Hawaii County Finance Committee Meeting - March 3, 2026

The Committee on Finance convened on March 3, 2026, at 11:48 AM in the Hawaii County Building in Hilo, with Councilmember Kagiwara, Hustis, Kirkowitz, Inaba, Kimball, and Chair Kleinfelder present. Councilmembers O'Nishi, Galimba, and Viegas were excused. The meeting focused on Resolution 475-26, which would authorize leasing eight residential properties for permanent housing for underserved populations, and also addressed a SAFER grant for firefighter positions and several routine communications.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Resolution 475-26 (76 Makani Circle): Over 20 residents testified, most in opposition. Key concerns included lack of community notification, safety fears for children and kupuna (elderly), potential for increased crime and traffic, and perceived lack of transparency about the county's purchase ($809,000) and the planned use by Going Home Hawaii. Testifiers like Luana Cavelu, Carolyn Tabor, and Bruce Tabor described the neighborhood as a multigenerational, safe, single-family residential area. Several former police officers (Dion Santiago, Joseph Botello Jr.) shared negative experiences with halfway houses. A few testifiers, including Christina Pineda, who lived next to a Going Home Hawaii facility, reported no negative incidents and supported the program. Ron Mush from Holly Keepa also testified in support of the resolution, noting their own transitional housing program for youth.

Discussion Items

• Resolution 475-26: Office of Housing Administrator Keiko Costa explained that the county used $8 million in federal ERA2 funds to purchase nine properties (including Dolphin Bay Hotel) to create long-term affordable housing. The property at 76 Makani Circle was one of eight residential properties. The RFP process selected nonprofits, including Going Home Hawaii, to lease the properties for $10 per year. Costa acknowledged that the community engagement for Makani Circle was insufficient and that the county was willing to remove that property from the resolution. Councilmember Kagiwada proposed an amendment to remove 76 Makani Circle (TMK 3-2-5-9-44) from the list, which was seconded and passed 9-0. The resolution was then postponed to March 17, 2026, for further discussion.
• Resolution 478-26 and Bill 133: These measures authorize a SAFER grant from FEMA for $2,678,274.60 to fund 12 temporary firefighter positions for three years in Waimea, North Kohala, Waikaloa, and Pahala. Councilmember Kirkowitz led the discussion, noting that the fire department has not added permanent positions in 22 years and that call volume increased 25% since 2020 to over 31,000 calls in 2024. Acting Fire Chief Daniel Volpe supported the positions and confirmed the department's need for permanent staffing. Councilmembers expressed support and urged the administration to convert the positions to permanent. Both measures passed favorably to the full council.
• Bill 134: A budget amendment reallocating $16,100 in housing production program income for contractual services. Passed favorably.
• Communications: Communication 23-30 (fund transfers) and 118-4 (reallocation report) were closed. Communication 734 (annual revenue report) was tabled briefly, then removed from the table and closed after the deputy finance director noted discrepancies and planned to resubmit.

Key Outcomes

• Resolution 475-26 was amended to remove the 76 Makani Circle property and then postponed to the March 17, 2026 committee meeting. The Office of Housing will conduct additional community meetings.
• Resolution 478-26 and Bill 133 were forwarded to the full council with favorable recommendations (9-0 votes). Councilmembers urged the administration to make the 12 firefighter positions permanent.
• Bill 134 was forwarded to the full council with a favorable recommendation (9-0).
• Communications 23-30, 118-4, and 734 were closed.
• The meeting adjourned at 3:05 PM.