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<br /> <br />REPORT OF THE <br />COMMITTEE ON FINANCE <br /> <br /> <br />DATE: September 3, 2024 Re: Comm. No. 993/Res. No. 593-24 <br />PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> Hilo, Hawaiʻi <br />TIME: 2:31 p.m. <br /> <br />Council Chair and Members <br />Hawai‘i County Council <br />Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 <br /> <br />Your Committee on Finance, to which was referred Resolution No. 593-24, reports as follows: <br /> <br />Resolution No. 593-24, transmitted by Finance Director Diane Nakagawa via Communication <br />No. 993, dated August 14, 2024, authorizes the Mayor to enter into an agreement with the State of <br />Hawaiʻi Department of Health. <br /> <br />This resolution allows for the receipt of $925,000 of federally-derived funds to support opioid <br />remediation activities. <br /> <br />Managing Director Deanna Sako, Research and Development Director Douglass Adams, Economic <br />Development Specialist Yoshi Otake, and Corporation Counsel Elizabeth Strance appeared in the Hilo <br />Chambers for questions. <br /> <br />Committee Member Rebecca Villegas commented in support of this measure. She commented that this <br />legislation was introduced during her first term and there were questions about the viability of this <br />program. Since then, there has been an increase in opioid usage with the introduction of fentanyl, and <br />there is a dire need for resources that aid in addiction recovery. <br /> <br />Committee Member Cindy Evans asked why the State was allocated this amount, stating that <br />$2.1 million out of $78 million is a small amount. Mr. Adams explained that this was a decision made at <br />a national level, which the State was involved in that negotiation, and that determining how much the <br />State would be allocated was not something the department was privy to. <br /> <br />Committee Member Holeka Goro Inaba asked for an explanation of the two agreements stating that the <br />agreement is with the same department for what appears to be the same purpose and procedurally, it <br />would seem that one agreement would be sufficient. Ms. Strance explained that the County filed its <br />lawsuit against several opioid manufacturers and eventually the State filed its lawsuit. There were two <br />nationwide settlements reached with built-in incentives, one specific to the County and the other because <br />the County participated in the State’s lawsuit, and as a result, there are two separate agreements. <br />Ms. Strance provided background on how these funds were determined for the State. <br /> <br />Ms. Sako provided further clarification on a few line items. <br /> <br /> <br />FC Report No. 192 <br /> <br />