COVID update, Legislature to open, Input sought

• Unemployment Benefits:
• Second Stimulus Check
• COVID-19 Vaccinations
• SURF’S DOWN: Surf Contests Suspended
• 31st Legislature Opens on January 20
• Senate Committee on Ways & Means (WAM) Convening Pre-Session Informational Briefings
• No Money: No Grant-in-Aid
• MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL (MHS) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
• CITY RELEASES FIRST CLIMATE ACTION PLAN
• PRIMARY URBAN CENTER PLAN

COVID UPDATE: WHAT’S IN THE NEW FEDERAL PANDEMIC LAW

• Unemployment Benefits: The federal relief funds will extend unemployment benefits for an additional 11 weeks for those who have exhausted their benefits under PEUC, which expired on December 26; an additional 11 weeks for PUA; and up to 11 weeks of $300/week to eligible claimants. As you can see, these programs are all new and are complicated to administer so be patient when you apply (you will need to apply as these are considered new federal programs).  For more information on these new programs see here.  If you have exhausted your UI, PEUC, PUA, or EB20 benefits, here are steps on what to do and what to expect.  Unemployment Compensation is taxable income. This applies to both regular Unemployment Insurance (UI) and to Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA), the latter as the federally-funded benefit for the self- employed and others who don’t qualify for standard UI. Claimants will receive a 1099-G tax form that includes  the value of benefits paid. The forms will be mailed out around Jan. 27, 2021.

• Second Stimulus Check:  Economic Impact Payment(EIP).  Many have already received Economic Impact Payments in their accounts.  The IRS will use the data already in their systems to send the new payments. If you have direct deposit information on file you will receive payment into your account directly. If you don’t, you will receive the payment as a check or debit card in a white envelope that prominently displays the US Dept of Treasury.  Each mailing will include instructions on how to securely activate and use the EIP Card. More information about these cards is available here: https://www.eipcard.com/ and here.  If you are eligible but don’t receive the payment for any reason, you can claim it on your 2020 tax return.  To check the status of a payment, visit IRS.gov/GetMyPayment. For more information about Economic Impact Payments visit IRS.gov/EIP.

COVID UPDATE: WHAT’S UP WITH THE VACCINES? 

• COVID-19 Vaccinations:  Some questions answered on getting your vaccination:

• Who’s next in line to receive vaccine?  The State’s newly refined “Phase 1b” vaccine list includes people older than 75 years of age, first responders and emergency services dispatchers, correctional officers and staff, federal, state and local government employees who are essential for government operations, transportation infrastructure and critical utilities workers, teachers and childcare staff and U.S. Postal Service employees.

• When and who is in the next round–Phase 1c? Those 65 to 74 years old, 16 and older with underlying conditions, and other essential workers will get their shots.  Vaccines should be available March – May 2021. The goal is for the general population to receive vaccinations in the summer. For more info, click here and here.

• What’s “V-safe”?  V-safe is a smartphone-based tool that uses text messaging and web surveys to provide personalized health check-ins after you receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Through V-safe, you can quickly tell CDC if you have any side effects.  Depending on your answers, someone from CDC may call to check on you and get more information. V-safe will also remind you to get your second COVID-19 vaccine dose if you need one. For more info on V-safe, click here.

• The Goal:  To get 75-85% of the population vaccinated to achieve “herd immunity” (about a million people). Herd immunity is when enough people become immune to a disease to make its spread unlikely and the the entire community is protected, even those who are not themselves immune. For more info, click here. 

• Questions? Sign-Up Hotline.  A hotline at 808-586-8332 will field calls on weekdays to answer questions on the vaccine and how to sign up.

• SURF’S DOWN: Surf Contests Suspended. The State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism is suspending surf competitions at this time based on concern for the public health and safety of our communities, contestants, spectators and guests as the enforcement of crowds and large gatherings on public property will be challenging.

2021 LEGISLATURE SOON TO BEGIN: January 20 

• 31st Legislature Opens on January 20 – But State Capitol Remains Closed.  In light of the City’s current COVID-19 restrictions, the State Capitol will not be open to the general public.  Sadly, when the 31st Legislature opens on Wednesday, January 20, we will not have the usual opening day festivities. Additionally,  the legislative hearings and sessions will be conducted primarily remotely and will be livestreamed on YouTube.  The safety protocols and session procedures are still being finalized we do know that the timetable has been modified to adjourn sine die on April 29.  To see the 2021 Session Calendar, click here.  To view posted hearing notices, click here. This list is updated daily. To view the hearing live, click on the hearing notice of your choice and click on the livestream link. For general questions about the 2021 Session of the Hawaii State Legislature, call (808) 587-0478 (Mon. – Fri, 7:45am – 6:00pm) or email par@capitol.hawaii.gov

• Senate Committee on Ways & Means (WAM) Convening Pre-Session Informational Briefings – The Senate WAM Committee has been meeting since January 4, with budget briefings covering the state’s  overall financing policies, including revenue enhancement, taxation, other revenues, and cash and debt management, statewide implementation of planning, programming, budgeting, and evaluation, and government structure and finance.  During these pre-session informational briefings, the WAM committee, alongside the respective Senate subject matter committees, have an opportunity to take a closer look at each State department’s  budget and how it is meeting its mission. With the State’s budget shortfall of over a billion dollars, the committee is asking each department to look hard at ways to be more efficient and effective in serving the public.  To see the upcoming hearing schedule, visit the Hawaii State Legislature website.

• No Money: No Grant-in-Aid – While the House Finance Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee are working hard to address this shortfall, there are many programs that cannot be funded or addressed during this upcoming legislative session.  All committees (and departments) have been asked to refrain from submitting requests for additional funding. Based on these fiscal constraints, the legislature will not be accepting and or/awarding any grants-in-aid applications during the 2021 Legislative Session.

YOUR INPUT NEEDED 

• MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL (MHS) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT – Comment Period Deadline. The MHS athletic complex has been a topic of interest since its outside field lights proposal was opposed by some area residents. The MHS Environmental Assessment (EA) has been published by the Hawaii Office of Environmental Quality Control. To review and submit comments, click here and scroll down to page 4. Comment deadline is 2/8/21.

• CITY RELEASES FIRST CLIMATE ACTION PLAN – Comment Period January 30.  The draft of Honolulu’s first Climate Action Plan (CAP)was released this week. The CAP is a science-based, community-driven strategy for reducing Oahu’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045. The CAP outlines 9 strategies and 46 climate actions the City can immediately pursue to reduce Oahu’s greenhouse gas emissions by 44% by 2025. Review the plan and provide your comments at www.resilientoahu.org/climate-action-plan. Comments will be accepted until January 30, 2021. Following the public review period, you can join a virtual community meeting on Tuesday, February 2, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. to learn more and provide input. You can pre-register for the virtual meeting here and provide your input here.

• PRIMARY URBAN CENTER PLAN – Send Comments to the City Department of Planning & Permitting (DPP).  The City’s DPP is seeking comment on a preview document of the Primary Urban Center Development Plan (PUC DP) update.  The Primary Urban Center stretches from Wai‘alae-Kāhala to Pearl City, extending along a portion of the southern coastline to the top of the mountain watersheds.  The “PUC DP All Policies Summary” is a complete collection of the draft goals and policies that will make up the final PUC DP.  Because this update introduces a new format for the PUC DP, community members are invited to a “sneak peek” of the draft policies before the Public Review Draft release in early 2021.  A copy of the preview is available at https://bit.ly/3nZhBI1. The PUC DP update kicked off in late 2017, including stakeholder interviews, interagency coordination, several rounds of community evening workshops, “pop-up” workshops, surveys, and other engagement. Important themes include land use and transportation planning, infrastructure, parks and open space, public services, economic development, resource conservation, and planning for sea level rise.  The PUC DP guides development for projected growth and is a key planning document for zoning, infrastructure investment, and other City codes and standards. Comments may be emailed to pucdp@honolulu.gov