COM 0521.000 2002-2004 - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Honorable Chairman James Y. Arakaki and Members of the County Council Page 2 March 1, 2004 Kalaoa Fire Station, North Kona. Rezoning Ordinance 02-31 (March 2002) made land available for a new fire station in Kalaoa. Completion of the fire station is expected in November 2004. Funding for personnel, equipment, and startup costs for this station is included in this budget. The Kalaoa fire station will provide fire and emergency services in the North Kona area. KMC Fire Station, Volcano. Also included in this budget are funds to maintain fire protection and emergency services in the Volcano area utilizing the Kilauea Military Camp fire station. Early last year an agreement was reached between the County of Hawaii and the Department of the Army whereby the County will assume the duties and responsibilities of providing residents of the Volcano area with fire and emergency response services effective January 1, 2005. Solid Waste Another continuing priority reflected by increased spending is our effort to comprehensively address the island's solid waste stream. While $1.5 million of the increase in the Solid Waste Fund budget is attributable to the need to handle an increasing stream of rubbish as our population grows, there are new initiatives included in the budget. Sort Station. The East Hawaii Regional Sort Station is expected to begin operations in 2005. Funding for project implementation and part -year operations in included in this budget. The Sort Station is a key component in our plan to maximize the diversion of solid waste from our landfills. Recycling. We continue to emphasize the importance of recycling in our long range plans through increased recycling opportunities at the various transfer stations, and continued funding for diversion grants. Organics Diversion. We are moving from mulching our greenwaste towards a composting operation that will divert greenwaste and other organic materials from our landfills. Bulky Goods Collection at Transfer Stations. A pilot project to collect bulky goods such as appliances at select transfer stations will implemented. This project will keep bulky items out of the trailers, and if metal, out of the landfills. Airspace Conservation. Extending the life of the Hilo Landfill as long as possible is our goal, and funds for airspace conservation are included in the budget for this effort. Regulatory Compliance. Funding for compliance with State Department of Health and Federal Environmental Protection Agency requirements at both landfills is included in the budget. This includes such items as providing funds for adequate daily cover materials in Hilo, and litter control at both Pu`uanahulu and Hilo.