A grass-roots drive to reduce pesticide applications along the roadways is getting encouragement from Kohala Councilwoman Margaret Wille, who said she’s suggested people come to the County Council meeting on Monday to testify about taking the products out of the county budget.
If people show up, it will be a relative rarity for the county budget that is often decided by the council with little public input. Next year’s proposed budget, at $438.8 million, is Mayor Billy Kenoi’s highest budget yet and 5.25 percent higher than this year’s budget. There are no proposed increases in taxes or fees.
The latest group, which is rallying on Facebook for signatures and testifiers, opposes the use of Roundup brand glyphosate and other herbicides and insecticides by county Department of Public Works employees.
While the budget can often be large, unwieldy and esoteric to many, it does provide the public an opportunity to comment on how the county runs its operations, Wille said. Because public testimony has to be tied to items on the agenda, there is little opportunity for people typically to come to testify about issues such as pesticide spraying and marijuana prosecution, she said.
“The budget is one opportunity for people to speak up,” Wille said. “There is a direct nexus between having funding and what we do and what we don’t do.”
She noted that a group recently came before the county to advocate lowest priority for marijuana prosecutions and were reassured there was no line item in the county budget for such prosecutions.
The council has until June 30, the last day of the fiscal year, to amend and pass a budget or the mayor’s budget automatically goes into effect July 1.
The council begins the amendment process on the budget at a meeting starting at 9 a.m. Monday at the West Hawaii Civic Center. The public can testify there, or by videoconference from the council chambers in Hilo, the Waimea council office, the county facility in Kohala, the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Community Center and the Pahoa neighborhood facility.
Wille said complaints to her office about Roundup use and overspray onto private property have increased recently, perhaps because it’s been breezier than usual.
Public Works Director Warren Lee said the county spends a little less than $30,000 annually on Roundup. He said it’s used where county mowing equipment can’t reach because of slopes and ditches. He said there are two types of herbicides, including one that can be used near waterways.
Lee said the county’s always open to options. In fact, an ongoing program allows adjacent property owners to care for their own road frontage. In that case, county crews won’t spray there as long as the weeds are kept down. The county provides signs to let highway workers know not to spray.
The main priority is safety for drivers, Lee said. High grass and weeds often obstruct the view, creating traffic hazards.
The county isn’t wedded to Roundup use, Lee said. But it’s by far the most economical solution, especially compared to hiring more workers to manually clear areas.
“If there’s a better way to reduce vegetation effectively, ” Lee said, “we’re all ears.”