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minutes 10-27-99Page 14 of 48
<br />is what was attempted at Oahu, which eventually just went back to how it was.
<br />SANTANGELO: And I guess my last comment to both of you, unless you have a comment there, is that
<br />I’d really caution us to get involved in what is, to me, very obviously Administrative and Legislative
<br />problems. You know, we really are more at the behest of the public than we are at the behest of
<br />government, but the Chairman has wanted us to take a look at the problems you’re facing, and see how
<br />we can address them. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
<br />PAVAO: If I may make one comment. You asked about what we thought, and for the people, and I
<br />agree with you a 100%, and in my mind, there is no doubt that we can serve our consumers more
<br />efficiently without the Sewer Department being transferred. I really believe that, and that’s the entire
<br />interpretation from our department. We value the customers we have. We try to do the best job possible,
<br />and we feel, the way we are, we would be able to serve them the most efficiently we possibly can.
<br />SANTANGELO: Sure. And the problem that we’re dealing with with wastewater, in my opinion, again
<br />because I have a background, a little bit here -
<br />HERKES: Only your opinion, though.
<br />SANTANGELO: Only in my opinion -
<br />HERKES: That’s right.
<br />SANTANGELO: Is that it is an environmental issue, and it does involve everybody, and we keep taking
<br />it some place where I don’t know that it should go. But again, a lot of it is administrative and stuff, and
<br />I’m just wondering how much we’re supposed to deal with here, but thank you.
<br />RAY: Marni.
<br />HERKES: A couple of things. One, I would hate to think that my medical laboratory, when it’s testing
<br />blood from forty different people, couldn’t separate them, so I really think that’s a specious argument. I
<br />mean, there are a lot of blood samples in a medical laboratory, and they’re all kept separate. I think you
<br />can do the same thing with drinking water and sewer water. But, I’m glad you brought up the client
<br />because I keep thinking of this from a client standpoint, rather than from the Department of Water
<br />Supply, the Department of Public Works, or the Department of Sanitation, or those kinds of things. I’m
<br />your client, and I see the water over here, and I see the wastewater over here, and the sewer’s over here,
<br />and I think that’s an inefficient way, from my viewpoint, to operate. I appreciate Mr. Sumada’s
<br />comments about total resource management, and I think that is what we ought to be looking at. We
<br />ought to be looking at a department that manages our resources, that manages them in the best way
<br />possible. I would like a Department of Water Supply that said, oh, drinking water is over here, car
<br />washing water is over here, irrigation water is over here. And I think it’s an inefficient - And you’re
<br />right, we’re unique, We’re probably the most inefficient state in almost everything we do, but I think we
<br />can learn some efficiencies from some of those mainland people, and we can also save a lot of money.
<br />And it’s important to us to save money right now, and be more efficient. So, I’d appreciate your really
<br />looking at combining the water resource department, and maybe sanitation, or maybe environmental
<br />should be in there somewhere, but I think that’s a major concern, to be able to preserve our drinking
<br />water, is to use other water resources. Thank you.
<br />RAY: Just one comment in terms of overall resource management. Of course, I mean, there are a
<br />number of components that are also separate, and Milton brought up. Of course, agriculture water, and
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