image of the Daniel K. Inouye Highway in the area of the Mauna Kea Access Road (Dave Corrigan)

This story will be updated following Tuesday’s committee meeting.

(BIVN) – It has been four months since the effort to start construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on Maunakea was halted by opponents of the project, and on Tuesday the County of Hawaiʻi will take the first step to get reimbursed by the State for costs related to the ongoing standoff.

The Hawaiʻi County Council Committee on Finance meets at 3 p.m. in the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, and will consider a bill and a resolution to accept $10 million from the state “for overtime costs, supplies, equipment and other expenses incurred by the Hawaii County Police Department.”

The $10 million is double the most recent reported County costs, which were calculated to be nearly $4.9 million as of November 4. 

During a November 5 meeting of the finance committee, councilmember Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder questioned Police Chief Paul Ferreira about the agreements the County made with the State and / or other counties.

The language of Resolution 403-19 has more information:

RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE OF HAWAIʻI, PURSUANT TO HRS 46-7, FOR A GRANT TO THE HAWAIʻI COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

WHEREAS, the Hawaii County Police Department wishes to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the State of Hawaiʻi; and

WHEREAS, the agreement is to receive funds from the State of Hawaiʻi to reimburse the County for overtime costs, supplies, equipment and other expenses incurred by the Hawaiʻi County Police Department in response to the protest activities related to the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope on the summit of Mauna Kea; and

WHEREAS, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes, Section 46-7, requires that County departments obtain the consent of the Council to enter into agreements with the federal or state governments respecting action to be taken pursuant to any of the powers granted by law to furnish, expend, and receive any funds or other assistance in connection with projects being or to be undertaken pursuant to those powers; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI, in accordance with section 46-7, Hawaii Revised Statutes, that the Mayor of the County of Hawaii is authorized to execute, on behalf of the County, an agreement and related documents with the State of Hawaii for funding as described above.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that the County Clerk of the County of Hawaiʻi shall transmit copies of this resolution to the Office of the Mayor, the Finance Department, and the Hawaii Police Department.