Funding to hire additional paramedics, firefighters, zoning inspectors and stream cleaners is included in the latest draft of the city’s $2.61 billion operating budget, which was passed Tuesday by the City Council Budget Committee.

The additional funding for the new positions became available after Council Budget Chairman Trevor Ozawa proposed that $44 million he initially had set aside in the operating budget to help fund the city’s upcoming rail project instead now will be sourced through the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation’s capital improve- ments projects (CIP) budget.

Tuesday’s hearing was the last go-around on the 2019 budget for the Budget Committee. The set of bills now goes to the full Council for a final vote June 6. The new fiscal year begins July 1.

The committee set aside $2.5 million for the development and staffing of two additional Department of Emergency Services units on Oahu. The proposal was introduced by Council Chairman Ernie Martin, who said it will be up to the department to decide where to place the new units.

City Emergency Medical Services currently has 20 ambulance units across Oahu and recently got approval from the state Legislature for a 21st unit.

While ambulance units are typically reimbursed by the state, Martin said he thinks federal Community Development Block Grant dollars can be used to fund new units if they are in eligible areas including Wahiawa, Kalihi, Nanakuli and Waianae.

The committee agreed to another proposal, also initiated by Martin, to fund 15 new positions in the Honolulu Fire Department to establish a new boat rescue company that would be based out of the Windward side of Oahu. Currently, the island’s only boat rescue crew is based out of urban Honolulu, Ozawa said.

Under an Ozawa initiative, the Department of Facility Maintenance is being allocated 20 new positions that would help clean streambeds and other city-owned waterways to limit the potential for flooding. Ozawa represents the East Honolulu region, which took the brunt of flooding caused by the April 13 flash flood. On Oahu three homes were completely destroyed, 65 homes sustained major damage and another 146 homes sustained minor damage or were otherwise affected in some manner, according to the American Red Cross’ Hawaii chapter.

Six new housing and zoning inspector positions are being added to the Department of Planning and Permitting with the proviso that those inspectors would be used to enforce existing restrictions at illegal transient vacation units (TVUs) on Oahu. The proposal came from Council Zoning Chairwoman Kymberly Pine.

DPP is devising a new set of rules for TVUs that would allow for permitting additional bed-and-breakfast establishments on the island while placing harsher penalties on those who violate zoning and building codes.

An additional $100,000 is being allocated to DPP so it can have funds available to actually rent illegal vacation rentals and catch their proprietors in the act.

The committee also restored 18 positions to the fledgling Department of Land Management, which was created through an amendment to the Honolulu City Charter by voters in the 2016 general election. Ozawa had initially proposed chopping 28 positions, which would have left Director Sandra Pfund as the agency’s only employee.

Ozawa said Pfund successfully argued for restoration of most of her budget and staffing. His one stipulation is that one of the positions be set aside for someone to supervise the Clean Water and Natural Lands Fund, which he feels has been neglected.

The committee restored $1 million that had been taken out of the city’s Complete Streets program to develop protected bicycling lanes and related projects after members of the Hawaii Bicycling League and other cycling advocates testified for them.

Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s CIP budget included $64 million for an Ala Moana transit plaza designed to accommodate rail and TheBus riders on Kona Street near the Kona Iki Street intersection. But several Council members raised concerns about how the project would affect developer SamKoo Pacific’s plans for an affordable-housing project that’s in the middle of the proposed plaza area. The committee voted to remove $34 million of that allocation that was projected to pay for purchase of the property.

A proposal to begin charging households $5 a month for trash pickup was shelved by the Budget Committee last month.