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UNIST|TUTE
Date: April 10, 2025
To: Council Member Kanea|i'i-K]dnfeNer,Chair
Council Member Hustaoe,Vice Chair
Members ofthe Committee onFinance
6E: Support for Agenda Item lDepartment ofResearch and Development
Hrg: April 11th Special Meeting of the Committee on Finance, Hawai'i County
Aloha Chair Kanea|i'iKleinfe|decVice Chair Hushace and members of the
Committee on Finance,
Myname isPatti Habistavrakis.|amtestifying insupport ofAgenda Item 2'
relating tothe Department ofResearch and Development, and request the
Fund the unfunded EC8|N(0O-O5145+)position and move the West
Havvai'iFood Systems Specialist's position from Contract toCivil Service,
For the County tofully fund the Food Systems Specialist (Previously Food
Access Coordinator) and move the position fromContractor toCivil
Servant.and
For the County toprovide anew one-year contract for Christian Colo
starting December 2025-tomaintain support and compliance for S2
million inARPAfunds management.
Having worked with the Food Systems team inthe Department ofResearch and
Development for the last 19months, | see how important their work istoour
community's agriculture economy and food security.
|naddition, | request that the Agricultural budget reflect the following:
Continue toprovide funding for 2partial salaries ofUHCTHAR Extension
Agents for Pacific Crops and Livestock -$O6,00O
Increase Available Impact Grant Funds, currently only budgeted for
$5O.00OFY2025-2026for Agriculture and Food Systems, and
Continue toprovide funding for Invasive Species Management -$25O.000
-(2024-202Scontract was awarded toB||SCfor their overarching
programs and increasing capacity).
Mahalo for the opportunity to testify in support of agenda item 2,rdadng to the
Department of Research and Development.
Mahalo
PattiHatzistavraljs
East Havvai'i Healthy Eating + Active Living Coalition Coordinator
7O7nid`a'dsSve�t.Suite3OO ° Hono�uiuHawaii 98813 ° hio�ior� Ref.
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