Bill Nos. 28 (Draft 2), 43 (Draft 3),
44 (Draft 2), and 48 (Draft 3)

I hereby certify that the following Bills passed first reading at the meeting of the Hawai’i County Council on June 21, 2023, by vote as listed below:

Bill 28 (Draft 2): Amends Chapter 19, Article 7, Section 19-53 and Article 10, Section 19-71, of the Hawai’i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as Amended), Relating to Real Property Taxes. Safeguards certain agriculturally productive properties which are also used as an owner’s primary residence or as an affordable rental from rising assessment values. Ayes: Council Members Evans, Galimba, Inaba, Kagiwada, Lee Loy, Villegas, and Chair Kimball – 7; Noes: None; Absent: Council Members Kaneali’i-Kleinfelder and Kierkiewicz – 2; Excused: None.

Bill 43 (Draft 3): Amends Chapter 19, Articles 1 and 8, of the Hawai’i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as Amended), Relating to Commercial Agricultural Use Dedication for Real Property Taxes. Seeks to implement recommendations of the Real Property Tax Review Working Group and Agricultural Committee’s September 2019 Final Report by: amending the definitions for “commercial agricultural activities” and “Commercial agricultural use dedication”; adding four new definitions relating to commercial agricultural uses; amending Section 19-60 of the Hawai’i County Code to create a “Long-term commercial agricultural use dedication”; and establishing a new section titled “Short-term commercial agricultural use dedication.” Ayes: Council Members Evans, Galimba, Kagiwada, Kimball, Villegas, and Acting Chair Inaba – 6; Noes: None; Absent: Council Members Kaneali’i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, and Lee Loy – 3; Excused: None.

Bill 44 (Draft 2): Amends Chapter 19, Articles 1 and 7, of the Hawai’i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as Amended), Relating to Community Food Sustainability Use Assessments and Nondedicated Agriculture Use Assessments. Seeks to implement recommendations of the Real Property Tax Review Working Group and Agricultural Committee’s September 2019 Final Report and the 2021 Annual Report of the Real Property Tax Board of Review by: establishing a sunset date for the definition of “Nondedicated agricultural use assessment”; adding a new definition for “Community food sustainability use”; establishing a sunset date for Section 19-57 of the Hawai’i County Code; and establishing a new section titled “Community food sustainability use assessment”. Ayes: Council Members Evans, Galimba, Kagiwada, Kimball, Villegas, and Acting Chair Inaba – 6; Noes: None; Absent: Council Members Kaneali’i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, and Lee Loy – 3; Excused: None.

Bill 48 (Draft 3): Amends the Hawai’i County Code 1983 (2016 Edition, as Amended), by Amending Chapter 2, Article 2, Section 2-7; Amending Chapter 2 by Creating a New Article 49; and Creating a New Chapter 37, Relating to Sustainability, Climate, Equity, and Resilience. Adds a new agency and agency head to coordinate and manage policies and programs to address sustainability, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to the impacts of climate change and other natural and human caused hazards. Ayes: Council Members Galimba, Kagiwada, Kimball, Villegas, and Acting Chair Inaba – 5; Noes: Council Member Evans – 1; Absent: Council Members Kaneali’i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, and Lee Loy – 3; Excused: None.

Jon Henricks
COUNTY CLERK

Hawai’i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider
and Employer

(WHT1421045 6/30/23)