HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0104.020 2020-2022 lC, i
ill 22
WIRM-10A
Testimony to Hawaii County Council May,118,*2021 Public Hearing
BILL 22 DRAFT 2: REGARDING DEM CIP BUDGET FOR NAALEHU/PHALA SEWER PROJECTS
Aloha County Council Chair David and Council Members,
Since 2008, the Department of Environmental Management and Finance Department
have played a "shell-game" with the actual costs to taxpayers for the two Ka'u sewer
projects that should have been constructed in 2008 for minimal costs to County taxpayers.
This year, Council is asked to add $31,528,000 to this "shell-game."
1) In 2019, Pahala had total expenses of $23,932,000 [Design/Survey $1,090,000 and
Construction $22,842,000] while in 2020, Pahala (CIP Priority 5) total of $12,171,000 had
$6,829,000 for Design/Survey and only $5,342,000 for construction costs. This year Pahala
shows it will receive $5,500,000 in CWSRF and have $8,425,000 in not lapsed funding, again
with not lapsed $4,189,000 in CWSRF funding received in December 2019 to be used, as
Robin Bauman said CWSRF could NOT be used —for design expenses. So this year [2021-22]
—this Council is spending ANOTHER $13,925,000 (CIP Budget Page 19) on the Pahala sewer
project to place a 190,000 gallons per day wastewater flow treatment plant, with three or
more lagoons, atop lava tubes that contain coffins (Eddie Andrade, EA Comments).
2) With the requested $1.5 mill. in 2020's COH CIP funding, the Naalehu sewer
"Design/Survey" costs have exploded to $8,939,000 [with $6.6 mill. in CWSRF funds awarded
in 2017] without ANY environmental review published in The Environmental Notice. This
year, the taxpayers will bear $10,200,000 in new bonds to go with past $803,000 in un-
lapsed bond funding, and the $6,600,000 in 2017 CWSRF funding, which means total 2021-
22 design costs of $17,603,000 for the Naalehu sewer project.
With another $31,528,000 being spent in 2021-22, we beg for a County legislative
audit of this "shell-game" to provide accountability for how much money has been spent
since 2008 to design - but never actually CONSTRUCT- these two rural wastewater systems.
Thank you for helping us! Sandra Demoruelle, PO Box 588, Naalehu HI 9Q772
Comm. o. IV 14
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