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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/07/2024 Special Council minutes SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MARCH 7, 2024 The Special Council Meeting of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to order by Council Chair Mel Rapozo at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Lihu`e, Kaua`i, on Thursday, March 7, 2024, at 8:30 a.m., after which the following Members answered the call of the roll: Honorable Addison Bulosan Honorable Bernard P. Carvalho, Jr. Honorable Felicia Cowden Honorable Bill DeCosta Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable KipuKai Kuali`i Honorable Mel Rapozo (Note: No one from the public testified on any agenda item via oral testimony via the Zoom remote technology platform.) APPROVAL OF AGENDA. Councilmember Carvalho moved for approval of the agenda, as circulated, seconded by Councilmember DeCosta. Council Chair Rapozo: Is there any discussion or public testimony? Seeing none. There being no one present to provide testimony, the meeting proceeded as follows: The motion for approval of the agenda, as circulated, was then put, and unanimously carried. Council Chair Rapozo: The motion is carried. Can we have the next item, please? COMMUNICATION: C 2024-53 Communication (02/29/2024) from the Chief of Police and Paul N. Applegate, Acting Assistant Chief, requesting Council approval to receive and expend funds from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program, in the amount of $160,475.00, for the payment of overtime, renting of vehicles, off-island training, replacement of old equipment, and to purchase new technology. Councilmember Kuali`i moved to approve C 2024-53, seconded by Councilmember DeCosta. SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 2 MARCH 7, 2024 Council Chair Rapozo: For the public and the Councilmembers, we do not have Special Council Meetings often. This request came from the Chief of Police as the preparation of the grant application. It was a combination of getting the information required this week or late last week, after we had posted the agenda and the application deadline for this specific grant is tomorrow. There being no objections, the rules were suspended. CHRISTIAN D. JENKINS, Police Lieutenant: That is correct. Council Chair Rapozo: That left us with no choice but to have this Special Council Meeting. Councilmember Cowden: Lieutenant Jenkins? Mr. Jenkins: Yes, ma'am. Councilmember Cowden: This is a reoccurring grant, right? Mr. Jenkins: Yes, this is a reoccurring grant. Good morning, everyone. Good morning, Chair. If I can, I will give a quick synopsis that I have written up regarding the HIDTA grant, which will give you a little bit of information, and then I can answer some questions for you. Councilmember Cowden: Okay. You need to state your name. Mr. Jenkins: Yes. For the record, Lieutenant Christian Jenkins, Kaua`i Police Department (KPD). I am the Lieutenant in charge of the Vice Narcotics and Criminal Intelligence Unit. This HIDTA program was created by Congress with the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988 and provides assistance to Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies operating in the areas determined to be critical drug trafficking regions of the United States (U.S.). The grant program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Currently, there are thirty-three (33) HIDTA programs in HIDTA-designated counties, which are located in fifty (50) states as well as Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia. At the local level, the HIDTA programs are directed and guided by executive boards composed of an equal number of regional, Federal, and non-Federal law enforcement leaders. The 2023 HIDTA annual budget was two hundred ninety million dollars ($290,000,000). To qualify for consideration as a HIDTA, an area must meet the following criteria, which KPD does meet: the area is a significant center of illegal drug production, manufacturing, importation, and distribution; state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies have committed resources to respond to drug trafficking problems in the area; drug-related activities in the area are having a significant harmful impact in the area and other areas of the county and the state; and a significant increase in allocation of Federal resources is necessary to respond adequately to deal with the drug activity. With that being said, this is a reoccurring grant, as was mentioned. This grant is a great grant, because it provides a lot of money and it pretty much funds the entire Vice Narcotics Unit. We use this grant for SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 3 MARCH 7, 2024 things such as equipment, training, airfare, travel, overtime, and any other expenses in regard to drug-related crimes. Councilmember Cowden: I have another question. Mr. Jenkins: Go ahead, ma'am. Council Chair Rapozo: Go ahead. Councilmember Cowden: What are the highest priority drugs that you pursue? Mr. Jenkins: Everyone hears about fentanyl in the news. That is one that we are pursuing. Fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine are primarily the major drugs that we are fighting at this particular time. Councilmember Cowden: I think making that clear is important and all those drugs are a high priority for almost everyone on this island. It has terrified our island, we are losing people, and it is destructive, so I thank you for the effort. Mr. Jenkins: Thank you. Council Chair Rapozo: Are there any more questions for KPD? If not, thank you. Mr. Jenkins: Thank you very much. I appreciate your time. Council Chair Rapozo: Thank you. Mr. Hart. BRUCE HART: For the record, Bruce Hart. Good morning. I would like to read something and then I have a bit of commentary in support of this grant. Back at the budget hearings, the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney (OPA) came in. This is a grant request from them. This part of the attachment is titled, "The Problem." It reads, "The Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for the County of Kaua`i estimates that illegal drug use is the driving force behind at least eighty percent (80%) of all crimes committed on Kaua`i. These crimes include drug possession and distribution, theft, traffic crashes, forgery, murder, domestic violence, and other assaults." As you can all see and I think as you all know, it is one of the most serious community island-wide problems that we face. I do not think there is anyone in this room who has not been impacted by drugs on Kauai in some manner, either directly, through family, or through their employment. All of us. It is a very important subject that we all consider seriously. I have been impacted by drugs, both personally and indirectly, so I offer up my prayers for this Council that we would do everything we can to stop this horrible impact upon our youth, the elderly, and all of us. I am saying this from a personal perspective. I hate drugs. In my profession, I have seen what they do to individuals, to marriages, to families, to children, and to the people who surround them. It is absolutely horrific. I am in support of this grant and I am in support of the Investigative Services Bureau officers who endanger their lives every time they sign in, every time they punch in on the clock and go out. Even SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING 4 MARCH 7, 2024 on a small island like Kauai, they do not know what will happen. If you pray, or whatever it is you do, and however you can, please be in support. Thank you. Council Chair Rapozo: Thank you. Is there any further discussion? Seeing none. There being no further testimony, the meeting was called back to order, and proceeded as follows: The motion to approve C 2024-53 was then put, and unanimously carried. Council Chair Rapozo: The motion is carried. That concludes today's Special Council Meeting. ADJOURNMENT. There being no further business, the Special Council Meeting adjourned at 8:38 a.m. . - : : fully submitted, Alla- JADE KIN UNTAIN-TANIGAWA County Clerk :ss