HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0494.036 2018-2020 Co P/COL'ncd
• COUNTY WAI'I CONK '1a"l
RECEIVED l�( gE3. 322- 9
From: tawn(&honokaaneople.com Time 11 f By V�J
To: • Council Testimony Date 10/15/WA
Subject: Public Testimony on Resolution 322.19
Date: Tuesday,October 15,2019 11:26:54 AM
The following is the,entire section entitled CLIMATE CHANGE in the COUNTY of HAWAII
DRAFT GENERAL PLAN 2040. This short section is followed by Testimony Res. 322.19
CLIMATE CHANGE
SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVE
Partner with community stewardship groups, local stakeholders and intergovernmental agencies to
reduce island-wide greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs)by at least 80 percent from 2005 levels by
2050.
POLICY
94. Prioritize energy efficient designs, energy efficient systems, and wast reduction/reuse at County
facilities.
95. Include the useful life of the infrastructure and the cost savings related to reduced energy needs
in Capital Improvement Projects.
96. Partner with County, State, and private entities to develop comprehensive and coordinated
strategies promoting energy and water conservation to strive for climate change resilience.
97. Consider values of natural areas for sequestering carbon and providing climate adaptation and
mitigation strategies in evaluating public investments, including acquisition, siting and design.
98. Evaluate the need and opportunities to reduce vehicle miles traveled(VMT), such as offering a
range of transportation choices in new development or redevelopment projects; incentivizing
connectivity between differingmodes of transportation to increase modal split and linking residential
and employment center land uses to reduce the need for single vehicle trips.
99. Support the development of carbon emission standards and an incentive program aimed at
achieving County carbon-emission goals.
ACTION
1.72 Adopt policies and strategies across all County departments to reduce GHGEs and becoe more
resilient to the impacts of climate change, including establishing video conferencing capabilities to
allow residents and employees to participate in meeting without having to drive long distances;
evaluating the feasibility for continued installation of renewable energy systems on County owned
facilities; and increasing the use of alternatively fueled vehicles.
SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVE
Reduce vulnerability to sea level rise(SLR)for all vulnerable communities and infrastructure.
POLICY
100. Implement a minimum sea level rise assumption of 3.2 feet for budgetary, land use, and other
decision-making processes.
101. Use accurate and up-to-date scientific predictions and observations related to climate change
impacts to guide adaptation policy and future land use decisions.
102. Support local and regional climate change modeling and monitoring programs. This may
include but is not be limited to the programs designed to monitor:
a) Surface water quality(including temperature); b) Sea level rise;
c)Hydrologic and geologic conditions;
d)Groundwater quality and levels;
e)Precipitation and groundwater changes.
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Ref.Date OCT 1 6 2019
143. Evaluate Capital Improvement Projects for resiliency, including but not limited to, sea level
rise, flood and storm surge, and assure that the project's useful life and service expectations can be
met in the face of projected climate change impacts.
104. Coordinate with appropriate agencies to monitor impacts which may be specific to Hawaii
County due to its unique exposure to climate change and sea level rise impacts.
105. Partner with communities to develop adaptation strategies (protection, accommodation,
managed retreat, and preservation)for vulnerable areas including conducting vulnerability
assessments and assessing land use and land availability.
ACTION
1.73 Conduct detailed vulnerability mapping of existing and planned infrastructure.
TESTIMONY TO COUNTY COUNCIL REGARDING RESOLUTION 322.19 DECLARING
CLIMATE EMERGENCY
We must use the County of Hawaii General Plan as the tool that it was intended,to shape the real
direction, the real policy and actions of the government and society of Hawaii. At this juncture we
must shape it to reflect the aspirations of the Resolution 322 declaring a Climate Emergency. The
Section of Draft General Plan 2040 on Climate Change is a technocratic, incrementalist statement
which in no way reflects the transformational aspiration of Resolution 322.
I believe that if government continues with business as usual,then your children's lives will be
lost to the consequences of climate change. Sacrificed to what:to our inability to imagine our lives
as anything other than our march toward the all attractive image of what Councilwoman Kierkiewicz
described as Amazon Prime World. That march, in the words of the climate scientists referenced in
this resolution, is making this planet inhospitable, and ultimately uninhabitable,to human life.
The Climate Change Section of the Hawaii County Draft General Plan 2040 yields meaningful,
emergency,transformational action to `business as usual'. This island's governmental bodies must
commit themselves to transforming the aspirations of this resolution into real actions by embodying
this Resolution's statement of principle into the text of the Draft General Plan-by making it the
basis for laws and regulations
and concrete actions. That text must follow from urgent discussion between the executive and
legislative branches of County Government, The Planning Department has closed the Draft General
Plan 2040 to public comment after October31, 2019.It will be refined by that department internally
until January 1 and will be ready for completion and ratification in February, 2020.
Consequent to this resolution 322 which reflects transformation of our entire social structures,the
deadlines to completion of the Draft General Plan must be extended to accommodate discussion
between the legislative and executive branches. Most importantly, as emphasized repeatedly by our
council members two weeks ago,this transformation must include education and concurrence, or at
least acceptance, from the public. But this acceptance must not be allowed Veto by the messengers
of Business and Economy.
This is where governmental vision must lead the way. The text of this resolution must be
disseminated widely. The government must sponsor over and over broadcast discussions of the
problem, emphasizing the scale of the problem reflected by this resolution. There must be repeated
discussions of this in the print media.The challenges must be presented repeatedly to every
community until there is full island understanding of the gravity of these challenges.The Action
Committees of the various Community Development Plans, along with the council members and
various representatives, may be instrumental in bringing this to the attention of the communities.
And,the feedback from the communities will follow.If this is to be a mobilization on the scale of
WWII then this is the set of actions with which it must begin.Now is when your courage will be
tested.If you assigned yourself the role of Leader by joining this Council, now will be the test of that
leadership. We are asking you to do something which has never been done before. The lives of your
children are at stake.
Respectfully, Tawn Keeney MD