(BIVN) – A handful of testifiers – both for and against the Thirty Meter Telescope planned for Mauna Kea – spoke during a meeting of the Hawaiʻi County Council Finance Committee in Hilo on Tuesday. The committee had requested a presentation from the administration of Mayor Harry Kim concerning the costs of the ongoing effort to ensure construction crews safe passage up the Mauna Kea Access Road; something that has not happened in four weeks of passionate opposition to the project.

The meeting was carried over to the next committee meeting scheduled for later this month in Kona, so that the Finance Department can provide additional information.

However, Puna councilmember Matt Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder, who requested the report, said some information was already provided.

Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder said the administration reported the total labor costs from July 1 to July 15 were $236,000.

Total miscellaneous costs from July 1 to the present were $22,000, bringing the total to $258,000.

However, overtime coasts were not included in the calculation. Those costs are processed the week after payroll is finished. Overtime costs will be presented at the next meeting in Kona, the councilman said.

Also not included in the total is the retirement stipends that will be incurred later on, Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder said.

Before the meeting, Kanealiʻi-Kleinfelder also requested information on county costs related to the TMT standoff in 2015, but says he was told on Tuesday those costs were not tracked, as it was a “weird” event.