HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-04-26 Water Board Public Hearing on the Proposed New Cost of Power Adjustment ClauseMINUTES
WATER BOARD PUBLIC HEARING ON THE
PROPOSED NEW COST OF POWER ADJUSTMENT CLAUSE
April 26, 2022
Puna Conference Room, 25 Aupuni Street, Suite 1501, Hilo, HI, and ICT (Interactive Conference Technology)
MEMBERS PRESENT: Mr. David De Luz, Jr., Chairperson
(Via ICT) Mr. Steven Hirakami, Vice -Chairperson (9:34 a.m.)
Mr. Michael Bell
Ms. Kea Keolanui
Mr. Stephen "Kawena" Lopez (9:32 a.m.)
Mr. Benjamin Ney
Mr. Keith K. Okamoto, Manager -Chief Engineer,
Department of Water Supply (ex-officio member)
Absent: Ms. Julie Hugo, Water Board Member
Mr. Kenneth Sugai, Water Board Member
OTHERS PRESENT: Ms. Diana Mellon -Lacey, Deputy Corporation Counsel
(Via ICT) Mr. Kawika Uyehara, Deputy
Ms. Candace Gray, Waterworks Controller
Mr. Gregory Goodale, Chief of Operations
Mr. Warren Ching, Energy Management Specialist
PRESENT AT PUNA Ms. Janet Snyder, Information & Education Specialist II
CONFERENCE ROOM: Mr. Dean Takamine, Information Systems Support Technician I
(Chairperson De Luz called the Public Hearing to order at 9: 30 a.m.)
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ: Good morning. Will the public hearing of the Water Board on the proposed new
cost of Power Adjustment Clause please come to order. I am David De Luz, Jr.,
Chairperson of the Water Board; and I'd like to have the Secretary take a roll call
for who is in attendance from the Board. Secretary?
SECRETARY: Okay, Mr. Bell?
M. BELL: Present.
SECRETARY: Mr. Hirakami? (Not online at this time) Ms. Hugo? (Absent) Ms. Keolanui?
K. KEOLANUL• Present.
SECRETARY: Mr. Lopez? (Absent). Mr. Ney?
B. NEY: Present.
SECRETARY: Mr. Sugai? (Not online at this time). And Chairperson De Luz?
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ: Present.
Page 1 of 3 April 26, 2022, Minutes of the Public Hearing on the Power Cost Charge
SECRETARY: Alright, we have four Board Members in attendance and four are absent.
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ: Thank you. Notice of this public hearing was published in the Hawaii
Tribune -Herald and in the West Hawaii Today on March 29, 2022. The
Department of Water Supply is operated and controlled by this Water Board as
provided by the Hawaii County Charter. Section 63 of Part III, Chapter 54,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, reads as follows:
"The Board of Water Supply may fix and adjust rates and charges for the
furnishing of water and for water services so that the revenues derived therefrom
shall be sufficient to make the waterworks and water systems self-supporting and
to meet all expenditures authorized by this part; the Board may establish variable
rates among the several districts of the County, or among the areas served by the
individual water systems within the County, for the purpose of establishing
charges as closely as possible to the necessary amount required for the
maintenance and operation of the particular individual water systems; provided no
rates and charges shall be fixed or adjusted prior to the holding by the Board of a
public hearing, public notice of which shall have been given not less than twenty
days before the date set for the hearing. The notice shall state the time and place
for the hearing and the proposed rates and charges to be considered thereat. The
time within which the notice shall be given shall be computed by including the
first day (the day of notice) and excluding the last day."
We are here to receive comments or testimony on the proposed amendment to the
Power Cost Charge. The Department recommends increasing the Power Cost
Charge from $2.02 to $2.34 per thousand gallons to reflect the increase in power
costs. 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 afford you this
opportunity to do so but would like to limit such presentations to three minutes
because of the time limit. The hearing now is open for comments from the floor.
Doreen, is there anyone registered to provide oral testimony or is there any written
testimony from the Puna Conference Room?
(Note: Mr. Hirakami and Mr. Lopez have joined the meeting.)
SECRETARY: We'll check with Janet Snyder. Go ahead, Janet.
J. SNYDER: Mr. Chair, there are no testifiers registered at this time at the Puna Conference
Room.
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ: Thank you Janet. So there's no ... thank you for presenting... no, excuse me. If
there's no further testimony at this time, I would like to entertain a motion that this
public hearing be closed.
B. NEY: So move, Ben.
K. KEOLANUI: Second.
Page 2 of 3 April 26, 2022, Minutes of the Public Hearing on the Power Cost Charge
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ: Seconded by Kea. Thank you, it has been moved and seconded that the public
hearing is closed. All in favor say aye.
SECRETARY;
Roll call?
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ:
Roll call. Thank you.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Bell?
M. BELL:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Hirakami?
S. HIRAKAMi:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Ms. Hugo'? Absent. Ms. Keolanui?
K. KEOLANUI:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Lopez?
S. LOPEZ:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Ney?
B. NEY:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Mr. Sugai? Absent. And Chairperson De Luz?
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ:
Aye.
SECRETARY:
Okay, motion is carried with six ayes and two absent. Thank you.
CHAIRPERSON DE LUZ:
Thank you. Okay, with that being said, the motion has been passed and this portion
of this public hearing is ended. And so our next public hearing will be at 9:45, so
we'll see you at 9:45. Thank you.
(Public Hearing adjourned at 9: 36 a.m.)
Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY WATER BOARD
MAY 24, 2022
Page 3 of 3 April 26, 2022, Minutes of the Public Hearing on the Power Cost Charge