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REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON <br />GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS <br />DATE: January 21, 2025 <br />PLACE: Council Chambers <br />Kailua-Kona, Hawaii <br />TIME: 9:02 a.m. <br />Council Chair and Members <br />Hawaii County Council <br />Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br />Re: Comm. No. 90/Res. No. 61-25 <br />Your Committee on Governmental Operations and External Affairs, to which was referred <br />Resolution No. 61-25, reports as follows: <br />Resolution No. 61-25, introduced by Council Member Heather Kimball via Communication <br />No. 90, dated January 2, 2025, urges the State of Hawaii Department of Agriculture and <br />Department of Health to consult with local poultry farmers to develop an Avian Flu response <br />plan and to consider alternatives to depopulation as a response strategy. <br />Resolution No. 61-25 expresses that the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza response plan would <br />include preventative measures, testing and monitoring protocols, and strategies for public <br />outreach, while promoting quarantine and vaccination as opposed to mass culling. <br />Committee Member Heather Kimball began by sharing that this resolution was a constituent <br />request and thanked community members for helping. The Bird Flu is highly contagious among <br />the bird population and also has the potential for carrying over to humans. This resolution <br />provides an opportunity to share information with Council Members and constituents. Most <br />importantly, Member Kimball wanted to share that while some solutions may be appropriate <br />elsewhere, they may not be right for Hawaii. Therefore, this resolution urges the Department of <br />Health and the Department of Agriculture to have a Hawaii -based plan for action locally. <br />Committee Member Michelle Galimba agreed that we need to have a plan regarding this <br />concerning issue and that it's important to follow the science as much as possible. <br />Committee Member Rebecca Villegas wanted to recognize both the potential impact of the <br />Avian Flu as well as the shortage of eggs many are experiencing and the importance of backyard <br />chicken farmers. This helps support our resiliency and sustainability and supports the use of <br />medicine and technology to reduce the spread of the flu while protecting the lives of chickens. <br />Committee Chair Jenn Kagiwada wanted to highlight the importance of weighing the risks, while <br />also not getting into a panic and moving forward with measures not proven by science to work. <br />GOEAC Report No. 14 <br />