2018-01-18 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

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the County does not have investigators. Chair Bennett recommended that Commissioner Fear call the Clean Water Branch, or the Commission could prepare a letter for the next meeting. Vice Chair Olson said a person can individually report something like this. Commissioner Fear said he called Director Kucharski many times about it, and Vice Chair Olson said Director Kucharski does not have the authority on this. There is a mechanism to report this. Chair Bennett again recommended to Commissioner Fear that he call the Clean Water Branch so they send someone to investigate. Commissioner Fritz asked Ms. Noda why they had received financial disclosure forms to complete, as it was the first time he had gotten one. Ms. Noda explained it is a County Code requirement and it may have fallen through the cracks previously. It is a requirement for board and commission members and will be kept confidential with the Board of Ethics. Chair Bennett asked if there were items the other commissioners would like placed on the next agenda, and Commissioner Neff said her district has two major concerns: the Hū Honua Bioenergy company, which claims to be energy efficient and clean but is not, and the Big Island Dairy. Vice Chair Olson said that both of these issues fall under the state’s jurisdiction, not the County, and Ms. Neff as an individual can contact the state and requests its monitoring data on these businesses. Vice Chair Olson said he would like abandoned vehicles and the operation of the transfer stations on the next agenda, and that these items should be on the agenda forever. As for the transfer stations, he would report on how they are functioning, how the bins are being emptied, and what improvements could be made. He would like to know what plans there are to expand the County’s ability to handle additional capacity as the population is growing. Commissioner Fritz said he would like to discuss, at the next meeting, the installation of a sewage treatment plant in Puakō. Chair Bennett wanted the next meeting to include a brief report from Director Kucharski on where all the wastewater treatment plants are that the County owns or manages, the communities they serve, and how the water is processed and disposed of. 8. ANNOUNCEMENTS a. Chair Bennett announced the next meeting: February 28, 2018, in Hilo at the Aupuni Center Conference Room. b. Chair Bennett said it was time to move into the limited meeting and proceed to the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment Plant for the site visit. They would still be in session. At the end of the site visit, they would do a formal recess of the limited meeting and adjourn. Commissioner Neff said she would not be attending the site visit. 10:00 a.m. The meeting recessed.