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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN GOREDC 2021/02/02 2020-2022 Committee on Governmental Operations, Relations, and Economic Development 2nd Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawai i February 2, 2021 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Governmental Operations, Relations, ORDER: and Economic Development was called to order at 9:30 a.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Chair Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Vice Chair Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Member Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Member Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Member STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: The following individuals registered to speak and came forward when called by the Chair: Jacqui Hoover: Res. 35-21 (Comm. 89), in support. Robert Golden: Res. 35-21 (Comm. 89), in support. John Leong: Res. 35-21 (Comm. 89), in support. Danicole Ramos: Res. 35-21 (Comm. 89), in support. Olivia Gradzka: Res. 35-21 (Comm. 89), in support. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you so much. That will conclude public testimony, I'll close public testimony. We are going to take agenda items slightly out of order and skip Comm. 34.1 at this time. So we'll move to Comm. 93. Mr. Clerk, would you please read it into the record? GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 Change Order As directed by the Chair and with no objection from the Council Members, the of Business: following items were taken out of order: COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. Comm. 93: NOMINATION OF CHARLES KUNZ TO THE MERIT APPEALS BOARD From Mayor Mitchell D. Roth, dated January 7, 2021, requesting the Council's review and confirmation. Requires Council Confirmation by: February 21, 2021 (Section 13-4(k), Hawaii County Charter) Vote on Comm. 93: Ms. Lee Loy moved to recommend confirmation of the (Approved) appointment of Mr. Charles Kunz to the Merit Appeals Board. Seconded by Mr. Richards and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Inaba, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Richards, Villegas, and Chair Kimball—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. Executive Assistant to the Mayor Pomaika`i Bartolome came forward and provided a brief narrative of the nominee's background and experience. Committee Members spoke in favor of the appointment. Chair Kimball informed Mr. Kunz that he does not need to appear before the full Council for final confirmation. CHR. KIMBALL: Mr. Clerk, Comm. 94, please? Comm. 94: NOMINATION OF AMY SELF TO THE BOARD OF ETHICS From Acting Mayor Lee E. Lord, dated January 8, 2021, requesting the Council's review and confirmation. Requires Council Confirmation by: February 25, 2021 (Section 13-4(k), Hawaii County Charter) CHR. KIMBALL: Before we begin deliberations on this, I just want to note that Ms. Self cannot be here today due to a hard-to-get appointment. And the recommendation of the Council Chair is that we move this forward and she will Page 2 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 Vote on Comm. 94: Ms. Lee Loy moved to recommend confirmation of the (Approved) appointment of Amy Self to the Board of Ethics. Seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz and carried the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Inaba, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Richards, and Chair Kimball—8. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Member Villegas — 1. Excused: None. Executive Assistant to the Mayor Pomaika`i Bartolome came forward and provided a brief narrative of the nominee's background and experience. Committee Members spoke in favor of the appointment. Chair Kimball informed the Committee that Ms. Self will be appearing before the full Council for final confirmation. CHR. KIMBALL: Moving on to Comm. 95. Comm. 95: NOMINATION OF KELLY VALENZUELA TO THE BOARD OF ETHICS From Acting Mayor Lee E. Lord, dated January 13, 2021, requesting the Council's review and confirmation. Requires Council Confirmation by: February 26, 2021 (Section 13-4(k), Hawaii County Charter) Vote on Comm. 95: Ms. Lee Loy moved to recommend confirmation of the (Approved) appointment of Ms. Kelly Valenzuela to the Board of Ethics. Seconded by Mr. Inaba and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Inaba, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Richards, Villegas, and Chair Kimball—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. Executive Assistant to the Mayor Pomaika`i Bartolome came forward and provided a brief narrative of the nominee's background and experience. Committee Members spoke in favor of the appointment. Chair Kimball informed Ms. Valenzuela that she does not need to appear before the full Council for final confirmation. Page 3 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you for your time. Recess: At 10:05 a.m., the Chair called for a recess. Reconvene: The meeting reconvened at 10:11 a.m. CHR. KIMBALL: Moving on now to Res. 35-21. Mr. Clerk? ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, Order RESOLUTIONS: of Resolutions. Res. 35-21: URGES THE COUNTY OF HAWAII TO ESTABLISH A JOBS CORPS PROGRAM FOR HAWAII ISLAND TO HELP ADDRESS UNEMPLOYMENT IMPACTS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND TO SUPPORT ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION Requests the Department of Research and Development and Office of Housing and Community Development to collaborate with the Hawaii County Workforce Development Board to provide a structured program focused on talent development and career training, with an emphasis on green sector jobs. Reference: Comm. 89 Intr. by: Ms. Kierkiewicz CHR. KIMBALL: Ms. Kierkiewicz. Motion to Approve: Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to recommend adoption of Res. 35-21. Seconded by Ms. Lee Loy. CHR. KIMBALL: Ms. Kierkiewicz. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you Chair. Just wanted to set some context for today's discussion. You know, our State continues to face some of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and our people are really struggling. And I think that this prolong shock to our economic base really reinforces the idea that we have to diversify. COVID-19 has really exerted that pressure onus to make that shift; to rethink our economy and to invest in our people. And so this resolution is really grounded in doing a couple of things, establishing these new economic pillars for our County and building up our local talent. And I'm not a fan of reinventing the wheel. I recognize that when the State invested in the Kupu `Rina Corps Program and Aloha Connects Innovation, we had a real chance to shift to a more regenerative, sustainable, innovative type of economy. And these two programs have clear track records of supporting sectors, but also helping people to retool and upscale and really be resilient. Page 4 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 And what I really appreciated about Kupu `Rina Corps and Aloha Connects Innovation is that not only are they helping to revitalize and restore our economy, they're helping people to revitalize and restore their lives. There has just been so much mental duress on our community because of the pandemic, and these have been really bright spots in our community. And so we put this forward with the goal of fostering collaborative and collection action within our County, specifically between Research and Development, Finance Department; Office of Housing and Community Development, which also has the Workforce Community Development Board. And a number of actors such as HIEDB (Hawai`i Island Economic Development Board) and the Chambers. There is huge opportunity for stakeholders to come together and design and plan for this type of program that really invests in our people that puts `aina at the center and really shifts us towards a more value-based economy. And I also want to make sure that we are getting ourselves ready to receive Federal stimulus money that we know is coming. This concept of building our people up is certainly in alignment with what's happening in terms of national conversations, and we've got to get ready for that. I want to make sure that if we are going to be establishing this program that's certainly going to help thousands, when Federal money comes in we are able to scale up and literally serve thousands of people. And I think we're going to be able to do that. I want to thank Tam Hunt and Noel Morin from Think BIG (Big Island Green) for reaching out and talking story with me about this concept. It's been months and months of collaborating on this resolution; connecting with various community partners; coordinating with the Administration. I also have tremendous gratitude for Representative Sean Quinlan. He chairs House Economic Development Committee, as well as our very own State Senator, Dru Kanuha. These individuals are supporting this resolution and have actually introduced bills in their respective houses. HB 1176 (House Bill) on the House side, SB 1288 (Senate Bill) on the Senate side, not only supporting the program but looking to find ways to appropriate allocations and support a pilot project here on Hawaii Island. And I do want to note how many folks in our community stepped up to support this measure; really grateful for Dr. Ku Kahakalau with EA Ecoversity; Krishna Zane; Dave Deluz, who chairs the workforce economic Development Board; Mana Purdy with Lili`uokalani Trust. I mean they see the potential that this sort of program can have and lean into public/private partnership. Page 5 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 So just looking to have a conversation with my colleagues about how we can move this initiative forward and did want to invite members of the Administration to come forward,talk story, answer any questions if Council Members might have about how we might kind of design and roll this program out. Thank you, Chair, for the latitude, I yield. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Council Member Kierkiewicz. Can I invite the Administration to come up to the table just to be prepared? I don't know, did you have statements to make with regards to this resolution, either of you? Okay, I'll recognize Director of R and D (Research and Development), Douglass Adams. (Note: At this time Research and Development Director Doug Adams and Property Manager Hamana Ventura came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. ADAMS: Madam Chair and members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to speak to this resolution. I concur that this is an opportune time. We never want to lose an opportunity to use a good crisis, and so this is an opportunity actually to do good work for our community. The resolution itself I think is designed to help us move forward in a way that most of us want to anyway, which is we know that there is work to be done when it comes to reimagining our economy, and this is a part of that process. And so, I'm encouraged to see the partnership between the Council and the Administration along with the private sector,the nonprofit sector; also, I would say our educational sector needs to be a big piece of this because it's not just jobs, it's also training that has to be a part of this. So at the end of the day funds are going to be important if we're going to be able to make something like this happen. So thank you, and I await any questions. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you Mr. Adams. MR. VENTURA: Good morning Madam Chair and Members of the Council. Hamana Ventura, Property Manager. So Finance Department, we're the administrators for the Open Space Fund, so we're here more in the support and answer-type role this morning, mahalo. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you Mr. Ventura. Any comments or questions from folks here in Hilo? No? Anybody in Kona? MS. DAVID: Thank you, Chair. CHR. KIMBALL: Ms. David? Page 6 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 MS. DAVID: Yes, mahalo. Mahalo for being here Director Adams and Mr. Ventura. I had this one question, how do you see the mechanics of the Public Access and Open Space lands tying into this Job Corps? This is a really important concept and program that I think is desperately needed because of the times that we're in, but I was just curious on how the Open Space lands would be utilized and in what process? MR. VENTURA: Thank you, Ms. David. Although I don't know the total mechanics of it. As far as the need goes, what I noticed during the pandemic was that, especially during the stay-at-home orders, our nonprofits did not have an opportunity to get out to these areas that they were stewarding. In the past, for example, Kawa would have worked this. They'd be bringing us students and so forth to help maintain these parcels. All of those ventures were not available at that time. So we have approximately 6,000 acres now that fall under the program. Four thousand acres of which are in fee simple ownership and another 2,000 are conservation easements. So we've always had the problem of not being able to manage what we own. We need the help, whether it's restoration, preservation, maintaining of waterways; whatever the land dictates, we could use the help. Total green jobs, expertise. The nonprofits that we utilize at this time are doing a great job, but at times it can be overwhelmed. And so if we have the opportunity to provide support to them and help them, this is what we sit as a fit. You know, unfortunately most of our parcels are not easily accessible. You can't just drive down there, get out of your car and get to it. It's accessibility issues and so I think the main component that we need are boots on the ground. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you. MS. DAVID: Thank you very much. And that makes perfect sense, and I believe that besides the Finance Department and the collaboration between departments will probably resolve some of those issues because access to these lands are definitely one of the critical obstacles in getting our community organizations and nonprofits to step up for maintenance and management. So I appreciate you're working together and trying to figure out how this will all work in the long run so that this program is successful. Thank you, I yield. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Ms. David. Any other comments from Kona? MS. VILLEGAS: Yes, please? CHR. KIMBALL: Ms. Villegas. Page 7 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 MS. VILLEGAS: Yes, thank you. First off, I just want to thank Council Member Kierkiewicz for bringing this forward,this resolution. What a time, what an opportunity to transition such crisis scarcely of work, employment, imbalance with bringing back programs that have worked in that past historically throughout the mainland. And I'm really excited. A friend of mine, a young person, was just hired through the Kupu program here to serve on the Big Island, and I really think that this is a phenomenal opportunity. Hamana, you have done an incredible job thinking outside of the box for maintaining the properties managed through the PONC (Public Access, Open Space and Natural Resources Commission)program. Thank you for that. I drove down Alii Drive yesterday and saw the goat dozers. We've got goats cleaning out the property at Pu`apua`a. So they don't do any damage to the cultural resources there, but they're able to take down all of the undergrowth in order to be able to see that property a little better. And I just think that this is a phenomenal opportunity, and if we can provide legitimate employment with management opportunities and learning capacities, that this is just a win-win for everyone here on the island. I know I'd like to see members of my own family be able to get involved. And like you said, "Boots on the ground." There was an incredible panel yesterday through Vibrant Hawaii about `Rina Aloha. And the number of prominent educators and phenomenal cultural practitioners that were involved and speaking on that concept of`Rina Aloha. And I see a program like this being the fruition of that concept and allowing people the opportunity while being paid, while participating in an organized project with a specific goal. But to get their hands in the soil, to keep their feet rooted and grounded in the `aina, that they have an opportunity to serve and propagate and perpetuate the healthy restoration of many of our lands and ecosystems here. So I just see the alignment and opportunity and I just want to thank all of you for putting this together, and I really look forward to, as we continue to navigate 2021, many of these visions come into fruition. So mahalo for the insight and taking the initiative to bring this forward, Council Woman Kierkiewicz. Mahalo. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Council Member Villegas. Any last comments in here? Alright, I also want to take this opportunity to thank Council Member Kierkiewicz for introducing this piece of legislation. As Director Adams mentioned, these times of crisis which we have been in for the past year are often also the great opportunities for paradigm shifts and approaching things differently. And I think there has been a general recognition; first, that we need to reconsider the metrics we use to say something is successful in how we determine what we value. Page 8 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 And there's also an effort to look for situations that provide us that triple bottom line; environmental benefits, social benefits, as well as economic benefits. And to that end, I would like to point out that the Kupu initiative that was discussed actually has a positive ROI (return on investments). I want to say it's about three times. So they are economic advantages to this. And I think that, as Council Member Kierkiewicz said, our ability to be in a position to accept and go after federal funds is critical at this juncture, because I also agree that it is a proposal that is in alignment with a lot of what we're seeing from both state and federal initiatives. And being in a prime position, I think thinking ahead, being ready is critical for our recovery as a County. So I'm happy to support this resolution. At this time we'll go ahead and take the vote, all those in favor? Vote on Res. 35-21: The motion to recommend adoption of Res. 35-21 was (Approved) carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Inaba, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Richards, Villegas, and Chair Kimball–9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you Mr. Clerk. Thank you both for being here. And now we have—is Ms. Logan available for us on Zoom? Alright thank you. Okay, we'll go back to the beginning of the agenda to Comm. 34.1. Mr. Clerk? Return to Order The Chair directed the Committee to return to the order of business. of Business: COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. Comm. 34.1: REQUESTS AN UPDATE FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION'S UPCOMING PLANS AND PENDING PROJECTS From Council Member Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, dated January 12, 2021. CHR. KIMBALL: Can I have a motion to close file on Comm. 34.1? Motion to Approve: Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder moved to close file on Comm. 34.1. Seconded by Mr. Inaba. Page 9 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 CHR. KIMBALL: Ms. Logan? (Note: At this time, Executive Assistant to the Mayor Kate Logan came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MS. LOGAN: Yes, good morning. Aloha, and thank you everyone. Thank you, Council Chair and members of the County Council for allowing me to provide an update on Comm. 34.1 from the Office of the Mayor. This update is regarding the March 4h and 51h, 2021 County of Hawaii Sustainability Summit. The theme of the Summit is setting the course for a sustainable Hawaii County. The Summit webpage and registration form went live last night. The page is under Our County tab. We have a month to promote the event to ensure everyone in the community is aware of the Summit and has ample time to register. The webpage will continue to build content as we add keynote speakers and information about each breakout session. The Director of Research and Development, Doug Adams has started holding listening sessions to garner input from community members around the island that will help craft questions and dialogue for the Summit's 14 breakout sessions. R and D also created a County of Hawaii Sustainability Survey that each of you should have received last week via email. The two-day event will include inspiring keynote speeches from Nainoa Thompson, John DeFries, Bonnie Irwin, Greg Asner, Celeste Connors, Scott Seu, and Henk Rogers. The 14 engaging breakout sessions will include climate action and resilience, waste management, sustainable tourism, technology, preserving the environment, health care, workforce and education, affordable housing, economy, energy, transportation, food security, sustainable agriculture, and finally, the Aloha+ Challenge. The breakout sessions are being designed to address sustainable topics that impact our island and its residents by assembling panelists and subject matter experts with diverse ideas and knowledge. We seek to move the needle, cultivate imagination and develop actionable strategies that will set the course for a more sustainable County of Hawaii. The Council's ideas, suggestions and participation in the Summit is encouraged, as each district of our island has unique sustainability challenges. On behalf of Mayor Roth and myself, mahalo for allowing us to provide this update today. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Ms. Logan. Any questions or comments from Hilo? Ms. Lee Loy. Page 10 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 MS. LEE LOY: Thank you. Thank you for being here. I just wanted to say, I really liked the progression of this conference coming forward, and I really did appreciate the survey. One of the questions is, "How do you define sustainability?" And that was the most challenging part of the question for me, because we can look at the dictionary, but we also want to know how it applies to the work that we want to do through this conference. So thank you so much for putting that survey out there, because it really was a great level set for me. Alright Chair, I yield. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Ms. Lee Loy. Was that anyone in Kona? Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you Chair. Kate I just appreciate you giving us your continued breakdown of what's happening for the Sustainability Summit and look forward to seeing what happens from there. Thank you for being here today. MS. LOGAN: Mahalo, Matt. Thank you. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you, Chair. CHR. KIMBALL: Alright. Any other questions for Ms. Logan? Alright, I believe we have another presenter from the Mayor's Office. Please come on down to the table. If you could go ahead and introduce yourself for the record? (Note: At this time, Executive Assistant to the Mayor Steve Bader came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. BADER: Good morning, council members. Nice to see everybody. I'm not a Zoom kind of guy. Actually, I'm kind of fed up with Zoom already, so instead of joining Kate upstairs, I thought I'd come and see everybody in person. A number of you who I know, so thank you for giving me this opportunity. I think you guys got a copy of this one-page breakdown, and what I'd thought we'd do today, because the COVID stuff is really overwhelming. CHR. KIMBALL: Excuse me, could I just ask you for the record to introduce yourself and give us your name for the record? Mahalo nui. MR. BADER: Yeah, my name is Steve Bader, I'm Executive Assistant in the Mayor's Office, and amongst my assignments as an Executive Assistant is a liaison on COVID related matters for the Mayor's Office. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you Mr. Bader, please proceed. Page 11 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 MR. BADER: Thank you. I thought, there's just such an overwhelming amount of information and issues related to COVID. I thought as a starting point, since there wasn't a lot of time, that we'd just take a snapshot of two of the main issues that people are always concerned about which is our testing and our vaccinations. And looking at yesterday's snapshot, and then we can kind of walk through some information and then kind of open up for some questions with the knowledge that we'll probably have to do a hana hou. We're going to have to do a Part II, because there's just so much to go through. So I'll just kind of walk through this with you and then there is some commentary that's written on the form, and then I've got some things to add to that. As of yesterday, the State had done nearly a million tests from the start of this testing programs. Twenty-five thousand; almost 26,000 positives, and at this time, 410 fatalities. In the County of Hawaii, we've done 135,000 almost 136,000 tests; 2,169 positive. Fatalities at 53 on one count and 51 in another count. I know that there's been a lot of confusion. And to be honest with you, before coming into this role, and I had no idea that Mayor Roth was going to appoint me to this. I used to kind of pay attention and be very frustrated with the different numbers that were coming out. And I have an understanding now of how that happens, and its data management issues between different agencies and also the timing of reporting. But what we had yesterday, what I saw in our count is 53 fatalities. What I didn't put down is what those positivity rates ended up being collectively at the State level, it's 2.69. I didn't have the time to put it on there. And at the County of Hawaii level its 1.6 approximately. Yesterday new cases was 90; 70 average. Statewide was 90.7. Positivity rate was 1.6. And again positivity rate against the amount tested. And County of Hawai`i, we've been doing very well lately, you know, for the last 14 days. And it appears that we kind of got through the period that we were concerned about which is coming right out of the holidays. So we had seven yesterday; our positivity rate was less than one percent. So that's really the trend we want to be on. I'll tell you how volatile these numbers can be, statewide numbers were 90 yesterday. I just checked right before I came downstairs, it was 134 today. A big swing, you know, which of course changes all the averages. Our testing program has been pretty robust. It is the most extensive testing program in the State and it's seen as a model around the Country. And of course, this Administration inherited the prior Administration's program and procedures. And it's don't well for us. There's basically four pieces to that: Airport testing, Page 12 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 district testing, mobile outreach, and targeting spot testing. And I'll just kind of walk through this really quickly. We got to 100 percent transpacific testing on December 27h. What we had committed to in our rules for the County was that we would test between 25 and 100 percent. You know, this was an issue of resources and whether we could manage to do that kind of testing. But we're actually able to get to the number, the 100 percent of transpac testing, December 27h. Currently, we're averaging between about 1,000 to 1,400 travelers and tests a day. Again, this kind of goes up and down. A couple days ago, we were at 800 or 900. Yesterday we were at 1,200. We're back down this morning, looks like the projected arrivals for today is 896. So you know, it does go up and down but it's been trending down on arrivals a little bit. District testing, says weekly, actually it should have been bi-weekly. But district testing we have testing that's been going on for months now at Afook Chinen, West Hawaii Civic Center, and Kea`au High School. And then we have mobile outreach testing (Waimea, Kapa`au, Pahoa, Kalapana, Maku`u, N5'51ehu). We also tested in Waikoloa, Volcano, Honoka`a, and Mala. There's a rotating schedule of testing that's going on. Targeted spot testing, if there is a specific community that we're concerned about or clusters developing, they'll do spot testing. We've done it at HOVE(Hawaiian Ocean View Estates) Captain Cook; out in Pepe`eke6. Right now the DOH (Department of Health) we are monitoring a cluster in Kona at one of the coffee farms. And it was up to 17 yesterday. I just checked this morning before I came down here, and we added one more, so the cluster is 18. There is over 100 workers on that farm. So when people think of coffee farms, they're thinking about small farms where there'll be ten or less pickers. Or some of the big ones, you might have, you know, 50 or 60 people. But we do have farms that are at that level, over 100. This is being classified as travel related, because we had a worker that went to California for a visit and came back. And then in that work situation, the virus had spread. But we do have people that are working there that are from the Ocean View area. We have people that were right in town. We have migrant workers, people that come to Hawaii and then work different seasons in Hawaii then go back to the mainland. So we do have that mix too. And that's what that cluster is. We're keeping an eye on it. There's been testing every two or three days where they've been going in to test. And actually for the number of people that are there, I think that it looks likeI Page 13 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 was talking to the Department of Health yesterday. They feel like the situation is somewhat under control because they got to it soon and they were able to test and isolate people. Going back to the airport testing. I think one of the things that's important is that, you know, we were able to identify more than 100 COVID positive travelers through our testing program. So these are people primarily they would have come here with a negative test; and then we catch them with a Rapid Test, and then have them quarantine, test again, and we could verify that. So that in itself we think is a big win for us as a County because if you think about 100 people coming in who were COVID positive, who would have had contact with people in our community; in stores or at the hotels. And this thing could just become community spread pretty quickly. So I think that's—even though it was a concern of whether that's a lot to ask, to go into 100 percent testing. And no other county wants to do that. I think it's served us well and our numbers show it. Also, the program is comprehensive. And with the mobile testing, you know, we're pretty responsive. The other thing I was impressed with stepping into the role, and you know, working these COVID issues, is that all of the communications and messaging efforts are well coordinated. And they've been making sure that we get messages out in different media formats; different age groups. We have a lot of community support and community organizations that have participated, so that's a real plus for us. Testing efficiency has improved. And it's improved even in the two months I've been here where it used to be the Rapid Test. If it was a positive, as far as PCR (polymerase chain reaction), a confirmed positive, there used to be quite a big spread there, you know. And they've kind of worked it and continue to work it to make sure the way that they handle the samples, they're very careful about it. And we noticed that now, there will be less false positives. And when there are positives, more of them will end up being PCR positive. And that just happened over the last 60 days. The other thing is I had the opportunity to go the Kona Airport in particular because that's where the high traffic area is and watch how they manage the arrivals and the lines. Because you know, at different times, earlier when they first started doing this testing roll out,there were long lines, people were complaining. There were folks that they had to let go; kind of walk off because it was too congested, but they've done a lot to manage the flow. Their processing has gotten better, and Premier Medical Group that does our airport testing, I think they just continue to fine tune that process. We're on daily calls with them every morning. First thing in the morning we're on daily calls Page 14 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 with Premier so we can kind of go through all the issues there. And then this week they're rolling out an app that's going to make it even more efficient as people come off. And if they download the app and go through the processing. So I was there to observe, so the rise in numbers as we went from less than 1,000 a day, right before Christmas. And once we got into the Christmas season, I think we were up to 2,700. We went from 800 a day to 2,700. And I went when it was low and I went when it was at its peak. And I didn't see it taking longer than 45 minutes to an hour at the most when we had three flights landing about the same time. So I think they've done very well that way. Challenges on testing would be to continue the outreach to those communities that are isolated; rural communities, those ethnic communities; contact tracing is a constant challenge; and we want to make sure that we continue to provide the kind of wraparound services, which a lot of it is, you know, attached to funding. The other challenges is making sure that we get the best information we can consistently, and I think when this all started,there was a real rush to get out the latest numbers. You know, if there's a number reported in the morning from one source, we'll try to get it out. But what has happened is that, you know, we have to kind of stick with an official number because it does take time to adjust these numbers. And it might be several times during the day where you'll get different numbers. And so, I can see that it has gotten better. It's still frustrating for me too sometimes to go to a meeting, get one number and by the time I get back from Civil Defense and go into the office, then I'll see another number posted somewhere else. So that's still a frustration, but that's a challenge and I think they're getting better on the data collection. The other area on vaccinations, which is CHR. KIMBALL: Mr. Bader, I just want to interrupt you real quickly. Can we keep the summary of the vaccinations to about five minutes or less so that we can stay on schedule and give our committee members an opportunity to ask some questions. Thank you. MR. BADER: Sure. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you. MR. BADER: Okay, on vaccinations, the State has done 151,000 vaccinations. Those are combined first and second doses. On Hawaii Island we've done 10,500, approximately, also first and second. The allocation statewide was 203,600 doses, so we've not gotten near our allocation. So when you hear that things might be stockpiled somewhere or we're not getting it out. I mean Page 15 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 whatever comes into us statewide they're pushing it out including here on this island. We're still in the I category doing second doses. We started 1B vaccinations, which is frontline essential workers; kupuna. The success so far has been we have a wide distribution system; community partners, pharmacies like KTA working with our kupuna. The drive-up, drive-through vaccinations have worked out. We've been able to set up vaccination pods in relatively short order. That would be between Civil Defense assisting and DOH coordinating. An example would be Kea`au High School here the DOE (Department of Education) over 600 vaccinations and setting up a vaccination pod within 24 hours. So we've been pretty flexible, and you know, we can set them up quickly. And then we've got the established centers at the hospitals Hilo, Kona, and North Hawaii. Challenges would be the supply chain, inconsistent supply. That's supposed to be improving on the national level. Follow-up with signups, I take a lot of phone calls with people frustrated that they sign up on line and they cannot get a response. Working with DOH to see what we can do to help in that. Making sure we can get more in-house vaccinations for our kupuna. And then we are dealing with the issue of people who are resistant to taking vaccinations. It's their choice. But that could be an outreach, educational issue, and you know, we don't expect that we're going to get to change some people's minds on that. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you so much. Any questions from here in Hilo? Mr. Chung. MR. CHUNG: Yeah, hey Steve, welcome. You worked for the County before, right? MR. BADER: No, I was working for the State, for the Governor for a while. MR. CHUNG: Okay, well welcome to the County. I know you have a long history in working with community and government. You know, I really appreciate all of the information that you provided. You know, it kind of provides—well, you know, you talked about being on the outside and listening to how the information was disseminated to the public. And so you put yourself in the place now of people who are out there and trying to get information. I really, really appreciate, you know, you talked about the programs you guys have in place. The efficacy of what the challenges are, you know, but what I really, really liked is that you talked about the clusters. Because a lot of times, Page 16 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 you know,just listening to the members of the public, they're so frustrated when they hear there's a cluster on the Island, but they don't know where it is. And what you did was you explained about it, you know, you didn't violate anyone's privacy rights or anything like that, but at least you gave us what the scope, the breadth of that cluster was. The possible impacts. At least people know now, you know, on what's going on. I really appreciate that, and you also talked about why there's some discrepancies in the numbers sometimes, because that's been again a source of consternation or frustration on the part of the public. So thank you so much, Steve, and welcome to the County. MR. BADER: Thank you. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Council Member Chung. Council Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you Chair. Yeah, this communication I started during the last Administration just to be able to help everyone understand what was going on with the Administration. It came into great use during COVID when it started. And when we started to see those discrepancies like you talked about where we had different numbers being reported at different times. So thank you for touching on that and for being here today. You answered a lot of my questions. I think the public, I had people reaching out to me regarding vaccines last week and where we're at, and what our numbers are, and why we have an "X" amount. And I had a really good response from DOH, and you kind of summarized what I received, that we have about 10,500 people who have been vaccinated. It's about six percent of our population. But we're getting towards getting everyone vaccinated and moving forward. So thank you for touching on that. What app is going to be used going forward? MR. BADER: The Premier Medical Group is rolling out a Perseus app. I guess that's the platform which will make processing to get through the airport testing a lot more efficient. So they download the app, their information is in there. Like Safe Travels, you get a QR (Quick Response) Code, and what is does is, when you come off the plane there are various stages or stops you have to make to, you know, finally get through to get your testing and get out of there. And this will, instead of having a bottleneck when people come off and they're being processed and documents being examined, everything will be up front so it'll make it a lot smoother. And they're rolling it out this week. Actually, I think it might be tomorrow. That's when it's coming out. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Is that available to everyone? Page 17 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 MR. BADER: I think, yeah, it'll be available to everyone. And I haven't seen any marketing on it yet, but I did get a notice that it's coming out and I'm pretty sure some marketing will be out there. There's a number of apps that are available. There's a contact tracing app that recently came out and you know, there are offers of more of what I consider almost data management types of apps that are out there. And I think all this just makes the situation a lot smoother for our visitors. And you know, moving forward there's—we've got an opportunity to kind of relook at the Emergency Proclamation and our own County Rules in a few weeks, because the Governor's current proclamation ends, and they're looking at what the next few months might look like and giving opportunities for counties to come up—if they're going to propose different rule changes. So I think, you know, in the future we can have, like I said a hana hou. We can come back here and we can kind of talk through what those changes might look. I mean I'm sure all of you, like we do, on a daily basis are being asked about the economic recovery and when our restrictions are going to be lifted or are we going to be transitioning somehow. And the answer is, you know, we're not sure. You know, we're not sure exactly how it's going to look until we kind of get through the current phase that we're in. You need to know, too, that there is some concern about Super Bowl Sunday as potential spreading event. And anytime there's a three-day weekend coming up, you know, people are concerned about it. So, we're not out of the woods, but I think the combination of testing and more vaccinations is going to put us on pretty good footing. And I know the Lieutenant Governor believes that things will get pretty normal by summer and that's what we're hoping. And we'll certainly at the County level kind of move in that direction. I know the Mayor wants to. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Mr. Bader. Any more questions. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Yes. Okay, so that app actually was something I brought forward last year, November, after getting an email from the Perseus ID group. And I mean they sent it to every legislator, and we pushed for it because it was ready to roll out then. And I think about two or three weeks ago I saw a press release saying, "We've chosen an app." And in my head I laughed a little because it's been ready for months. That app can help people get real-time data. It shares where you've been; it can help everyone understand what's happening. It does not invade on your privacy because the user is in charge of everything that's released. And that group was amazing. It's a local group of doctors and software technicians, and they've put Page 18 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 this together. And I'm really glad to hear that we are going to push for it. If you need information on that, I have all the contacts for that agency. MR. BADER: Yeah, you know,there is so much information and resources that are becoming available nationally. We're lucky here, too, because we have access to national and international experts on viruses that have made contact with the County, and the Mayor was having some weekly contacts with, it gives us perspective of what's going on. I think one thing good about having some new folks coming in, you know, new Administration is that folks like myself was observing from the outside, like everybody else and being concerned about my own mother getting the COVID. And how come I can't make heads or tails out of reports or statistics when I think I have a good background in it. You know, like you kind of bring that kind of approach to look at what's going on now. And I can tell you that everybody's working hard. And you know, we're working through an unprecedented situation with COVID. And you know, I've been impressed with how our Civil Defense, how hard they work. And you know, how locally our community has come together, you know, to fight this battle. I mean we're in a fight and we're doing pretty good right now. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: I really feel that the app is going to give us a tremendous leg up on keeping track on everyone coming in. Because, I mean you said you had just touch back a little bit. You actually said you guys achieved 100 percent testing for everyone coming in transpacific. MR. BADER: We're 100 percent testing all transpac. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: But what caught me was that you have a cluster in Kona that was an outbreak from travel related. MR. BADER: Yeah, and I think what happens is that when you there are people, and you know, as I was trying to look at the data when I stepped in to the role. You can see where there is occasionally people that test negative in their 72 hours with the Rapid, and a few days later start feeling the effects. And so that's why other counties have been looking at the idea of doing testing within a 72-hour period after they land. And forcing or requiring quarantine for that period of time and then do the test, because it does happen. And I think this is one of those cases. I think that somebody came back, started working and then started feeling sick. But the reason they were able to get to the job is they went Page 19 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 through those two screenings and they still ended up testing positive. You know, later or getting sick. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: That's the reality of this virus, because you can test within three days, you can be okay; you could have caught it the day you got to the airport. Test negative when you arrive because you have that time to build up enough for it to set off the results. And then go about your vacation because you tested negative. And that's what we've been scared about from the beginning. So I think everything you just said speaks volume to why that app is going to be so important going forward. Because we want to open, but we want to keep our community safe. And we need information to be spread quickly and not that's what it's designed to do. MR. BADER: Yeah, it too, is necessary to help us, you know, we'll take it. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Okay, and it may be very good for the Mayor's Office to work with Perseus ID, that group, to get some output as far as how to download; how to use. I'm reaching out to them right now, but just for you guys to get that out to the public so that everyone can use it. Because remember it's for everybody, anybody and everybody. And that's usable within the State, and it can be used out of State, too, if it's allowed by the other municipalities. So awesome, thank you Steve, appreciate your time. I yield Chair. MR. BADER: Thank you. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you. Council Member Inaba? MR. INABA: Aloha Steve. In your presentation, you shared that we're at 100 percent transpac testing. Do we know how long we anticipate to continue 100 percent testing for those arriving passengers? MR. BADER: Right now, and this is more kind of a resource-driven decision, but we're doing it through the end of the month, but we're starting to look at how much further we can go. We kind of wanted to look at how we got through the holiday season, and what arrival numbers we're looking at. You know,just a couple of different metrics and then before we kind of decide. We are committed to keeping the numbers low and the formula has been working. So the good news is that there was in the last relief package, there was money available for testing and other kinds of public assistance through our federal agencies. And these resources have been flowing to the State so we have access to some of that. Page 20 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 And we look forward to the package that President Biden is putting together because there is again, testing, vaccination money there, and if we can continue to keep this in place until we feel that we kind of turned a corner, which we haven't yet, then we'll do it. So for right now definitely through the end of the month, we're looking at figuring how far we can extend that commitment. And it's again, you know, it's based on what our resources are but it's looking good. So we'll have an answer very shortly. MR. INABA: Okay, mahalo. And then for the cluster in Kona, we say it's travel related; we know that that person spread it on the farm. At what point are we going to classify it as community spread. Is it the second wave, like if those people get somebody, or how are we classifying when it becomes community spread? MR. BADER: I'm not sure exactly what the point is where the Department of Health will consider it as that. I think right now they're just saying that this is how it came. And that they were able to test and isolate enough that they feel like it's contained where it is. So yeah, I think if we start seeing more positive tests coming out of people who work there who are spreading it in their households, and it turns into community spread just because that's what's going on. But that is the source right now and that's how they're classifying it as travel related. MR. INABA: Okay, one last question. So for the Rapid Test when they arrive, if it's a positive, how many days until they get retested? MR. BADER: If they get a positive Rapid, they have to go into quarantine and they'll do a PCR immediately. And one thing about the PCR test now is that we can get the results pretty quickly. So you know, I think that in some cases depending on when they arrive, and you know, they could do the PCR test immediately. You know,the Rapid test you can get a result within 15-30 minutes, so you know right away what you're up against. MR. INABA: Okay, and then, if they do test negative with the PCR, are they released from quarantine? MR. BADER: Yes. MR. INABA: Okay, thank you. That's all, mahalo nui for keeping us updated. CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Council Member Inaba. Anyone else in Kona? MS. VILLEGAS: Yes please? Page 21 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 CHR. KIMBALL: I'm not sure which one of you that was. The Chair recognizes whoever that was. MS. VILLEGAS: This is Rebecca. Council Member Villegas. CHR. KIMBALL: Thanks, Rebecca. MS. VILLEGAS: Aloha, thank you for being here and sharing all of this information with us. I just have a quick question that you may or may not have the answer to. But something that we're being asked quite regularly by constituents is, when will travelers be allowed to come to Hawaii once they've been vaccinated or if they have been vaccinated? Is there any kind of a protocol being established for what that will mean, and not just travelers but perhaps family members wanting to come visit. Yeah, is there any kind of protocol being established for those who have been vaccinated to be able to travel within the State under different ? MR. BADER: Yeah, my understanding is that, you know, there's no guidance at the CDC (Center of Disease Control) level for that, because it's kind of a new situation. But the State Department of Health is looking at different ways to look at that question. And I was in a meeting yesterday where that very issue was discussed, so I know that they're looking at it. I think the Department of Health is looking at it. And again, looking for some guidance on that issue, but definitely it's something that is being considered, you know, as we speak actually. MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you so much. As they continue to navigate the path to answering those questions and how best to proceed, I would just thank you now for keeping us posted on what that will be so we can help disseminate that information to the people that are calling, and texting, and emailing; and all those exciting modes of communication that we get consistently with these kinds of questions. So thanks for keeping us posted, really appreciate it. I yield. MR. BADER: Yeah, the last thing I want to point out is that if you go to the HIEMA (Hawai`i Emergency Management Agency) website, you're going to get all the different dashboards will pop up with all kinds of data. You know, what I tried to do is kind of simplify just giving kind of the main points, but you can drill down to all kinds of information off of that. And of course, the Department of Health's website too. So those are two. Go to Civil Defense; has a lot of information. All that information is shared, and you know, those three you can do too. You go to our County Civil Defense; you will go to HIEMA's website and DOH, and you can get all the latest information. You know, the best we can get. Page 22 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you. I just have one more and it may seem like a silly question, but it's just popping into my head because we continue to have some issues with different residents who claim that this pandemic and the crisis with this virus is no different than flu season and the numbers don't match, and vada, vada, vada. And something that constantly comes to my mind is, is there somewhere that we can look and check that it is listed as a separate form of fatality related to flu or related to other illnesses or injuries, are listed as separate cause versus those who are passing tragically from, you know, COVID? And so just in order to be able to disseminate information most accurately to those who may be claiming different alternative facts, right? I just wondered if there was any resource that has it listed in that capacity so that the data could be that much clearer? MR. BADER: I think the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has some sites, if you go there, if you do a search on it that would have that kind of information on it. You know, there are people who have legitimate reasons to be exempt from mask wearing. And that's accounted for in the Governor's Proclamation. And I've had conversations with a number of folks who are concerned that people now don't accept anybody who is not wearing a mask. And I think that, you know, that aspect probably needs to be looked at or communicated. You know, because there are people that cannot do it. And there is no card or document that you can carry, which is a problem, you know, for some folks. And so I spoke to someone from DOH yesterday just about that because I had gotten several calls about people saying that it's fine to do curbside, you know, when we go to the store, but we kind of want to go in the store. And the problem is that whatever the medical condition is, when they say we have it and they say, "We're, sorry, you still can't come in." And so there could be some kind of communication or education around that issue kind of moving forward. But I think as far as your question, Rebecca, there is a number of sources. You can do a quick search, and you know, we can dispel the wrong information that's out there. MS. VILLEGAS: Thank you, I really appreciate that, because one of the challenges in my district is a group of people that claim that wearing masks is a violation of their rights and we've had to take actions to stop, you know, walk-ins and what not for people under very different circumstances than health reasons for not needing to wear a mask. So thank you. The more information we can gather and present to the public in general I think to rebut much of these claims I think the better. So I really appreciate for all of your sharing and your service. I yield. Page 23 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 CHR. KIMBALL: Thank you, Council Member Villegas. Any other comments? MS. DAVID: Chair Kimball, really quick. CHR. KIMBALL: Yes, Ms. David. MS. DAVID: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Bader for being here. I just have one inquiry. After one receives a shot, or maybe this is a DOH or CDC question. Once you receive your vaccination, when would it be, I guess, what's the timeframe? So,that you could, not necessarily get your guard down, but you could, you know, like visit family and stuff that people would feel like they would not be at risk of catching COVID. Has there been any cases that once someone gets the vaccination, that it works 100 percent and they could, you know, at least start to visit family without any kind of worry about having COVID? MR. BADER: Yeah, I mean this is a real-time situation that we're in. So as the vaccine is rolling out, and you know, it was developed in less than a year, so studies are happening as we speak. And again, this is one of those issues that as people are being vaccinated, they want to normalize their lives. And we don't have the information just yet, but it is a question that everyone who gets the vaccine is concerned about and wants to know. And what we're doing is trying to make sure that we're tuned into all of the latest information and guidance we can get on that issue. And I know that's one of those things again that the State Department of Health is looking at a national and international level, you know, are being assessed. As soon as we know, we'll let you know. MS. DAVID: Okay, I appreciate it. And thank you for being here today, mahalo. CHR. KIMBALL: Do you yield, Ms. David? MS. DAVID: Yes, I do, sorry. CHR. KIMBALL: No problem,just wanted to make sure. Alright, I just want to mahalo you for coming today and sharing all of this information with us. I think we all found it very useful, and we appreciate that the Administration has made this a critical point to make sure information is shared consistently, and correctly, and in a timely way across the County. And also, congratulations on your position with the Administration. So, mahalo. At this time, I will go ahead with the vote, all of those in favor of closing the file on Comm. 34.1? Page 24 GOREDC-2 February 2,2021 Vote on Comm. 34.1: The motion to close file on Comm. 34.1 was carried by (Filed) the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Inaba, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Richards, Villegas, and Chair Kimball—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. (There were none.) ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 11:13 a.m., Ms. Lee Loy moved to adjourn MENT: the meeting. Seconded by Mr. Inaba and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Inaba, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Richards, Villegas, and Chair Kimball—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. CHR. KIMBALL: Alright, thank you. Enjoy the rest of your day. Approved: A,U•c(Ivit :—Q—e-tt( 3(W/7122( Ms. Heather L. Kim all, Chair (Date) Government Operations, Relations, and Economic Development Committee HK/dt Page 25