2026-11-05 - Policy Committee on Health Safety and Well-being

01:36That's great. Four weeks for you.

01:39>> My bad.

01:39>> You're our fearless leader.

01:41>> Yeah, right.

01:43Are we ready?

01:44>> Yes, sir.

01:45>> Okay, thank you. Okay, good morning.

01:49Today is Hold on. One fast one.

01:57Is there anything?

01:59Yeah, but I'm looking my

02:01Where's my paper?

02:04No, here. Okay.

02:08November 5th, 2026, we're at the West

02:10Hawaii Civic Center.

02:13It's the 13th session of the Policy

02:15Committee on Health, Safety, and

02:17Wellbeing.

02:19Uh at

02:20in attendance at this meeting, to my far

02:22left is Ms. Kagiwara, Mr. Eustace, Ms.

02:25Kirkowitz. To my far right, it is Ms.

02:28Kimble, Ms. Colimba, Mr. Kanuha Klein

02:31Felder, and Chair Inaba.

02:33And absent or excused is Ms.

02:37Um Vegas, and I'm chairing this meeting.

02:40This is I'm Fresh Onishi.

02:43Mr. Clerk, is there any testimony?

02:46>> Thank you, Committee Chair Onishi. I can

02:48confirm you don't have You do not have

02:49any testifiers for your committee.

02:51>> Okay, thank you very much. Okay, can you

02:54read in Communication 1133?

02:57>> Communication 1133 requested discussion

03:00with County Administration regarding

03:01Hurricane Lala After Action Review and

03:04Recovery Plan from Council member Ashley

03:06Kirkowitz, dated October 19, 2026.

03:10>> Ms. Kirkowitz.

03:11>> Thank you, Chair. Motion to close file

03:12on Communication 1133.

03:14>> Second.

03:14>> Okay, motion by Ms. Kirkowitz, second by

03:16Mr. Eustace. Go ahead, Ms. Kirkowitz.

03:19>> Thank you. Do we have representatives

03:20from the administration present for

03:23today's discussion?

03:35>> Hi, good afternoon. Daryl Oliveira,

03:38acting administrator, Hawaii County

03:39Civil Defense, online.

03:41Along with Kanani Aton, recovery

03:43officer.

03:44>> Great, good morning. Thanks so much for

03:45joining us. Um I requested this

03:48discussion because it's been um a few

03:50months since Hurricane Lala impacted our

03:52Hawaii Island communities, and I think

03:55it's important that we as a council and

03:57the community understand what happened,

03:59what worked, where we struggled, and

04:01what we need to do differently because

04:03we have been seeing a lot of natural

04:05disasters over the last decade and we

04:07can definitely anticipate more in the

04:08future. There was a tremendous amount of

04:11effort um put in by our county and state

04:14and federal personnel, non-profit

04:16organizations, local businesses, and

04:18residents who stepped up to help their

04:20neighbors and I absolutely want to

04:23recognize all of that. But I think it's

04:25important that we also examine the gaps

04:28in our system and the challenges that

04:30our communities um experienced in

04:32accessing assistance.

04:35Um you know, I represent the district

04:36that was inundated by the volcanic

04:38eruption and our community is still in

04:40recovery mode. Um so in addition to

04:43assessing what happened with emergency

04:46response related to lava, I do want us

04:49to at least hold some space to

04:50understand what recovery looks like for

04:53the Kaʻū region and all Hawaiʻi Island

04:55communities that were impacted by the

04:57disaster. Um so with that, um acting

05:00administrator, looking to understand

05:02understand um if an after-action review

05:05um was completed, how those lessons will

05:08translate into concrete improvements at

05:11the county level, and for our recovery

05:14officer, understanding what sort of

05:15efforts are underway so that community

05:18needs can be met and we're doing

05:20everything we can to ensure that nothing

05:22falls through the cracks. Thanks for

05:23being here.

05:25>> And before we start, um just for the

05:27record, uh we have Deputy Director Leo

05:30Asvedo from DPW also

05:33in this meeting discussion. Thank you.

05:35Okay, go ahead, Ms. Kirkwood.

05:37>> Thank you. I'll let the um acting

05:39administrator and recovery officer

05:40proceed with the presentation.

05:42>> Thanks.

05:43>> Uh thank you. Good morning again.

05:45And as uh Council member Kirkwood

05:47pointed out, not only do we want to do

05:50an after-action review at every one of

05:51these events or incidents as an

05:53opportunity to learn from what we

05:55experienced and close the gaps and make

05:57improvements, but it's also a

05:58requirement under the current county

06:00code chapter 7 section 3-6 would again

06:03conducting a a comprehensive

06:04after-action review and it outlines

06:07again the the specific objectives of

06:09that after action review. An after

06:11action review was conducted by our

06:13office back in October starting with a

06:16survey that was put out to all of the

06:17stakeholders that are present here in

06:19the EOC uh when we go through a response

06:22uh and even pre-impact uh operations.

06:26That survey focused a lot on the EOC

06:28operations rather than a more

06:30comprehensive across the entire

06:33I want to say pre-impact activities,

06:36response operations, and then

06:38immediately post-impact recovery

06:40operations.

06:41Uh so what we've done from our office is

06:44I shared this with the mayor and

06:45managing director is requesting that

06:47every one of the county agencies and our

06:49stakeholders conduct an internal after

06:51action review within their own

06:53organization to identify lessons learned

06:56by their organization uh so that we can

06:59include it as a more of a a more

07:00comprehensive after action review for

07:03the administration and then for the

07:04council.

07:05I did provide a copy of the after action

07:07review that was done by our office to

07:09council member Herkes but as I

07:11highlighted for her it's very EOC

07:13centric so it doesn't speak to the two

07:16to totality or the the broad spectrum of

07:19operations that I I'm sure the county

07:21and the community would like to know

07:23what we did, what we learned, what we're

07:26going to do differently the next time.

07:28So as an example what's not captured in

07:30this after action review is lessons

07:33learned with coming out of the Kona low.

07:36Uh so as an again an example

07:38coming out of the Kona low there was

07:39significant debris deposited within the

07:42flood channels and flood basins across

07:45the different areas of the island from

07:47South Kona

07:48through Kau.

07:49And what both state highways and in

07:51particular our Department of Public

07:53Works and if you have questions

07:54specifically on what I'm going to share

07:57I'm grateful that uh Deputy Director

07:59Azavedo's online to maybe address them

08:01but I'll share that what they do again

08:03lessons learned is go out after the

08:05flood event and re-clear all of the

08:08flood basins and channels to ensure with

08:10the next heavy rain event water would

08:12flow.

08:13And I'm sure Neil can share with you

08:15that what was removed in the form of

08:17debris, sediment, and what was collected

08:19in those flood channels, in particular

08:20in the Nallehu and Pahala areas,

08:23was minuscule compared to what was

08:25deposited with Hurricane Lala. Just the

08:28sheer volume of material that was

08:30deposited uh presented with significant

08:33recovery challenges as well as was

08:35evident as to what happened and what

08:37caused a lot of the flooding in areas

08:39that typically don't see flooding. But

08:41that would be an example of what what

08:42I'm asking the departments to capture,

08:44what they did pre-impact as mitigation

08:47strategies and from previous events and

08:50what we learned,

08:51what was effective in those strategies,

08:54and uh what we're going to do the next

08:56time. To kind of segue with that, uh

08:59with that particular incident,

09:01something we've asked, and it's public

09:03knowledge, well known, that we asked the

09:05Corps of Engineers to come in and help

09:07us identify what has changed in the

09:09environment in the Ka'u district with

09:11regards to flood and water movement,

09:14basically water pathways. Because what

09:17was obvious when we did the assessment

09:19is the water was not limited to the

09:21current flood channels. In many areas,

09:24they were either exceeding the capacity

09:26of the streams and creating new flow

09:28paths or exceeding the capacity of the

09:30flood channels regardless of the debris

09:32and the obstructions. It was the volume

09:34of rain that was occurring over a very

09:36short period of time that presented with

09:38some of the new

09:39newly established flood pathways. So the

09:42Corps of Engineers uh has had been

09:44requested. They arrived and did an

09:47assessment and will providing the county

09:49with a formal report on recommendations

09:52from emergency protective measures and

09:54mitigation strategies. It's not going to

09:56be a full comprehensive flood analysis

09:58because that would take, you know, well

10:00over a year. But what we've asked for is

10:02to prioritize it from a basis of life

10:04safety. What has changed in our

10:06community that currently, or with future

10:08flood events, we could see new or

10:12extended threat with life safety. Do we

10:15have residential areas or populated

10:17areas that are at risk going forward?

10:19Secondly is what

10:21infrastructure may also be at risk going

10:24forward

10:25and what mitigation measures can be

10:26taken.

10:28And in included in the infrastructure is

10:30not just the roadways and our

10:33hard facilities structures, but it

10:35includes the cemetery because I know

10:37you're all following that as well. The

10:38flood cemetery was impacted severely

10:41with displacement of burials and we're

10:43asking the core to part of their

10:45analysis

10:46was to comment on how vulnerable the

10:48cemetery is going forward.

10:50What can be some protective measures and

10:52mitigations done to prevent impact or

10:55minimize impact and again even the

10:59future of the cemetery from a more

11:01permanent can it remain in place? Should

11:03we have be having conversations or

11:06discussions as to whether or not the

11:07cemetery needs to be closed and existing

11:09burials at least that section relocated

11:12to different areas within the cemetery

11:14property. But that's an example of what

11:16I'd like to capture in a more

11:17comprehensive after action review

11:20which I will continue to support even

11:23when my term limit is up. I would like

11:26to with if the administration is

11:27comfortable continues to assist and help

11:29facilitate that to compile it and work

11:32with the permanent administrator on

11:34making sure that happens.

11:36Um

11:38Again, that was just an example of one

11:39I'll I'll share another one with regards

11:41to response. So we want to look at the

11:43after action from a pre-impact what was

11:46done. What we do differently and that

11:48would even include our messaging.

11:50So we you're all familiar. We put out

11:51messages pre-impact. We recently

11:54conducted an EOC 101 kind of an

11:56orientation for some of our state

11:58legislators here

11:59and it was interesting to see maybe

12:01different perspectives of or ideas as

12:04when does does Hawaii County's EOC stand

12:06up? Are we waiting for a state

12:08organization HIEMA or even the

12:10governor's office to pull that trigger

12:11and the answer was no. This EOC here on

12:14Hawaii Island stands up the most

12:15frequent of all in the state. We have a

12:17lot of uh experience with what we deal

12:21with and a lot of

12:23I want to say very strong relationships

12:24across our stakeholders.

12:26So, pre-impact, we are conducting

12:28briefings in the EOC where we're

12:30collecting information from our

12:32stakeholders as well as sharing

12:33information with the expected threat and

12:36risk that's coming. So, with a weather

12:38event, well before any impact is even

12:40anticipated, we're getting the latest

12:42updates from a meteorologist here in the

12:45room that's guiding the decision-making

12:48on what strategies we're going to have.

12:50That information is also used with the

12:52development of our communication

12:55packages which goes out to the public in

12:57various forms from our radio messages to

13:00our mass notification with texts and

13:02emails to working with the media on

13:05other processes including social media.

13:08So, we're collecting information early,

13:10sharing information early to help the

13:12agencies and stakeholders get better

13:13prepared and ready as well as to help

13:16our community prepare. But, that's one

13:18element of the pre-impact

13:20ramp up.

13:21As I mentioned, the agencies are also at

13:23that point using the information that

13:25they receive in the EOC from the subject

13:27matter experts on what they need to do

13:29with pre-positioning assets, revisiting

13:32like what Neil does, all of the the

13:34drainages and culverts and making sure

13:35they're all clear. So, his teams are out

13:37there with every weather event prior to

13:39the onset of any impact and ensuring

13:41that those flood channels and openings

13:42are are all sufficient to accommodate

13:45the water that's expected.

13:47It's also making sure all agencies are

13:50mindful of their continuity of

13:51operations. So, fueling of generators,

13:54fueling of vehicles, pre-positioning of

13:56assets, even right down to identifying

13:58the personnel that would be held over

14:00once impact starts.

14:02Um another gap that I'd like to see us

14:04work on together is to identify

14:07thresholds for response as we move into

14:10the response discussion.

14:12Right now, it's it's It's practice on

14:14Hawaii Island where our first responder

14:16agencies

14:18they will use

14:20I want to say more ground truth and

14:23personal perspective from the responding

14:26officers, whether it be police or fire,

14:28and even the public works teams, of

14:30based on their observations when they

14:32will terminate or suspend operations.

14:36It It would be a value to set some

14:38thresholds. So, for example, HECO has a

14:40threshold with putting their crews up

14:43with buckets that if winds exceed 40

14:46mph, buckets don't go up. That is also

14:48an OSHA requirement with crane

14:50operations. So, I think from our

14:52standpoint, from the county, it's how do

14:54we identify some thresholds so that we

14:57can assure the continued operations, the

14:59safety of the personnel, but also manage

15:01expectations from for the public because

15:04if we can communicate that ahead of time

15:06and educate our citizens that once the

15:09onset of some of these hazards begins,

15:12it may be too dangerous to put people on

15:14the road to try to get to you. So, when

15:16we are encouraging taking shelter, going

15:19to a shelter, evacuating areas of risk,

15:22it's really to one ensure their safety,

15:24but also to minimize the risk to

15:26personnel that need to go and assist

15:27them when things go wrong.

15:29Uh so, again, in the response that was

15:32not captured in the current

15:33after-action, but I'd like to see that

15:35captured in the more comprehensive

15:37after-action review. As well as, you

15:39know, some of our facilities. I know all

15:41of you are aware of the facilities in

15:43your district as it And again, I'm

15:45speaking more from a emergency response

15:49uh position where, let's say, police and

15:51fire. But, we have facilities in many

15:53districts across the community

15:56that the facilities would not be the

15:58best to ride out an event. Again, using

16:01as an example our Lapahoehoe police and

16:04fire stations.

16:05They're both old wooden structures that

16:07are not built to current codes that

16:10could be vulnerable to a high wind

16:12event. So, from a county perspective,

16:14it's having those conversations

16:15internally that as if we're expecting or

16:18it's been forecast that we'll see

16:19significant winds in these areas, where

16:22do we relocate the crews so they can

16:24maintain their availability rather than

16:27get trapped or worse by riding it out in

16:30structures that may not survive that

16:32particular threat.

16:34Uh so again as an example with Honoka'a

16:36fire station, conversations we were

16:38having in here is whether or not we

16:40would marry up fire and police. The the

16:42police station in Honoka'a is a much

16:44more hardened facility

16:45or would they rather relocate to the

16:47sports complex in Honoka'a, which is

16:50again a much more strong and resilient

16:51structure to ride out a windy event. But

16:54those are the kinds of conversations

16:55that can easily trans uh transition into

16:58policy or guidelines, operational

17:01guidelines. So for new team members or

17:05you know, the future,

17:07we have better formal formalized

17:09guidance on what we're going to do as

17:11far as operations. Again, I'm just

17:13giving you examples of what I'd like to

17:15see included in a more comprehensive

17:17after-action review

17:19that unfortunately wasn't captured in

17:20the current one,

17:22but I'm I'm committing my

17:24uh or making my commitment to continue

17:26to assist and develop that uh document

17:29both for the council, the

17:31administration, and then for the teams,

17:33but most importantly to communicate to

17:35the public what we learned and what

17:37we're going to do differently.

17:39Um I can continue on. I just didn't want

17:41to take up all the time explaining where

17:43we're at with the current after-action

17:45or where I'd like to go. It might be

17:47more helpful to answer questions at this

17:49point on the after-action process.

17:51Uh so I'll defer to you, uh

17:53council chair, what you prefer. I like I

17:55can share more, I can just entertain

17:57questions.

17:58>> Thank you, acting administrator. Our our

17:59time together is limited, so we

18:01definitely want to save some time for

18:04questions. I'm echoing here.

18:12Um acting administrator, you mentioned

18:14that your time is almost up with the

18:15county. Um when exactly is your last day

18:20in a contracted

18:21and I'm curious if you have any

18:23information around um the mayor's hiring

18:26of a permanent administrator for Civil

18:28Defense.

18:30>> Well, I do know that the mayor and MD

18:31have been working on the the hiring. Uh

18:34the recruitment was open, and I believe

18:36it closed. And I I do believe they do

18:38have applicants.

18:40Uh my last day is actually next week

18:42Friday.

18:43Um

18:44but again,

18:45I'm saying that even though I will not

18:48be on county payroll or a county

18:50employee,

18:51I still feel

18:53I want to say obligated to continue this

18:55process and assist with the new

18:58administrator, especially if it's

18:59someone not from our island and maybe

19:01not familiar with our community. Um

19:05as I shared openly recently again with

19:07our state legislature, I feel we have

19:08the best system. Having been able to

19:11work for a little while in Maui County

19:13and post the fire there,

19:15as well as when I interact with my peers

19:17in the other counties, I feel

19:19we've been fortunate. The system is

19:21built been built on a really good

19:22foundation,

19:24but there's still more work to be done.

19:26Um and again, we also have a very

19:28limited staff in this office. So, for

19:30some of the

19:32I want to say the the desired products

19:34like like an after-action, there may be

19:36better ways to get this accomplished

19:38with the limited staff we have.

19:40Um

19:41and exploring different vehicles or

19:43mechanisms to make that happen, but

19:45again, sorry. To answer your question,

19:47next week Friday is my last day, but I

19:49am planning to stick around and assist

19:51even if I'm not in the official capacity

19:53as long as the administration and the

19:55new administrator would like my

19:56assistance.

19:57>> That's very generous of you considering

19:59you have served as fire chief, Civil

20:01Defense Administrator um here on Hawaii

20:03County, and also supporting Maui after

20:05the Lahaina fires. Um I think this

20:07council would benefit from some kind of

20:09list of recommendations from you before

20:12you depart, just so that we're capturing

20:14lessons learned, um and the next council

20:17can work to ensure that the

20:18recommendations you are provided can be

20:20tracked, and various departments can be

20:22held accountable to ensuring these

20:25things happen.

20:26On the idea of an after action review, I

20:29have a wondering around might it be

20:31appropriate for someone

20:33independent third party not part of the

20:35county to perhaps conduct the after

20:38action review process. Um

20:41obviously our our teams are very

20:44time is very limited

20:45and it might be helpful to have somebody

20:48that wasn't part of the chaos of

20:50response to facilitate those

20:52conversations to get feedback on how

20:56they honestly felt response went and

20:58where there is room for improvement. Is

21:00that something that you could get

21:02behind?

21:04>> Yes, I would definitely support using a

21:06third party facilitating the after

21:08action because they're going to extract

21:10the information from our teams but do it

21:13without bias, do it from

21:16very objective based perspectives,

21:18especially if they're just to reflect on

21:19what's in chapter 736.

21:22There are very specific objectives there

21:25that if you were to do an RFP or or

21:27other solicitation, I think there are

21:30resources in the community

21:32locally as well as there are contract

21:34organizations that do this across the

21:36nation that could come in. I realize

21:38that's at a cost

21:39but I think when you look at if if

21:41you're asking

21:43Holyoke City fans to facilitate that

21:45process given the short staff

21:47we have

21:49and if we're going through multiple

21:50events like we just did, it can

21:53sometimes be put on the back burner as

21:55well as not receive the priority and

21:57commitment that it needs. So by going

22:00through a third party, it it may be more

22:02timely, unbiased, more efficient process

22:05and they'll put a very comprehensive

22:07report together at the end. And again,

22:09we would develop the scope of work for

22:11that contractor to ensure we get the

22:13outcomes we're looking for.

22:15>> Great, thank you. I just have a few more

22:16questions. Um

22:18over the last 10 years this idea of a

22:20universal intake form has come up. This

22:23particular disaster there was the the

22:26Darcy request for assistance case

22:28management. Then there was a form you

22:30needed to fill out if you had

22:31residential damage, and then a separate

22:33form if you had damage to your

22:34commercial facility. Is there any

22:37thought within the county to perhaps try

22:39to merge that so that individuals are

22:42sharing information one time and not

22:45having to be re-traumatized in filling

22:48out multiple applications. This is

22:49something that we saw during Lava, and

22:52unfortunately we also saw it playing out

22:53again with Hurricane Lava.

22:57>> Yes, and

22:58and again I'll say that that concept of

23:00a universal intake for our community was

23:03actually put forth coming out of Izell

23:06because we saw numerous contacts being

23:09made with residents post impact with

23:12regards to damage assessment. So, again,

23:14to give it some some context

23:16we had our CERT teams being deployed to

23:18go into Puna and do damage assessments

23:21followed by Red Cross, followed by our

23:23office of housing. So, these poor

23:25residents were being interviewed, in

23:28some cases many as five times, with

23:30people coming to their homes to collect

23:33almost the same information. And you can

23:35only imagine, like you said,

23:36re-traumatizing them.

23:38I do know specifically residents were

23:40asking, "When is help coming? You keep

23:43asking the same questions." The other

23:45challenge, and why we put forth a

23:47universal intake form then

23:49was to

23:51avoid the challenges with organizations

23:53that may have

23:55uh, restrictions based on their own

23:57internal structure and rules with the

23:59ability to share information.

24:01So, many times we're missing

24:02opportunities. So, again, an example

24:05with the 2018 eruption, at one point we

24:07had well over 400 people in the sports

24:10complex in Pahoa

24:12being managed by Red Cross

24:15yet we could not get information from

24:17Red Cross on the needs of the survivors

24:21from the eruption because their their

24:23system, their charter, their rules don't

24:26allow for them to just hand over

24:27information even if the county is

24:29requesting.

24:30I experienced the same thing on Maui.

24:32There is a process where you can request

24:35a data sharing agreement with Red Cross,

24:37but that doesn't automatically result in

24:39right away you're getting the

24:40information.

24:42So, the universal intake has tremendous

24:44value because we're having touch points

24:46with survivors, damage assessments, when

24:49they go to the resource centers or the

24:51pods, when they go to a shelter. And

24:54each one of those touch points is an

24:55opportunity to collect information about

24:57what did they experience, what needs do

24:59they have.

25:00But as you can imagine, someone having a

25:02tree fall on their home, and they report

25:05that through the request for assistance

25:07portal, and say I need chainsawing, they

25:10may need other things because they they

25:12maybe have been without power because of

25:14the power outage, don't have any food.

25:17They may not have access to

25:18transportation. That tree could have

25:20fell on their catchment, and now they

25:21don't have water. Unless somebody is

25:23doing comprehensive intake and asking

25:26them all the questions, often times

25:28we're missing what are the totality of

25:30their needs that we can work within the

25:32abundance of resources we have on the

25:34ground with various organizations,

25:36government and non-government, to ensure

25:39that we put them in a better place

25:41coming out of the disaster.

25:43We may not get them 100% whole, but we

25:45get them on a path to normalcy and a

25:47back on a path to stability. Uh

25:50especially if it's uncertain if we're

25:52going to get federal assistance.

25:54So, there's huge value to that universal

25:57intake. I know the mayor supports it.

25:59Regarding the platforms you mentioned,

26:01yes, we're looking at how do we get

26:02these digital platforms with I'm not a

26:05techno person, but there these APIs

26:07where you can have agreements between

26:09the proprietary softwares where they can

26:11share information import and export so

26:15that the information is readily

26:16available no matter which platform

26:18you're on. But it will be building that.

26:21We're working with the state coming, you

26:23know, out of LALA with Department of

26:25Human Services, with gems, with um

26:29Aloha United Way,

26:31uh, FEMA on addressing that for our Lala

26:34survivors with, again, how do we

26:36streamline the data collection and how

26:39do we improve the sharing across the

26:41case management realm.

26:44>> Thank you for that. Um, I believe Rep

26:46Capella is on Zoom and I did want to

26:49provide her a very quick opportunity if

26:52she's still on

26:54to perhaps talk about some of the

26:58How do I say this?

27:00Ways in which the administration can

27:03strengthen communications between

27:05elected officials. Um, I don't know if

27:08it I don't know where it is written that

27:10an elected official cannot be in the EOC

27:13during emergency response discussions.

27:17Um, I know that I had legislators

27:18reaching out to me a bit frustrated not

27:20being able to get information, um, as

27:22this

27:24Lala, uh, storm event was progressing.

27:27Um, and so folks are are just having to

27:29do what they can to support community

27:31and that leads to unnecessary

27:33duplication, I think, of efforts and

27:35perhaps frustration. Thank you, Rep um,

27:37Keohokalole

27:38for joining us as well. Ladies, just a

27:40few minutes on ways in which that you

27:41believe uh, communication and

27:43collaboration can be strengthened

27:45between the county and the state.

27:48Particularly because we will likely be

27:50asking you for funding to support

27:52recovery efforts.

27:56>> Aloha, everyone. Um, thank you so much,

27:58Councilmember, for the opportunity uh,

28:00to join you folks today. Um, as um,

28:03Daryl had mentioned, we did have a

28:05chance to talk in the EOC and kind of go

28:07through some of the processes. I think

28:09one of the biggest things is

28:10operationalizing support. Legislators

28:13are often seen as people that community

28:15members can come to, get an answer from,

28:18and with any type of disaster, it's

28:20always the local agency that has to

28:22respond first.

28:24Right, EOC is leading

28:26and then it's state supporting. But at

28:28the same time, we're trying to help our

28:30constituents understand what's happening

28:32and sometimes

28:33we can be the person that community

28:36members will go to because the county is

28:38so overwhelmed. So, I think one of the

28:41things that we need to work on is how do

28:42we operationalize support, being able to

28:45ensure that every single elected

28:47official that is in

28:50that impacted region or area. It doesn't

28:52mean every single elected official on

28:54the island, but if you are someone who

28:55is representing that specific community,

28:58you should be involved from county all

29:00the way up through the state

29:01communications.

29:03It took a couple of

29:04Honestly, it took about a week to be

29:05able to get access to some of the right

29:08conversations and the right people,

29:10um where there are everyday meetings at

29:148:00 or 9:00. The state hosts their own

29:16meeting

29:17held and led by the governor. The county

29:20hosts its own meeting held and led by

29:22the mayor. Um I was not allowed to be in

29:26the county meeting.

29:28Um

29:29It got to a point where mayor did allow

29:30me the opportunity to

29:33um

29:34someone from his team would maybe give

29:36me a call if that was if they remembered

29:39that day. It happened a couple of times,

29:41it wasn't consistent, and that's I I

29:43think a part of the problem. Um so, if

29:45we can find a way to ensure that every

29:47single elected, whether you're county,

29:49state, or federal, you're in that room

29:51so that we are

29:52as you mentioned, funneling the right

29:54resources at the right time, um because

29:56we all have different resources, and at

29:58the end of the day, we want to be able

29:60to at the state level support what the

30:01county is doing and leading, and share a

30:03unified message to community members.

30:07Um and then once one thing that I'll

30:09also echo is the importance of that

30:11universal form. Myself, Rep.

30:13KihuKupuLiloa, that we were helping a

30:15lot of constituents kind of go through

30:18those reports, sharing what we were

30:20hearing with county, um

30:23and then also trying to get them to

30:24direct resources if they needed it. Um

30:28But, there's a lot of overlapping

30:30information that at the end of the day,

30:32I think held us back and held back

30:35support for our community members.

30:38And then I'll just toss to Rep. Kila

30:40Kaapuniella if she wanted to add

30:41anything to that as well.

30:46>> Uh thank you. Thank you um Council

30:48Member Kirkwood for this communication.

30:51And of course to Daryl and Al Kalanithi

30:54uh who will now carry the heavy water

30:56that this takes.

30:58Um

30:59as Rep. Cabella mentioned,

31:02>> [clears throat]

31:02>> I was able to see a lot of the request

31:05for aid forms on the back end, which

31:08then allowed me to communicate

31:12with our office of our state office of

31:15wellness and resiliency,

31:18along with DLIR, which is our

31:20unemployment.

31:22We were recognizing real quickly

31:26that

31:28getting through the event was one part,

31:32but the recovery part, whether it was

31:36food assistance, water assistance, power

31:39assistance, there was going to be this

31:42long-term impact to employment for the

31:45area. And so I, too, um being very vocal

31:50about trying to create this universal

31:53form,

31:54because the sooner we know, the sooner

31:58we as state representative

32:01representatives can start to deploy some

32:03of the other state resources,

32:06so that when they are filling out this

32:09form, they're not getting

32:11re-traumatized. And this one form will

32:15highlight the comprehensive need that

32:18they will have.

32:20Um one thing I've also spoken with the

32:23office of wellness and resiliency is how

32:26to operationalize this trauma-informed

32:30not only response,

32:32but recovery piece.

32:35And then of course, you know, thank you

32:37to Daryl and his team for hosting us in

32:41a training class that I was incredibly

32:44eye-opening

32:46for legislators, but more importantly,

32:50we saw enormous gaps, but we're still

32:52the best across the state. Hawaii Island

32:56is still the best when it comes to an

33:00EOC and its responses.

33:03And then, of course, finally, um

33:05this idea of

33:07Daryl, thank you. If you can stay on, it

33:10would be wonderful.

33:12Uh we have an incredible network and

33:15people at the legislature are trying to

33:18do things better.

33:20Um and

33:22this information around a comprehensive

33:25after-action report helps us map out and

33:30plan the resources, which we know for

33:33this region

33:35of

33:36Kaho'olawe

33:38will be half a generation or more.

33:42And then,

33:43one thing Daryl did teach us during this

33:46process is the more we can mitigate and

33:51put funding and resources to mitigation,

33:55hardening our assets, hardening our

33:57infrastructure,

33:59actually shortens the time of recovery

34:03and the recovery dollars that go with

34:05it. So, thank you, Councilmember

34:08Kirk-O-Witz, for

34:10you know, starting this conversation,

34:12but for everyone to know,

34:15Hawaii Island and all of its

34:17representation, both public and

34:20non-public, are putting our heads

34:22together and and looking for solutions.

34:25Thank you.

34:26>> Thanks, ladies, for being here. I just

34:28have a couple more questions. Um

34:30Administrator, one significant gap

34:32during um the lava response effort was

34:34related to agriculture

34:37um and getting emergency water hauled to

34:40livestock. I don't know how I got roped

34:41into it, but I did. And was able to

34:44coordinate the delivery of over 850,000

34:47gallons of water, and public works also

34:50supported that effort delivering about

34:52100,000 gallons of water.

34:54I know that, you know,

34:56getting water to individuals is

34:58absolutely paramount, but there wasn't

35:02enough attention, in my humble opinion,

35:04paid to ensuring that livestock and

35:07livelihood of these ranches on Enoka'a

35:09was taken care of, particularly when

35:12every year

35:13we have political promises around we

35:15need to be a more food secure,

35:18um, you know, island nation.

35:21Next time, um, what do you anticipate as

35:23far as ensuring that our ag ecosystem is

35:26cared for?

35:29>> I I think it's right now

35:31it's looking at what lessons were

35:33learned. Like, the ranchers,

35:35unfortunately, were heavily dependent

35:37upon the supply chain.

35:39Not so much the source, because it

35:41wasn't like the source was depleted at

35:43the very springs. But I I caveat that

35:46they were going into a dry season next,

35:48so I'm sure we're going to be watching

35:50water levels and available water

35:52resources going forward. But,

35:55we need to

35:57again, from a mitigated mitigation

35:58standpoint,

36:00no longer have just a supply chain as

36:02the only element that ensures they have

36:04water, but it's the storage. So, going

36:07forward, it's identifying opportunities,

36:11maybe through a philanthropic mitigation

36:13funds, combination of different funding

36:16sources. How do we build storage

36:18capacity of non-potable water so it can

36:21be dedicated to ag use,

36:24because that was some of the challenges

36:25as you opened up with is, you know,

36:27first and foremost, available water was

36:29obviously going to go to the human

36:31population,

36:32but yet we still need to support our

36:35agricultural businesses, in particular

36:38the cattle that were highly in need of

36:40the water as both the food

36:43sustainability, but also as an economic

36:46impact on the community. Um again,

36:49far-reaching. So, I'm looking at

36:51opportunities to build more storage

36:53capacity and to piggyback that on other

36:56hazards and risks. So, if you can

36:58imagine, we can get a mitigation grant

37:00or mitigation project where we can

37:01increase storage capacity that's

37:03available for the ranchers,

37:05possibly supplied by a combination of

37:08the available springs, but maybe even

37:11rainwater collection systems,

37:14like our catchments,

37:15but also to be available not just for ag

37:18use, but if we have wildfires in the

37:19area, it's available as dip tanks for

37:22fire suppression.

37:23So, it's how do we find the

37:24multi-benefit solutions that can then

37:27justify federal dollars as well as

37:29receive the support from philanthropic

37:31monies that's cost-effective, relatively

37:34inexpensive. In a sense, when I did some

37:36research after this to

37:38get an idea of what's the barriers to

37:40the ranchers putting in catchment or

37:42storage tanks,

37:45it would appear to be it's within reach.

37:46A 20,000-gallon galvanized storage tank,

37:50and you can get it with food-grade or

37:51non-food-grade liners, is in the

37:53ballpark of $8,000. So, it wouldn't seem

37:56like it's unrealistic or it's ex-

37:59extremely expensive, but it's still an

38:01expense. So, how do we either subsidize

38:04or offset that expense to assist the

38:06ranchers who may be struggling already,

38:09but it would appear that we could

38:11increase storage capacity substantially

38:13for agricultural use uh pretty easily

38:17cuz they're easy to stand up. They're

38:18pretty resilient. Although, I know that

38:20we had significant catchment impacts

38:22with the earthquake, but I think we can

38:24look at the installation in a in a

38:28hardened way and still not be that

38:31expensive or costly to install. So, I

38:34guess like it Actually, I think it's

38:35just continue to work with the ranchers,

38:37work with the nonprofits, work with

38:40philanthropic, and look at looking

38:42forward to possibly mitigation grant

38:44monies, as well as all of our state

38:46partners. One of the things that we're

38:47working on right now is bringing all of

38:49the state and federal agricultural

38:51stakeholders into the room and having

38:53them identify for us what programs do

38:55they have so we have better visibility,

38:58especially for Kanani coming in as a

39:00recovery officer, what are the ag

39:03resources available for recovery?

39:05Um and in some cases, they may even be

39:07there for mitigation before an impact

39:10happens. So, we do have some some work

39:13to do on the ag.

39:15Uh and I think in particular is building

39:17more capacity for the ranchers in Ka'u.

39:19>> Yeah, thank you. I just want to make

39:21sure that in the future ag is not an

39:23afterthought. This is a good segue, I

39:24think, into um Kanani and your role as

39:27the recovery officer. Congratulations. I

39:30think we're all just trying to

39:31understand one, how we can support you,

39:33and then the focus of your work. Is it

39:35just to support um the impacts of

39:37Hurricane Lala, or will you also be

39:39supporting communities impacted by the

39:41Kona lows, and even the eruption, cuz I

39:43know there are some outstanding projects

39:45there. Thank you.

39:47>> Absolutely. Mahalo, everyone. Mahalo,

39:50council. I'm in my first week as

39:52recovery officer, learning from the

39:54people who built and are continuing to

39:56carry this work. Uh our mayor and

39:58managing director are coordinating with

40:00the existing Kilauea recovery office um

40:03and the plan already in motion there to

40:06ensure that we fully expend our federal

40:08funding and not um not let that go at

40:11all. Uh we'll be meeting with the

40:13recovery team soon. Daryl and I will be

40:15going over there. And I'm actually

40:17assigned to work out of that office

40:19full-time with regular check-ins here at

40:22Civil Defense um as well as I'll have a

40:25space out in Ka'u too. Um

40:29at Civil Defense right now, our focus is

40:32the FEMA individual assistance appeal.

40:36And so, we can get help to the families

40:39that need that help. Um it is

40:41time-sensitive, and Daryl can speak more

40:43to that deadline that is being

40:45coordinated with our state officials.

40:48Um so, definitely Kilauea recovery is at

40:51the core foundation of best practices,

40:55best learnings, best ways going forward

40:57with the community voice in the heart

41:00of our community uplifted first and

41:02foremost. And then again, making sure

41:07that we're watchful over that. I'll be

41:09right there learning from the staff

41:10that's there. And then of course now

41:13moving into some of the lava response

41:15and the critical steps that

41:18we have underway

41:20with this individual assistance appeal

41:23to FEMA.

41:25This recovery officer position is

41:27permanent. So, that what we learn from

41:30one disaster carries into the next. From

41:33Kilauea, from episode 41 and the tephra,

41:39the Kona lows, the earthquake, lava, and

41:42come what may. It all starts to compound

41:47and compile into a more deeper, fuller

41:50understanding with community at the

41:52core. Um

41:55And so, it's not meant to limit any

41:58efforts that are happening. It's also

41:59meant not to do it all. But the the

42:02value of what we do here on the Big

42:04Island is collectively, collaboratively

42:07coordinating across many branches of

42:10oversight and assistance and support and

42:13resources

42:16with all of the best practices brought

42:17to the table and continuing to apply

42:20that. So, lots for me to learn. You

42:23know, I'm sitting in a learning

42:24position. I'm seated well

42:27where I need to be,

42:30right where all of the conversations of

42:32recovery are happening. I just today sat

42:35in on the weekly Thursday recovery

42:39meetings that occur for the whole state

42:41that Iima um

42:44facilitates. Learned a lot there,

42:47realizing that there are teams of

42:48recovery officers at the state level and

42:52many efforts that many people that I can

42:55talk story with and learn there learn

42:58how to talk shop with them as well.

43:00So,

43:01in my first week learning from recovery,

43:05supporting the IA appeal

43:08and carrying forward what we learn from

43:10one disaster to the next and making sure

43:12we we come out stronger than

43:15we were before.

43:17>> Thank you for being here, Chair Ige.

43:19>> Okay, any other members?

43:21Ms. Climba.

43:22>> Thank you.

43:24Uh thank you to everyone

43:27um

43:28on Zoom for all your efforts.

43:30Um most especially Mr. Azevedo, who

43:34whose teams have just been so amazing um

43:38as well as the state uh highways, of

43:41course, but

43:42um

43:43just can't say enough for

43:46how public works.

43:49Just

43:50killing it out there. I mean, so just

43:53multi-leveled

43:55problems, so many so much to fix and

43:58clean up.

44:00Um

44:01and your your teams have just been

44:04working nonstop.

44:06Um so, thank you so much for that. Um

44:09you haven't spoken yet, Mr. Azevedo,

44:12Azevedo, so I don't know if you wanted

44:13to jump in and say anything at this

44:15point.

44:18>> I'll go after.

44:19>> Okay. Okay, yeah.

44:21Thank you so much, though.

44:23Um

44:25So, just following up on the

44:28FEMA individual assistance appeal, any

44:33timeline that you have? You mentioned a

44:35deadline.

44:36And so, I imagine there might be a

44:39response after that deadline. It's Do

44:41you have any

44:43um

44:44thoughts on what that general time frame

44:46would be because a lot of folks are

44:47asking in the community.

44:50>> Yeah, the deadline to submit that appeal

44:51is 30 days from the notification, which

44:54I believe that the deadline is now

44:56November 22nd, if I'm not mistaken. Uh

44:59and I confirmed that up for you.

45:01But, our intent I've been in direct

45:03communication with Administrator Lopez,

45:05with Haima, that we will provide our

45:08qualitative, as well as any adjusted

45:11quantitative supportive information by

45:14close of business tomorrow. And

45:15actually, I'm going to be on a call with

45:17him after this this meeting.

45:19The when I say quantitative, that's the

45:21numbers of destroyed and major damage,

45:25which to help reinforce the value of the

45:27universal intake, what we're doing right

45:29now is a team is going back over the

45:31joint preliminary damage assessment

45:33records

45:34to make sure we didn't miss anything in

45:37the numbers,

45:38cross-referencing that with the RFAs

45:40that came in,

45:42as well as we're trying to see how we

45:45can

45:46get communication directly with the what

45:49they call non-congregate sheltered

45:51families that are in the hotels, to make

45:53sure we didn't miss anyone who wasn't in

45:56the field when we conducted damage

45:58assessments. And we're we may miss a

46:01home or two.

46:02We don't think we did, but we want to

46:04make sure we we dotted every I and

46:06crossed every T. So, we're going back

46:07through that. That's the quantitative

46:09piece of the application.

46:12The qualitative speaks to the trauma in

46:14the community.

46:15So, what Kanani and Amir's our office of

46:17housing has been doing is re-contacting

46:21all of those residents that were

46:23identified as either destroyed or major

46:26damage,

46:27confirming whether or not they were

46:28insured, uninsured, underinsured. If

46:31they were insured, did they file a

46:32claim, and what was the response to that

46:34claim? Because we are hearing

46:36anecdotally of residents fighting claims

46:39and having it be denied based on an

46:42interpretation of the claims rep stating

46:44this was not a flood, this is a

46:46landslide.

46:47So, it's things like that that may not

46:49be captured in the initial preliminary

46:53damage assessment that speaks to the

46:54human aspect of this. It's not just

46:57numbers and structures, it's human

46:59lives. The other thing that's not

47:00collected in the damage assessment was

47:02household size, what's household income.

47:05What is the vulnerability of the

47:07household with respect to elderly

47:10as well as medically fragile.

47:12So, we're trying to provide all of that

47:14by re-contacting those homes that

47:15sustained the most significant impacts

47:18and their ability to recover in the

47:21absence of federal support.

47:24Uh so, that's So, we're trying to put

47:25together is the qualitative piece and

47:27have that submitted to FEMA by close of

47:30business tomorrow.

47:32>> Thanks so much for that um work that

47:35you're doing around that. Um so,

47:37if that's the deadline is the 22nd of

47:40November, do you have based on, you

47:43know, previous experience an idea of

47:46when we would hear an answer back from

47:48the appeal, either yay or nay? Would it

47:50be a month or a couple months?

47:53Less more?

47:55>> Yeah, it's it should be pretty quick, uh

47:57but not too hasty that they don't do a a

48:00thorough review of the appeal document.

48:02Uh what was encouraging is, as Kenani

48:04mentioned, we were on the the morning

48:05call this morning in which the governor

48:07asked about the denial of the

48:10application. He asked the same questions

48:12we all asked, what is that number? And

48:14FEMA was on the call and said there is

48:16no hard number,

48:18but it's looking at the ability of the

48:19community to recover with the support of

48:22state and local resources.

48:24So, FEMA also, and I I talked to the

48:27FEMA DCO immediately after the call, who

48:30also indicated that they're doing the

48:32same thing. They're going back through

48:34the numbers. They're considering whether

48:36or not they'll come back and do a

48:37secondary joint preliminary damage

48:39assessment, which means bringing teams

48:41back out to reassess those questionable

48:45claims or questionable reports of damage

48:47to make sure we didn't underestimate the

48:50impact from the quantitative side, and

48:53they're definitely looking forward to

48:54our additional information on the

48:56qualitative side.

48:58Based on that, I feel that it's it's an

49:00indication they're

49:02at least

49:03going to give us a

49:05How should I say it? A a fair and

49:08a diligent review of the appeal, rather

49:11than it's a slam dunk. No, you you don't

49:14meet the numbers and there's no sense

49:15doing an appeal.

49:18>> Thanks. That's especially that that

49:20there may be coming out again.

49:22That's um very

49:25useful to know and even though it takes

49:27longer if they are

49:28doing that assessment again, that is a

49:30sign that they are

49:32would be taking it seriously. Um

49:34you mentioned

49:36state and local resources and I know

49:38when I met with um the

49:42Section 9 administrator with you in the

49:45LA, who he was

49:47talking about how the

49:49um FEMA is meant to

49:52come in when state resources are

49:55overwhelmed or exhausted. So, um

49:58since we do have a state representative

50:00here on Zoom,

50:02um

50:03Representative Lee, I don't know if you

50:04have any thoughts on that. Do we have if

50:06does the state have anything any

50:09resources

50:11um that might come in

50:14um in place of FEMA because there are

50:16folks in the community who are seeing

50:18that FEMA individual assistance is

50:20denied and they're saying it's you know,

50:23is there any other

50:25resources? Are there any other resources

50:27for them

50:28um

50:29because you know, the nonprofits were

50:32great as like coming in and helping

50:35initially, but as they nonprofits

50:38don't really have the resources to cover

50:41the kind of damages that individual

50:43assistance requests are being made for.

50:47Um

50:47so, I don't know if you have any

50:48thoughts on that.

50:51>> Uh couple of things. Um

50:53On the FEMA side, we're having um

50:56robust conversations with our

51:00Hawaii delegation,

51:02uh Senator Schatz and Jill Tokuda,

51:05not only talking about different sources

51:07of funding or maybe recouching some of

51:10the damage, so it is more aligned with

51:13an agricultural need. Uh and then hard

51:17and heavy on FEMA reform as a whole.

51:21Um

51:22on the state side, I know there was a

51:25large number that was out there as far

51:28as how much money we have in our rainy

51:31day fund, but similar to the counties,

51:34so much of that is waiting on the

51:37reimbursement for FEMA. And so, it looks

51:41like $1.6 or 7 billion, but

51:4575 80% of that is still tied up with all

51:50the previous

51:52damages. I mean, we've had one payment

51:56that

51:57that that we got that was from an event

51:59that happened 8 years ago.

52:02Um and then finally this conversation,

52:07um Council member Elefante,

52:10our finance chair is Chris Todd, and so

52:13we have been exploring all types of

52:16options, whether it's realigning our

52:19green fee to help with mitigation

52:23or providing larger grants in aid from

52:27the state to nonprofits and do more

52:31focused and priority funding around

52:34uh recovery.

52:36Uh we just walked out of an election a

52:38few days ago, and so we at the house are

52:42continuing to have that conversation

52:44around leadership and what the goals and

52:46priorities will be. So, I'll be happy to

52:48carry that back for you.

52:50>> Thank you so much.

52:52>> Thank you much so much, Representative

52:53Lee Loy. I really appreciate all you've

52:55done to help out with this, your

52:57leadership in bringing folks together.

53:00Yeah, really appreciate it. Um

53:05I guess

53:06for me

53:08the number one thing that I'm hearing

53:11from the community

53:13is they want information.

53:16They want knowledge, actually even more

53:19than stuff.

53:20They want to know what happened and

53:24what happened to the landscape up above

53:28um Nālani Hū and Wai Hīnaʻu, especially

53:31because that's where it impacted

53:34habitations. Um you know, there was

53:37a lot of damage all over the district,

53:40but most of it is agricultural land.

53:43Um

53:45so that I know um I spoke with you

53:48Administrator Olivera about um

53:52Army Corps of Engineers

53:55um saying that they would do a public a

53:58meeting to provide information

54:01um about what they found. And I can't

54:04underline how important that

54:06is going to be um to really

54:10uh help the community

54:12feel better a little bit. Knowledge is

54:15power, you know, and even if it's bad

54:18news

54:19um just knowing

54:21that

54:24what that bad news is is really really

54:26important to people.

54:28Um

54:30and I think even like going back I don't

54:33know if Army Corps of Engineers can do

54:35that, but

54:36like the context in history

54:39um because

54:41there have been major floods in Kaʻū

54:44before, but none as widespread as this,

54:47like all over the the district. There's

54:50been more localized ones. So I think

54:53putting that context putting this in

54:56context and also understanding why it

54:58was so big. You know, what where exactly

55:03did the rainfall fall up on the mountain

55:06that led to it being so widespread, so

55:09intense, so much debris.

55:12Um

55:14So, I just wanted to underline that. Um

55:16and then one of the other things

55:19that I heard, I think it's very relevant

55:21to civil defense, was that um folks in

55:25Ocean View

55:26did not have communications, not even

55:29radio.

55:30So,

55:31I think that's really important that we

55:33fix that so that that at least they have

55:36some communications to find out what is

55:39happening in their community and larger

55:42area. So, that's my buzzer. That's my 5

55:46minutes, so I'm stopped there and let it

55:48someone anyone else who would like to

55:51um chime in. Thanks.

55:53I yield. Okay.

55:54>> Okay, members, we've got 5 more minutes

55:56before this committee ends. So, Mr.

55:58Kanuha Lee Kleinjelder, can you wrap it

56:00up?

56:01>> Thank you very much, Mr. Onishi. I thank

56:03you, Ms. Kirkwood, for bringing this

56:04forward. Uh Mr. Olivera, thank you for

56:06stepping in. You kind of you walked into

56:08a hornet's nest, you know.

56:10And you went through some of the most

56:13horrendous natural

56:17disasters that we've had, and I

56:19appreciate your expertise in leading the

56:21county through yet another

56:24disaster relief scenario. Uh so, good to

56:26know you're here. I'm sorry that you're

56:27leaving, and I look forward to seeing

56:29who comes in after you.

56:30Uh I have to speak very highly of uh

56:33your wife's organization, too, Vibrant

56:35Hawaii,

56:36in leading the charge in getting out to

56:38community when

56:39government is still

56:41uh figuring out how to and where to

56:43respond.

56:45And I just wanted to

56:47give her a mahalo, as well. I know her

56:48team uh was working very hard. And

56:50there's a number of

56:52different pop-ups in our community

56:55uh that were crucial for our community

56:56to get through the event.

56:58Um just to follow up on something I

57:00heard, I wanted to check in uh

57:02Representative Lee Loy,

57:05uh were you reviewing

57:09the

57:16Sorry, let me get my notes.

57:19Now, the labor the labor notes you were

57:21going through that you were reviewing

57:22post-

57:24hurricane?

57:25>> Yes, so I had through the Darcy system,

57:28I was able to look at the request for

57:30aids and get some information.

57:34But, the ground truth of it all was we

57:38saw Punalu'u Bakery,

57:40right, get inundated and we knew that

57:43there would be community members who

57:46would be without jobs.

57:48And so, myself and Rep Capella,

57:52while she was on the grounds

57:55at her hub, we were communicating

57:58and I was assisting her with

58:00coordinating

58:02uh um unemployment applications or

58:05information

58:06so that individuals who

58:09have lost their jobs, we could start

58:12that process so that they could start

58:15receiving some level of unemployment

58:17checks.

58:18I mean, it was a very chaotic few days

58:23and

58:24the coordination with our state

58:26agencies, uh Kanani knows this, uh with

58:30the cemetery, there's a Department of

58:32Health component that goes with it.

58:36And so, getting that feedback from

58:39people on the ground

58:42to then look at the request for aid

58:45forms and distill

58:48and what we call triage the information

58:52and then

58:54start the lead conversations with our

58:56state agencies was the way that myself

58:59and Rep Capella saw how we could help

59:02and support recovery efforts for the

59:05county.

59:07>> Very very nice. Thank you. Uh Mr.

59:09Oliver, I think my my The comment would

59:11be

59:12in watching this over the years, the

59:15there's a fine line between elected

59:16officials helping

59:19and elected officials campaigning.

59:22And I just something to be aware of and

59:25we're all cognizant of it and we all

59:27want to help and we all want to lend a

59:28hand. But in

59:30in finding that line between

59:32administrative priorities and reaction

59:35to a an event like what we went through,

59:37what we continue to go through

59:40and finding that space for our elected

59:42officials to fit in the picture and be

59:45part of the solution

59:47but not stand in the way of

59:49decision-making or put out wrong

59:51information, but help us get information

59:53for the community to you.

59:55That has definitely been a piece that's

59:57always been

59:59revolving around how do we best serve

1:00:01community in events. And so, I'll look

1:00:04forward to seeing your thoughts on that

1:00:07as part of this after-action report.

1:00:10But thank you to everyone who's involved

1:00:11and thank you again for having the

1:00:12discussion.

1:00:14>> Are you

1:00:14>> Okay, Mr. Hughes, just can you wrap this

1:00:16up, please?

1:00:17>> Okay, thanks, Sheriff. Appreciate your

1:00:18time. [clears throat]

1:00:19First of all, thank you, Councilmember

1:00:20Kirkwood, for bringing this conversation

1:00:21here. Grateful for our state partners to

1:00:24be in this space, as well.

1:00:25Uh Deputy Managing Deputy Director, DPW,

1:00:28uh thank you for all the work you do.

1:00:29Definitely different experiences on the

1:00:31north side of the island, for sure.

1:00:33And um Administrator Olivera, thank you

1:00:35for your leadership during this time.

1:00:36Just a couple of questions.

1:00:39Great to see you know, the

1:00:41the uptick in kind of the engagement

1:00:42with the universal intake form.

1:00:44The the only challenge I I have heard

1:00:47from some of our nonprofit partners uh

1:00:49through through Darcy

1:00:51and kind of the the response and

1:00:53recovery side

1:00:55is not all non nonprofits can do all of

1:00:58the

1:00:59what's asked of them. Some are very

1:01:01specific to their their jobs and their

1:01:03responsibilities.

1:01:04So, if they do vegetation management

1:01:07they cannot help with the health care

1:01:09and respite and those sort of things.

1:01:10So, somehow we need to kind of split

1:01:11that out a little bit more so that the

1:01:13nonprofits that are specialized in

1:01:15certain areas

1:01:16can really undertake that and not are

1:01:18not being stretched into areas they're

1:01:19not familiar and comfortable with.

1:01:22Um

1:01:23the

1:01:25the the question on the administrative

1:01:28value you mentioned on the facility

1:01:29assessment through the after-action

1:01:33You know, we had a situation in North

1:01:34Kohala where we had to relocate an

1:01:38emergency shelter.

1:01:40And that's for a a number of different

1:01:42reasons, you know, from the high winds

1:01:44to the safety of the space and the roads

1:01:47and just the number of trees in that

1:01:49park space.

1:01:50So, I know a lot of facilities

1:01:52vary,

1:01:53but we really need to identify the you

1:01:55know, those critical sound structures in

1:01:57all the different and you know this, but

1:01:59the different sort of situations that we

1:02:01could could we we could see in

1:02:02community. And we really need to have a

1:02:04very

1:02:05to to shift the

1:02:07the emergency shelters is a big

1:02:09challenge and I know you have to do that

1:02:10in other locations as well.

1:02:12But, we really have to kind of come to

1:02:14terms on what are our sound facilities

1:02:16and really moving forward on

1:02:18really hardening those structures that

1:02:19we can in a timely fashion.

1:02:22Uh the last

1:02:23kind of question I had administrator

1:02:25Oliveira is

1:02:26do we have any other standing mutual aid

1:02:29agreements with any of our private water

1:02:31purveyors, telecommunications network? I

1:02:34mean, we have it with our our federal

1:02:36partners,

1:02:37but do we have it with

1:02:39other private water purveyors in in a

1:02:42situation where we need to deliver water

1:02:43in areas we have the capacity to do so

1:02:45with our municipal system, we just have

1:02:47to transport it. But, in the in the case

1:02:49where those systems are down and we need

1:02:52to transport further distances, do we

1:02:54have any standing agreements with other

1:02:56other parties?

1:02:59>> On the water purveyors, I would I

1:03:01probably defer to Department of Water

1:03:03Supply if they have an agreement, but I

1:03:05can say coming from the fire service

1:03:06side, we frequently were we're using

1:03:09water from the private fire surveyors

1:03:11and purveyors in the area. So, include

1:03:13Kohala Ranch, Kohala

1:03:15Puuanani Ranch, those areas. So, I know

1:03:17we've had relationships as well as even

1:03:19in Puna with Hawaiian Shores and

1:03:20Hawaiian Beaches where when we need

1:03:22water for emergency purposes,

1:03:25there are arrangements and agreements.

1:03:28But, I would think, to your question

1:03:30specifically, I'll reach out to

1:03:31Department of Water Supply and get you

1:03:33an answer on

1:03:34these uh maybe agreements and uh

1:03:37relationships with supporting potable

1:03:39water for residents through the private

1:03:41water purveyors. I I have to say there

1:03:43is because as far as I know, uh using

1:03:46one as example that you may know in your

1:03:47district with Ka La Ranch and Kai Lopa

1:03:49with Hawaiian Homelands. The that's

1:03:51again, water that's transcending from

1:03:54one subdivision to another in the

1:03:55subdivision that manages or operates the

1:03:58the water system.

1:04:00But, I'll get you an answer.

1:04:01>> Perfect. And I'm happy to work with you

1:04:02on that and connecting with others in

1:04:04the region, too.

1:04:05Thank you so much. Thanks, Chair.

1:04:08>> Okay.

1:04:09Seeing no other lights. Thank you. Okay,

1:04:12all those in favor of closing and filing

1:04:14Communication 11 33, say aye.

1:04:17>> Aye.

1:04:17>> Those opposed? We have eight ayes, one

1:04:20excused. Ms. Vegas um this meeting is

1:04:24going to be adjourned at

1:04:2712:33 p.m. Thank you.

1:04:32All right, next meeting will be starting

1:04:33up in about 5 minutes.

1:04:36Okay. Thank you.

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