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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN GREDC 2020/02/04 2018-2020Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic Development 18th Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawai i February 4, 2020 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Governmental Relations and Economic ORDER: Development was called to order at 11:33 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 Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member Ms. Karen Eoff, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Valerie Poindexter, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member Absent & Excused: Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, 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 following individuals registered to speak in regards to Comm. 430.33, and came forward when called by the Chair: Jon Olson. Robert Golden, representing the Village Makery Team. Mojo Mustapha, representing Hedonisia Hawaii Eco -Community. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Any other testifiers? Seeing none, I will be closing public testimony at this time and moving on to business of the day. Mr. Clerk, if you could do me the honor of reading in Communication 430.33. GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. Comm. 430.33: REQUESTS A PROGRESS REPORT FROM THE 2018 KILAUEA ERUPTION RECOVERY TEAM REGARDING THE IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES OF THE INTERIM RECOVERY STRATEGY From Council Member Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, dated January 16, 2020. Motion to Close File: Ms. Lee Loy moved to close file on Comm. 430.33. Seconded by Ms. David CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you. At this time, I wanted to bring forward Douglas Le, Recovery Officer, leading this effort. Douglas, anyone joining you today or you want to introduce in the gallery? (Note: At this time, Administrative Services Officer for 2018 Eruption Disaster Recovery Douglas Le came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. LE: Sure. Douglas Le, with Disaster Recovery Officer with the county. We have a number of staff on our team. Dennis Kauka, Disaster Recovery Program Coordinator; Michael Whitley, who is our Program Support Technician working on the Case Management Program; I'm happy to report a new addition to our team, Ms. Patty Pinto, who's working as our Recovery and Redevelopment Assistant; I think a new addition since we last were before Council was, we recently hired an accountant position working on our Case Management Program, Ted Economy, who isn't here right now, but is a welcomed addition to the team. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you so much. And I do want thank my colleagues, for allowing me to bring these communications forward. It's so helpful when there are statements that are made on the public, and the videos are archived, so individuals that can't be here to listen to the discussion, they can access it when it's convenient. So Douglas, I just want to start with a few things. I'm wondering if you could give us an update on some clear priorities. The vision for recovery, what the communication channels look like with the Council as well as the community. And as we heard from Mojo, I want to make sure that folks who need the support are able to get it. I just don't want the process to handicap Puna's future, right? There is such an opportunity to revitalize the region, and I want to make sure we're not squandering it. So I also want to recognize though, that in your capacity you've really taken on a lot of kuleana, and so there's been a lot of I'm sure transition from your old role as Business Manager at Planning, into this Recovery Officer position where we've never had one in the county before. And so you're inheriting a lot where you may not necessarily have any say in what was done. So there's a lot moving Page 2 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 pieces and internal stuff that you're trying shift through, but also make meaningful progress for the community. So I just wanted to note that, because I see it. And just kind of welcome an update on those items. MR. LE: Okay. Appreciate it, happy to kind of touch on those items in relationship to the communication as well. I think it's all interrelated. You know, I think to Mr. Olson's testimony earlier today, and to kind of his sharing from conversations with the main street association, but also Mr. Mustapha's and Mr. Golden's this morning, we are managing a lot right now, in terms of not only the inner workings of County Government, our partnerships with the state and federal agencies who are very key to this recovery. In terms of their responsibility and ours to administer the funding that's coming. But we're at a very challenging point where there are resources committed, but very few resources directly being invested in the community today. And what I see as a priority is, to kind of take those opportunities like I think as Mr. Olson recommended to come together with community, like at every opportunity we can, whether it be on something like the recovery plans or really understanding the priorities. And for some of the state funding that I think is within our grasp to start to deploy, work with Council, work with folks within the county family, to kind of start deploying those resources, whether it be through the Puna Strong grant, or kind of this infrastructure roads priority which you know we hear loud and clear. And I think the challenges are kind of restoration of county roads, and what that would entail. But also the resources that I think many folks in the community do not have to then follow on to restore access on their private roads into their private property. We're trying to, really through the proper planning process, develop strategies and policies, to kind of aid in this immediate recovery, and then year term actions, but also to understand how to bring these dollars in to enable that work to happen. You know, there's all kinds of back and forth around how to actually make this public funding accessible for kind of use on private property, which I know it's not an issue that is new to this recovery conversation and to our work in the county, but the recovery requires us to figure it out. And so that's been one of our focus areas, for sure. I think since I was last before the Council, we talked about where we stood with the Kilauea strategic recovery plan, which is kind of a cross sector. Looking at our recovery as a whole, as well as our economic recovery plan. Which looks at the subset of economic redevelopment, and recovery from this event. But also provides a lot of kind of knowledge and research that I hope will really benefit other economic development, planning, and process for the county as a whole. I think whether it be the General Plan, or contributing to the state's update to the SEDS (State Energy Data Systems) the community economic development strategies for the county. Page 3 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 Where we are now is that we worked with the teams, both Tetra Tech, the Institute for Sustainable Development, and our own internal recovery team to kind of really draft the plans. We took an opportunity on Friday, to brief the disaster recovery taskforce on the plan overall to ensure that we are kind of bringing the technical analysis and kind of looking at risk into this process, but also the equity of how those risks kind of carry across many parts of this island and to kind of document, reflect back, and affirm that we are hearing correctly the feedback and input that we heard from the community. One thing we're really grappling with is the complexity of this issues we're trying to meld together. You know, folks both residents and businesses whose priority it is to return, as well those from whom their priority is to move on in some ways. And I think that, you know, to enable this recovery, we have to embrace both outcomes for folks. And especially for Puna as a whole, the areas that were directly impacted physically by this eruption. The central role that it plays, in terms of quality of life, services, economic activity, for the district. And to invest in, and support that continued growth. You know, one thing we heard feedback from the taskforce was that these plans will not only hopefully give us guidance on this recovery process, but set precedent and really provide legacy well beyond the recovery from the 2018 eruption. And so we really heard, that we have to get this right. And I think getting this right means acting with urgency and focus, convening all the folks within the community and the county to kind of get that done. And to keep getting to that finish line where there is a strategy that can support our recovery work, that looks at risk, looks at and really embraces all the input and perspectives that the community has shared, and kind of puts a path forward. You know, I think I've gotten questions about, you know, what is the vision for recovery, and one of it is really a bounce forward. So not necessarily bouncing back but understanding the transition that this recovery could create for our community, not only in terms of the physical recovery, restoration of roads, folks being able to return home where there are homes still or on to their properties, but also kind of living and being in the community differently, kind of after this eruption. I hear a lot from folks who had been through the Kalapana event, and kind of what that has meant. Kind of things the county did successfully, things that maybe we still struggle with in terms of that recovery. And I take that to heart very much, in terms of how that can inform my kuleana in guiding this process and bringing in all the voices and focusing on interim actions. I think in terms of some of the interim actions, and some of the points of contact, some of the points on the projects and things that we're looking to lift up, the planning process will give us kind of direction in terms of the strategies and policies and some of the kind of key interaction projects. Restoration of county roads is kind of top of mind, in addition of other infrastructure that was lost. Page 4 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 We're right now working with affected county departments, on this FEMA, you know, public assistance 428 grant process, which is now under kind of final review at the federal level. And we hope that with this grant process closed out, we can kind of at the same time start making decisions around restoration of infrastructure such as roads. And on the private road side understanding what resources are available to help folks get home if they need that? I think the challenge is we are working with public dollars right now, and so really making that happen is one of my priorities in terms of what that process would actually entail. On the case management side, you know, the team at Neighborhood Place of Puna continues to work to kind of identify folks, and kind of resolve cases for individuals and homeowners and renters who are facing housing insecurity, and maybe not so secure financial future in this recovery effort. I think earlier on in the process, we've talked about a lot of data sharing agreements and ensuring that, you know, the county and Neighborhood Place of Puna had all the resources and information they had to serve these affected individuals and households. In just the past couple of weeks we were able to get over that hurdle with FEMA, and so now Neighborhood Place of Puna is working with a list of over 1,000 individual applicants and enrollees. And they're working diligently not to only serve the folks they have reached, but also to kind of reach out to this larger population. Many who may have self -resolved, or many who may not need this case management services, but understanding what it takes to reach all these individuals, the protocols to reach out, which I went into some detail last time. There's not only just need in terms of the folks who have been served by the program, but also the—well we just don't know yet, right. Those individuals that we're just now making contact with, and understanding what their recovery plan may look like. And so understanding how we can deploy those resources like Kilauea Hui to help with folks, or any other county programs. You know, this recovery process has really required all of us to be deliberate and creative at the same time, in terms of understanding, affirming kind of the needs we're hearing directly and taking action on it. But I think there'sI'm a firm believer in what some folks call continuous improvement, right. That we continue working on what we're working on but, you know, hearing feedback, hearing folk's frustrations at an individual level, but also on process that we work in, is something that I know it's our responsibility to take in, and take action on. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, thanks Douglas. I have a few questions, but I want to open it up to my colleagues first, if anyone has comments. Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, thank you. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Ashley and I were at the last meeting that we had, and I thought, you know, honestly you did a wonderful job. We keep saying that. And I know everyone wants to see action, what's coming, what are Page 5 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 we doing, but you fielded a lot of really interesting questions from people who are directly affected by the flow. And not all the news that you shared was well recepted, and even taking criticism you managed to keep your mind open, and listen to what was being said instead of being defensive, or going down that list of giving answers that just don't quite mean anything. And I really appreciated that, and I appreciate what came out the last meeting. And I just wanted to say thank you for taking this on, and being a very receptive listener which is extremely important. So thank you, Douglas. I don't have much to add to this conversation, just is good to hear from you. I heard a lot of what's coming, and what's going on from you in our meeting. So just want to give you that. Thank you sir. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder. Anyone else? Okay, Douglas just a few questions. I'm interested about the case management piece. You know, I heard from some folks in the I Mua Lower Puna Coalition that they haven't heard for Neighborhood Place, so I'm concerned that case managers don't have access to the right database. I mean how many calls have they made? You said there are a 1,000 or so open cases, but we mentioned about 3,000 households that were impacted by the disaster. So just wondering if case managers are still calling people that have been impacted. MR. LE: Yeah. I'm going to clarify that, because it's an important point. My apologies. When Neighborhood Place of Puna kicked off, their program with us in September, we were still working through this data sharing agreement on this FEMA and Small Business Administration database. Really minor thing of the database is that it is everyone who, you know, came out, enrolled, sought assistance, navigated that process in the days following the eruption. So that is that largest universe, of which there are over 3,000 contacts within that database. When Neighborhood Place of Puna kind of began its operations, we didn't have access to that database just yet. The Neighborhood Place of Puna relied on database of individuals from the community that they were already working with, or kind of have been in touch with. Even before the county kind of contract with them, they were already serving many of these individuals and hearing from many folks in the community. And so for the first few months of the program, we had this list of roughly 1,300 individuals and households with which to kick off the program. Now that we have full access to this database that is inclusive of enrollments and registrations from FEMA, and the Small Business Administration. They are now picking up that process to reach out to those folks, so the entire universe of a few 3,000 or so individuals. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Okay, great. And then are you able to share of the cases closed, what are some of the things that folks need? I've heard things very simple Page 6 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 like washer and dryer, and we can't fund that. So are there other really basic things that people need in order to sort of resolve their case? MR. LE: Sure. So the latest information I have coming from the program, is we've kind of at this point enrolled a total of 85 individuals directly with the recovery plan inner -case management program. Where with the new influx of information, and outreach that's ongoing, we're getting about seven new cases a week, and so I tell you 85 today, but then that will continue to grow. But I also can say that, you know, from that 85 we're actually down to kind of 76 active cases. Those individuals who have been able to be served by the Kilauea Hui who kind of takes cases, provides resources, it's a cycle so it takes a little bit of time between when Kilauea Hui meets. Kind of engages with the case managers upon the issues, and then actually provides the funds and then the recipient is able to close out the work that's needed. The case closure is really the benefit of the Kilauea Hui, and kind of all the resources that they brought to bear. So really kind of appreciate their role in this process. But for a lot of folks for example, fixed income seniors who are looking for very affordable housing that they can afford on their fixed income. Those are cases that remain open, because it's very challenging to meet that immediate need. And to your question on some of those cases that are closing, closing, they are around, you know, direct funding to replace a catchment system, to make a home livable again. I've heard about repairs to roofs, to kind of be able to get home. I think appliances are another part of it, and in terms of damage that was kind of suffered as a result of the eruption. You know, anything metal just really took the hit, so it's those kind of functional needs. The top needs that folks articulate within the individuals that were serving with the program, again, it's affordable housing, rental assistance, which I think would make housing more affordable so I think it is one of the same challenge that we're facing. And also, this is your road access, which I think it's an issue that we hear from many parts of the community as the priority and that's another barrier that folks are facing. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you. You know, speaking of priorities I think Matt was very spot on in commending you for how you were able to navigate such a broad set of questions from folks in the community on Friday. You really are the best person for this position, so I really applaud you. But the priorities and, you know, I don't want to reveal too much at this point, but you gave us overview, you helped us kind of just make sense of everything the community experienced; the data, the statistics. And then very briefly touched on some of the goals and strategies. But what was shared with us, I felt wasn't entirely reflective of what we are continuing to hear from the community. And I felt there was so Page 7 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 much time spent on certain aspects, like the buy out program, when clearly the testimony and in my continued outreach and community has been centered around roads, economic development, mental health, because there's so much trauma that our community is still facing. And so in that sense, I mean how much more work is going to be done on these plans so they reflect what we're hearing. Or if I'm wrong, if you're hearing different, can you show us from the other outreach that has been done to justify these policies and strategies. MR LE: Sure, yes. You know, coming out of this meeting on Friday, I took away the same message. In terms of where we've been successful, and to formulating this plan but where we still need to go. Really in this process there's a technical analysis of understanding risks, you know, lava flow, how much housing population enters infrastructure investment is in different areas of risk defined by lava flows, right. But we're also looking at these inputs from community directly as also direction of where strategies and priorities, and policies really should be shaped by. I feel that it is important to lift up these issues and actually start to not to say that their important, because I think we've been saying it for a while now. But understanding what are the near term steps we can do to take action on it, and just give folks answers. I think one thing here a lot is, even if everyone may not agree with final decisions that the community or the county may be making in this recovery process, people want clarity in decisions nonetheless, right. And so I think that this planning process is a tool to get to that outcome, around decisions. You know, of the different priorities, they all track differently in terms of what those immediate next steps are. Whether it be supporting the immediate term efforts that Puna Strong for example could support around health and human services, kind of youth development, more community building type work to aide in this recovery. That is that work stream, in terms of trying to get those resources directly out into the community. On the road restoration it's a different kind of work stream which we're having to track down, which is around kind of the Federal funding for these projects, as well as understanding, you know, what we can do about the private roads at this point. And so it'sI think that not only like what these policies and strategies are, and kind of really making sure that what we're hearing and what we're reflecting back actually is correct. And is what people are wanting for their lives, and for their path in recovery. That's I think our responsibility right now, as we get to kind of final drafts that we can kind of bring out more clearly within the community. And at the same time to work through how to set those actions up, in order to deliver on the plan, you know once it's finalized. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: And so when do you anticipate going public, and doing a speaker circuit with Puna constituents? Page 8 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 MR. LE: One of the kind of commitments and really homework that we have with the taskforce, was to kind of recirculate the plan and get individual input. And so I'd like to take that time to do that with the taskforce members in the next few weeks. And then kind of incorporate that, develop that next version, and then, you know, follow on to speak with a lot of the stakeholders. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: And so that was the plan that Tetra Tech is crafting, similar process is going to happen with the economic recovery strategy that ISD (Institute for Sustainable Development) put forward? MR. LE: That is correct. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Okay. So again, timeframe are we looking at the end of the month, beginning of March? MR. LE: I'm looking at March. To be able to kind of incorporate this input, really work on kind of the next step version of the plan documents and begin the community work. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Okay. That's all I have. I appreciate hearing the vision that the intention is to help Puna, and the Island to bounce forward. You know, I have a lot of hope and optimism in that statement. And you know, I just did want to put on the record, now that we have some strategies, draft plans from the consultants. You know, the interim recovery strategy that we adopted said monthly updates, but I'm going to change to every couple of months if that's okay? I want to make sure that we're giving you folks enough time to implement, so that there's some meaningful updates coming before the Council. MR. LE: Okay, appreciate that. CHR KIERKIEWICZ: Okay. Thank you, Douglas. Appreciate seeing you, and thanks to the recovery team for being here and for your work. There is a motion on the floor to close file on Communication 430.33. All in favor please say Ic aye. Vote on Comm. 430.33: The motion to close file on Comm. 430.33 was carried by Filed the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Lee Loy, Poindexter, Villegas, and Chair Kierkiewicz — 8. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Member Richards —1. Excused: None. Page 9 GREDC-18 February 4, 2020 ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, RESOLUTIONS: Order of Resolutions. (There were none.) BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of ORDINANCES: business, Bills for Ordinances. (There were none.) CHR. KIERKIEWICZ: Can I have a motion to adjourn? ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 12:08 p.m., Ms. Lee Loy moved to adjourn MENT: the meeting. Seconded by Ms. David and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Eoff, Kaneali `i-Kleinfelder, Lee Loy, Poindexter, Villegas, and Chair Kierkiewicz — 8. Noes: None. , Absent: Committee Member Richards — 1. Excused: None. CHR. KIERKIEWICZ: GRED is adjourned at 3:37 p.m. Thank you. Approved: Ms. As ey Kierkiewicz, Chair Governmental Relations and Economic Development Committee AK/rk '92141-202,0 (Date) Page 10