Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN PCHSW 2024/08/06 (2022-2024)Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being 1411 Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii. August 6, 2024 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and ORDER: Well-being was called to order at 2:19 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by Ms. Jenn Kagiwada, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Ms. Jenn Kagiwada, Chair Ms. Michelle M. Galimba, Member Ms. Cindy Evans, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member Absent & Excused: Mr. Matt Kdneali'i-Kleinfelder, Vice Chair Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, 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: Harry Holm: (representing BIBA-Big Island Beekeepers Association Susan Collins: Bill 144 (Comm. 786), in support. Bill 144 (Comm. 786), in support. CHR. KAGIWADA: Thank you, Mr. Clerk, will you please read in the bill. PCHSW- 14 August 6, 2024 BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. Bill 144: AMENDS CHAPTER 14 AND CHAPTER 25 OF THE HAWAI'l COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), RELATING TO APIARIES AND BEEKEEPING Establishes generally accepted apiary management practices and adds apiaries as permitted uses in seventeen zoning district classifications, including all Residential and Agricultural zoning districts, the Resort -Hotel district, all Commercial districts, all Industrial districts, the Open district, and the Downtown Hilo Commercial District, to promote beekeeping. Reference: Comm. 786 Intr. by: Ms. Kierkiewicz Referred to Planning Director and Planning Commissions: April 2, 2024 ; and Comm. 786.3 1: From Mayor Mitchell D. Roth, dated July 16, 2024, transmitting for Council's consideration and action, letters from the Windward and Leeward Planning Commissions. Motion to Approve: Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to recommend passage of Bill 144 on first reading. Seconded by Ms. Lee Loy. CHR. KAGIWADA: Council Member Kierkiewicz. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Chair. I really appreciate the favorable recommendations that were provided by both of the Planning Commissions; Windward and Leeward, and our Planning Department. The Planning Department has actually been part of our original hui, which convened pre- COVID (Coronavirus disease) time to start talking about how we help a lot of folks that are currently operating apiaries and maintaining hives on their property to just become in compliance. You have folks that maintain hives on resort properties, in schools, in residential areas. Really no complaints coming in on the County or the State side. And so, this just helps to bring those folks into compliance. But while we're at it, let's also prescribe some best management practices, so that if anybody is interested in having an apiary here on Hawaii Island, there is guidance on the Code to setup your operation so that your bees can thrive, and you're setting up all of the different things to ensure that they're not going to be a nuisance to your neighbors. Page 2 PCHSW-14 August 6, 2024 There are a couple of housekeeping things that I want to take care of. I don't have the amendments today, but there are a couple of extra "does," here. And just clarifying some of the definitions that folks have pointed out earlier. But if folks had any other questions or comments that they would like to share with me today, please let me know, so that we can continue to refine this bill and get it passed. Because I know that a lot of folks in the beekeeping community have been so instrumental in helping to inform the version of the bill that we are reviewing today. Thank you, Chair. CHR. KAGIWADA: Thank you, Council Member. Would other Council Members like to weigh in with questions or concerns? Go ahead, Council Member Kimball. MS. KIMBALL: Thank you, and thank you, Council Member Kierkiewicz for putting this forward. I read the disturbing statistics yesterday that we're losing one to three percent of our pollinators across the globe every year. And we know that, there's such a distinct tie there between pollinators and food. We need to make sure that we're taking care of these important contributors to our health and well-being. Again, I come from a beekeeping family. I remember growing up —you don't have basements here, but in Michigan you have basements, and my dad would do all the honey harvest down in the basement. And I'd have bees crawling around my bedroom. You know, I got use to those guys being around. So, real quickly, I think I mentioned in the first hearing of this, just under Section 4-5-4 (b)(8), the activity of planting seasonal flowers and species. I just want to make sure, noninvasive was included in there. My second question was —and I did forward it. This came from a constituent, and I forwarded it to your office. I'm not sure if you had a chance to look into it or not, but where is the Vector Control Division of DOH (Department of Health) with respect to their ability to deal with nuisance complaints? If that's okay, Chair, that's my only question to the maker at this point. CHR. KAGIWADA: Thank you. Council Member Kierkiewicz, you may answer. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you. They sent a very strongly -worded letter that individuals must comply with any laws that are out there. Currently, there are really no laws to regulate this industry. So, when we were speaking with Vector Control, only a handful had come in over the years. But they're the ones that, you know, facilitate any complaints that are coming in that is not a function of County Planning Department. I hope that answers your question. Page 3 PCHSW-14 August 6, 2024 CHR. KAGIWADA: Go ahead, Council Member Kimball. MS. KIMBALL: Yes, I just may follow-up. Based on recent experiences, my question is, have they been informed of their kuleana that we're establishing to be the enforcing entity on that piece, understanding that it is something that is rarely needed. But are they aware that this is coming from the County? CHR. KAGIWADA: Council Member Kierkiewicz, go ahead. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you. Vector Control has been part of the conversations and has the Department of Agriculture. Everybody understands their assignments. Everyone knows the rules and responsibilities, kind of walking into the development and enforcement of this bill. We made sure that our State partners found it acceptable to be called out in County Code in this way. And we felt this was the right thing to do, so that folks knew exactly who report any nuisance issues to. Thank you. CHR. KAGIWADA: Thank you so much. Any other comments or questions? Anybody over in Kona? No? Okay, anybody over here? Council Member Lee Loy. MS. LEE LOY: Well, I just want to thank the author and the community. You know, I remember this work back when Senator Richards was here on the dais. And so, I think it's just a testament to how good policy works, but also how long good policy takes. I'm really happy, and I'm grateful to the testifier about the knowledge about having bees being in that piggery space and that 1,000-foot setback from the road. I know that was an issue during Senator Richards' time. I just want to remind the author along with other members of the dais, there is right to farm that allows farmers, ranchers, beekeepers to really begin to provide for our food sustainability. So, I'm really in strong support of this. Thank you, Council Member Kierkiewicz for the follow-through. I yield. CHR KAGIWADA: Thank you, Council Member Lee Loy. Council Member Galimba. MS. GALIMBA: Thank you, and I am in support of this bill. However, also kind of piggybacking on Chair Kimball's comments about enforcement. I had a recent real -life, you know, having to deal with constituents who were bothered by beekeepers and did not find sort of like, that the government route was very effective. Page 4 PCHS W-14 August 6, 2024 So, I think in reality in practice, it was really the beekeeping community that needed to be informed and sort of work with the beekeeper in the interest of sort of the beekeeping industry. So, I don't think that's something that can be written into our County Code. But just wanted to sort of say that that seemed to be effective way to deal with sort of nuisance beekeeping. And especially, it was particularly the bee droppings which seems to be more and more of an issue, yes so, just bringing that up. But in favor of this because it does bring some clarity and supports beekeeping, which I definitely support. CHR. KAGIWADA: Thank you, Council Member Galimba. Council Member Kierkiewicz, would you like to respond? MS. KIERKIEWICZ: I do, and thanks for hinging that up. When we were going through different iterations of this bill, we almost didn't include the best management practices, because we couldn't find a department that it could live with. I approached Director Adams to see, was this something that they could help to support. We don't have any beekeepers within R&D (Research and Development), but they have funding that's dedicated to supporting our local food systems. So, we came up with the idea of once this ordinance passes, funding would be available for education and awareness. But also, we have organizations like Big Island Beekeepers Association and other entities that specialize in beekeeping that could be called upon to help provide technical assistance in the event that there is a nuisance, sort of rapport, of if there is a novice beekeeper that is just looking to understand how they setup their hives properly, so they aren't a nuisance to folks in their neighborhood. So, we've definitely thought about that, and the education campaign is going to be a huge component of this once the bill passes. And I'm just really grateful for R&D, kind of stepping up to make that financial resource available. Because I think we all know and understand how critical bees are, to not just to our economy and our food systems, but really for our human existence. So, thank you for that, Chair. CHR. KAGIWADA: Thank you very much, Council Member Kierkiewicz. Alright, with that I would just say that it's very good to see that both Planning Commissions came back with favorable recommendations and really no major changes. It sounds like you already have some minor things that you'll be bringing at the next iteration and like that idea of an entity who can really share those best practices out with the community and help when needed. So, thank you and look forward to seeing how this continues to go. With that, we'll take a vote. All those in favor of moving Bill 1.44 forward to Council with a favorable recommendation, please say "aye." Any opposed? Page 5 PCHSW-14 Vote on Bill 144: The motion to recommend passage of Bill 144 on first (Approved) reading was carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Evans, Galimba, Kierkiewicz, Kimball, Lee Loy, and Chair Kagiwada — 6. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Inaba, Kdrieali'i-Kleinfelder, and Villegas — 3 Excused: None. ADJOURN- Seeing no further business, Chair Kagiwada adjourned the meeting MENT: at 2:39 p.m. CHR. KAGIWADA: Thank you, all. Approved: V Ms. JennvKagiada, Chair Policy Committee on Health, Safety, and Well-being JK/dt August 6, 2024 9 J13 J:P, I Y Obate) Page 6