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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN RAWEEMC 2021/01/05 2020-2022Committee on Regenerative Agriculture, Water, Energy, and Environmental Management l't Session Hawaii County Building 25 Aupuni Street Hilo, Hawai i January 5, 2021 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Regenerative Agriculture, Water, ORDER: Energy and Environmental Management was called to order at 4:25 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Chair Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Vice Chair (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Member Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member (came in later) Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member (via videoconference from Kona) STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: (There were none.) CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, thank you. Hearing that, what we're going to do is please read in Communication 43. COMMUNI- The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, CATIONS: Communications. Comm. 43: APPOINTMENT OF RAMZI L MANSOUR AS ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR From Mayor Mitchell D. Roth, dated December 8, 2020, requesting the Council's review and confirmation. Requires Council Confirmation by: February 5, 2021 (Section 13-8, Hawaii County Charter) RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 Motion to Approve Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder moved to recommend confirmation of the appointment of Ramzi L Mansour as Director of the Department of Environmental Management. Seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz. CHR. RICHARDS: Mayor. And Clerk, if I could excuse you, and ask our Director to come forward. MAYOR ROTH: Aloha Chair Richards, and rest of the members of the County Council. Thank you, again, for having me and allowing me to introduce Ramzi Mansour as our candidate for the Department of Environmental Management Director. This should be a really quick one, although nothing seems to be quick today. But as far as following the Charter, Mr. Mansour has extensive experience in both wastewater and solid waste, and what we would call Department of Environmental Management. His experience in Kern County for over 30 years, is pretty much would be like a Deputy Director, gives him plenty of time as his experience. In Honolulu, seeing what happens in our state as the Chief of Wastewater is a really great thing to have. When we went out, I have a group of people especially in Kona that have been very critical about what's happening especially with the Kealakehe Wastewater Treatment facility. And I actually talked to a group of people while I was running, and asked them to help me understand what's happening with wastewater. And we got a whole bunch of recommendations, I then said, you know, look we're going have a really difficult time finding candidates for this position, would you mind making some recommendations. And so they went around, they made some recommendations, and they've talked to a group of people from seems like across the country. I know they had some people in Honolulu as well, and Ramzi's name came up. We said, you know, have him send a resume in, and my crew of people who were vetting saw his resume. I'll tell you a little funny story. They saw the, little cartoons figures, and they said, I don't know if this guy should have a chance. I said, no give him a chance to be interviewed. He was interviewed, and they had a whole bunch of questions and they came back being blown away. I had the opportunity to go with Ramzi and meet people at Department of Environmental Management prior to my being inaugurated and he started talking to them. And I really quickly knew that we had the right person for the job. What I love about Ramzi not only is he extremely intelligent, but he's able to explain very difficult things to me in words that a fourth grader could understand, which makes a lot of sense. Since being in the position, he's looked at a lot of challenges. And you know, one of the funny things we were talking to people in Environmental Management, when he was asking why we haven't made the improvements that we need to make? There's just not money to do it. And you know, there was an attitude Page 2 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 from some of the people that it just can't be done because we're never going to get the money. And what Ramzi looked at it and said, well let's not figure out, kind of what Ikaika said, why we can't, let's figure out how we can do that. We started interviewing different people, and Ramzi chose I think a great choice Brenda Iokepa-Moses who is right over here. Who was formerly the head for our district, our island our state, and whole area of the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture). And I started listening to some talks they had, and found out that our county should be going after some money from USDA. And there's money on the table. This afternoon we talked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, trying to figure out if we could get funds from them. And you know, that's the kind of things that Ramzi brings to the table, he also was able to look at projects that we have currently and say that doesn't make any sense. I think we spent $9 million on a design that we start thinking about things like seawater change and things like that doesn't make sense. I know that he talked to Council Member Richards about a bill that they're putting through, and he was able to explain to Council Richards why that shouldn't go forward. I know especially for Ka`u, Council Member and Chair David, he looked at what was going on over there where we were going to charge people in Ka`u $250,000 per house to be hooked up to a sewer line. And said, that doesn't make any sense. So I guess what really impresses me most, and what I really love most about Ramzi is he's one of those unicorns commonsense in government kind of guys. Where he'll be able to take us through some things where we shouldn't be doing things, where we should be doing things and making some really positive changes. His experience in solid waste and Kern County is fascinating, we're talking about his experience over there. Where L.A. County was bringing their sludge to Kern County, not a cool thing. And so he knows about shipping rubbish to different places, and he also knows a lot about solid waste. Not only the wastewater treatment, he also has solid waste. He checks all the boxes and I'm just super proud and excited to have him as part of our county team, really looking out for the public. So without any further ado, I give you Ramzi Mansour. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Mayor. Ramzi. (Note: At this time Acting Environmental Director Ramzi Mansour came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. MANSOUR: I'm very humble, thankful, and very grateful for the opportunity to be in front of you once again. I know I was here December 23rd very privileged to sit here before you today. Page 3 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 CHR. RICHARDS: Ramzi, a little closer to the mic, so Kona can hear you please. MR. MANSOUR: And address any questions and concern you may have. And I want to thank the Mayor for giving me the opportunity to improve our community here, and I look forward to it. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, thank you. With that I'm going to open it up to questions from the Committee Members. I see a red light so Sue, tee off. MS. LEE LOY: Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Ramzi, for being here. You know, it's pretty straight forward for me, I'm going to be supporting your nomination. Because you got a great deputy, I've actually worked with her at the Water Board. And I know her work with the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) funding opportunities, which is something I think it's incredibly untapped for our particular island as we leverage not only the need for more funding to address our wastewater issues, but our rural nature of this entire island and how we leverage that. During the last Administration I had spoken to Director Kurcharski at that time, and if there was ways to leverage. Whether it was just buying pipe, right, for our sewer systems. And how maybe we could partner with other municipals like Maui County, like Honolulu City and County. And looking at opportunities that if we're going to have to rehabilitate so much of our aging infrastructure here on this island, if we could look at buying capacity and partnering not only with our department, but Department of Water Supply levering our USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) funding and then looking at other municipals like Maui or Kauai. To see if they have projects in the pipe, and the pun intended, because what we see happen across the larger Continental U.S. states, they're treated like states, right. And so they are able to leverage that buying capacity. We're still a state, just on different islands. And I really want to see somebody be able to crack that nut. Because this is how we're going to have to improve our environment, we live in a very special state and a very special island. And so that's just my food for thought. As far as your department I will be supporting it, and I'm just thrilled that you have Brenda right behind you. Chair, I yield. MR. MANSOUR: Thank you. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Sue. I'm going to check with Kona, either wave or say something. I can't see anything going on over there, so any people any comments? MR. INABA: Not at this time. Page 4 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, thank you, Kona. Ms. Kierkiewicz. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you, Chair. Aloha Ramzi, great to see you, again. And thank you for taking the time to connect with me, prior to today's meeting. do want to just ask a few questions recapping our conversation, because you are very impressive. I'm going to be supporting your nomination. And I do believe, Mayor Roth, that he has a unicorn, we're very lucky to have him. Very impressive. Can you provide us some insight into how you're going to be setting priorities for your department? There are a number of challenges very difficult ones, closure of the Hilo landfill, antiquated wastewater system, we're trying to get composting facilities, you know, around our island. There are many initiatives to want to move forward towards a zero -waste community. What's your process and how are you setting priorities? MR. MANSOUR: Process is just—you can tell from our department name Environmental Management, so our goal and mission is to make sure that we protect the health and safety of the public and the environment itself. So any project that has major adverse negative reaction to the environment and to the health and safety of the public that becomes high priority for my and for our department. So definitely that's number one. Number two is, definitely we have Administrative Order consent from the state. These going to have high priority, because we have deadlines we have to meet. So we look at that and we set priority based also in the funding in the budgets that's going to support the project itself. But number one is the title of our department, we have to come true and deliver on that title which is public health and safety and the environment itself. So is we have anything that leads to contamination of our oceans, our water that becomes priority because we cannot allow it to continue. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you. Can you tell me a little bit about how you plan to be engaging the Environmental Management Commission? MR. MANSOUR: I definitely will be involved with the Chair and the Vice Chair, to make sure that we send the message to our constituents, because there's much need for the department and we need to send the right message. Our right message is definitely we're here to protect your health and safety and to protect our ocean and water. And to do that we need to declare the public. The public education is very important to about our transparency of how we're going to deliver things. So if they know what we stand for, you ain't going to get the support. So the idea of the Commission is as an advisory committee, we need to be able to engage with them do a presentation, be a transparent and present to them our financial difficulties and solutions of how we're going to be able to be sustainable as a department, as a government agency, thinking outside the box. We cannot continue being the status quo anymore, because we've fallen behind. Page 5 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you. My last question. I want you to dream build a little bit for me, set the vision for the department, you know, what do you hope to achieve in the next four potentially eight years. How were you going to transform our liabilities, and turn them into assets? MR. MANSOUR: Its funny when I first came in here it kind of took me back to the ninety's, so I want to bring you to the 21" century. Because we still got people carrying their garbage back to the convenience centers. We should be thinking about different models to our county. We have to look at maybe better collection system for our solid waste. There's so many different things, we could take that convert it—look at the numbers it's all mathematics. We have now 22 convenient centers, look at the time the people spend on it, look at the cost of hauling garbage on the highways and the roadway. We could look at that and convert it to different model, that could deliver the same concept but at lower cost. So we have so much to look into our department, from the solid waste to the wastewater. We need to able to set a sustainable financial structure that could become standalone department, not a need for the general funds. It's amazing that we're getting in subsidies in the solid waste of $18 million general fund subsidies, we should not be doing that we should be a standalone department, financially stable, to be able to run our business. So I'm going to be presenting ideas to the committee, of how we're going to become a sustainable standalone department financially. So we don't have to worry about grants and loans, because these could come and go but it's not steady fast for the longterm. Sothis is my vision. I want to bring you guys to the 21" century. MS. KIERKIEWICZ: Thank you. You are a breath of fresh air. Really welcome your ideas and look forward to working with you. I'll be supporting your nomination. Chair, thank you. I yield. MR. MANSOUR: Thank you. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Ms. Kierkiewicz. And a breath of fresh air for garbage, that's great. Ms. Kimball. MS. KIMBALL: Thank you, Chair Richards. And thank you for being here today. I'm sorry that we didn't get a chance to sit down together and talk before the confirmation hearing one on one today, but you come highly recommended from personal friends of mine. And you know, their word is gold to me, so I'm very excited. And I just get a sense of how energetic—both energetic, and excited and creative but also you have this very logical approach. And I think that's obviously what we need right now, and I'm ready to come with you to the 21" century with the respect of Waste Management. You actually answered one of the questions I had with regard to financing, in terms of this long term goal to be Page 6 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 self-sustaining. It's been a while since I looked at the Waste Management budget, but seemed like we were leaving a lot of money that could be used on the table with our own allocations. So I'm excited to see you looking at the budget seriously, and thinking of some alternatives and potentially making the department more self-sustaining. I'm curious, what are your thoughts on our ability to make the 2045 goal for conversions from cesspools to septic or sewer? MR. MANSOUR: I think it's pretty good. I was the first week I was assigned to this job I requested to meet with one of the consultants. He's doing a gang cesspool for Pahala community. And the design was about 50 percent complete, so as I was sitting there just listening to this consultant and our staff, they came up with a design 50 percent complete at $50 million that's equate to about $250,000 per house per connection. This is more than the price of the house. So the idea, you know, I got kind of frustrated with the consultant because I was in the consultant business in the 80's. So definitely as a consultant you don't take your client for a ride and understand that they don't have the fund to even build it, so why are you taking them that long. So I challenged that consultant technically, and they came back two days later with $14 million saving on the project within two days. That wasn't enough for me, because there's more creative outside the box design for cesspools. We live on an island, so we have to think outside the box. We cannot continue with the conventional standard methodology of wastewater design. So they're going back, we supposed to meet with them again. So I kind of gave him design parameter what they need to do for the cesspool. So I'm meeting with EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), I'm meeting with Department of Health and both branches to sit down and talk about a creative, innovative design. Because we have as a state, we have 60 percent almost as an island we have 60 percent of the state's cesspool systems in the state. We have about total 88,000 cesspool within the state. County of Hawaii had more than 55,000 by itself, that's a majority. At a total cost of $2 billion that's what the state came up with, to address the issues of cesspools. Definitely we have till 2050 the deadline, but there is innovation behind it. My take at it, we have solid waste, we have recyclable material, such as woodchips, glass, plastic that we could use as a filtering material to the effluent to enhance the effluent quality before it gets discharged either through land application or being reused. So we need to entertain that concept. So there's definitely, you know, vision for it. I'm going to be driving more affordable cheaper methodology to convert. Possibly partner with the University of Hawai` i to do the plot test, I mean pilot program. And take it from there, because from a technical point of view a lot of treatment plan they use trickling filters made out either out of plastic or rocks. Page 7 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 So we have it kind of to the landfill, but sometimes they don't know what to do with it. So let's think about reusing it, to the wastewater business. That way we keep our resources within the island itself, but become creative and innovative. MS. KIMBALL: Great, thank you. MR. MANSOUR: So definitely I believe that we could meet that deadline. MS. KIMBALL: Okay, great. Yeah, thank you for that response, and thank you for the awareness of the affordability to home owner. I mean we all have our own issues in our district, but I have a number of residents that are on cesspools that have small lots actually from the plantation days. There's no room for septic tanks on there. The idea of connecting to sewer system, or even a gang cesspool or a gang septic becomes cost prohibitive and very concerning. So I'm looking forward to hearing from you and some of the creative ways to address the particular problem. MR. MANSOUR: I could tell you, I'm sitting on the committee the state had a committee for the cesspools. I sat on it for the last two meetings when I was in Oahu, because I was representing Oahu on the cesspools. But now since I'm here, so I'm going to be representing the Big Island. But they really have still, I'm having challenges with them because they're still not thinking outside the box. They came up with designs—so I'm going to challenge the committee itself. They came up with a design that could cost you as a cesspool owner about $400.00 a month for lifetime, to me that's unacceptable. And then you get a higher certified operator to maintain your system because they're looking at aerobic treatment unit which is very expensive. And then for you to be able to hire certified operator to come and maintain it. So I'm getting involved with Department of Health and EPA to start becoming more reasonable on the design. MS. KIMBALL: Thank you for that. I hope none of our state folks are listening, but I'm going to say that our wastewater issues I think we're big enough to handle them on our own. And we have unique problems on this island that cannot be dictated well from Honolulu. So I look forward to you having some discussions around that in the future. One of the areas that I worked prior to coming here was on climate change, and one of the areas that actually contributes a lot to the climate change picture is Waste Management in general, both from emission from waste products but also in efficiencies in terms of wastewater delivery the quality of the systems, the efficiencies of the power being used to do wastewater treatment and whatnot. In what way the vision that you shared with Ashley, are you including climate change in your perception? MR. MANSOUR: Definitely. I was involved with that resilience group on Honolulu. And they did a study and they looked at our facilities, and they found Page 8 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 out that we contribute about three percent out of the whole total. So we definitely understand that, and we're working with resilient group about sea -level rise. Actually we just had a conversation in the Mayor's Office about it. Because definitely it's going to take a group effort, because especially with the sea -level rise as a climate change you have to have kind of standardized strategy that everybody follows, because when the water rises it's not going to understand that a certain area is not going to get hit, it's going to hit all the areas. So if you're going to do improvement, you have to improve the entire area but you cannot be piecemeal in it. So you have to get all the stakeholders involved. As far as emissions from landfills, I understand sometimes our vehicles on the road that add to emission and pollution on the highways. So I'm very, very aware of environmental, and you know, emission pollution impact on our environment. And I've been involved in different resilience groups. I appreciate what they do, and I continue looking forward to working with them. MS. KIMBALL: Great, thank you. I just want to conclude by asking a little bit more about solid waste and you talked about the transfer stations and the time and money and investment of people that it takes to run those. CHR. RICHARDS: Council Women Kimball, if I can pause for a moment. We have a little bit of time and we've been running a little bit over right now. MS. KIMBALL: Let meI will actually defer then— CHR. RICHARDS: I need a moment. We have another piece of business on the agenda, our only representative has to leave at 5:00 p.m. And so I want to check to see if he might be available tomorrow so we can go into recess and pick that up tomorrow after Council. So we're checking with him now. Oh, there he is, excuse me Sir, yup, you're waving. Can you hear us? (Note: At this time, Ed Rapoza representative for owner of the property pertaining to Res. 25-21, came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. RAPOZA: Yes, I can. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, we're trying to be sensitive to time lines and this day has gone very long. Would you be available late morning tomorrow, I'm going to guess and this is a guess maybe 11:00 a.m. or so to reconvene and have you join our meeting at that time? If we take this committee into recess, we have Council tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. The agenda looks somewhat short, which case I think we should be safe to reconvene this meeting at 11:00 a.m. MR. RAPOZA: I assume, I don't have a choice. Page 9 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 CHR. RICHARDS: Well the other options is we can MR. RAPOZA: I've been on the line since 2:30 p.m. CHR. RICHARDS: Yes, I understand, and I am sorry for that. The other option is that we can postpone this till the next committee meeting, which is I think the 19''. It is the 19''? MR. RAPOZA: The answer is let's try 11:00 a.m. tomorrow, see how it goes. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, so thank you. I didn't want to keep you on, because I know you're on a timeline as well. So we will reconvene, after we go into recess today we'll reconvene at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. I appreciate your understanding on that. MR. RAPOZA: Thank you. CHR. RICHARDS: So with that, we'll see you tomorrow morning. And then Ms. Kimball you still have the floor. MS. KIMBALL: Thank you, Chair. And apologiesI actually saw him up there and wondered who he was and what he was there for. And so unfortunate that he's been waiting all this time. But again, I'll conclude my remarks and questions at this time. I think that there's a few more things that I'd like to ask you, but I think that's not determinate. In terms of my support, definitely I'm excited to have you as department head here. So mahalo, for your time. MR. MANSOUR: Okay. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, thank you, Ms. Kimball. I'm going to go back to Kona. And do we have any comments or questions. MS. DAVID: Yes. Aloha Chair Richards, this is Maile. CHR. RICHARDS: Aloha, Chair, go ahead. MS. DAVID: Alright. Aloha Mr. Mansour, and thank you so much for your explanation regarding the questions from my colleagues. I would just like to say that in reviewing your resume your technical supervisory and managerial experience and skills is impeccable and totally applies to the department that you are being recommended for. And I want to also thank you for reaching out, I know we didn't get a chance to meet. But I look forward to our meeting shortly after today's meeting, and specifically so to discuss your positions and your thought process on the two long-term wastewater facilities in my district for the Pahala and Na`alehu plants. Page 10 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 So that I really think is very critical, and I like your ideas. And I just would like to be included in some of those discussions because like Public Works I think you've inherited a department and issues that have been ongoing for 20 plus years. And so I'm very, very excited to see your position and your recommendations on how we move forward on issues with regard to Pahala and Na`alehu. And I really thank you for your commitment, and I will be supporting your nomination. Mahalo, I yield. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Chair. Anyone else in Kona? MS. VILLEGAS: Yes, please. CHR. RICHARDS: Go ahead, Ms. Villegas. MS. VILLEGAS: Aloha, Mr. Mansour, and nice to see you again. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me prior to today's meeting. I am, like my colleagues, excited about having you join our county, and work with this Administration and be a member of this cabinet. You came highly, highly recommended by some different people that I have been working with the Environmental Management Commission. And I am very hopeful, and enthusiastic about the opportunity to explore, opportunities for energy saving performance contract work. And utilizing that model in order to save our county money, and transition our county facilities to become more green facilities. Also stimulate our economy through infrastructure projects, and I really look forward to continuing to discover the ways that we can improve on our current systems. Because as you said, we are decades behind and it behooves us especially during this down turn. To take the opportunity to improve upon our infrastructure systems, because any amount of growth especially here on the westside beyond what's currently slated, we do not have the infrastructure systems in place in order to manage that waste in a way that wouldn't have negative detriments to not only the people but to our natural resources. So thank you for your willingness to relocate here, and to become a member of the Big Island and our community and bringing your knowledge and insights. Thank you. I yield. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Ms. Villegas. MR. INABA: Chair, this is Holeka. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, go ahead Mr. Inaba. MR. INABA: Again, real quick, Mr. Mansour thank you. And Mayor Roth mahalo for putting together that group and getting such an awesome and qualified and, you know, just want we need. Especially during these times. So mahalo, and I look forward to supporting this appointment. I yield. Page 11 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Mr. Inaba. Is there anyone else here in Hilo chambers? Oh, go ahead, Mr. Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Thank you for being here today, Sir. MR. MANSOUR: Thank you. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: You have a beautiful resume. Thank you for applying for this position, and being available to come and help us. We need help. Your predecessor told me one thing that always stuck with me is that everything that comes here that we don't eat is garbage. And for the most part right now, that's true. We don't recycle a lot, a lot of our plastic recycling it just goes in the trash. That's equaled more trips over Saddle Road with more workers, more diesel. We don't collect the methane coming off our landfill. We could make tremendous strides in solar, in recycling, in so many different facets in the solid waste side of Environmental Management. I'm very happy to have you here, and I'm hoping that you can make some of those strides. And I would be more than willing to help you make those strides through. I come from the solar industry, I teach my kids how to recycle and it's just been—it's like COVID just kind of put us over the top and everything started ending. From the amount of days my transfer station are open to our district to, what we offer our citizens as far as recycling capabilities. So everything you've said sounds good, now it's a matter of seeing what you can do. But I think you have our support, and again we're on an island. So it's not going anywhere, and whatever we don't take care of goes to our kids. And I hate looking at them and telling them yup just throw it away, because we have no other option. It's really a depressing situation to be in. And there's so many of the areas too, and Oahu has made some strides in recycling the methane coming off the wastewater and pumping that back into their propane lines. Is that right? MR. MANSOUR: Yes. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: And we don't do that here? I mean there's so many little things that we could do. MR. MANSOUR: Yeah, unfortunately the reason we don't do it, because every waste treatment plans being designed as open lagoon. And we need to get out of that design standard, because it doesn't help us as we improve that move forward. And because it becomes habitat to endangered species, and then you fall in the federal law. And then you even cannot continue on treatment plans so you lock your own self. And we need to start thinking outside that type of designs, start thinking more mechanical digester that could provide and produce gas so we could use it and reuse it. Page 12 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Agreed, agreed. So look forward to helping you, supporting your ideas and seeing what you have to offer and offer you my support. My only question for you is, what is your accent? MR. MANSOUR: I'm 75 percent Lebanese, 25 percent Sicilian. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Okay. MR. MANSOUR: That's based on my ancestry. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: I was listening to you and looking at your name and trying to place you. I was like where is this guy from? Okay, so Lebanese and Italian. MR. MANSOUR: Italian, yeah. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Interesting. MR. MANSOUR: Still got family living in Italy. Actually before I was supposed to come here, I was supposed to reunite with them prior to the COVID. And that was my agreement with the City and County of Honolulu, I was supposed to take four months before I made a commitment for them. But COVID came along and I lost the trip, and I ended up being stranded on the island. I cannot complain. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: No, you got a bigger island now. MR. MANSOUR: No, not a bigger island. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Pleasure to meet you again, you know I met you last time you were here. But thank you for being here today appreciate it, and we'll see where we go. MR. MANSOUR: Thank you. CHR. RICHARDS: Matt, you yield? Okay, thank you. Do I see any other red lights here on this side? Seeing none, everybody in Kona had a chance to speak. So I guess we'll round this out and finish this up. First of all, Mitch I want to thank you for bringing Ramzi forward. Mr. Mansour and I started out of the blocks pretty quick. I would advise my fellow Council Members that if you want to meet a director that you're going to be working closely with, have piece of legislation that needs to be attend to before they even start working and they gets you to know them real quick real fast. That's how Ramzi and I, and Brenda started out getting work together. Page 13 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 Mayor, you made a comment, common sense and government in the same sentence. I found that a little entertaining. But Ramzi you are bringing that to us. Matt, you just made a comment about throwing things away, and that's one of my frustration we throw everything away and that's one of the challenges that we have facing us. We're producing about 600 tons of rubbish a day, and that's a challenge before us. The things we talked in the previous Council was the durable goods life cycle. Okay, we bring them in, we use them and then what? And so I think that's a further conversation we need to have. Mr. Mansour and I discussed dealing with the wastewater and that we are talking billions of dollars to truly manage that going forward. And so we might as well start getting after it and get her done, because we have to do that. And I appreciate the thought that there's some out of the box thinking to get that—even out of the cesspool thinking to get this done. So I think we're headed in the right direction. One of the things I would ask is that, I mentioned this before with Public Works shovel ready programs. I believe , I sit on some of national county things, and I believe there's going to be some Public Works money coming forward. And I think if we are setting the stage we heard Council Chair David talking about our wastewater facilities down Ka`u side, we also have a very aging facility here in Hilo; Kona not as bad. But I'm thinking if we have shovel ready projects planned that we may be able to engage and brace and jump at some of this funding sooner it may behoove us to be planning for this. Because I think we're going to have some of that funding come forward. We have that $900 billion, of which we should be getting $1.75 but that's not enough to turn the corner for us. So I expect that we're going to be seeing more, and I would ask that we get some shovel ready projects ready to jump at if we can find the funding and get after it. So with that, I too have enjoyed meeting with you, and fast and furious taking on some of these things. So I appreciate that. I'm going to call for the vote on this and then we'll move on to the next resolution. All in favor of moving recommendation of naming Mr. Mansour as our Director of Environmental Management sending it to Council with a positive recommendation please say Ic aye. Page 14 RAWEEMC-1 January 5, 2021 Vote on Comm. 43: The motion to recommend confirmation of the appointment (Approved) of Mr. Ramzi M. Mansour as Director of the Department of Environmental Management was carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Lee Loy, Poindexter, and Chair Richards — 8. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Member Villegas —1. Excused: None. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Mr. Mansour. And look forward to seeing you in two weeks for that. Now hang on, if you could stand down and then we'll get the Clerk back, because I'm going to bring up the resolution. Please Clerk, Resolution 25-21. ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, RESOLUTIONS: Order of Resolutions. Res. 25-21: AUTHORIZES THE EXTENSION OF THE PUBLIC SEWER FROM ALI`I DRIVE TO A PLANNED SUBDIVISION TO SERVICE PARCELS 7-7-004:057 AND 7-7-004:058 AT KAUMALUMALU, DISTRICT OF NORTH KONA, ISLAND AND COUNTY OF HAWAII, STATE OF HAWAII The extension would service 19 lots in a planned unit subdivision on Alii Drive. Reference: Comm. 45 Intr. by: Mr. Richards Motion to Approve: Ms. Lee Loy moved to recommend adoption of Res. 25-21. Seconded by Ms. Kimball. CHR. RICHARDS: What is being requested because of our timelines that we're going to go into recess on this committee, and take this up again tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. that's what one representative can do. So with that I'm going to go into recess. Clerk I don't have to, I can just go into recess so we're going to recess until 11:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. This committee stands in recess. Recess: At 5:08 p.m., the Chair declared the meeting in recess until the next day. Page 15 RAWEEMC-1 January 6, 2021 Reconvene: The meeting reconvened at 11:01 a.m., on Wednesday, January 6, 2021. ATTENDANCE: Present: Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Chair Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Vice Chair (via videoconference from Kona) Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Member Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Member Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member (via videoconference from Kona) Absent & Excused: Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member CHR. RICHARDS: Aloha, everyone it is 11:01 a.m., this is the Committee on Regenerative Agriculture, Water, Energy and Environmental Management. We recessed yesterday, we are reconvening at 11:01, now 11:02. We are back in in committee, we have a Resolution 25-21 that was read into the record, so we have the motion on the floor. Due to time constraints yesterday we did have to recess and postpone till this morning. I understand we have our applicant online, is that correct? MR. RAPOZA: Yes, I'm here. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, terrific. Okay, so what I want to do with this I've discussed this with our Environmental Management Director Mr. Mansour. And there seems to be a little bit of an issue concerning some of this, but I want to move this thing forward as far as getting the testimony and please explain the project. And I'm going to bring up Mr. Mansour and we're going to discuss this and go from there. So go ahead please. Identify yourself for the record. (Note: At this time, Ed Rapoza, representing property owner Larry Smith, came forward to address the Committee Members.) MR. RAPOZA: I'm Ed Rapoza, I'm representing Larry Smith who is the actually owner. My limited understanding of this is that this is a dedication of a sewer lateral that's already in place, it's an easement for a sewer lateral that was already constructed, inspected, and in place. And this is just—my understanding is just dedicating the easement for that area. It will service a future project that would be private from that place forward, is my understanding. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, so this has already been constructed, is that what I'm understanding? Page 16 RAWEEMC-1 January 6, 2021 MR. RAPOZA: That's what I've been told, yes, it's already been constructed and done. And this is just a mere formality, I guess in dedicating the area in which this lateral was installed. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, so that is not the information as I've been given. Mr. Mansour I would ask you to come up to the table. This is Director of Environmental Management, who conveniently for us has a high level of expertise in Wastewater Management. Ramzi please, could you discuss from what you've read on this resolution. (Note: At this time Acting Environmental Management Director Ramzi Mansour came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. MANSOUR: Yeah, my understanding form— CHR. RICHARDS: Identify yourself for the record, please. MR. MANSOUR: Yeah, this is Ramzi Mansour, the Director for Environmental Management. And as I was reviewing the resolution, the resolution intended for the reimbursement of future connection by other parties. But in the resolution itself, it reflects to connecting to a six inch lateral that was not intended to serve 19 different lots. Usually the standards requires an extension of the same civil service that they provided for the subdivision itself which is eight inches, eight inch sewer main. So what they proposing is going from eight inch, to existing six inch lateral. That's going to create a bottle neck for the flow, and it may potentially create a back flow. So therefore we need to make sure they follow the standard, that eight inch should have extended to our 15 inch main line with a manhole. But the same line should have been extended, not tying to that existing six inch lateral. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Mansour. Mr. Rapoza did you catch most of that, did you understand that? MR. RAPOZA: Yeah. Again, I wasn't involved in writing up, and nor do I believe the owner was involved in writing up the resolution. So again, my limited understanding of this, because I'm standing in for the owner that a lateral was installed I didn't know if it was six or eight. Future development has no—it's not developed at this time. The 19 homes are not there, and there's no line going to the homes. This is servicing a future development, but my understanding was they just needed aI guess the department needed some sort of easement to the six inch. I assume it's a six inch, since you've identified it such. So are you saying that it is supposed to be an eight inch, not a six inch all the way through to 19 homes including the lateral? CHR. RICHARDS: No. Page 17 RAWEEMC-1 January 6, 2021 MR. RAPOZA: Because I believe construction plans were approved, and the lateral was installed. That's my understanding. CHR. RICHARDS: Okay, we have a couple of things going on here. First of all we've changed Administrations and we've changed Directors. And the Director is spooling up to speed right now. We also appear to have a lack of some information concerning this project, and so I think we're going to need more clarification on that. What I'm going to do with this, so we can get clear on this and the Director is also going to get more information revolving around this. What I'm going to do with this is I want to entertain a motion to postpone this to our next committee meeting so we can gather more information and verify that. So I think that's going to make the most sense. Vote on Motion Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to postpone Res. 25-21 to to Postpone: January 19, 2021. Seconded by Ms. Kimball and (Approved) carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members David, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Poindexter, Villegas, and Chair Richards — 7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Chung and Lee Loy — 2. Excused: None. CHR. RICHARDS: Mr. Rapoza, thank you so much. My office will reach out to you, once we figure out some of the details on this. And this matter is postponed till January 19, 2021. MR. BROWN: Excuse me Chair, sorry to interrupt. Just for the record so Council Member Chung and Council Member Lee Loy CHR. RICHARDS: Been excused. MR. BROWN: Thank you. CHR. RICHARDS: Alright. Clerk, is that the end of our agenda? MR. BROWN: It is. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Sorry I have just a comment. CHR. RICHARDS: Go ahead. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Mr. Rapoza, Just wanted to apologize for yesterday, we ran very late in our meetings and I know you were on hold for a number of hours. And I just wanted to say, you know, from us, you know, thank you for staying on the line and for being patient. And for logging back in today Page 18 RAWEEMC-1 January 6, 2021 and then being able to come back in two weeks again. You're a taxpayer and it's our job to take care of you in that sense, and I feel like we could of done better for yesterday given that we had a long meeting, but either way, I just wanted to give you an apology. MR. RAPOZA: Thank you for that consideration, I appreciate it. MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: You're welcome. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you, Matt, appreciate that. Okay, Mr. Rapoza as I stated we will reach out to you after we get some of these details so we can have a very clear understanding what's going forth. Expect to hear from us end of the week first part of next week. MR. RAPOZA: Thank you very much. CHR. RICHARDS: Thank you so much. BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances. (There were none.) CHR. RICHARDS: We are at the end of our agenda, I'll entertain a motion to adjourn. ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 11:09 a.m., Ms. Kierkiewicz moved to MENT: adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Ms. Kimball and carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members David, Eoff, Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Poindexter, Villegas, and Chair Richards — 7. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Chung and Lee Loy — 2. Excused: None. Page 19 RAWEEMC-1 CHR. RICHARD S : We are adjourned. Approved: Mr. Herbert M. "Tim" Richards, III, Chair Regenerative Agriculture, Water, Energy and Environmental Management Committee HR/rk (Date) January 6, 2021 Page 20