HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-03-22 Minutes of the Public Hearing on the FY2023 Operating and 5 year CIP BudgetsMINUTES
WATER BOARD OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI'I
PUBLIC HEARING ON FISCAL YEAR 2023 OPERATING BUDGET AND 5-YEAR
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGET FOR THE FISCAL YEARS 2023-2027
March 22, 2022
Via Zoom/Host Location: Department of Water Supply, 345 Kekuanao`a Street, Suite 20, Hilo, HI
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. Keith K. Okamoto, Manager -Chief Engineer,
Department of Water Supply (ex-officio member)
Mr. Michael Bell
Ms. Julie Hugo
Ms. Kea Keolanui
Mr. Stephen "Kawena" Lopez
Mr. Benjamin Ney
Mr. Kenneth Sugai
Mr. David De Luz, Jr., Chairperson (9:36 a.m.)
OTHERS PRESENT: Ms. Diana Mellon -Lacey, Deputy Corporation Counsel
Mr. Kawika Uyehara, Deputy
Ms. Candace Gray, Waterworks Controller
Mr. Kurt Inaba, Engineering Division Head
Mr. Warren Ching, Energy Management Specialist
ABSENT: Mr. Steven Hirakami, Vice -Chairperson
Mr. Eric Scicchitano, Water Board Member
(The Manager -Chief Engineer called the public hearing to order at 9:32 a.m.)
MANAGER -CHIEF ENGINEER: Good morning. My name is Keith Okamoto. I am the Manager -Chief
Engineer for the Department of Water Supply. Welcome everybody.
Appreciate you joining us on this public hearing. At this time, will the
public hearing of the Water Board on the Proposed 2023 Operating Budget
and 5-Year Capital Improvement Budget for the Department of Water
Supply please come to order. Doreen, can we do a roll call of Board
Members present please?
SECRETARY:
M. BELL:
SECRETARY:
J. HUGO:
SECRETARY:
K. KEOLANUI:
Yes, Mr. Bell?
Present.
Mr. Hirakami? (not present) Ms. Hugo?
Present.
Ms. Keolanui?
Present.
Page 1 of 3 Minutes of the March 22, 2022, Budget Hearing
SECRETARY:
Mr. Lopez?
S. LOPEZ:
Present.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Ney?
B. NEY:
Present.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Sugai?
K. SUGAL•
Present.
SECRETARY:
Chairperson De Luz? (not present) We have six members in attendance.
MANAGER -CHIEF ENGINEER:
Thank you Doreen. So the Water Board, under Section 8-2(c) of the
Hawaii County Charter shall adopt the Operating and Capital
Improvements Budget for the Department of Water Supply; and under the
hearing and advertising provision of Section 10-4, Hawaii County Charter,
did publish public hearing notices in the Hawai'i Tribune -Herald and in the
West Hawaii Today on March 6, 2022. As stated in the hearing notice, all
comments or testimony were to be filed in writing before the time of the
hearing or register to have testimony included via web conference
application. We would like to follow this format as closely as possible;
however, because there may be some of you who do not have any written
statements but would like to testify or comment, we would like to offer you
this opportunity to do so but would like to limit such presentations to three
minutes in essence of the time. The hearing is now open for comments from
the floor. Doreen, do we have anyone registered to provide oral testimony
this morning?
SECRETARY:
No, we do not.
MANAGER -CHIEF ENGINEER: Alright. For the record, we did receive written testimony --two actually, one
dated March 17, 2022, from Mr. Jeff Zimpher of the National Park Service,
Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, and we just received one
yesterday, March 21, 2022, from the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation on
behalf of Hui Ola Ka Wai. At this time, I would like to enter them in as
SECRETARY:
public record; and I do believe we did manage to forward it to the Water
Board via electronic means?
Yes.
MANAGER -CHIEF ENGINEER: I do see Chair De Luz has joined us at this time. Would it be okay to turn
the rest of this public hearing over to the Chair?
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ: Thank you, Keith. My sincere apologies. I had a bit of an IT problem
today, but I appreciate the meeting getting started. On behalf of the Board, I
would like to also welcome new Board Member, Steven "Kawena" Lopez to
our meeting. As Keith had indicated, if there is no further testimony at this
time, I would like to entertain a Motion to close this public hearing.
Page 2 of 3 Minutes of the March 22, 2022, Budget Hearing
B. NEY:
So move, Ben.
J. HUGO:
Second, Julie.
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ:
Thank you. It has been moved and seconded that the public hearing be
closed. All those in favor say aye ... oh excuse me, roll call.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Bell?
M. BELL:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Ms. Hugo?
J. HUGO:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Ms. Keolanui?
K. KEOLANUI:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Lopez?
S. LOPEZ:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Ney?
B. NEY:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Sugai?
K. SUGAL•
Aye.
SECRETARY:
And Chairperson De Luz?
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Okay, motion is carried with seven ayes (two absent).
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ:
Okay so this concludes our public hearing portion. We will conduct our
regular meeting at 10:00 a.m. There is a separate Zoom site for that. If for
some reason you have not received it, please check your emails and register;
and we will see you at 10:00 a.m., and again, my sincere apologies for being
late. Thank you for your understanding. We'll see you at ten. Thank you.
(The Public Hearing was adjourned at 9:39 a.m.)
Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY WATER BOARD
APRIL 26, 2022
Page 3 of 3 Minutes of the March 22, 2022, Budget Hearing