HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP GOEAC 033 2025-04-01 2024-2026REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON
GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
DATE: April 1, 2025 Re: Comm. No. 181/Res. No. 105-25
PLACE: Council Chambers
Hilo, Hawaii
TIME: 9:01 a.m.
Council Chair and Members
Hawaii County Council
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Your Committee on Governmental Operations and External Affairs, to which was referred
Resolution No. 105-25, reports as follows:
Resolution No. 105-25, transmitted by Director of Finance Diane Nakagawa via Communication
No. 181, dated March 13, 2025, adopts the 2025-2029 County of Hawaii Consolidated Plan and
2025 Annual Action Plan for the County of Hawaii Community Development Block Grant
(CDBG), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), Home Investment Partnerships and Housing Trust
Fund Programs and authorizes the Mayor of the County of Hawaii to execute and submit the
consolidated plan and annual action plan and all other related documents to the United States
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Resolution No. 105-25 includes County -wide housing and homeless needs assessments, funding
goals and priorities, and must be adopted prior to receipt of annual CDBG and ESG allocations
from HUD.
Royce Shiroma from the Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) was present in
the Hilo Chambers to discuss Resolution No. 105-25. Mr. Shiroma said that these plans are part of
the requirements for the County to receive Federal funding from HUD. He said that this is
providing HUD with our County's five-year plan of goals and priorities of what we will be doing
with Federal funding if we receive it. He highlighted affordable housing, public facilities, housing
infrastructure, compliance with federal mandates; homelessness prevention and services; and
disaster relief as high priorities. He explained that the project list contains projects they are hoping
to fund with the projected 2025 HUD funding.
Committee Member Dennis "Fresh" Onishi asked Mr. Shiroma to highlight the purpose of the
CDBG project administrative planning allotment of $500,000. Mr. Shiroma said that it is mainly for
staff salaries in the Hilo and Kona offices.
Committee Member Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder inquired where the information came from for the
housing needs assessment portion of the plan. Mr. Shiroma said that comes from their Housing
Study, which is a Statewide study, which was funded in 2023 and is to be completed this year.
Some of the numbers come from studies completed in 2018 or from the most recent National
Census. He had questions around ethnicity and the data regarding absolute housing issues.
Committee Member Heather Kimball shared the difference between absolute count versus
proportional count. Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder shared that this report echoes his concerns
regarding Native Hawaiians facing a disproportioned amount of housing concerns.
GOEAC Report No. 33
GOEAC-33 Page 2 April 1, 2025
Committee Member James Hustace asked about the potential anticipated funds considering the
Federal budget cuts. Mr. Shiroma said that considering Congress passed the budget for this year and
there were no cuts to this funding, he believes that the HUD funding will still be incoming for this
fiscal year. Member Hustace asked how project priority would be determined if funding was cut.
Mr. Shiroma stated that they would make cuts to the proposed projects based on their ranking.
Committee Member Ashley Kierkiewicz clarified that this is the blueprint for a five-year housing
plan. Mr. Shiroma said yes, this is the five-year plan in utilizing HUD funds. Member Kierkiewicz
asked if it was a planning study or a policy study. He clarified that it is a planning study. It was
suggested that maybe in the future OHCD could partner with the University to avoid duplicate
studies. She recommended other members of the committee review page 94 as there is a good
summary of valuable information and solutions there, and she said she would be supporting the
plan.
Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder asked about wastewater project upgrades. Michele Ku from the Arc
of Kona explained the phases of conversion and why their upgrades are necessary, as well as who
their organization serves.
Member Onishi asked who completed the evaluations for awarding the funding. Mr. Shiroma
explained that there is a committee with three staff members from OHCD who conduct the
evaluations. He added that they are not required to do a request for proposals to award these funds,
but by utilizing that process they make the process fair and transparent. Member Onishi asked that a
breakdown of the administrative costs be sent to him.
Your Committee on Governmental Operations and External Affairs is in accord with the purpose
and intent of Resolution No. 105-25, and recommends its adoption.
slm
AYES
NOES
ABS
EX
GALIMBA
X
HUSTACE
X
INABA
X
KAGIWADA
X
KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER
X
KIERKIEW ICZ
X
KIMBALL
X
ONISHI
X
VILLEGAS
X
Respectfully submitted,
COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENTAL
OPERATIONS AND
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
JEW ). CHAIR
REPORTGOEAC
O , AP• 1