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Record of Proceedings

Hawai'i County Council Meeting on June 3, 2026: Bill 66 (General Plan 2045) Adopted Amidst Public Opposition

County Council & Committees — Wednesday, June 3, 2026
BodyHawaii County, Hawaii
SessionCounty Council & Committees
DateWednesday, June 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 5:12:36
Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Aloha Kakahiyaka, welcome to the 41st session of the Hawai'i County Council.

0:07

The date today is June 3, 2026.

0:11

We are meeting here in our Gilo chambers at 25 Alpuni Street.

0:17

And to begin today's council meeting, I'd like to call on Pastor Paul Linneman of Christ Lutheran Church to provide our invocation.

0:25

Good morning, Pastor.

0:27

Aloha.

0:28

Aloha.

0:30

I'm the transitional interim pastor at Christ Lutheran Church, and I've been here for about 11 months, and I have another 10 days or so before going home again.

0:40

And I just wanted to use this opportunity to say what a blessing it's been to be a part of your community for 11 months and to serve here.

0:48

Um as I thought about this morning, it seems like one of the things that we all have in common is the idea of stewardship.

0:57

Um a steward is someone who manages the resources of someone else.

1:06

And it seems like that's what this organization does, this council does.

1:11

It's something that we all do.

1:13

We manage what has been placed into our hands.

1:16

And as a Christian person, uh the Bible forms the heart of our understanding of what it means to be a person in this world.

1:25

And I want to share a scripture passage from 1 Peter 4.

1:30

Peter wrote these words.

1:32

He says, as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace.

1:41

And I think being a steward is a gift.

1:43

It's an opportunity to serve people and to serve the creation and to serve a community.

1:50

And so I'd like to offer a prayer, asking God's blessing upon this meeting today and all of our ongoing stewardship.

1:57

So let's pray together if you don't mind.

2:00

Dear Lord, we are grateful for the opportunity to be stewards of all that you have.

2:07

We are grateful for the gift of having the chance to manage what belongs to you and how we can use it well in this world.

2:16

We pray today that your blessing would rest upon this group and upon this meeting, that they would be wise in their use and their exercise of the stewardship that you've given to them.

2:27

And we pray, oh Lord, that your will would be done, that this community might be blessed because of their work.

2:34

We ask for this in the name of Jesus.

2:36

Amen.

2:38

Mahalo very much.

2:39

Thank you.

2:40

Mahalo, Pastor, with that, we're calling this meeting to order 9.06 a.m.

2:44

Mr.

2:45

Clerk.

2:45

Roll call, please.

2:47

Councilmember Galimba.

2:48

Here.

2:49

Councilmember Houstis.

2:51

Present.

2:51

Councilmember Kagiwana.

2:52

Here.

2:53

Councilmember Connecticut Kleinfelder.

2:55

Cosmir Kirkowitz.

2:57

Present.

2:57

Councilmember Campbell.

2:58

Here.

2:59

Here.

2:59

Excuse me.

3:00

Master O'Nishi.

3:01

Present.

3:01

Councilmember Viegas.

3:05

Chair Nami of Eight Members President Quorum.

3:07

Thank you, Mr.

3:08

Clerk.

3:08

Would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance?

3:11

Please stand if you feel comfortable doing so.

3:37

Thank you, Mr.

3:38

Clerk.

3:39

Uh, with that, before we begin our official agenda agenda this morning, I'm gonna hand it over to Vice Chair Onishi for a certificate presentation.

3:48

Thank you, Chair.

4:00

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural████████████████████20%
Zoning And Land Use████████████████16%
Environmental Protection███████████11%
Public Engagement██████████10%
Public Safety██████6%
Public Access Open Space██████6%
Community Engagement█████5%
Government Structure█████5%
Native Hawaiian Law Training████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Hawai'i County Council Meeting on June 3, 2026

The 41st session of the Hawai'i County Council convened on June 3, 2026, at 9:06 a.m. in Hilo chambers. The meeting included an invocation, a certificate presentation for IBEW Local 126, extensive public testimony, and votes on several legislative items. The most contentious issue was Bill 66, adopting the General Plan 2045, which passed on second reading after hours of public testimony and council debate.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • The vast majority of testifiers opposed Bill 66 (General Plan 2045), citing concerns about property rights, mapping errors, the use of language like "stakeholder" instead of "residents," and the plan's reliance on climate change policy. Many expressed fears that the plan would lead to loss of agricultural land, increased surveillance, and government overreach. Some testifiers supported the plan, emphasizing the need for sustainable planning, energy independence, and the 11-year process that produced it.
  • Testimony was also heard on Bill 158 (county manager charter amendment), resolutions for eminent domain and funding, and other items. Public comment was limited to two minutes per person per council rule.

Discussion Items

  • Bill 66 (General Plan 2045): Planning Director Susan Darrow and staff presented the plan's background, noting it began in 2015 and involved extensive public input. Councilmembers discussed implementation, mapping errors, and accountability. Councilmember Kirkowitz offered an alternative plan but it was not considered. The council voted 5-3 to pass the bill on second reading, with Galimba, Houstis, Kagiwada, Kimball, and Viegas in favor; Kirkowitz, Onishi, and Nava opposed; and Kleinfelder absent.
  • Bill 158 (Charter Amendment – County Manager): Introduced by Councilmember Kimball, this bill proposed converting the county to a hybrid council-manager system. An amendment (Communication 890.2) was approved, altering the selection process for the county manager. After debate, the bill failed on first reading with a vote of 3-5 (Galimba, Kimball, Viegas in favor; Houstis, Kagiwada, Kirkowitz, Onishi, Nava opposed; Kleinfelder absent).
  • Other Bills: Bills 152, 153, 156, 160, 161, 166, 167, and several resolutions were approved on first or second reading, including funding for lifeguard appreciation, homesteading, and police partnerships.

Key Outcomes

  • Bill 66 (General Plan 2045) – Passed on second reading (5-3). This adopts the Hawai'i County General Plan 2045, replacing the 2005 plan.
  • Bill 158 (County Manager Charter Amendment) – Failed on first reading (3-5). The bill would have been placed on the ballot if passed.
  • Bill 152 (County Auditor authority) – Approved on second reading (8-0).
  • Bill 153 (Coffee berry borer pesticide subsidy) – Approved on second and final reading (8-0).
  • Bill 156 (Nonprofit grant certification) – Approved on first reading (8-0).
  • Bill 160 and 161 (Budget appropriations for open space and disaster funds) – Approved on first reading (8-0).
  • Bill 166 (Delay of transient accommodations registration) – Approved on first reading (8-0).
  • Bill 167 (Police grant for special response team) – Approved on first reading (7-0, one absent).
  • Resolutions 556, 567, 569, 578, 579, 580, 581, 582, 584, 585 – All approved (7-0 or 8-0), including the first reading of a resolution authorizing eminent domain for Government Beach Road (Resolution 567).
  • Executive session held on two claims (Communications 921 and 922); settlement recommendations were approved.

Meeting Transcript

Aloha Kakahiyaka, welcome to the 41st session of the Hawai'i County Council. The date today is June 3, 2026. We are meeting here in our Gilo chambers at 25 Alpuni Street. And to begin today's council meeting, I'd like to call on Pastor Paul Linneman of Christ Lutheran Church to provide our invocation. Good morning, Pastor. Aloha. Aloha. I'm the transitional interim pastor at Christ Lutheran Church, and I've been here for about 11 months, and I have another 10 days or so before going home again. And I just wanted to use this opportunity to say what a blessing it's been to be a part of your community for 11 months and to serve here. Um as I thought about this morning, it seems like one of the things that we all have in common is the idea of stewardship. Um a steward is someone who manages the resources of someone else. And it seems like that's what this organization does, this council does. It's something that we all do. We manage what has been placed into our hands. And as a Christian person, uh the Bible forms the heart of our understanding of what it means to be a person in this world. And I want to share a scripture passage from 1 Peter 4. Peter wrote these words. He says, as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God's varied grace. And I think being a steward is a gift. It's an opportunity to serve people and to serve the creation and to serve a community. And so I'd like to offer a prayer, asking God's blessing upon this meeting today and all of our ongoing stewardship. So let's pray together if you don't mind. Dear Lord, we are grateful for the opportunity to be stewards of all that you have. We are grateful for the gift of having the chance to manage what belongs to you and how we can use it well in this world. We pray today that your blessing would rest upon this group and upon this meeting, that they would be wise in their use and their exercise of the stewardship that you've given to them. And we pray, oh Lord, that your will would be done, that this community might be blessed because of their work. We ask for this in the name of Jesus. Amen. Mahalo very much. Thank you. Mahalo, Pastor, with that, we're calling this meeting to order 9.06 a.m. Mr. Clerk. Roll call, please. Councilmember Galimba. Here. Councilmember Houstis. Present. Councilmember Kagiwana. Here. Councilmember Connecticut Kleinfelder. Cosmir Kirkowitz. Present. Councilmember Campbell. Here. Here. Excuse me. Master O'Nishi. Present. Councilmember Viegas.

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