HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PRPSC 036 2022/09/06 2020-2022REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PARKS AND RECREATION
AND PUBLIC SAFETY
DATE: September 6, 2022 Re: Comm. No. 911.2/Bill No. 195, Draft 2
PLACE: Council Chambers
Hilo, Hawaii
TIME: 10:43 a.m.
Council Chair and Members
Hawaii County Council
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Your Committee on Parks and Recreation and Public Safety, to which was referred Bill No. 195,
Draft 2, reports as follows:
Bill No. 195, draft 2, transmitted via Communication No. 911.2, from Council Member Ashley L.
Kierkiewicz for District 4, dated August 17, 2022, amends Chapter 7, of the Hawaii County
Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended), Relating to Disaster and Emergency Management.
This measure changes the title of Chapter 7 from "Civil Defense" to "Disaster and Emergency
Management" and revises and reorganizes the sections therein. Replaces definitions; inserts
sections to clarify Civil Defense Agency organization and duties; clarifies requirements for
Emergency Action Plans and use of multi -governmental services; and delineates the Mayor's
authority to declare a state of disaster or emergency and ability to exercise emergency powers.
On August 16, 2022, Bill No. 195 was amended with the contents of Communication No. 911. 1,
by amending Item (8) in Section 7-1-3 to change "maintain" to "manage", and passed with eight
ayes, one absent, resulting in Bill No. 195, draft 2. This matter was then postponed to September
6, 2022.
On September 6, 2022, Council Member Ashley L. Kierkiewicz introduced Communication
No. 911.5. Administrative Officer- Barry Periatt with Civil Defense came forward to explain that
this amendment was made to use the FEMA definition which is more appropriate. The vote was
taken to approve this amendment with eight in favor, one absent.
Ms. Kierkiewicz introduced Communication No. 911.6 to clarify "warning point" and explained
that this is a division that civil defense is charged with, which will create this twenty-four hour
warning point branch. Civil Defense Administrator Talmadge Magno said that the State has a
twenty-four hour warning point branch, and Mr. Periatt stated that warning point duties are
currently being done by Police dispatch.
In response to inquiry by Council Member Aaron Chung, Mr. Periatt said that this warning point
division is structured after police, and that the total cost would be $427,000 per year, for ten
personnel, twenty-four hours a day, seven days per week, with two persons staffing 8 hour shifts
each day.
Council Member Maile David commented that we've never had a warning point division in civil
defense which has been handled so far by Police, and that it makes sense to have a division in
civil defense that is dedicated to warning point notifications.
PRPSC Report No.: 36
PRPSC-36 Page 2 September 6, 2022
Mr. Periatt further explained that in EOC, there is sufficient space for this warning point
division, and that the warning point division will have its own phone number, and Police
dispatch will have a separate number for other non -emergency calls. The vote was taken to
approve this amendment with eight in favor, one absent.
Ms. Kierkiewicz introduced Communication No. 911.7 and explained that this amendment was
to make grammatical clarifications, and to clarify wording around "monitoring any and all
threats, emergencies, or disaster that post a risk to the lives and safety of residents and visitors".
The vote was taken to approve this amendment with eight in favor, one absent.
Ms. Kierkiewicz introduced Communication No. 911.8 and explained that this amendment was
done to change language from "suspend electronic media transmission" to "deploy all resources
to ensure electronic media transmission infrastructure is operational". The communication was
withdrawn by Ms. Kierkiewicz.
The vote was taken to forward Bill No. 195, Draft 2 as amended to Draft 3 with the contents of
Communication Nos. 911.5, 911.6, and 911.7, to first reading with eight in favor, one absent.
Your Committee on Parks and Recreation and Public Safety is in accord with the purpose and
intent of Bill No. 195, Draft 2, as amended to Draft 3, and recommends its passage on first
reading.
Respectfully submitted,
COMMITTEE ON PARKS AND
RECREATION AND PUBLIC
SAFETY
J7
HOLEKA GORO INABA, CHAIR
PRPSC REPORT NO. 36
ADOPM: SEP 2 1 2022
AYES NOES ABS EX
CHUNG
X
DAVID
X
INABA
X
KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER
X
KIERKIEWICZ
X
KIMBALL
X
LEE LOY
X
RICHARDS
X
VILLEGAS
X
Respectfully submitted,
COMMITTEE ON PARKS AND
RECREATION AND PUBLIC
SAFETY
J7
HOLEKA GORO INABA, CHAIR
PRPSC REPORT NO. 36
ADOPM: SEP 2 1 2022