2018-09-26 Meeting Minutes (EMC)

Home

Commissioner Gaffney said that Kauaʻi and Maui counties have done this already, so it is not a radical idea, and Chair Bennett said it is one way of elevating reclaimed water to be a mix of waters that can be used. A new Water Commission would be formed to have oversight and guidance for this new department, and its overview would be all water resource issues. Chair Bennett said the second proposal is: Shall Hawaiʻi County create an Office of Sustainable Water under the Managing Director, and shall this office function to oversee and coordinate all county policies that affect all water and coastal water resources to protect the economy and wise use of water resources to provide sustainable quality water protection and climate change resilience? He explained that the head of this office would report to the managing director, who has the mayor’s authority to require the departments to work collaboratively and integratively. The Planning Department and Public Works Department would need to be part of the discussion. The political reality check on his proposals is that whoever the messenger is will get shot. He has been shot before and bounced back. It would be nice to make it more palatable and reduce the perception of disruption. The oxen will get gored but will fight back. There is a very small window of opportunity for these to make it to the November ballot. Director Kucharski said the EMC will do what they will do, but he would point out the Department of Environmental Management has more than water responsibility; and merging recycling and solid waste into water might not be the best thought out idea. Commissioner Fritz said if they do nothing, they get nothing; and Commissioner Neff said they have to do something. Chair Bennett said he could make the argument that solid waste management potentially has grave water impacts. Commissioner Pequeño suggested that perhaps just the DEM’s Wastewater Division could be merged with Department of Water Supply, instead of the entire DEM. Commissioner Neff commented that when she joined the EMC, she thought she was joining the Water Commission and did not realize it was the Wastewater Commission \[sic\]. She had been working on a study of Mauna Kea, Kaʻohe, and the aquifers. They were doing a cultural mapping of all these old systems. However, it turned out to be a small blessing for her to be on the EMC, because it looked at the underworkings of the wastewater system. She feels combining the commissions would be good.