Uh any discussion? Yeah, chair votes aye. Members, HB 2592, chair's recommendation passes with amendments. Chair votes aye. Senators Kidani and Fukunaga are excused. I vote aye. Senator DeCourcy. No. No. Chair recommendation is adopted. Thank you. Thank you. Moving on to HB 2437 relating to arts education. Um condition is passed with amendments, just uh changing the effective date to January 1, 3000. There's no discussion. Uh vice chair for the vote. Okay. Members are voting on HB 2437 HD1, noting the excused absences of Senator Inouye and um Senator Chang. Anyone present wanting to vote with reservations or no?
First up is Department of Health. Good afternoon, chairs, vice chairs, members of the committee. John Nagatsu, Department of Health. Uh the department stands on its written testimony uh in support of this bill. Thank you. Thank you. DLNR Kaleo Agsalog Not here in support. Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority, Gwen. I'm here. Thank you. US Fish Uh PUC, Johnny Tomiyama Good afternoon, chairs, vice chairs, members of the committee. Um we stand on written testimony in support of the Thank you. Mary Alice Evans with uh OPSD in support Kailoha Fox from City and County of Honolulu, Climate Change and Sustainability and Resiliency Aloha chairs, vice chairs, members of the committee. Kailoha Fox for the mayor's office of change, sustainability, and resiliency in the City and County of Honolulu's chief resilience officer. We stand in strong support of our written testimony.
And as you see new growth >> and we're not anticipating getting 7% anyways, >> but we know the city gets new some new growth, right? Some we've seen some of the numbers, right? >> Okay. >> We we make up >> more than half of the budget. >> Okay. >> Correct. >> Would we get half of the new growth? >> No. Some of you would. >> You're one of those people. >> There's actually >> Oh my recommends revenue. >> Just a question. It's just a >> boys in the house. Okay. So, half of the So, what is the revenue that's gone up? >> Yeah, you you know this. I know. I I see players in the house. >> Okay. >> They represented as such a nice >> Okay. So, what's your number? >> I don't know. >> But it's not 7%, is it? There's no way Greenfield grew 7%.
Hearing none, chair, your recommendation is adopted. Okay, then for the Committee on Education, same recommendation, pass with amendments. Chair votes aye. Chair votes aye, noting the excused absences of Senators Kidani and Fukunaga. Any members voting with reservations or noes? With all ayes voting, I recommendation is adopted. >> Thank you. We are adjourned. You are adjourned.
We're here for any questions. Mahalo. Thank you. Lindsay Garcia from Hawaii Realtors in support Ted Bohlen, Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition >> [clears throat] >> Thank you, chairs, vice chairs, members of the committees. Ted Bohlen on behalf of the Hawaii Reef and Ocean Coalition in strong support. I think everybody here knows that cesspool upgrades are very expensive. And this bill is about making it more affordable. We're going to need loans. We're going to need help to do this financially. And this bill would provide some through the Hawaii Green Infrastructure Authority. It's particularly targeted toward low and moderate-income people. I know that chairs of this committee have a lot of low-income people or low low-income people with cesspools in their districts. So, it's very important for these particular um districts to do so um to do the upgrades to pass this bill. Uh I would particularly note that um Hawaiian Paradise Park has a a number of cesspools that are affected by uh concentration of cesspools around their drinking water wells.
>> We're not saying it did. We're saying this is what it takes to run this year's services. Okay. >> You know that we've said that before. >> You know, >> keeping our our revolving accounts stable, too. >> not at all. They're they're going% >> down substantially down. >> We're not we're not reducing we're not emptying them, don't get me wrong, in what you have in front of you, but there's money taken out of them. Absolutely. >> Really? >> Yes. >> If you look at your slides 18 and I wrote 18 down. I'll go back to those slides. >> My computer also probably screen it for you. >> Oh, I need to join jump into the Zoom, but I could. >> Yes, it's slides 18 and 19 to your combined balance sheet. >> So, so when I find out the town's growth, which I won't be asking the town, you want half.
So, there are people who are with some health issues that could come out of this. And it's very important for us to get those people loans. It's not about 2050. I know we've had discussion about it in the past whether we should move the mandate forward or back. There will be people who will need to upgrade in the meantime. And the other thing I wanted to add to my written testimony is we've seen this week that uh we've got the Kona storms and there's a lot of people walking around in waste that's from overflowing cesspools. So, cesspools really need to be upgraded, not just in 2050. Thank you very much. Next is uh Jessica Paisley from Wai. Stewart Aloha chairs, vice chairs, and committee members. Stewart Coleman uh from Wai. And um wanted to stand on [clears throat] our written testimony, but just add that um not only will this bill help low-income homeowners, but it will make us uh eligible for federal loans.
That seems fair >> because you're the schools are half the budget. >> If you want the if you want everything you would have >> Yeah. You want everything you have this year. You need both. >> I want half only if you guarantee that 80% of the kids can read at proficiency. >> Yeah. Over time. Yeah. You're not what the 22. >> You're not going to get six months in one year. You don't. You'd be surprised what I could do with writing. >> My kids at grade level reading finally. Just saying. She hit grade level reading. >> And what school did she go to? >> She just hit it this year in at GMS. She was two grades behind all of Newton. >> Okay. I'm getting slides 18 and 19 up. Oh, I I I see where they're coming from. I got the I got the story line.
Um and it will start with kind of revolving fund loans. And but once it's accessible, we can also um start to bring in grants to help low-income homeowners. So, it's really a win-win situation. Uh mahalo, and we'll be available for uh for questions. Thank you, Stewart. Mihoko Ito from the Hawaii Bankers Association on Zoom Not present, chair. Okay. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure? Chair Please. Aloha chairs, vice chairs, and members of the committees. My name is Hannah Lee Ziak, and I'm testifying on behalf of the Ocean Legislative Task Force in strong support of this measure. One of our core priorities this legislative session, and has been for many years, is cesspool conversion and wastewater management. We currently have over 83,000 unconverted cesspools in the state. And one of the largest barriers to this is cost. And I think that this measure would greatly help with that.
I'll find the number the magic number. >> Really? >> They got a magic number in their head. The mayor's got one in her head, but nobody's sharing it. You have to share half what? Half of the growth of the city. I I thought we were at zero. I do not see growth in Greenfield, but >> you saw Starbucks and all. >> That's it. But I don't think but I don't think she's charging them anything. So back to slides >> or not enough. >> Amen. >> Here we have slide 18 which gives us our July 1. >> Blow that up >> from >> Are you able to see that? >> Not really. >> Sorry. >> Give me a second. >> Better. >> Yes. So it shows us um the July of last year balance and our projected balance at the end of this school year with a percent change.
I also wanted to mention one small recommendation for this measure that we kindly ask that the effective date be modified to effective upon approval by the governor so that the City and County of Honolulu can add funds immediately to fast-track um more cesspool conversions. Our task force represents over 150 individuals across over 20 organizations. And we thank you for hearing this measure. Mahalo. Thank you. Anyone else? Uh Department of Health Please come forward. I got a question. So, I think it's we all know the dire need for doing something about cesspools. And I think in uh you know, the cost for converting traditional septic or uh to septic or aerobic systems can be in the tens of thousands of dollars. So, in previous testimony on other cesspool bills that was brought up about innovative wastewater technologies that would be less costly. So, is DOH looking into any of those technologies with the aim of approving them or checking them out?
>> Oh. Andy's got it going quicker than me. She's got a big screen. Andy's got a big screen. >> And then slide 19 starts with the balance this July. What our projected >> account. That's what the most recent first choice. >> That's what you're That's what we're projecting to expend. That was what the offset is >> to leave us as a >> So you spent 40% of it. >> That's a million for FY26. And then >> what' you spend that on? >> That's the offset that we do in the high school. >> Well, forget that. >> Start cutting the high school. Okay. Circuit breakers. >> Circuit breakers. Again, by statute though, we have to >> allow to carry over the prior years. >> Yeah. I don't touch circuit breaker ever. >> That's tuition. >> I wouldn't touch that either. >> And then transportation >> that I think we need to >> do what we can.
Yes. Uh John Nagatsu, Department of Health, Wastewater Branch. So, um besides septic tanks and aerobic tanks, so we do it look at passive systems that accomplish aerobic treatment. Um they can be somewhat more affordable because they use their type of um sizing criteria. It's a little bit smaller sometimes than what DOH uh allows for regular absorption beds, which are which are bigger. So, that that can bring the cost down, and we are we are familiar with the technologies out there. Okay. All right. Thank you. Any other questions? >> Chair Go ahead. Sorry. No, you go first. No, no, no. I have a question. Oh, sorry. I still don't have a good one. And so, so can you let me know in uh my uh district of Waialae Beach which we about 10, 15 miles away. We have a lot of old cesspools. Still don't have a good data on how much pollution that our cesspools that is leaking into the ocean that is causing uh potential health issues.
And then but when you second >> we need a new transmission >> project just don't know >> 500 is going to end 321 so >> the percent projected percent change down 18% over the two years we're down 15%. Again, you don't touch circuit breaker, but even sped tuition revolving, we're down 76% from two years and we're down 32. >> But you can't count on circuit breaker because God knows what the state will do. It's like count. >> Yeah, that's why I mean that's why it's But again, that's why they in the practice of only using your prior year mouse. We know. >> Yeah. So, you just leave that there and spray it. >> So, this overall 30% reduction actually includes the 16%. So, it's far worse. You still got to know. >> It's still good. >> No, actually because if you take if you want don't want to touch circuit breaker, you got to reduce the 28 by the 15.
And I've been bringing it up at the city council as the same thing. We don't have any. You guys are talking about these loans like the people in my community is 21 years old. They're in the '80s. They probably all They're not going to afford a loan. And if they don't do it on a certain time and you the other person said we'll do them upon approval what's going to happen to my families in the community that cannot afford to even do it or even try to make a loan? So, are they going to keep finding them if they don't do them in a timely manner? And the other issue that I have with not this with the Department of Health, with the City and County is that a lot of the families that did extensions or they grow their house and the City and County and the Department of Health said, "Hey, you got to put on septic tank." Cost them 40,000, 60,000 to do it for their home.
>> I see it. >> And that's like 13. But then we've got to take the you know what it is that we're >> Marching the high school. That's all you got. >> And I already wrote it down, >> right? Oo, but that's not going to get you a mill. I mean, it's the middle school and the high school. I mean, you got nothing to cut at the elementary school. I mean, they're they're ground zero. >> Probably don't extreme. >> Yeah. Yeah, I got it. >> So, we need to next was >> Well, are there >> I'm depressed. Any more questions? >> Any more questions before we move on to >> No, Andy was supposed to be cranking out bills over there, not like >> Okay.
Guess what the Department of Health said and the Department of um Environmental Services said, >> [snorts] >> "Ah, you still got to tie into the sewer." Where is that equal medium that these guys did spend all this money into the house to make the extension for their family? Now their septic tank is going to be no longer accepted. So, I'm not sure if you guys' criteria it is or is the city's criteria. But something has to change. People that have made the conversions from the cesspool because they had to would be something that I really would you guys look look into because it's not fair to my community that is aging. None of my people in my community that lives in the district wants it. I understand the beach side, Waikiki, Ala Wai Beach Road area, maybe you got to figure something out. But none of the people in my community on this side where I live can afford it.
Well, the next item on the agenda is um looking at >> the high school >> the um budget and finance subcommittee description provided by chair sex and I will go ahead and screen share that because I can and no one can stop me. >> Would not even think of >> Okay, so um I hope we've all had time to read it. It's just a listing of duties and this I suppose is just if we have anything that we'd like to change or add or bring to chair sex or if we generally agree with it. How about I zoom? >> That would be good because it was the warrant, right? We wanted to look at that language. >> You made banana bread. So that's all I'll pause. >> There we go. Oh, that's perfect. It's pretty straightforward to me, but I'm open to any requested edits questions.
And that's something we tied in long time ago in the district. But the other sides didn't. And they're they're not going to be able to afford it. This is like 30 years ago. You know, and they don't Again, you got to use a licensed plumber. You cannot do them like we did it. We did it for ourself. We filled up our cesspool. Right? We took it all the way to the road, and then we had a licensed plumber tie it in. All of that is no, no, no. See? So, again, how are you going to accommodate the people that cannot really afford to get a loan? And you will go to the bank, they say, "Yes." But they actually will tell you, "No." How you think that in in my city in Hilo they're going to feel that they cannot do these conversions? And the burden will be put up on them if they don't get fined.
>> Did we add warrants onto our >> Yes. Warrants? >> Reviewing and approving non-payroll warrants authorizing the dispersement of school department bonds. The last bullet ensuring that public face facing budget documents I would like this year we didn't do it last year once the mayor gives us a number and then that the document is maybe and I'm willing to do this like every school like we do a night where people can come in and ask questions. I think that's we've never sort of done that piece. Um, and I think if but there's no magic money in revolving accounts, we're going to be making significant cuts and I think people will have questions and I think that's >> so I agree with you there and but I don't know if that needs to be written in subcommittee charge because we already do the community out part like our listening sessions in the fall.