Government branch (Executive, Legislative, Judicial)

Place

Student Name

County Facts

• County Employees = 2800

• Micah Alameda, nephew of Kimo Alameda

• The county is responsible of 4,028 square miles of Hawai’i

• 20 departments/agencies in the County of Hawai’i

• Annual County Budget: 920 million

• Hawaiʻi County Charter, sets the structure of the government in Hawaiʻi.

• Every Bill needs to go through two readings to be confirmed

• 34 Boards and Commissions, who are volunteers who talk about issues that they notice in their communities to influence the decisions of the County.

OSCER

• Speaker Today: Laura Acasio - Previous Senator

• OSCER means “Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience”

• Goals of the OSCER:  

  • Food Security

  • Regenerative Models

  • Reduction of single-use materials.

  • Production of Local Food

• A current issue they are working on is to decrease the amount of cess-pools in Hawai’i county, the goal being having none by the year 2050.

• Contact Info: OSCER@hawaii.gov

Game Management Advisory Commission

• The Speaker Today: Leomana Turalde

• Speaks out on opinions of laws created by the State related to Land and Sea.

• Protects Wildlife (like wild pigs)

• Consists of professional and expert land and sea people, like divers, hunters, etc..

• Tourists must have a fishing license when fishing in Hawaiian lands.

• Majority of professionals in this commission are Kūpuna, folks on the older side.

• Hunts invasive species/takes care of the animals who shouldnʻt be in Hawaiʻi

Planning Department

• Huge part of the future of Hawai’i

• Decisions that could be made today could affect those in many generations in the future.

• Youth commission is a bug part of the decision made for the future.

County Council Member

• The Speaker Today: James Hustace

  • From Kohala Side

• Zoning: Designated land sections

  • Agricultural Zoning Land: Farming, Ranching, Livestock

  • Industrial Zoning Land: Factories, Contraction, Power plants

  • Commercial Zoning Land: Hotels, Resort Communities, Stores

  • Residential Zoning Land: Homes, Community

• Water Issues in Waimea and Kohala area

• Drylands in Waimea and Kohala creates issues agriculturally.

• Issues with Imports in Hawaiʻi

• The General Plan:

  • The documented wishlist for the County

  • The vision for the County

  • Sets the policy for what we want and would move on to

• Council can approve decisions made by other departments

Youth Commission

• Speaker: Hayden Tucker

  • Alumni, lifer of Kamehameha Schools Hawaiʻi

  • Chair of the Youth Commission

  • Previous Vice-Chair of the Youth Chair

• Job of the Youth commission: “Advises the Mayor, County Council, and official agencies of the County on legislative and budgetary matters, asses existing programs and advances new programs that support youth development and encourages and coordinates youth participation in County initiatives and other forms of civic engagement.”

• 6 mayor appointees

• 9 district representatives

• “With greater numbers and a bigger group, you will be seen more.”

• (Had a great conversation about our classes action projects, where they took notes on our issues to possibly bring attention to it in their Youth Commission meetings.)

• Kira Wong: Attorney for the Youth Commission

• Cooperation council is the attorney for the county.

• capitol.hawaii.gov 

  • Search “hb425” on capitol.hawaii.gov, for food security and insecurity issues.

• On Hawaiicounty.gov in Boards and Commissions, there is a Youth Commission site.

• Micah.alameda@hawaiicounty.gov 

• Youth Commission Instagram: HawaiiCountyYC

Lora Acasio is the Oscer and is active in local initiatives and is involved with the Cesspool Conversion Task Force.

The Mayor can appoint people for various roles, but the county council needs to approve these appointments. The current focus areas for the county include sustainability and equity.

Quick overview of the county: 

- There are around 2,800 employees.

- It covers about 4,028 square miles.

- The county offers services like Parks & Recreation and Elderly Activities.

The county has a budget of $920 million and is divided into two branches: legislative and executive. Public Works has a budget of $200 million to take care of things like infrastructure, including bridges and roads.

For the legislative process, all bills and resolutions need to go through two meetings: one for public review and discussion before any decisions are made. Important departments include Firefighters and the Planning Department, which play key roles in keeping the community safe and developing it properly.

Currently, voter registration is at an all-time low, especially low numbers among kūpuna aged 66 and older.

Lora, with 17 years of teaching experience, is focusing on the environment through her work with the Cesspool Conversion Task Force. The county has about 80,000 cesspools that need to be closed by 2050. They are looking into alternatives like sewer systems or better waste management solutions since septic tanks aren't really much of an improvement over cesspools.

The Office of Sustainability aims to focus on climate, resilience, and equity, all to keep the land and communities healthy. Their goals include improving food security, promoting eco-friendly practices, and reducing single-use plastics while recovering resources. They’re also exploring options like biodigesters for waste management.

On another note, the Game Management Commission, led by Leomana Teralde, approves ideas related to hunting, fishing, and gathering. They work with the Department of Land and Natural Resources to manage native species like the Aupeʻa (sailfish) and Pueo (daytime owl).

The County Council has 9 members from around the island, focusing on how agricultural land is used.

There's also a Youth Commission chaired by Hadyen(Makana) Kononui Tucker, which looks into social, economic, educational, and health issues that affect young people. It has 15 members, including 6 who are appointed by the mayor, ensuring they're representing all the districts. 

Their mission is to advise the council and the mayor on youth-related issues, raise awareness, and share their findings in local newspapers. They also aim to fill some vacancies in districts 3, 5, 7, and 9 to listen better and respond to the youth’s concerns and challenges. 

Old County Building

Voice Notes https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JBiHo6WRKVafGvfrXNJhGSh0alqf-ILL/view?usp=drive_link

Aria Rapoza

Executive Branch

Aria Rapoza

Landfills are cells- The cells are 20ft high incased in rock 

Pyramid built stacked by cells 

Looking for areas takes about 15 years

They expand aswell 

Solutions to stop pollution 

• don’t need it done buy it 

• Reduce reuse recycle 

• Scrap metal 

1 landfill 

No burning of trash - though considering it 

Landfill or burning? - landfill 

They check the water monthly and the air quarterly 

Dilutes in the water 

So much water it’s equal to the Amazon 

Big piece of plastic while others aren’t 

They don’t take action too the plastic going in the water 

DOH would make a brown water advisory if needed 

Hilo landfill can fit in about prince Kuhio plaza parking lot 

Hilo landfill Can be build about 190 feet high max because it’s close to the airport 

Oahu They can’t go above a firm because of the looks 

They can heat up combust and burn which is why they use cells to make sure it’s contained 

They can’t just burn it because of air pollution 

They suggest Possibility of reducing the amount of trash we buy 

Water bottles

• no single use 

• Reuse 

Reusable food wear 

Reusable containers with drop offs 

 Shipping trash and swapping with Oahu 

Plastic bag ban saved sealife. They need to reinforce a lil more 

2800 workers for this devision 

Day to day is specific while others follow what the mayor says 

Only 2 branches - Executive and legislative  

Responsibilities of the manufacturers but used to be them 

They have to pay money to county or private industry to getting rid of plastic 

The court don’t work with the Kona courthouse or other parts of the government on a day to day basis 

They use trash compactors and truck it over 

Youth communion that we can join if you are 14+ 

Parks and rec -

They manage parks pools playgrounds sports fields 

Parks and recs have lots of projects and want kids to help 

They control gun violence with nonprofits 

Erin is a kapalama graduate she is a practicing graduate and born and raised in Hilo , She drives healthcare programs 

was a 3rd generation police officer and he worked as security for keaau campus then he worked on lawsuit claims    

Legislative branch 

9 members 

County clerk keeps them on track 

• Staying focused and not going on a tangent 

• The guide 

Entire county of Maui votes for the people 

They don’t just think about the districts but the islands aswell

What’s laws have you tired to make? 

Creating new offices 

Districts are established by the redistricting commission 

They change the sizes and boundaries of the districts 

2 year terms 

8 years total broken up 

Requirement is 2 years off 

They want to help people track bills for the people

Most rewarding part is being able to serve your community and help in any way 

Requirements are to have lived in the district 

They can kick out the chair is the others agree 

Meet as a council twice a month 

But others also twice unless they don’t need too cuz there’s nothing going on 

Critical thinking skills help with council members 

You can have other backgrounds besides government 

The sense of being a public servant is the most important and rewarding 

The budget 

They come from taxes mostly property taxes tho 

they also comes from 

• Fuel tax 

• Buying groceries 

• Mass transit 

• State and federal government in the form of grants 

• Responsible for emergency medical services paid for by the government 

Budget has to 0 out of

Budget is around 980 million 

They think that this year will be over the billion but their not sure because of the funding due to the federal government 

They deal with the transfer station 

The most direct line of contact between the people and the government 

You can testify at any age after signing up 

You can also do written or zoom 

Woman from the second session is prioritizing on gun safety 

Aria Rapoza

Legislative Branch

Aria Rapoza

Old County Building

Old County Building

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ERJT-UHbpsWxwWRxJoWUn6G0im5_T8cN/view?usp=sharing

Craig, Hilo, Waiākea highschool

DVM Landfills, stacked like pyramid in hilo landfill, create committee to find a different area for landfill, Oahu expanding , Way to prevent is to reduce reuse recycle. We have one landfill i n Puʻuanahulu, In action- making reusable containers-They worked with ocean pollution which is still active due to seeing more bags in the ocean.-prefers landfill than any other thing- They check water from the landfill monthly- Bulldozers that flat trash as much as possible to create more space.- If the trash gets in water from storm they would take it to the landfill-10 trucks a day go from Hilo to Puʻuanahulu- There is at least three different times the trash gets compressed - Youth commission 14-20 years advise the mayor- Hilo is 190ft, Puʻuanahulu isn't too tall-They build cells to contain the fire- They put a liner on the hilo landfill same with Puuanahulu but they use the rock

Aron sumura

- executive assistant , health wellness, mass transit administrator -Hilo-Kapalama Ks-health care programs- offering resources

- Fixing the pumps of pool's to make it better and safer- 1) how to pay- Parks and recs are now about Keiki- Its very vast- Also includes zoo, art museums- send to mayors office, Janson- vIf cemetery fills up they have to look for new place- They help with littering and trash- When we become more sustainable, it starts with us- They work with ʻŌH-

Clif

-public safety, animal control, Police chief- Kealakekua born- Hilo high

- If there is storm its everybody in a meeding figureing out a solution-Emergency operational department of health is when everybody would work together.-He was a police offiser- He saw judges die infornt of him-Its all mental-He helps the mayor understand all the things that happen- Gun violence, work with nonprofit groups- Hes 59- deasel mechanics-Reviews law suits and claims-Complains comes through him

Micah Alameda

-Executive assistant of the mayor-rights certifacets -boards and commisions- Kamehameha- Keaukaha Boards and Commisions

-help engineer the sucsees of the county- be proactive- Try to be as helpful to Mayor- Executive and legislative in County-

Heather Kimble

- Representitive of Legislaztive Branch- From Michagan- University of Michigan

- Wrights laws-Drafts bills- 1 body in county nine people- County of honolulu is all of Oahu-County clerk is a person that keeps them on track, guides and makes sure they follow rules- Robert rule are to make sure the conversation is fair- Represents district 1- There are representitives for each district- Represent the peoole in there district but serve for the whole island- Disrtrisct are established by the redistict,They draw lines, happens -2 year term- If someone dies the representitives find someone to represent until voting starts.- Qualification: have to live in district, be good at public speaking, ready to work hard, being able to nigotiate.- Chair is elected by counsil- Council can come together to kick someone off chair.- Each of them have a little bit diffrwnt kuleana- Job as chair is to make sure commite is doing good this- Council meets twice a month-Commites meet twice a month- Councils have diffrent backgrounds- loves job because shes making a diffrence- They get tax from gas, grochey store, house, state anf federal government from grants- They can only spend what comes in-980mil dollars they got last year-Deal with roadway and suer systems, transportation, animal control- Control how much money people get- Budget is a law so legislative can change it- third is legis, thrid is special project, third is - You can submit written testify or zoom testify- Weirdest court case: Cell towers, there gonna destroy the planet,5g cant go through your skin, 5g gonna cause massive drought- She has been threatened in court before

Selena- works in Heathers office- Lanai - Kamehameha Kapalama

Dr. Holeka

-Representatives of district 8

- After eight years they find a new job or they can come back, you have to take two years off-n If I left I would continue an enrichment plan in Kona- To serve your community is the most rewarding thing -Being able to help community when they call you-

Sheriff migure

- Pahoa highschool

- State law enforcement officers- They can go any island to arrest-Take care of harbor and courts- Make sure workers are safe and people go home- Prepare people to go to jail-Give tickets-They carry gear- 1) leg lock 2) belly

- chain 3) hand cuff- Its more mental than physical- Trained to take control the situation, Verbal or physical, deescalate

balif

- communicates to staff and sheriffs - Kuleana depends on state

Judge Kanani-

- Go to law school for 5 years- The Bar is a 2 day test- bachelor's and law school-environmental court judge - Taking fish that aren't in season- Use to be a prosecutor- Teen court - 988 mental health-

Helped to organize by contacting people for today such as people from the executive branch 

Executive assistant

Graduated class of 2006

Alumni President

Nephew of Kimo Alameda

Micah.alameda@hawaiicounty.gov 

Miss Laura Acasio

O.S.C.E.R: Office of Sustainability, Climate, Equity, Resilience

Appointed by mayor

Apart of O.S.C.E.R

Mission for O.S.C.E.R

The mission for the office of sustainability is to strive to help sustain the health of their ‘āina by shifting certain ways/practice

Works on food security and local food production

Regenerative models (operating in a way that is not polluting)

Rethinking and trying to repurpose on how to implement pollution

Try and convert people from cesspools 

Resource recovery

Leomana Turlade 

A part of the Game management commission

Youngest person in the game management commission

Commission made up of all experts

Is a Scientist

Pescatarian 

James E. Hustace

 Is in charge of North and South Kohala

Lives/ grew up in Waimea

A part of the legislative branch

Zones out land

Council member

Different agencies that all combine and come together 

(808) 961-8564

Hayden Konanui Tucker

Graduated class of 2022

Chair of Youth Commission

Advises the council and the mayor on things that will help

15 on commission

6 mayoral appointees

9 represented by each district

They do proceeders, write testimonies, memos.

Instagram: Hawaiicounty.yc 

• Roughly 2800 range of county employees

• 42800 square miles, bigger than some states

• 20 departments and agencies

• 920 million county budget

• Around 90% of food is being imported

• County budget goes through a public process formed by the executive branch

• 2 levels of government in the county: Legislative and Executive

• 34 boards and commissions 

• Every 8 days, somebody is dying in the state froman overdose

• Corporation Council has attorneys attached to different commissions

Place: