City Council Committee Meetings - December 10, 2025

The City Council held two committee meetings on December 10, 2025: the Public Safety and Human Services Committee and the Finance and Economic Development Committee. The Public Safety Committee focused on an urgent briefing regarding food insecurity in Hawaii, highlighting that 32% of households are food insecure and calling for partnerships to address the crisis. The Finance Committee reviewed a 2025-2026 economic outlook from UHERA, warning of a mild recession in early 2026 driven by weak tourism spending, high inflation relative to GDP, and a lack of diversified long-term growth.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the minutes for the preceding meetings.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Nelson Mukai testified regarding the need for local self-sufficiency, citing Israel's agricultural success and urging the community to utilize available land for farming to reduce reliance on imported food.
• Angel O'Brien (speaking from Portland) proposed expanding school gardening programs, organizing volunteer harvests for homeowners with excess fruit trees, and criticized corporate tax structures that shift the burden of low wages onto social services.

Discussion Items

Briefing on Food Insecurity (Amy Miller & Wes Pereira, Hawaii Food Bank)

• Problem Scope: A statewide study of 1,079 residents found 32% of households are food insecure. Of these, one in five are in "very low food security" (skipping meals, losing weight), and 11% go whole days without eating.
• Demographics at Risk: Young adults (18-29) and those enrolled in higher education face the highest risk, with 58% of college students experiencing food insecurity. 34% of children are food insecure, and 45% of adult caregivers in households with children are food insecure, often sacrificing their own food to feed their families.
• Health Impacts: Food-insecure households are twice as likely to suffer from anxiety or depression and 41% delay or skip medical treatment due to cost. 41% of food-insecure children have gastrointestinal problems.
• Program Gaps: While 41% of households with children participate in school lunch, only 31% participate in school breakfast. 68% of people seeking summer meal programs who could not access them were food insecure due to transportation or eligibility hurdles.
• Federal Cuts: Speakers expressed concerns that federal cuts to SNAP and federal programs (like TFAP) are reducing food availability. A recent recalculation of the Thrifty Meal Plan reduced SNAP benefits statewide by approximately 8 dollars per person. New work requirement laws may affect older adults and children aged 14-17.
• Food Bank Operations: The Hawaii Food Bank distributes approximately 5.3 times more food value per dollar than retail purchases. Donated food volumes from retailers have decreased due to margin pressures, necessitating state and federal backup funding.
• Speaker Positions: Councilmember Bulasan expressed that the rising numbers among working adults are a crisis requiring immediate data-driven action. Councilmember Holland emphasized the need to reduce stigma, noting that many people are "afraid to show their lunch ticket" or feel shame. Vice Chair Cooley stressed that federal cuts are forcing the charity sector to fill gaps, which is unsustainable, and called for state intervention.

2025-2026 Economic Outlook (Stephen Von Smith, UHERA)

• Recession Forecast: The committee was informed that Hawaii is entering a mild recession in early 2026, defined technically as two quarters of decline, followed by a weak, flat recovery.
• Tourism Dependency: Tourism, which constitutes 34% of Kauai's economy (42% including indirect effects), is facing stagnation. Real (inflation-adjusted) tourism spending has been flat since 1989. The decline is attributed to a slowdown in the U.S. economy, tariffs causing uncertainty, and a decrease in high-spending Japanese visitors.
• Widening Economic Gap: UHERA presented data showing a growing gap between Hawaii's purchasing power and the U.S. mainland. Since 1990, Hawaii's real GDP per capita growth has been sluggish (0.7%), driving significant domestic outmigration as residents seek higher wages elsewhere.
• Inflation vs. Growth: The committee discussed the divergence where inflation remains around 3% while real GDP growth drops to near zero in 2026, a trend that has persisted due to Hawaii's reliance on tourism, which is not a high-growth industry.
• Speaker Positions: Councilmember Cavallaro noted the vulnerability of Kauai to the U.S. economy and the lack of diversification. Councilmember Holland questioned the lack of data on part-time residents and wealth concentration, suggesting the state's tax base is undercounting high-wealth transient residents. Vice Chair Cooley highlighted that the "price of paradise" is now driven more by low growth than just cost of living.

Key Outcomes

• Motion: The committee voted to receive the Food Insecurity briefing for the record. Councilmembers discussed the need to partner with the county for future budget requests.
• Motion: The committee voted to receive the UHERA Economic Outlook briefing for the record.
• Directive: Councilmember Holland and others encouraged the Food Bank to submit specific funding requests for the upcoming budget session to expand operations, staff, and infrastructure (e.g., moving to a larger facility).
• Next Steps: The Food Bank is scheduled to host a gala on December 19th. The Council is preparing to address federal and state cuts by looking at local funding mechanisms like the "Farm to Family" program and expanding school breakfast initiatives (e.g., "breakfast after the bell").
• Adjournment: The meetings concluded with plans to reconvene the main council body, with the Finance Committee adjourning the session.