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REPORT OF THE POLICY COMMITTEE <br />ON PUBLIC WORKS AND MASS TRANSIT <br />DATE: January 21, 2025 <br />PLACE: Council Chambers <br />Kailua-Kona, Hawaii <br />TIME: 11:15 a.m. <br />Council Chair and Members <br />Hawaii County Council <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />Re: Comm. No. 62/Bill No. 12 <br />Your Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit, to which was referred Bill No. 12, <br />reports as follows: <br />Bill No. 12, introduced by Council Members Heather Kimball and Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, <br />via Communication No. 62, dated December 17, 2024, amends Chapter 5D, Article 1, <br />Sections 5D-1-3 and 5D-1-6, of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as amended), <br />relating to the Electrical Code. <br />Bill No. 12 proposes to add electrical work performed by an electrical utility on any generating <br />plant, receiving station, switching station, distributing station, supply lines or mains, overhead <br />service drop, and underground or station service supply conductor as exempted from the <br />provisions of the County Electrical. Code. <br />Committee Member Heather Kimball began discussion by articulating these three purposes for <br />the exemption set forth in Bill No. 12: <br />1) All three of the other counties currently have this in place for electrical work by an <br />electrical utility; <br />2) It applies to the permitting and inspections of electrical equipment used to produce or <br />transmit power, which are work plans the County does not currently have the internal <br />capacity to evaluate; and <br />3) This action will help avoid delays, which supports progress on renewable energy goals. <br />Ms. Kimball explained that the exemption does not apply to electrical work within any support <br />buildings related to energy production nor to facilities that have outstanding permits related to <br />these support structures. <br />Committee Member Jenn Kagiwada invited representatives from the Department of Public <br />Works to offer comments. Julann Sonomura, Building Division Chief, expressed that the <br />Department supports this legislation and reiterated its purpose of exempting large utility grade <br />equipment. <br />Responding to an inquiry from Committee Member Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Ms. Sonomura <br />affirmed that the Public Utilities Commission currently exempts this type of electrical work by <br />utility companies. <br />PCPWMT Report No. 1 <br />