to solve some of
our problems. So Chair, that’s what I had to say. So with that, I yield. Thank
you, Mayor.
CHR. CHUNG: Thank you. Sue, you said? Okay, alright, thank you. You
know, Mayor, thank you so much for coming. Like, what, three-and-a-half?
What is that? Four-and-a-half hours. I mean, this is like a Supreme Court Justice
confirmation. Oh, three-and-a-half. You know, but, thank you so much for
taking the time.
We got a lot of answers regarding the impending transpacific opening, right? But
it also went farther afield, which I believe was very productive. And, you know,
you opened up lines of communication so that we’re able to give you our
thoughts. And you also said what your timetable is for, you know, redoing the
inter-island thing. So that’s real good. We just really appreciate, you know, all of
the time that you and your team have taken.
If I could just make one suggestion, one recommendation to though, because I got
this from our legislative delegation. They’ve got to go to Honolulu. See unlike,
you know, us we’re on the island all the time, they have to go to Oahu. And
General Hara revoked their exemption. So you know, if we could keep that in
mind, yeah? It’s only a few people, and you know, if we could allow them to go
to Oahu, because that’s where they have to go to work, and they got to come
back, right, to serve the people. So that becomes problematic for them. And
maybe they might treat us nicely if we do that.
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MAYOR KIM: Maybe we'll get the Council's support to just eliminate this inter-
island and tell them why: what we're going to do. Because the more I talk about
it. sir, the more I believe that's the only answer.
CHR. CHUNG: Okay, well, let's work together on this thing, yeah? Okay, thank
you so much. I really appreciate the time.
MAYOR KIM: Oh, thank you, sir.
CHR. CHUNG: I think it was very productive.
ANNOUNCE- The Chair directed the Council to proceed to the next order of business,
MENTS: Announcements.
(There were none.)
ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 4:39 p.m., Ms. Lee Loy moved to adjourn the
MENT: meeting. Seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz and carried by the following voice vote:
Ayes: Council Members David, Eoff,
Kaneali'i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz,
Lee Loy, Poindexter, Richards, Villegas,
and Chair Chung— 9.
Noes: None.
Absent: None.
Excused: None.
CHR. CHUNG: Motion carried.
Council Approval: JAN 2 0 2021
: 11.1116.
CO CLERK)
JH/dt/ja
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