Hawaiʻi Island – The Hawaiʻi County Council passed three bills on their first reading at a meeting on July 23, 2025. The legislation addresses topics from the feeding of feral animals to water system improvements and a major budget amendment.
Bill 51 (Draft 3): Regulating Feral Animal Feeding
This bill seeks to amend the Hawaiʻi County Code relating to animals by regulating the feeding of feral or stray animals on any property owned, leased, or operated by the County. The proposed amendment would only allow feeding by a certified community cat caretaker authorized by the Animal Control and Protection Agency.
The bill passed the first reading with a vote of 6-1. Council Members Galimba, Hustace, Kagiwada, Kierkiewicz, Kimball, and Villegas voted yes, while Acting Council Chair Onishi voted no.
Bill 69: Iki Place Water System Improvements
This bill provides for the costs of public water system improvements in “Improvement District No. 21 – Iki Place.” It fixes the portion of the cost to be assessed against the benefited properties and adopts a final assessment roll. The bill also creates a special fund, with a total estimated cost of $275,000, into which assessment money will be placed.
This bill passed the first reading unanimously with a 7-0 vote. Council Members Galimba, Hustace, Kagiwada, Kierkiewicz, Kimball, Villegas, and Acting Chair Onishi all voted yes.
Bill 70: Operating Budget Amendment
Bill 70 amends the County’s operating budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The bill increases the “Fund Balance from Previous Year” account by $59,000,000 and appropriates that same amount to the “Provision for Compensation Adjustment-General” account.
This bill also passed the first reading with a unanimous 7-0 vote. Council Members Galimba, Hustace, Kagiwada, Kierkiewicz, Kimball, Villegas, and Acting Chair Onishi all voted yes.
These bills have now moved to a second reading, where the Council will continue to deliberate on the proposed changes.