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HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP AWESC 006 2016/10/18 (2014-2016)OFFICE INFORMATION ONLY Meeting: Council—November 2, 2016 Action: Failed due to 4 ayes (David, Eoff, Poindexter, Wille) and 5 noes (Draft 3). Re: Bill 242; Comm. 1062 (_ 6t' term); AWESC-6 not adopted) 4014-]Alv REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER AND ENERGY SUSTAINABILITY DATE: October 18, 2016 Re: Comm. No. 1062/Bill No. 242 PLACE: Council Chambers Kailua-Kona, Hawaii TIME: 3:03 p.m. Council Chair and Members Hawaii Countv Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability, to which was referred Bill No. 242, reports as follows: Bill No. 242, transmitted by Council Member Margaret Wille, via Communication No. 1062 dated September 15, 2016, Amends Chapter 16 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended), by adding a new article relating to Implementing Sustainability and Resilience Principles for the Long - Term Wellbeing of the County and its Inhabitants. Bill No. 242 was first heard at the Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability Committee on October 4, 2016. At that meeting, Committee Chair Wille relinquished the chair to Vice Chair Poindexter. Council Member Wille explained the importance of implementing "Stewardship" into the County's decision making process as a matter of routine. She discussed that "Cultural, Environmental, and Economic" effects all need to be reviewed and analyzed during the process and before a decision is made. She went on to explain that the reporting section of this bill would make the County more accountable for its progress and gaps in progress. Council Members stated support for the sustainability concept but has concerns over the implementation, especially the requirements of (l) the required sustainability determination, which states "the County shall not approve any application applicable to this article, without an affirmative finding of consistency with the goals of long-term environmental, cultural, and economic wellbeing"; and (2) the required impact strategy action plan, which states "Prior to issuance of any approval, determination, or advisory recommendation applicable to this article, the planning department shall issue an action plan for each such approval, determination, or advisory recommendation which shall identify any impacted cultural and environmental resources, identify the extent to which those resources are likely to be adversely impacted in the short-term and in the Tong -term, and specify reasonable strategies to avoid, minimize, and mitigate the identified adverse impacts." Others commented that the general principles were vague and it was unclear how these principles would be implemented. AWESC Rept. No.: 6 AWESC-6 Page 2 October 18, 2016 Bill No. 242 was postponed to the October 18, 2016 Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability Committee meeting. At the October 18, 2016 Agriculture, Water and Energy Sustainability Committee meeting, Committee Chair Wille again relinquished the chair to Vice Chair Poindexter. Council Member Wille stated that she understood the concerns expressed at the October 4, 2016 meeting and drafted a proposed amendment to address them. She moved to amend Bill 242 with the contents of Communication No. 1062.2, which was duly approved by the Committee. Council Member Wille explained that the amendment removes the required sustainability determination and the required impact strategy action plan, but retains the reporting requirements of an annual sustainability and resilience report to the Council from the planning department, in coordination with the department of public works, civil defense agency, department of environmental management department, and the department of research and development. In particular she incorporated the State's Aloha+ Challenge into the reporting requirement. Council Members discussed how Ms. Wille's Charter Amendment pertaining to the County's General Plan would affect this bill if both were passed, and determined if this bill passed and the Charter amendment did not, the County would still have something in place regarding sustainability. There was concern that the 2013 article by Paul James et al., in "Environment, Development and Sustainability" would be referenced in the County Code. Another Council member suggested that it was good to include the State's Aloha Challenge benchmarks as a way to track the County's progress in each of the designated areas (such as clean energy, local food production and consumption, and reducing solid waste), but was uncertain about the other criteria for assessment, Your Committee on Agriculture, Water and Energy sustainability is in accord with the purpose and intent of Bill No. 242, as amended to Draft 2, and recommends its passage on first reading. dh Respectfully submitted, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER AND ENERGY SUSTAINABILf1Y t MA GARS WILLS, CHAIR AWB. REPORT NO.: 6 ADOPTED: A1'EsiNOES ABS ES CHUNG X DAVID X EOFF X (LAGAN X KANUHA X ONISHI X PALEKA X POINDEXTER X wILLE X Respectfully submitted, COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER AND ENERGY SUSTAINABILf1Y t MA GARS WILLS, CHAIR AWB. REPORT NO.: 6 ADOPTED: