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minutes 03-18-00Page 16 of 27
<br />RAY: That’s the term that’s being used universally across the country, and we’ve looked at all sorts of models of this, and
<br />they all call it that.
<br />SANTANGELO: But you’d rather see Management rather than Services?
<br />BOUCHER: That’s my opinion. It’s more philosophical. Services implies, again, were they to clean up something that’s
<br />already a mess or, if you will, rather than trying to look at how we fit into the whole environmental - everything is inter-
<br />related. Management implies more a holistic approach, if you will.
<br />SANTANGELO: So, could we use Services for a couple of years? - No.
<br />BOUCHER: Yes, that’s not funny.
<br />SANTANGELO: I’ve giving you a hard time, Peter.
<br />IRVINE: I think we need to let you get on with your testimony, probably, but I’m sure you have read the details part of this.
<br />BOUCHER: Right.
<br />IRVINE: And we’re asking to set up a Department of Environmental Services that would manage solid waste, wastewater,
<br />and recycling problems. And after we wrote this up, it came to our attention that possibly landfill diversion, rather than just
<br />recycling, or something a little broader there would be good too, because recycling implies just recycling things, and often
<br />people say we don’t have an end product here, whereas landfill diversion is obviously a real goal for this County by way of
<br />how you ordered things differently, you re-use things. It’s not just recycling. You know what I mean?
<br />BOUCHER: Right. And that leads right into my next comment, is basically the recycling and/or landfill diversion functions
<br />already fall under the solid waste areas of responsibility, so I don’t necessarily think there’s any need to mention that at all. I
<br />think the solid waste function is completely adequate. It already falls under the Solid Waste Division. However, I might
<br />recommend that you consider adding non point source pollution in lieu of recycling functions because that is another area of
<br />responsibility that is currently carried by the Engineering Division. And I hate volunteering for new responsibilities again,
<br />which I seem to always get myself into this, and it could be a bucket of worms because it’s still tied in with the drainage
<br />issues here, but often times, the issue of non point source pollution is not really looked at from the Department of
<br />Engineering. They look at it strictly from a drainage perspective, and I think you may want to consider including that. Again,
<br />here I go volunteering.
<br />RAY: Yes, I don’t know how much we want to micro manage this from the Charter standpoint, there again, the
<br />Administration. But that being said, obviously we’ve decided to micro manage and take a more aggressive stance on this than
<br />the Division of Permitting, which is somewhat inconsistent, in other words, but I hear what you’re saying. Okay.
<br />BOUCHER: I mean it is tied in if we’re talking about environmental management. And we may want to put something about
<br />the air quality. Currently the County does not have any air and noises ordinances at all as the City and County of Honolulu
<br />does. If we’re talking about establishing the range of responsibilities of this department.
<br />RAY: Yes, something that’s come up in our discussion of this is the creation of this department would encompass future
<br />activities, and we would envision greater responsibilities being addressed by a department, and that’s one of the rationales for
<br />having this department. In terms of the regulatory framework, it’s greatly increasing and the County will have to assume
<br />more roles in this area, and so, therefore, a department might make sense.
<br />BOUCHER: You may want to broaden the language then to, sort of, allow it to take on these responsibilities as the Council
<br />adopts ordinances, rather than limiting it to -
<br />IRVINE: We did say ‘other related functions’ but maybe these aren’t really related.
<br />RAY: Any suggested language you could give us on this would be helpful.
<br />BOUCHER: I don’t have anything right now but I can try and come up with something. And lastly, perhaps most
<br />importantly, it doesn’t seem like this Commission doesn’t have any power that you’re recommending. That is the key to the
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