MIN CHARTER 2018-10-12 (2018-2020)

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Hawai`i County Charter Commission -4 October 12, 2018 So anyway, just want to start off that we do not have any proposed amendments or revisions to the Charter. So that's our opening statement. Thank you for the opportunity to kind of explain what we do at the department. Basically we start off with our mission. Our mission is "To provide customers with an adequate and continuous supply of safe drinking water in a financial responsible manner, comply with all relevant standards, and assist and facilitate of water systems in areas not currently served." Followed by our motto, which is, "Water, our most precious resource – Ka Wai a Kane." I also want to acknowledge Kanani. She was instrumental with coming up with that motto, which is so—basically so on the money for us. So if you look at our mission statement, the department is very focused on one thing, which is providing safe drinking water. Safe drinking water in a financially responsible manner. So some background. Back in 1949, the territorial legislature created the Board of Water Supply. Prior to that, my understanding was the funds were comingled with County general funds. The water infrastructure on the island was in really bad shape basically. So following the model in Honolulu, which established their own Board of Water Supply in 1929, the Legislature passed an Act to create the Board of Water Supply on our island. Since that time, for nearly 70 years, we've been operating as a semi -autonomous department within the County. We get asked what does semi -autonomous mean. So of course I had to Google that up, right? So what I got basically, "Largely self-governing, within a larger political or organizational entity." Or another definition: "Having a degree of, but not complete self-government." And basically that is how we operate. We are a County department, but basically we differ in the fact that our operating funds is basically all from the revenues from our water bills. So we don't tap any of the General Fund money. We don't have any access to those funds at all. It's basically all from water sales. So anyway, going back to some of the history, from what I understand, and I wasn't quite around in 1949, but from what I understand, the water system was in bad shape. So those first couple of years were really tough. Basically, we have an easy job, Kawika and I, compared to the first manager of the department. From what I understand, it was in such a disarray, they basically had to bite the bullet and come up with new water rates to get the infrastructure where it needed to be. So back in 1949, I believe that first public meeting for new water rates drew over 1,000 people. Now this is back in 1949. You see all the public meetings we have now. Can you imagine 1,000 people at a public meeting? So that must have been quite a big deal basically, back then. So luckily, here we are today. Page 23