Council approves nursing‑student testing agreement and several COVID‑era appropriations

At the Nov. 18 meeting the council approved multiple pandemic‑response and election support measures intended to expand testing capacity and shore up county operations during COVID‑19.

Resolution 783‑20 authorized an agreement to use students from the University of Hawaii Hilo Nursing Program as volunteers and training participants at county testing sites. Talmadge Magno of Hawaii County Civil Defense explained that the program provides additional capacity and valuable clinical experience for students; he said approximately "60" students are available to assist where they do not conflict with existing contracted providers. The resolution passed (voice vote recorded as 8 ayes, 1 excused).

The council also approved a grant agreement (Resolution 702‑20) to provide $163,092 to the Office of the Prosecuting Attorney to support pandemic preparations, and members heard from an attorney participating by WebEx who explained the funds support remote‑hearing equipment and a drug‑diversion study. Council approved Bill 227 (budget appropriations tied to the prosecutor funding) and Bill 2‑27 (budget amendment for COVID‑safety logistics).

On elections funding, the council approved Bill 221 adding $177,193.75 from the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) COVID‑19 response grant to reimburse costs for a safe election during the pandemic; staff noted remaining eligible CTCL funds could be used to pay down a portion of the county’s ballot‑sorting equipment lease. The council also approved Bill 220 (a $2 million increase for the Public Works microwave replacement project) and a set of small community grants and transfers for parks, senior services and nonprofit relief projects.

Quotes and context: Administrator Talmadge Magno said of the nursing students, "we kinda diverged from the MRC and are focusing on the nursing program that has been agreeable to volunteering... to as a training process for their nurse[s]." Deputy prosecutor Dale Ross explained federal funding would buy media equipment for safer hearings and support evaluation of a drug‑diversion program: "we were able to obtain federal funding to enhance our response to COVID in 2 ways."

Votes and procedure: Most pandemic and election‑related items passed by voice vote or unanimous roll call; the nursing‑student authorization was approved and the CTCL grant measure was carried at second and final reading.