HomeMy WebLinkAboutMoku Loa (Hawai'i Island) Group, Sierra Club
Hawai’i County Council September 1, 2026
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo HI 96720
RE: Amendments to Bill 179
Aloha Chair Inaba and Council Members,
Please amend Bill 179 to:
1) to preserve the focus on “sustainable economic, societal and environmental practices”
(County Code, Chapter 2, Section 2-36),
2) to ensure that the purpose of County Code Article 8 and the duties and guidance for the
Sustainable Action Committee (SAC) are maintained in the County Code,
3) mitigate the loss of the SAC, and
4) avoid excessive administrative discretionary power being given to the director.
Current County Code Chapter 2:
“Section 2-36. Purpose.
It is the purpose of this article to provide the necessary leadership to anchor the department of
research and development’s planning, policies, goals and actions in SUSTAINABLE
ECONOMIC, SOCIETAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES. The adoption and
employment of sustainable practices as a framework for business as usual through systematic
change processes which shall result in concrete outcomes, changes in multiple functions or
portions of the system, and institutionalization of these changes on an on-going basis to address
SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE; ALTERNATIVE ENERGY, FUEL AND WASTE
MANAGEMENT; ECOLOGICAL EDUCATION, BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, GREEN
HOUSING AND BUILDINGS; AND PROTECTION OF BIODIVERSITY.” \[capitals added
for emphasis\]
Bill 179 excludes the emphasized elements of the Department of Research and Development’s
(R&D) purpose. Please amend the bill to add these essential elements in order to continue clear
guidance to R&D.
Current County Code Chapter 2, Section 2-37. Sustainability Action Committee:
Bill 179 eliminates this entire section and the SAC. The county council’s GOEAC discussion
was that it never got going very well. It was noted that the duties and guidelines that were
established for the SAC were very ambitious for a volunteer committee. However, please ensure
that that the duties and guidelines are accomplished elsewhere, perhaps by spelling out how
R&D and OSCER should coordinate.
P O Box 1137 Hilo, HI 96721-1137 | sierraclubhig.org | hawaiiislandsierraclub@gmail.com
Bill 179, Section 2, proposed Section 2-_, “Duties and Responsibilities”:
As currently written, (3)(C) effectively reads as:
“The advancement or implementation of projects or priorities in alignment with the goals and
policies of the County as set forth in the general plan, community development plans, OR the
Comprehensive OR the Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.” (CEDS). \[capitals
added for emphasis\]
Please amend the bill to read “as set forth in the general plan, community development plans,
and Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.” Otherwise, R&D could ignore all other
plans and just follow the CEDS.
HIG requests that Bill 179 be amended to remove (3)(D) “Other areas the director determines to
be in the public interest and the best interest of the County;” in order to mitigate the potential for
excessive discretionary authority and the risk of arbitrary and capricious decision-making as
leadership changes over time.
Please amend and add “Environmental protection” to “(4) Support economic and workforce
development across the following sectors within the County, including but not limited to:”.
Mahalo for this opportunity to testify.