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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN EMC 2018/03/27 2016-2018Committee on Environmental Management 11th Session West Hawaii Civic Center 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Building A Kailua-Kona, Hawaii March 27, 2018 CALL TO The regular meeting of the Committee on Environmental Management was called ORDER: to order at 1:10 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Kona, by Ms. Eileen O'Hara, Chair. ROLL CALL: Present: Ms. Eileen O'Hara, Chair Mr. Herbert "Tim" Richards, III, Vice Chair Mr. Aaron S. Y. Chung, Member Ms. Maile Medeiros David, Member Ms. Karen Eoff, Member Mr. Dru Mamo Kanuha, Member Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Member Ms. Valerie T. Poindexter, Member Ms. Jennifer Ruggles, Member ANNOUNCE- MENT: STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA: CC)N4N4T TNT - CATIONS CHR. O'HARA: It's time to ask for public comment, but before I do, have one announcement that Ms. Lee Loy would like to present. Thank you. At this time, Ms. Lee Loy publicly thanked Isemoto Contracting for their gracious assistance with repairing homes in order to provide shelter for residents after severe storm damage in the Pana`ewa area. Also thanked were Hawaii County's first responders. The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. (There were none.) The Chair directed the Committee to the next order of business, Communications. EMC -11 March 27, 2018 Comm. 794: NOMINATION OF MYRICK W. GAFFNEY TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION From Mayor Harry Kim, dated March 8, 2018, submitting for the Council's review and confirmation the above nomination. Requires Council Confirmation by: April 21, 2018 (Section 13-4(1), Hawaii County Charter) Motion to Approve: Ms. Eoff moved to recommend confirmation of the appointment of Myrick W. Gaffney to the Environmental Management Commission. Seconded by Mr. Richards. (Note: At this time, Ms. O'Hara read Nominee Gaffney's biographical information from Comm. 794, as an introduction to the nominee.) CHR. O'HARA: Okay, so with that would you like to provide any additional information to the Council? (Note: At this time, Nominee Gaffney came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MR. GAFFNEY: Thank you all, for considering this nomination. I appreciate it, I think the background information that Councilwoman O'Hara read is fairly complete, but I would add to that I'm a lifetime advocate for the ocean because the ocean can't speak for itself. That's one of the reasons I was interested in coming on this commission, because I think for too long the ocean has ended up as the dump for our wastewater. That's particularly true here in Kona where we're pumping 1.8 million gallons per day into what is essentially a large cesspool. We have a large number of cesspools per capita and something needs to be done about that because our near shore reefs are being degraded. We can't do anything about global warming, we can't do anything about the amount of plastics that are being burned into the ocean. Can't do much about it, but we can do something about the sewage that is currently damaging our near shore waters. It's time for us to get very creative and very aggressive because this has been going on for much, much too long. By way of background, I started worrying about sewage when I moved to Maui, took a job with the Sea Grant program in 1974, and I became the conservation chair of the Sierra Club at the time and the Mayor was about to build a sewage plant on a bird refuge; and we went, slam dunk, that's not going to happen. He did it, he was a powerful politician, those of you who remember the name will remember. And very capable, he built his sewage treatment plant and all these years later, all of the problems that we foresaw with that sewage treatment plant has come to pass. You can't build a sewage treatment plant on the coastal plain in Page 2 EMC -11 March 27, 2018 a salt water environment where there's a ton of ehukai and expect the machinery and the steel to last. So there are leaks, and that pond is being badly degraded as a result. So we need to really think ahead. And I won't belabor the point but I'm excited to be part of this council. I think I'm the third Rick on the environmental management council, so I'll be Rick 3. And if any of you have any questions I would be happy to answer them. But that's all I have to say. (Council Members spoke in favor of Mr. Gaffney's nomination.) Vote on Comm. 794: The motion to recommend confirmation of the appointment (Approved) of Myrick Gaffney to the Environmental Management Commission was carried by the following voice vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Eoff, Kanuha, Lee Loy, Poindexter, Richards, Ruggles, and Chair O'Hara — 9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. CHR. O'HARA: Mr. Gaffney, this still has to go the full Council for confirmation, but you won't need to return for that meeting. So thank you very much for being here today. ORDER OF The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, Order RESOLUTIONS: of Resolutions. (There were none.) BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, Bills ORDINANCES: for Ordinances. (There were none.) Page 3 EMC-11 March 27, 2018 ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business, at 1:27 p.m., Mr. Kanuha moved to adjourn the meeting. Seconded by Ms. Lee Loy and carried by the following vote: Ayes: Committee Members Chung, David, Eoff, Kanuha, Lee Loy, Poindexter, Richards, Ruggles, and Chair O'Hara—9. Noes: None. Absent: None. Excused: None. CHR. O'HARA: Okay, we're adjourned. Approved: • fii Ili' Ms. Eileen O'Hara, Chair Date Environmental Management Committee EO/ja Page 4