Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN GREDC 2019/03/12 2018-2020Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic Development 5th Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawaii March 12, 2019 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic ORDER: Development was called to order at 9:53 a.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Chair Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Vice Chair Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Member (came in later) Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member Ms. Karen Eoff, Member Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member Absent & Excused: Ms. Valerie Poindexter, Member STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: The Chair called Dwight Vicente, who registered to speak regarding Comm. 49.2, and came forward when called. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Mr. Vicente. At this time I will close public testimony, and move on to business of the day. Mr. Clerk, if you could please read in Communication 49.2. COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. Comm. 49.2: HAWAII STATE ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES' SEPTEMBER 17 AND OCTOBER 4, 2018, AND JANUARY 15, 2019, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES From Council Member Valerie T. Poindexter, dated February 11, 2019. GREDC-5 March 12, 2019 Motion to Close File: Mr. Richards moved to close file on Comm. 49.2. Seconded by Ms. Eof£ CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Any discussion? Our colleague Ms. Poindexter had placed this on the agenda. It is the meeting minutes from the HSAC (Hawai`i State Association of Counties) Executive Committee Meeting that were held September of 2018, October of 2018 and recently in January. I actually went through all of the minutes and highlighted some interesting points that I thought I would share with my colleagues and for the benefit of people that are streaming this live, or watching on NaLeo TV. There's a lot of interesting discussions that are happening among the counties. And so it's a great time for representatives from the counties to just info share, and to be inspired by each other's work. Maui County has a first-time homeowners buyer program. They're also working the streamline the County's permitting process, and implementing strategic affordable housing plan. There was also a report of a live skunk, so they are dealing with invasive species on Maui. Kauai has reported that they're over capacity as it relates to tourism, and that they need to be collaborating with various agencies and work with Mass Transportation to reduce rental cars. The City and County of Honolulu has discussed the creation of apartment districts, in relation to short term vacation rentals. One of the members, the alternate delegate I believe, Mr. Ricki Hokama from Maui, he is the former president of NACo (National Association of Counties), and so he is continuously monitoring legislation at the federal level as it relates to money that the counties could apply for. The Department of Interior, there's a farm bill, Core of Engineers, and Wastewater Funding. There were discussions at this point about audits being performed for the Department of Education. About this time, or September of 2018 is when we were discussing the constitutionality of a surcharge on real property tax for Department of Education. There was also discussion about various natural disasters having a stress on County coffers. Did anybody else have anything that they felt was interesting to report? There was some presentations by Joe Kim from the Grassroots Institute of Hawaii, about the public pension debt crisis. NACo has sponsored webinars about affordable housing. There's a push to include younger Council Members in discussions about networking on a national level, or Hawaii won't have appointments in the future. Just bringing us back to discussions that happens more recently this year. Kauai has discussed their concerns with the General Excise Tax, because some of the businesses did not know how to implement that, so they were working through it. Page 2 GREDC-5 March 12, 2019 And they noted that they implemented the GET surcharge, because the State capped their share of the transient accommodations tax. Maui has also passed an ordinance around a styrofoam ban, so Council Member Kelly King reported on their efforts to implement that. She also shared that they are working with the Lieutenant Governor's office, to provide funds for a mobile hygiene unit for homeless individuals living in South Maui. Apparently $12 million in funding is available, and they are looking for neighbor islands beyond Maui to help fund. So this could be a huge opportunity for our island giving how just massive we are, and with the homeless population just being so spread out. I don't know about you, but I got several invitations in the mail for the HSAC conference that's happening in June. I think I got three so maybe they really, really want us there. So put that on your calendar June 9 through 12. The conference thing would be "Hot Topics in Sustainability." And just a friendly reminder to everyone that next year our County will actually be hosting the conference. So very exciting times for all of us. Council Member Hokama said that he's working with President Kouchi on the Senate side to prioritize the cesspool issue. The old website for HSAC was hacked, so the HSAC Committee President our colleague Ms. Poindexter actually went through the process to secure a new domain, hawaiicounties.com. And so I believe they're in a position to recreate the website and I'll be assisting on that front. So lots here. Any questions or comments? If not let's take a vote to close file on Comm. 49.2. All in favor please say "aye." Vote on Comm. 49.2: The motion to close file on Comm. 49.2 was carried by the Filed following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members David, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Lee Loy, Richards, Villegas, and Chair Kierkiewicz — 7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Chung and Poindexter — 2. Excused: None. ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, RESOLUTIONS: Order of Resolutions. (There were none.) Page 3 GREDC-5 RTT T C FnR ORDINANCES The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, Bills for Ordinances. (There were none.) March 12, 2019 CHR. KIERKIEWICZ: Motion to adjourn by Ms. Lee Loy. Do I have a second? ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 10:05 a.m., Ms. Lee Loy moved to adjourn MENT: the meeting. Seconded by Mr. Richards and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members David, Eoff, Kaneali `i-Kleinfelder, Lee Loy, Richards, Villegas, and Chair Kierkiewicz — 7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Chung and Poindexter — 2. Excused: None. CHR. KIERKIEWICZ: Meeting is adjourned at 10:05 a.m., thank you. Approved: Ms. Ashley Kierkiewicz, Chair Governmental Relations and Economic Development Committee AK/rk -3 2 -,1 lZo l°I (Date) Page 4