HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0728.005 2022-2024 p/Fc
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r►_�.a L-A,, MALAMA 0 PUNA
� ` �•,'fi r P.0 Box 1467
Pahoa, Hawaii 96778
i _ (808) 965-2000
244
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. -% www.malamaopuna.org * rnalamaopuna@yahoo.com
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Protecting Hawai`i's precious natural heritage
DATE: Feb. 19, 2024
TO: Hawaii County Council �3
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RE: Support for Resolution 438-24 n c'``
Aloha Council Members, ,tr7-
We are testifying in support of Resolution 438-24. The few individuals and projects that w _--
were funded under this second round of Kilauea Lava Recovery (KLR) grants need these
funds disseminated as quickly as possible given it is over 5.5 years since the three-month
2018 natural disaster ended.
Speaking on behalf of Malama 0 Puna, one of the eligible 501 c3 nonprofits that could
fiscally host grants for those individuals, hui's, and organizations that are not 501c3, we
remain very concerned about the lack of a Needs Assessment to.assist Puna in its
recovery. When dispensing over$300M in disaster recovery aid from federal, state and
private sources, it seems that many needs are not being addressed. In the case of this
latest found of KLR grants, only three (3) county employees decided on the awards for this
grant cycle which was supposed to allocate $3.5M, but only allocated $3.3M. Looking over
the scoring sheets it becomes abundantly clear that the three individuals scoring the
applications had a different understanding of each of the criteria used to evaluate as
evidenced by wide variations in assigned scores relative to similar qualitative comments.
None possessed technical knowledge regarding road and water restoration.
Given the funds are from the $60M award by the State Legislature in 2019 in Bill 1180
wherein the language specifically states: "...to provide relief and repairs for homes,
communities, businesses, farms, schools, cultural sites, water systems, electrical
grids, and roadways damaged or destroyed by unprecedented volcanic eruptions...",
that directive has not been fully honored in the implementation of both the first and second
rounds of the KLR grants. As this is the only source of recovery funds that could be spent
on private road and water system recovery, it seems that those doing the evaluation lacked
not only the technical expertise to allocate awards, but are unfamiliar with standard
methods of project management and did not demonstrate an understanding of economic
benefits. Further, after two years of requesting, the Lava Recovery Coordinator has been
unable to produce a one-page spreadsheet tracking all funding, uses, lapsed funds etc.
1 Comm. No.
Ref. To:
Ref. Date F
It takes good information to make informed decisions and this has not been the case with
regard to the use of recovery funds for the 2018 disaster. Five and one-half years from the
event and the region has definitely NOT recovered. It saddens us to see the County
administration provide NONE of its own funding, or even direct any additional energy or
resources to our needs. The State even covered the costs of disaster response incurred by
the County in 2018!
While our district Councilmember has been actively engaged in recovery efforts, the rest of
the Council has taken a hands-off approach. Our district is drowning in homelessness,
meth and other substance addition, along with joblessness. Those issues were made
significantly worse by the 2018 natural disaster. We've lost private residential insurance
and have no commercial insurance in lava zones 1 & 2, making it next to impossible to
invite economic recovery. We are VERY concerned that the Council, the keeper of the
purse, has not taken sufficient interest in Puna's recovery from the 2018 disaster while
meantime, the district population continues to grow explosively.
Many in Puna feel that the County has not had our backs. Our roadways won't be
recovered until 2026 at the earliest due to delays caused by incompetence at the County
and it's inexplicable denial for three years that an EA was needed. The HUD funded Buy-
Out program continues to arbitrarily change the rules of engagement such as changing the
value extended to its three phased program without any input from the County Council. The
latest changes just aggravate the inequities in that program as designed by the County
administration. Sharing a comment make by Mr`. Lono Lyman whose company
experienced the most inundated acreage of any private landowner, "the recovery efforts
have been a worse disaster than the original natural disaster".
Mahalo,
Eileen O'Hara, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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