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HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PC 038 2019/12/03 2018-2020 REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLANNING DATE: December 3, 2019 Re: Comm. No. 625 PLACE: Council Chambers Hilo, Hawaii TIME: 9:30 a.m. Council Chair and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Planning, to which was referred Communication No. 625, reports as follows: Communication No. 625, dated November 14, 2019, and transmitted by Mayor Harry Kim, nominates Judy Sigrid Howard of Council District 1 to the Water Board. If confirmed, she would serve a full five-year term to end December 31, 2024. Rose Bautista, Executive Assistant to Mayor Kim, introduced the nominee. Born in Hawaii, Ms. Howard is a farmer, a rancher, a Realtor, and a lawyer. She has an extensive background in water law and is not a member of any political party, Ms. Bautista said. Ms. Howard said she was a clerk at a water law firm in Colorado while in law school, and was a water lawyer in Colorado for five years,working for municipalities and assisting them in developing water systems. After returning to Hawaii, she practiced admiralty law and provided input for the drafting of the State Water Code. She was happy to serve if confirmed. Council Member Poindexter thanked Ms. Howard for stepping up and for her commitment to the Water Board. Ms. Poindexter mentioned her concern for water resources and diversion projects in District 1, as well as around the island. People are concerned about our water resources, she said. It's this balance that we need, and farmers need water, and we need water to survive, she said. Ms. Poindexter said she is glad that Ms. Howard comes with her skill sets and looked forward to working with her and sharing with her some of the concerns along the Hamakua coast. Council Member Richards said that he had known Ms. Howard for a long time. He referenced some "interesting things ahead of us" with regards to water, including the assignment of water licenses from the Department of Land and Natural Resources. Committee Vice Chair Sue Lee Loy asked Ms. Howard to elaborate on her work with the State Water Code. Ms. Howard said she did not review it the previous day, but she did recall that she participated in a very active way in submitting comments and testimony as the Water Code was being drafted. It seemed to her that their approach to the use of water was very similar to Colorado's with regards to the idea of minimum stream flows, control and sustainable use. PC Report No.: 38 i I PC-38 Page 2 December 3,2014 Ms. Howard said it was fairly reasonable and said she would go back and review it, even though it's not part of the County's responsibility. Ms. Lee Loy encouraged Ms. Howard to go back and review the State Water Code (Hawai`i Revised Statutes Chapter 174, Water and Land Development) for the peculiarities unique to Hawaii, among them the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands' ability to reserve water rights and the legal doctrine that water is held in trust for all people in the State. Ms. Howard said she would go back and review it. Committee Chair Ashley Kierkiewicz thanked Ms. Howard for her willingness to step up and noted that her first choice was to be on the Hamakua Community Development Plan Action Committee. Ms. Kierkiewicz asked Ms. Howard about her understanding of the synergies between the General Plan, the various Community Development Plans, and her potential position on the Water Board with regard to the development of infrastructure to implement our plans. Ms. Howard replied that"water is the key to everything else," and that she did not have enough information to speak on the specific details of the General Plan and the Community Development Plans. Ms. Howard was informed that she was not required to appear at the next Council Meeting. Your Committee on Planning is in accord with the purpose and intent of Communication No. 6125, and recommends confirmation of the appointment of Judy Sigrid Howard to the Water Board. ps AYES NOES ABS EX Respectfully submitted, CHUNG X DAVID x COMMITTEE ON PLANNING EOFF X KIERKIEWICZ X KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X LEE LOY X � POINDEXTER X ASHLEY L. KIERKIEWICZ, CHAIR RICHARDS X PC REPORT NO.: 38 VILLEGAS X ADOPTED: DE C 1 8 201