31. Kailua NB Public Safety, Public Health, and Civil Defense Committee Meeting

KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 31   PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND CIVIL DEFENSE (PSPHCD) COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA Thursday, August 20, 2026 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm In-person at the Kailua District Park District Meeting Room Chair: Jeremy Treskon. Members: Bruce Andrews, Bill Hicks, David Laeha, and Levani Lipton; Kailua Alert & Prepared (BOD), Community Member Claudine Tomasa. 1. Call to order/Approval of minutes 2. Announcements/New Issues/Community Concerns a. Kailua Alert & Prepared 3. Update/Report on Continuing Issues a. Public Health & Safety (1) Securing our Schools. (2) Water Quality-Continuing initiatives and leaching from the old Kapaa Landfill. (3) Invasive Species/Little Fire Ants and Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB) (4) Motion to address homelessness in Kailua. b. Civil Defense updates - David Laeha (1) Community Point of Distribution (CPOD) update (2) Disaster Preparedness (Flash Floods / Tsunamis / Wildfires / Hurricane shelters) (3) Potential plans for rebuilding the Kailua Library to include a resilience hub 4. Adjournment   Public Safety, Public Health, and Civil Defense Committee July 2026 Meeting Report Chair: Jeremy Treskon 1. A committee meeting was held in-person on July 16, 2026, chaired by Jeremy Treskon and attended by committee members Bill Hicks, Levani Lipton, and Claudine Tomasa; KNB member Ana Malia Kia; and a resident from Meridian East. 2. Pre-Disaster Planning and Mitigation. Claudine Tomasa moved, Jeremy Treskon seconded, and the committee unanimously approved the following MOTION URGING GREATER FOCUS ON PRE-DISASTER PLANNING AND MITIGATION, AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCY PLANNING IN HAWAIʻI WHEREAS, The Kailua Neighborhood Board recognizes that Hawaiʻi faces ongoing and increasing risk from disasters associated with severe weather events, flooding, hurricanes, infrastructure disruption, wildfires, coastal inundation, and other natural or man-made emergencies; and WHEREAS, The Board recognizes and appreciates the dedicated work performed by emergency management agencies, first responders, and supporting organizations throughout the State and County during and after emergencies; emergency response and recovery operations are critically important; and WHEREAS, Pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation, resiliency planning, and advance coordination are among the areas where impacts to life, property, infrastructure, and public safety may be reduced before disasters occur; and WHEREAS, Emergency Management and Pre-disaster planning and mitigation are not the same thing; and WHEREAS, Community members continue to express concern regarding the visibility, coordination, and implementation of pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts, including but not limited to: resilient sheltering and place of assembly planning, backup communication systems, continuity of essential services including special recognition of kupuna care and disabled, flood mitigation measures, pre-disaster evacuation planning and coordination to include emergency access routes, pre-disaster supply staging, and WHEREAS, Voices of Windward residents were expressed in signatures taken at the recent Windward Emergency Fair addressing their concerns about emergency preparedness in their community; and WHEREAS, Residents reasonably expect reliable and visible preparedness infrastructure and planning appropriate to the known risks facing Hawaiʻi's island communities; and WHEREAS, Federal agencies, including FEMA, have consistently recognized that investments in pre-disaster planning and mitigation as well as preparedness may significantly reduce recovery costs, infrastructure damage, economic disruption, and loss of life following major emergencies; and WHEREAS, The Board recognizes that many mitigation and preparedness initiatives may require substantial planning, coordination, and financial investment, while others may be achievable through stronger interagency coordination, public-private partnerships, volunteer support, and improved public awareness; and WHEREAS, The Board further recognizes that community knowledge, local expertise, and stakeholder engagement may provide valuable insight into localized vulnerabilities, resiliency strategies, and practical preparedness needs; and WHEREAS, The Board finds that additional discussion, coordination, and visibility regarding pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation efforts would benefit both policymakers and the public; and WHEREAS, Examples of preparedness and mitigation concerns identified by community members include, but are not limited to: confusion regarding where to go if evacuation or emergency services are required, confusion regarding communication with government agencies when the phone/911 is not working, repeated flooding of same areas with no significant improvements made, lack of planning regarding high rise buildings in a power out situation and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kailua Neighborhood Board urges increased attention toward actual, visible, measurable, and community-informed pre-disaster preparedness, mitigation efforts, and resiliency planning throughout Hawaiʻi; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board encourages continued collaboration among emergency management agencies, elected officials, other government agencies, community organizations, subject matter experts, and concerned citizens to strengthen pre-disaster planning and mitigation efforts, preparedness coordination, and public awareness; and, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board supports exploration of these and other ideas through discussion, working groups, planning bodies, or collaborative forums dedicated specifically to pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation, resiliency planning, and concrete implementation strategies; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that such discussions may include consideration of future preparedness initiatives, mitigation opportunities, and infrastructure considerations, such as: future government buildings built to shelter specifications, existing larger public buildings hardened to shelter specifications, in lieu of shelters dedicated places of assembly designated in advance, pre-staging of emergency supplies at these designated places of assembly, local community members trained to assist first responders when immediate needs arise, redundant communications capability, island-wide, continuity of operations between government agencies and community efforts, flood and storm mitigation measures, scheduled maintenance of exiting storm drainage infrastructure, design and implementation of new storm drainage measures, community pre-disaster preparedness coordination; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board encourages greater public visibility regarding existing preparedness initiatives, pre-disaster mitigation projects, available federal funding opportunities, and measurable implementation progress where appropriate; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board encourages policymakers and agencies to continue evaluating practical and cost-effective preparedness measures capable of reducing future disaster impacts before emergencies occur; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Board encourages elected officials, policymakers, and agencies to consider the creation of a pre-disaster planning and mitigation workgroup or government agency to explore how we can take a more pro-active approach to our pre-disaster planning and mitigation efforts in order to make these efforts more successful; and BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to: the Governor of the State of Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HiEMA), Honolulu Department of Emergency Management (DEM), the Mayor of the City and County of Honolulu, members of the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, members of the Honolulu City Council, Hawaiʻi's Congressional Delegation, and all Oʻahu Neighborhood Boards. 3. Homeless Concerns. The Meridian East resident raised concerns about the growing number of homeless individuals now gathering in the neighborhood. This topic will be added to the committee's August agenda. To view agenda and minutes, visit our board website. Event shows physical location; however, other options of participation may also include WebEx and phone. If available, instructions for WebEx and phone can be found at the top of the agenda.