HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP AWEEMC 015 2020/03/10 2018-2020REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, WATER,
ENERGY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
DATE: March 10, 2020
PLACE: Council Chambers
Hilo, Hawaii
TIME: 1:03 p.m.
Council Chair and Members
Hawaii County Council
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Re: Comm. 768/Bill No. 142
Your Committee on Agriculture, Water, Energy, and Environmental Management (AWEEM), to
which was referred Bill No. 142, reports as follows:
Bill No. 142, transmitted by Council Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder dated February 6, 2020
proposes an amendment to Chapter 2, Article 8, Section 2-37 of the Hawaii County Code 1983
(2016 Edition, as amended); relating to the Department of Research and Development's (R&D)
Sustainability Action Committee (SAC) by including the words "climate change" and
"environmental science" to the description of the SAC.
A motion to move Bill 142 to Council with a positive recommendation was made by Council
Member Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, second by Council Member David. R&D Director Diane Ley and
Deputy Riley Saito shared the history of the SAC and how subcommittees were derived from the
SAC mission, particularly -the Energy Advisory Commission and the Agriculture Advisory
Commission, which provided groundwork on an energy plan and stood up the County of Hawaii
(COH) Agriculture Development Plan. Many short-term projects were accomplished by those
plans, including long term partnerships with Green Growth, Aloha Plus Challenge, GLISPA,
with lists of larger projects and initiatives identified and focused, including greenhouse gas
emissions. The administration is committed to working through this process and continue its
efforts towards sustainability for the COH, however R&D is not in a position budgetarily nor
staff -wise to stand up and provide support for a SAC at this time. Council Members echoed the
fact that a SAC is needed, and that the Mayor needs to make the decision to enact it or not. It
was agreed upon that if SAC was housed elsewhere, for example, Mayor's Office, it would be
counterproductive cost -wise. Continued discussion anticipated at the Council level.
AWEEMC Report No.: 15
AWEEMC-15 Page 2 March 10,2020
Your Committee on Agriculture, Water, Energy, and Environmental Management is in accord
with the purpose and intent of Bill No. 142 and recommends its passage on first reading.
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AYES NOES ABS EX Respectfully submitted,
CHUNG X
DAVID X COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE,WATER,
EOFF X ENERGY,AND ENVIRONMENTAL
KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER X MANAGEMENT
KIERKIEWICZ X J i .ogiow4
1i4
LEE LOY X
POINDEXTER X HERBERT M. "TIM"RICHARDS, II, CHAIR
RICHARDS X AWEEMC REPORT NO.: 15
VILLEGAS X ADOPTED: MAR 2 5 2020 1