Civil Beat has asked candidates for the Hawaiʻi elections to answer a survey about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following comes from Heather Kimball, nonpartisan incumbent and candidate for Hawaiʻi County Council Member District 1 which includes North Hilo, Hāmākua, and portions of Waimea.

She is running against nonpartisan candidates Ren Del Rosario and BJ Penn in the Aug. 8 primary.

Go to Civil Beat’s 2026 Elections Guide for general information, and check out the other candidates on Civil Beatʻs 2026 Hawaiʻi Primary Ballot.

Why are you best suited for the job of council member? And why do you want the job?

I have dedicated my professional career to public service, and as a three-term council member, consistently demonstrated that I am a calm, thoughtful, and effective legislator. I have built relationships within the county and with state and federal partners to get projects in my district done and bring in much-needed resources. I have solved problems and earned the trust of the community. This is the hardest job I’ll ever love, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve the district.

What is the biggest issue facing Hawai‘i County, and what is the first thing you would do to address it in the first six months after being elected?

The biggest issue for the county is the same issue facing our residents—cost. With inflation, tariffsdd and fuel costs, we are all paying more. In addition, the county has taken on significant debt to fund mandated wastewater projects. Oversight of the county budget and managing expenses is going to be critical over the next decade. This is one of the reasons I introduced the idea of a professional county manager to ensure continued delivery of expected services even as we reduce expenses.

Here’s one question from a constituent: How would you make it safer to get in and out of Puna?

There are two approaches that are critical to improving access to Puna. The first is the development of an alternative access route. We can’t have one of the fastest-growing areas in the state with only one way in and one way out, especially an area so prone to disaster. The second approach is improved and more reliable mass transit with a dedicated highway lane and “last mile” connections to make this a more viable way for the community to get to work, school and commercial areas.

The county’s Homelessness and Housing Fund is due to expire in 2027 and some council members are skeptical that the fund has helped solve the problem. Would you vote to extend the fund, and what would you do to come to grips with this persistent problem?

Together with Chair Inaba, I introduced a resolution to conduct an audit of the Homeless and Housing Fund prior to the sunset date to allow for the council to make an informed decision about continuing the fund. I think it is critical for the council to have this data to evaluate the effectiveness of the programs that have been supported by the county. While I think homelessness should be addressed with compassion, it is important to have a robust analysis when considering this complex issue.

Vacation rentals — illegal or not — are often blamed for reducing availability of affordable housing on the Big Island. What steps should the county take to deal with the proliferation of vacation rentals and create more affordable housing?

The registration process that I passed last year is a critical first step in addressing illegal vacation rentals. Most people favor strict control of unhosted rentals based on a county study. At the same time, some of our residents use a hosted vacation rental to make ends meet. The registration legislation and my new bill 147 seek to strike this balance of limiting any further expansion of unhoused rentals while still allowing homeowners to take advantage of this economic opportunity.

Half of Hawai‘i’s cesspools are on the Big Island – an estimated 49,000 –  and Mayor Kimo Alameda has already said the county will not meet the state’s 2050 deadline to convert them to cleaner systems. What steps should the county take to address the cesspool issue?

The county should first prioritize areas near the shoreline and with porous substrates where cesspools clearly impact both nearshore and drinking water quality. I advocated for the county’s home improvement program to be funded and for cesspool conversion or sewer connection to be an allowable use. We also need to look at “utility as a service” funding mechanisms where private entities develop small-scale wastewater to R1 treatment facilities that are then leased back to the county to operate.

What specific steps should the county take to relieve traffic congestion in and around Kailua-Kona and along the Puna-Kea‘au-Hilo corridor?

Traffic is an island-wide concern. The usual solution is expanding or building more roads, yet this almost never works to solve the problem. The better solution is having fewer people driving. There are two main approaches to addressing this: increasing the use of multimodal and public transportation and reducing the travel distances between homes and work, school and commercial centers. Work is still needed developing hubs in areas like Pāhoa and addressing “the last mile” access.

Investors have sunk more than $500 million into the Pepe‘ekeo bioenergy plant known as Hu Honua or Honua Ola, but the plant has still been unable to begin producing power. Should the biomass energy plant be allowed to start operating? Why or why not?

No. The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court, Public Utilities Commission and Consumer Advocate have been clear that the project does not meet renewable requirements and the energy generated would be more costly to consumers. Advancements in other renewable energy resources and storage do better and save consumers money. Just because a large investment has been made should not serve as justification to allow projects to operate that do not meet our renewable energy goals.

Both the state and county are showing interest in expanding production of geothermal energy on Hawaiʻi island. What is your position on geothermal power, and what constraints should be placed on it?

Geothermal is a reliable, non-intermittent, cost-effective means of generating energy. The development of geothermal power production would reduce our vulnerability to fossil fuel importation and energy costs for consumers. However, the community should have a say in where and how these resources are developed. As in other jurisdictions that have geothermal power, some of the revenue should be provided back to the community as a dividend.

What specific plans do you have to improve disaster preparedness and response on the Big Island?

One initiative I am working on is a trail network in the district. In addition to providing a recreational and economic opportunity, the goal is to also design it to serve as an alternate evacuation and emergency vehicle access route. Supporting community-led resilience efforts, like providing radios and disaster response training, is also critical for preparedness in rural areas. Finally, ensuring clear communication from civil defense during disasters is essential for ensuring public safety.

What should Hawaiʻi County do to get in front of climate change rather than just reacting and adapting to it?

The most important thing the county can do is transition to more locally produced energy, groceries and goods. This is our biggest vulnerability with respect to climate change. The second is moving critical county infrastructure out of areas likely to be impacted by climate-related hazards. Finally, we need to ensure that there is equitable access to household-level disaster preparedness funding for the community, such as home hardening, solar or battery storage.

Hawai‘i has a long-stated goal of growing more of its own food. What would you do to further that effort toward increased food sustainability?

One of the projects that I led is an effort to protect productive agricultural lands and ensure that they are used for agriculture, not as an investment. This was done by ensuring that tax breaks for farming were only given to farmers, not land banking speculators. At the same time, we provided additional benefits to local farmers by allowing them to be in the homeowners’ tax class (giving them the 3% CAP) and creating a senior farm program that freezes their land values when they retire.