I believe that, you know, our comments were made a bit broadly so we can understand stand the scope of the waiver from liabilities that that is being um sought out. If we just didn't think that, you know, as written, the waiver would have the effect that may have been intended if it was really broad, and that they may need to be limited in order to um have the intended effect. Sounds like we're going to have a robust discussion in a follow-up meeting. I'll just follow up, chair. So, as far as the claims and the liabilities, was that in the original Original language to the act? >> Yes. I believe so. Okay. So, Oh, I mean, to the bill. No, no, to the Is this the Is this the language that is in the act now? >> I don't believe so. It's not in the act.
Okay, Makena Woodward, Office of Hawaiian Affairs in Support. Benson Medina, County of Hawaii um Department of Research and Development in Support. Chris Coffey, Hawaii Pacific Health Institute in Support. Aloha again, Chris Coffey from the Hawaii Public Health Institute. We're in support of this bill. Our freedom should not begin without food. You have far too many people the first steps to re-enter are taken on an empty stomach. Uh this proposal would allow uh federal would authorize Hawaii to seek federal waiver, federal approval to allow inmates to apply for SNAP benefits before being released uh from incarcerated. And there are studies that show that 91% of individuals recently released from prison experience insecurity, food insecurity. And more than 1/3 uh report going an entire day without access to food. Uh giving eligible giving uh eligible individuals benefits immediately rather than forcing them to wait weeks uh to get food security would reduce a critical gap in access to food during re-entry, which is already a period that's associated with elevated homelessness, re-incarceration, and and mortality actually is is quite a spike during that period.
Happy to happy to answer any questions you may have. Any questions or a motion? I'll motion. I'll second. Lisa, I have a motion and a second. Ben Owens I. Lisa Garcia I. Carla Lopez I. Patty Cutri I. Discussion and possible approval of the school year 2026-2027 transportation and health service work calendars. Dr. Lotman Yes, these are revisions to the recently approved work calendars. Had a couple of changes that need to be made. Transportation needed to be changed. It's the same number of days, but we needed to change the actual start date. And then the health services calendar needed to be changed to accommodate some training dates as well. So those are the modifications. I have one question. With the transportation calendar, did we leave room for if we're adding Alma Farrell and the new routes that we're going to is there time for training and all of that getting all that done prior to starting school?
>> Yeah, they're going um Barbara Tizol and Paul Bowden will be coming uh to the school committee to ask for approval to do a little bit of of reconstructing of the TV station at the um at the high school. So if you remember uh the high school when it was built um there was actually there is a room that end designated as a as a TV station at the time. They had a program when they were at the middle school years ago and WACA's um lease is coming up and it's become very very expensive. Uh FCC's pulled a lot of funding, local funding. Uh so they approached me and said, "Hey, you know, is there anything we can do? Is there a place we can go?" And and looking you know, obviously they used to use the middle school uh and now we utilize that as our our IT area as well as the um John Murray and and facilities.
>> Yes. For last last year made for this >> last year. And then the ideal situation when we when we met last we talked about how >> okay so now I'm going to back this up on here. It says in on slide 31 it says three sped pairs not and it has three kindergarten IAS that we're talking about. >> What's that? >> And then four corners has two and 21 sped IAS easier to move the children into four corners and Federal Street and >> right off Newton then two. We really have enough kids for two elementary schools, not three, because two years in a row our parents quit when we moved them around. Just saying. Two years in a row. Um, >> another question on Okay. >> Oh, thank you for asking. So my shift my question was shifts away from personnel at this point.
My prerogative would be to get it done today rather than trying to find a quorum of us in the in uh the next six days. Um, so I'm looking for a motion for a new dollar amount, >> a dollar or percentage. >> They would we would work it out one or the other, dollar or a percentage increase. So question is that we come up with a number then ask the superintendent to redo the budget to show that that we very quickly get a vote on for April 1st or do we vote on that number and just their trust? Oh, sorry. >> No, I just I can for discussion purposes I just taking the mayor's thought on the preschool revolving. I just put $500,000 as an offset for the budget, which brings it down to a 5.35% increase for a total amount of 1,267,48, which is offered.
Okay. Um because I was going to raise why wasn't this raised earlier if we we did pass the measure [snorts] if this in fact was the original language not in the measure. From our office, I can't We can't really provide a definitive reason why it wasn't raised earlier, but I can assure you, you know, there have been a lot of people keeping an eye on this, and I think our office reassessed our approach, and we're just grateful for the opportunity to provide comments at this time. Okay, can you just go back and and then get back to us on whether or not this is existing language or not in the act? >> Mhm. Um Okay, I think I have other questions. I was just Sure. Let me um Thank you. Uh let me switch over real quick to Thank you. Uh okay, so if you would, switch, please.
Uh there are 13 states that already do this uh including states that are as varied as Louisiana and Kansas and Oregon and California. So if we want to prevent recidivism, then we must prevent hunger. Thank you so much for the opportunity to speak. Thank you very much. Next we have Benny Lou Larson, Catholic Charities of Hawaii in Support. Okay, um Kat Brady, Community Alliance on Prisons in Support. Thank you. Nicole Woo, Hawaii Children's Action Network speaks in Support. Nicole? Daniella Spatola, Hawaii Appleseed in Support. Daniella? Come on up. Good afternoon, Chair, Vice Chair, members of the committee. Daniella Spatola with Hawaii Appleseed in support of this bill. Um as others have already said, people returning home from incarceration face especially steep barriers. Um in particular, food insecurity is rampant among this newly released population with many reporting that they've gone an entire day without eating because they couldn't afford food.
Absolutely. All of that is will be encompassed in the training days that are allocated. Have these calendars been the revisions been reviewed by staff that are impacted by these? You know That's why they're being revised. Yeah, that's where that's that's where they originated um was in that analysis and thinking about what the needs were in the department. Got you. So in the future we going to bring some of these groups in a little bit earlier to kind of have some of these discussions as well. So so we're not going back and doing a revision. That would be ideal. Perfect. Thank you. >> [snorts] >> If there's no other questions, I'll make a motion to approve. Second. Lisa, I have a motion and a second. Ben Owens I. Lisa Garcia I. Carla Lopez I. Patty Cutri I. All right. Discussion and possible approval to accept the fiscal year 2025 audits and compliance questionnaire.
Uh if I had my druthers that'd be a great spot for them to go back in because there's there's already capacity to to run any wires they need etc. There's not a lot of time in the studio they need anymore uh but also the high school accounts for the majority of the stuff they do, right? Or at the high school or high school sports or high school um um productions. So we we did a tour of of a couple facilities and and really that room is at the high school not utilized anymore because we don't have a television program. We use it after school for robotics as part of their area to um to to do their work. We'd have to find a spot for that uh for after school. Um and shout out to robotics they had a They had a awesome uh uh competition and and did quite well recently, but WACA It's it's a logical place.
So >> um I received a question about AI wanting to know how much the district spends on AI services and subscriptions and if that is set to increase in FY27. >> Yeah. I don't know whether we have a breakout. >> Kids can't read. Why are we >> Yeah, I don't know. >> I I talked to Ian quickly last week and and I know that assistant superintendent Sullivan and Mr. I mean we're doing an AI policy that was before you and that's going to a sub >> in there. I can I'll get you a number, but I don't believe there's a lot or any significant dollars >> for subscriptions or for AI. >> No, for AI. Specifically AI >> specifically >> AI is included in Google like that's the thing spending on subscriptions for like >> yeah we would know >> so can you block it in Google >> we have some things blocked >> well that would be >> more of like if you've got a general Google account then you have access to Gemini but if you are using it more than your allotted AI answers you'd have to pay more and I think that's the question of if it's any premium AI >> kicked into so much of what >> somebody premium >> subbed a lot in a high school the kids just sign up for the 30-day free trial to do their papers.
>> Can you say that again? When you move that revolving, you got it to a 5.2 >> 5.35%. >> Correct. >> For how much? $1,257,480 >> and that's using the rainy day fund. Correct. the preschool. No, the preschool revolving. >> That's that's what I meant by that. >> What percentage of the preschool revolving would that be? >> 100%. >> Just I would just also provide this caveat is that there's nothing saying that we couldn't do maybe 250 of the preschooling and 250 of transportation. I just took the $500,000 because the mayor identified so we could keep it at the store towards the past once we get a number from the mayor to build this budget and then be able to realign it so cheap. >> So what was the percentage now? >> 5.35%. that a starting point that you know folks are more comfortable with.
Thank you, chair. Thank you. Uh in your guys' testimony, um you'd also referenced some of these things, in particular the CDUP um uh issue uh in a in the event that we let the CDUPs run with the land, are there any other adverse I don't know, outcomes or impacts or anything else? It What's the What's the risk of doing that? Is there a risk? From from the outset, there's been a concern about being the permit holder and having oversight and enforcement over that permit. And so, the position that we took was to distance that, right? And effectively, it does run with the land from BLNR to the authority to the sublessee, right? So, could we make it work? Yeah, I realize how delicate a situation it is, and there are um Was that a yes answer to can we make that work? You know, we're we're right now co-managing with the Mauna Kea um Center for Mauna Kea Stewardship.
Um we would not be the first state to implement such a um a measure and um 13 other states have already implemented these waivers successfully. I also want to note that DHS would have um until January 1st, 2028 in this current version of the bill to implement this process, which would give them some ramp-up time for their new eligibility system. Um hopefully by then it'll be a little bit of a less of a barrier for them to get that program up and running. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay, Mike Wien, Aloha Care in Support. Mike Wien, are you present? You don't look like Mike. No. Okay, nice. Thank you. Josh Frost, ACLU of Hawaii in Support. Josh? Thank you, Chair, Vice Chair. Oh, it's just the two of you now. Um Josh Frost, ACLU of Hawaii. You have our testimony um and you've heard lots of good reasons um why this bill is important.
Mr. Harmon Thank you, President Cutri, members of the board, Dr. Lotman. The purpose of this action item is to formally accept the audits and compliance questionnaire conducted on the district for fiscal year 2025. The audit was conducted by Heinfeld Meech, an independent audit firm. They conducted the required single audit and compliance questionnaire. They also completed the voluntary annual comprehensive financial report that's required for two applications we make for esteemed certifications of excellence in financial reporting. One to the Association of School Business Officials International and the other to the Government Finance Officers Association GFOA. The rules for public school districts come from the Arizona Constitution and Title 15 of the Arizona Revised Statutes. These rules change every year through legislation and voter approved initiatives. The Department of Education and the Auditor General of the State of Arizona are responsible for interpreting these rules and enforcing them with school districts.
They're a community um organization that I I feel like we should support and need to support. Um and they they went in and looked at, "Okay, what would it cost to fix up that room to meet their needs?" So, if they have to come in and do some filming. I said, "We're not paying for anything. We We don't have the funds to do those things." Um it also has a walled-off area so they can have um you know, a control booth there. It's already built in. Um so, they weren't prepared to come tonight with with a schematic of of what they want to do and how much it would cost. So, Barb's hopefully coming back. We'll be ready for the first meeting in April. Um but it's something I really want to support. And like I said, if we can use the middle school, we have a long-range plan for that, too, but that's that's a ways down the road.
So just going to say where there's a will there's a >> Is there a line on here that does show what we do use for subscriptions? >> Oh yes. >> Really? I didn't see that. It's where it's not >> it's in technology, right? >> Is it in technology? >> Because I know when I was talking to the ghs library >> it'd be underneath like a system software because that would be considered software program >> and technology you said >> correct line >> is it all there or is like the reading >> that's I'm just trying to >> administrative technology >> I'll get you look for it subscription list. >> Sure. And >> well, I know like when I was talking to the ghs library and she had mentioned that some of her budget does go to technology for the library at GHS. >> Follow it.
>> I'm not >> I would be comfortable with that. So, >> all right. >> I would like to move to approve to send the budget um revised down to the 5 >> 5.35 >> 35% increase. Second want to roll call or do >> discussion. >> Yep. We can have some discussion. Um I've got myself and then I'll get you. Um in terms of process, one of the big three things that's ours to do is the budget. And so I am not comfortable with a process that is between the mayor and the superintendent only because then what are we doing here? Then I might as well have stayed home. Um so I I think the process necessarily has to come through us and the mayor certainly has a role to play in the way that our charter is set up. I'm not saying that she doesn't.
So, while we would like to see the CDUPs, that's still our position, but if this committee decided to uh amend that, we'd have to work with it. Whatever that fallout is. Thank you. Yeah. So, do we Do you folks have your plan and everything I I know you've been working on this, but where are you at in the whole process? The We are right now in we contracted our uh management plan creation back in July, and it's scheduled to be uh completed in October as the final deliverable, which then will uh trigger several months of vetting by the authority itself. But the actual uh plan deliverable is scheduled for October 2027. Uh 2026, excuse me. And as far as all the transition, has that has that occurred in the university? Has everything been transferred? You know, we currently are in a joint management committee with the Center for Mauna Kea Stewardship.
Um I wanted to highlight that um this is one of those rare instances where DCR and ACLU are actually on the same page. That alone I think should uh merit the bill's passage. Uh well yeah, [clears throat] I also wanted to highlight again the um the postdated uh effective date to give DHS time to continue uh with the best in improvements. Thank you. Thank you very much. Lauren Zerbol, Hawaii Food Industry Association. Lauren, are you present? Not present, Chair. No, that's oh, that's Hawaii Food Bank. Okay, Genevieve Muma, Hawaii Hunger Hunger Action Network in Support. Genevieve Muma, are you present on Zoom? Oh, you're present in person. Thank you. Megan Fox, Malama Kauai in Support. Elia Herman, Hawaii Food Bank. I see on Zoom. Please proceed. Oops. We stand on our written testimony. Thank you very much. Ann Frederick, uh Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action in Support.