(BIVN) – Hawaiʻi County Mayor Kimo Alameda was on Oʻahu Tuesday, making the annual presentation to state lawmakers at the start of the legislative session. The meeting was livestreamed on YouTube. 

“I am 48 days in, and I know about 80% of our budget, which is about 100% more than I knew before I started,” Alameda joked.

The afternoon briefing was held in the Auditorium of the State Capitol, before a panel of State Representatives sitting on the House Finance Committee, and Senators on Ways and Means.

“I am concerned about our funding for our wastewater, similar to the prior administration,” Alameda told the lawmakers. “We get Hilo, we get Hāmākua, we get Kaʻū, get Kealakehe, and those are obligations that we got to address at this time.” 

“On top of that is also concerns for our wildfires,” Alameda said. “As you can see what’s happening in our country and around the world, we have concerns for fire mitigation. That includes exit routes, buffer zones, fire brakes and such.” 

“Along those lines, you know we have a Big Island,” the Hawaiʻi County mayor continued. “So, you know we have some some needs on the emergency responders. Our fire stations are kind of far from each other, and I’m thinking about Makalei right now. We don’t have an EMS there.” 

Alameda also expressed his support for the various budget goals that the Hawaiʻi island state lawmakers have for this legislative session.

State Representative Matthias Kusch, right, questions Mayor Alameda. Image from FIN/WAM Joint Info Briefing livestream

Hilo’s newly appointed State Representative Matthias Kusch asked Mayor Alameda if there is a cost estimate for the wastewater projects.

“Keaukaha wastewater treatment can go as high as $400 million, right now,” Alameda answered. “That’s not including Kealakehe, which is another $50 million. You get Naʻalehu, Pāhala in Kaʻū, and we get the Hāmākua.”

The estimates “could be as high as $750 million to $1 billion”, Alameda said.

“I don’t have any specific ask around that because we’re still meeting with our finance team,” Alameda continued. “I did talk to our federal delegation on possibilities for federal funding, grant funding, but that’s going to be a big issue for us.” 

“We have bonds, but if we utilize all our bonds that gonna cripple our debt service. We’re not going to be able to do any more projects, as far as bonding or Capital Improvement.” 

“I did mention fire mitigation,” Alameda noted. “We have a Waikoloa Road that a prior administration was trying to complete. That’s about $25 million. We get the EMS request because there’s that big gap right in Makalei. They only have HAZMAT, they don’t have EMS. That’s nine positions, three shifts. Looking at about $1.2 million there.”

Also presenting to the state lawmakers on Tuesday were Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Maui Mayor Richard Bissen, and Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami.