HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0689.007 1996-1998 '
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February 18, 1998
To: The Honorable James Y. Arakaki, Chair
Hawaii County Council ~ ~ _
From: May Navarro
Ada Kalani
Leo Crivello
Papaikou Community Association
Re: Bill No. 193 -Relating to Wastewater Service Charge Rates.
A sewage bill increase of $5.00 may not sound like a large amount. But to a
family on a fixed income it may mean paying an increase of $20.00 per month
for medical insurance or paying an additional $5.00 per month on their sewage
bill. It might mean a choice between paying for their monthly medication or
their monthly sewage bill. It might mean paying fora 20 pound bag of rice or
$5.00 more toward a sewage bill increase. Those are the realities and we're sure
that the Council is aware of those realities.
Another comment we have is the way in which we have to find out about bills
such as these especially when it involves increases in fees. Why can't we the people,
especially since we're directly involved, be involved in finding solutions to problems
instead of having us react to your decisions. When the Papaikou Community
Association started its sewage project almost 7 years ago we learned that by
involving the people of the community in the process they became better informed
and more involved decision makers.
We have additional questions that need to be answered. Questions that might have
already been asked and answered that the wastewater systems users should know
the answers to and the general public should know the answers to, especially those
who be required to hook up in the future.
Additional questions:
1. What is the average water consumption for a single family residential?
2. What is the average water consumption for amulti-unit residential?
3. What is a multi-unit residential and why would the "monthly usage charge
per 1,000 gallons (after the first 8,000 gallons) per unit" be deleted?
4. Of the "single unit residential" users, how many are delinquent in paying
their sewage bills?
5. Ofthe "multi-unit residential" users, how many are delinquent in paying
their sewage bills?
6. Of the 15% of users whose sewage bills have doubled and tripled, how many
are delinquent in paying their sewage bills? /
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7. More importantly, of the 85% of users who pay $40.00 every 2 months, how
many of those users are delinquent in paying their sewage bills?
8. Of the 15% of users whose sewage bills have doubled and tripled, what are their
reasons for the high water consumption?
9. Of the 15% of users whose sewage bills have doubled and tripled, how much
of the water used is wastewater and how much is wasting water
10. Of the 15% of users whose sewage bills have doubled and tripled, how much
of the water used goes into a product or into the growth of a product which
is later sold and makes a profit for the user?
11. Of the 15% of users whose sewage bills have doubled and tripled, how much
of the water used meanders down residential streets, public roads and highways,
spills down into culverts and gullies, travels into streams, and then flows down into
the ocean untreated?
12. What is the total number of users of the wastewater system in the County of
Hawaii?
13. How many potential users of the wastewater system have not hooked up
even though a lateral is available to them?
14. If a homeowner is not hooked up to the sewage system and a lateral is available
to him, is he still required to pay a sewage bill?
I5. What is the County doing to enforce the required hook up?
16. Are those of us who pay our sewage bills on time paying for those who are delinquent
in payments, don't pay their bills at all, or are not hooked up?