The Hawaii County Council is killing Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi’s proposal to ban county employees, their family members and their businesses from doing contract work for the county.

The council defeated Kenoi’s bill on a 5-2 vote last week.

Kenoi told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald on Sunday that he’s disappointed that the proposals, which he made in September 2009, didn’t pass.

North Kona Councilman Kelly Greenwell said the measure would have been “totally unworkable” for an island community where family relationships are common.

The county’s Board of Ethics twice opposed the bill, and Kenoi said the board and council believed the proposals were too stringent.