HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-11-12 KCDP Meeting Packet
County of Hawai‘i
KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN ACTION COMMITTEE
Aupuni Center • 101 Pauahi Street, Suite 3 • Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720 (808) 961-8288 • Fax (808) 961-8742
C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D.
Mayor
John Pelletier Raymond Kirchner Heather Korotie Vacant Charles Young, Chair Nancy Pisicchio, Vice Chair Charla Thompson David Huerta
Roselyn Molina
NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN of the following matters to be considered by the Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) Action Committee (AC) in accordance with the provisions of Sections 92-3.7 and
92-7, Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes (HRS). This meeting will be held in person at the location listed in this notice and by Interactive Conference Technology (ICT) through Zoom.
DATE: Wednesday, November 12, 2025
TIME: 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
LOCATION: West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, B2 Conference Room 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway
Kailua-Kona, HI 96740
ZOOM: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/4TpgN9cQQziLaIA7VrzlFg
INTERACTIVE CONFERENCE TECHNOLOGY (ICT): A meeting held by ICT shall be automatically recessed for up to 30 minutes to restore communication when audiovisual communication cannot be maintained with all members participating in the meeting or with the in-person location identified in this notice. The meeting may reconvene when either audiovisual communication is restored, or audio-only communication is established after an unsuccessful attempt to restore audiovisual communication. If it is not possible to reconvene the meeting as provided in this subsection within 30 minutes after an interruption to communication, the meeting will be automatically terminated.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY: The public may provide oral testimony at the meeting by joining Zoom or attending in-person at the physical location listed above. Although not required, to register in advance for oral
testimony please contact staff at CDP@hawaiicounty.gov or (808) 961-8288. Pursuant to Section 92-3, HRS, interested persons who want to provide oral testimony may do so either at the time the committee takes public statements on the agenda, or at the time the specific agenda item is called. Please note that
public testimony may be limited to three (3) minutes in length per agenda item. In addition, although not required, to ensure timely delivery of written testimony to committee members, it is requested that written testimony be submitted by 4:30 p.m. at least two business days prior to the meeting via email to
CDP@hawaiicounty.gov. When submitting written testimony, please specify for which agenda item written testimony is being submitted. All written testimony will be a part of the public record.
AGENDA
I. CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALL
II. APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES – The Committee will consider approving the draft minutes from the October 14, 2025 meeting.
III. PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON AGENDA ITEMS – Pursuant to Section 92-3, HRS, interested persons who want to provide oral testimony may do so now, or at the time the specific agenda item is called. Public testimony may be limited to three (3) minutes in length per agenda item.
IV. BUSINESS
1. Keauhou Aquifer System Area Groundwater Adaptive Management Plan (AMP) – Chair Young will provide an update on recent efforts related to the Keauhou Aquifer System Area Groundwater AMP, followed by Committee discussion and potential action.
2. Report on Hawaiʻi County Council Bill 63, Relating to Dwellings – Committee Member Pelletier will provide an update on testimony submitted regarding Bill 63, which proposes to allow
residential dwellings within the Industrial-Commercial Mixed Use (MCX) district.
3. Tree City USA Program Update – Committee Member Thompson will provide an update on the County’s Tree City USA designation and efforts to reinstate the Arborist Advisory Committee.
Discussion and potential action.
4. Report on County Boards and Commissions Meeting – Chair Young will provide an update on the Mayor’s meeting with Boards and Commissions Chairs and Vice Chairs, held on October 18,
2025. Discussion to follow.
5. Election of Kona CDP Action Committee Chair and Vice Chair – The Committee will elect a Chair and Vice Chair to serve for the 2026 calendar year.
V. PUBLIC TESTIMONY ON MATTERS NOT ON AGENDA – Public testimony may be limited to three (3) minutes per speaker. (Pursuant to SB 869)
VI. THIRD-PARTY REPORTS; GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS – The Action Committee may receive and discuss information from third-party reports by any government official not included in a publicly noticed agenda. The Action Committee may only make decisions on matters originally raised by third-party reports from any government official at a later meeting, where the agenda for the meeting gives notice of decision-making on the matter. (Pursuant to SB 405)
VII. NEW BUSINESS – The Committee will discuss potential agenda items for the next meeting.
VIII. ANNOUNCEMENTS
• Kona Open Space Network (KOSN) Update
• The Planning Department is currently seeking applicants for the Kona CDP Action Committee and the Cultural Resources Commission and requests assistance in spreading the word to interested community members. The application can be found on the Mayor’s office website at: https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and-commissions/boards-and-commissions-application
IX. ADJOURNMENT
NOTICE: This agenda and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona Community Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public Documents
Repository: https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/fol/9059/Row1.aspx. These documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing CDP@hawaiicounty.gov. The recorded video of this meeting will be uploaded to the Planning
Department’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@cohplanningdepartment
The purpose of the public hearings is to afford all interested persons a reasonable opportunity to be heard on the above items. A person desiring to submit oral or written testimony shall indicate their name and whether the testimony is on their behalf or as a representative of an organization or individual. Written testimony can be submitted via email or hard copy. Hard copies should include an original and nine copies and be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. two business days prior to the meeting.
Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service, other reasonable modification, or language interpretation to access this meeting please contact the Planning Department at (808) 961-8288 or CDP@hawaiicounty.gov as soon as possible, but no later than five business days prior to the meeting date, to arrange for accommodations. If a response is received after the five-business days deadline, we will try to obtain the auxiliary aid/service or accommodation, but we cannot guarantee that the request will
be fulfilled. “Other reasonable modification” refers to communication methods or devices for people with disabilities who are mentally and/or physically challenged. Upon request, this notice is available in alternate formats such as large print, Braille, or electronic copy.
If you are a lobbyist, you must register with the Hawai‘i County Clerk within five days of becoming a lobbyist. (Article 15, Section 2-91.3(b), Hawai‘i County Code). A lobbyist means, “any individual engaged for pay or other consideration who spends more than five hours in any month or $275 in any six-month period for the
purpose of attempting to influence legislative or administrative action by communicating or urging others to communicate with public officials.” (Article 15, Section 2-91.3(a)(6), Hawai‘i County Code). Registration forms and expenditure report documents are available at the Office of the County Clerk-Council, 25 Aupuni
Street, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720.
KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE CHARLES YOUNG, Chair
Meeting Packet QR Code:
KONA COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PLAN 1
ACTION COMMITTEE 2 COUNTY OF HAWAIʻI 3
DRAFT MINUTES 4
October 14, 2025 5
Call to Order 6
Chair Charles Young called the meeting of the Kona Community Development Plan (CDP) Action 7
Committee (AC) to order at 11:56 a.m. This meeting was held in person at the West Hawaiʻi Civic Center, 8 B2 Conference Room and online via the Zoom platform. 9
The full YouTube video of this meeting can be found here: 10 https://youtu.be/J0QDEW87zPQ?si=TxgqVJZxFlOL1HjR 11
Roll Call 12
Members Present (in person): Charles Young (Chair), Nancy Pisicchio (Vice Chair), John Pelletier, 13 Raymond (RJ) Kirchner, and Charla Thompson 14
Members Present (via Zoom): None 15
Members Absent: David Huerta, Roselyn Molina, and Heather Korotie 16
Planning Department Staff Present (in person): Kawelo Kalili and Janice Hata 17
Planning Department Staff Present (via Zoom): Maryam Palma 18
There were approximately 9 members of the public in attendance (3 in person and 6 via Zoom). 19
Approval of Minutes 20
Chair Young called for approval of the July 8, 2025 and September 9, 2025 meeting minutes. Committee 21
Member Pisicchio moved to approve both sets of minutes, and the motion was seconded by Committee 22 Member Pelletier. The motion to approve the July 8 and September 9, 2025 minutes was carried 23 unanimously. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 3:24] 24
Public Testimony on Agenda Items 25
Janice Palma-Glennie testified on Business Item 3, expressing concerns that revising the Kona CDP now 26 would be premature and could undermine the community-based framework created through years of 27
collaboration. She urged the Committee to focus on fully implementing the existing plan, cautioning that 28 reopening it could divert resources and shift priorities away from community needs. [SEE YOUTUBE 29 TIMESTAMP 5:05] 30
Business 31
1. Keauhou Aquifer System Area Groundwater Adaptive Management Plan – Chair Young will 32 provide an update on recent efforts, followed by a Committee discussion. 33
This item was called to order at 12:05 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 8:46] 34
Chair Young provided an update on recent efforts related to the Keauhou Aquifer System Area 35 Groundwater Adaptive Management Plan (AMP). He reported that the adaptive management team has 36 been meeting regularly over the past two and a half months and has established four expert working 37 groups focused on: 38
1. Hydrology – examining groundwater sources and related hydrological conditions; 39 2. Ecology – identifying biological indicators and key species; 40 3. Contamination and Pollution – assessing water quality concerns; and 41
4. Cultural Issues – gathering input from cultural advisors (meetings still in progress). 42
KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of October 14, 2025 2
Chair Young noted that preliminary reports have been developed by the first three groups, while the 43 cultural report is pending completion. The final draft of the AMP will be prepared once all four groups 44 complete their reviews and establish priorities for implementation. Key findings included uncertainty 45 about aquifer behavior, nutrient contamination concerns, and identification of species (limu, ‘ōpae‘ula, 46 damselflies) as ecological indicators. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 11:12] 47
Committee discussion covered integration of new monitoring wells into the AMP, the relationship 48
between the AMP and possible State designation of the aquifer as a critical water use area, and 49 potential future desalination options. Chair Young noted that while current withdrawals remain below 50 sustainable yield, continued monitoring and coordination are essential to prevent overuse. [SEE 51
YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 15:35] 52
Public Testimony: 53
• Keola Childs urged proactive action on water availability to support housing development. [SEE 54
YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 21:19] 55
• Janice Palma-Glennie supported pursuing State designation of the Keauhou Aquifer as a critical 56 water management area and suggested the AC send a letter of support. [SEE YOUTUBE 57 TIMESTAMP 30:18] 58
• Josephine Keliʻipio raised concerns about water use by data centers. [SEE YOUTUBE 59 TIMESTAMP 33:04] 60
• Jeff Zimpfer cautioned that sustainable yield estimates may underestimate localized impacts, 61 emphasizing the need for continued vigilance. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 34:40] 62
This item concluded at 12:32 p.m. 63
2. Proposal to Submit Testimony on Bill 63 Relating to Dwellings – The Hawaiʻi County Council is 64 considering Bill 63, which would allow residential dwellings in the industrial-commercial mixed use 65
(MCX) district. Committee Member Pelletier will present proposed comments for Action Committee 66 consideration. If supported, the Committee will submit testimony to the Council. Link to Bill 63: 67 https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/0/doc/1106820/Page1.aspx 68
This item was called to order at 12:32 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 36:32] 69
Committee Member Pelletier presented an overview of County Council Bill 63, which would allow 70 residential uses in Industrial-Commercial Mixed (MCX) zoning districts to promote workforce housing 71
near jobs. He summarized related discussions at Planning Commissions, noting Civil Defense’s 72 recommendation for setbacks between MCX and general industrial zones for safety. [SEE YOUTUBE 73 TIMESTAMP 37:59] 74
Committee Member Pelletier shared shared a map of Kona’s MCX areas and explained that while the 75 bill’s intent to create “live, work, play” communities is positive, simply permitting housing may not 76 achieve this goal. He suggested the Action Committee provide constructive feedback, including: 77
1. Adding recreational uses to the list of permitted activities in MCX zones, 78 2. Removing single-family residential to encourage higher density, 79 3. Prohibiting short-term vacation rentals, and 80 4. Including conditions for affordable and workforce housing 81
[SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 41:17] 82
Committee Member Pelletier moved to draft a letter submitting the Action Committee’s comments on 83 County Council Bill 63. The motion was opened for discussion. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 45:08] 84
KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of October 14, 2025 3
Committee Member Kirchner opposed allowing housing in industrial areas due to safety, noise, 85 parking, and infrastructure issues. Committee Member Pisicchio agreed that the bill lacks the 86 comprehensive planning and multimodal design of transit-oriented developments (TODs). 87
Committee Member Pelletier acknowledged these concerns, noting his goal is to prompt the Council 88 to consider safety, infrastructure, and design factors rather than to take a firm position for or against 89 the bill. The Committee agreed the draft letter should be revised to stress caution and include stronger 90
recommendations on safety and infrastructure. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 55:33] 91
Committee Member John Pelletier amended his earlier motion to instead send a letter to the Planning 92 Director, with a copy to the County Council, expressing the Committee’s reservations and caution 93
regarding Bill 63. The letter would request that the bill be deferred until the Committee’s concerns are 94 addressed, specifically regarding infrastructure capacity, and mitigation of sound and air pollution if 95 residential uses are allowed in industrial areas. Vice Chair Pisicchio seconded the amended motion, 96 and the Committee voted unanimously in favor. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:16: 23] 97
Public Testimony: 98
• Janice Palma-Glennie commented on noise impacts and transportation concerns. [SEE 99
YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 47:36] 100
• Keola Childs shared on observation regarding TOD master planning and other considerations 101 for further review. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 49:08] 102
This item concluded at 1:14 p.m. 103
3. Proposal to Begin a Comprehensive Review of the Kona Community Development Plan – 104 Committee Member Kirchner is proposing that the Committee initiate a comprehensive review of the 105 Kona CDP to determine where updates or amendments may be needed. Discussion and potential 106
action regarding next steps. 107
This item was called to order at 1:14 p.m. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:18:29] 108
Committee Member Kirchner presented a proposal to initiate a comprehensive review of the Kona 109 CDP. He noted the County code requires a comprehensive review within 10 years of adoption and 110 emphasized that the mandate is not discretionary. He cited substantial changes since adoption – shifts 111 in demographics, the rise of remote work reducing traditional office demand, development patterns 112 occurring farther north than the plan envisioned, and outdated baselines. Housing pressures were 113 discussed in detail, including increased household size, on-street parking congestion that can impede 114 emergency access, and price/rent escalation driven by constrained supply. Transportation issues 115 centered on long-planned but unbuilt links and the need to revisit concurrency expectations that, in 116 practice, have limited infill housing while pushing growth outward. Utilities and environmental concerns 117
included wastewater treatment capacity, cesspool conversions, and water resource planning, with 118 members stressing that trunk infrastructure should be publicly planned and delivered rather than 119 piecemeal through private development. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:18:53] 120
Members generally agreed that the first step is to update the technical “backbone” studies that 121 underpinned the original plan before launching broad community redrafting. Vice Chair Pisicchio 122 supported initiating the review via a formal letter to the Planning Director and urged that the Committee 123
be involved in scoping/RFPs for consultant work, so priorities are clear and current. [SEE YOUTUBE 124
TIMESTAMP 1:34:14] 125
The Committee unanimously approved a motion by Committee Member Kirchner, seconded by 126 Pisicchio, to undertake a comprehensive review of the Kona CDP as required by code and to request 127 that the Planning Director initiate updates to the backbone studies (including water resources, 128 wastewater strategy, transportation, housing and demographics, gray infrastructure/utilities, 129 parks/public facilities, and financing/implementation). Each update should address current conditions 130
KONA CDP ACTION COMMITTEE Minutes of October 14, 2025 4
and provide 5-, 10-, and 15-year projections. Staff will draft a letter for the Chair’s signature reflecting 131 this action. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:54:46] 132
Public Testimony: 133
• Jeff Zimpfer commented on the petition that was filed to designate the Keauhou Aquifer as a 134 groundwater management area. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:27:28] 135
• Janice Palma-Glennie questioned how the new push differs from past efforts. [SEE YOUTUBE 136
TIMESTAMP 1:38:28] 137
• Keola Childs urged narrowing the request to infrastructure (especially water and wastewater). 138 [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 1:46:27] 139
• Josephine Keliʻipio commented on soaring prices displacing local families. [SEE YOUTUBE 140
TIMESTAMP 2:00:54] 141
This item was closed at 2:00 p.m. 142
Public Testimony on Matters Not on the Agenda 143
None. 144
Third-Party Reports; Government Officials 145
None. 146
Proposed New Business 147
• Update on the AC’s testimony on Bill 63 148
• Update on Tree City USA designation progress 149
• Keauhou Aquifer System Area Groundwater AMP 150
Announcements 151
• Committee Member Pelletier provided an update from the meeting he attended regarding the Kona 152 Airport Master Plan Update. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 2:05:30] 153
• Committee Member Pelletier met with County Parks & Recreation staff regarding the Kealakehe 154 Regional Park Project. [SEE YOUTUBE TIMESTAMP 2:06:49] 155
• The Planning Department is seeking applicants for the Kona CDP Action Committee and requests 156 assistance to get the word out to interested community members. The application can be found on 157 the Mayor’s office website at: 158 https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and-commissions/boards-and-commissions-159 application 160
Adjournment 161
Chair Young adjourned this meeting at 2:19 p.m. 162
These minutes and all related documents are available in the Planning Department’s Kona Community 163
Development Plan Action Committee folder via the County of Hawaiʻi Public Documents Repository. These 164 documents may also be requested from the Planning Department by calling (808) 961-8288 or emailing 165 CDP@hawaiicounty.gov. 166
Summary of Hawaii County Committee
and Commission Workshop
Workshop Overview
Aloha Kakou KDCP-AC members and staff,
On Saturday, October 28th, I attended a workshop at the invitation of the mayor’s office.
The event was facilitated by Mayor Kimo Alameda, Micah Alameda (Executive Assistant,
Boards and Commissions), and Bill Brilhante (Managing Director). The workshop brought
together Chairs and Vice Chairs from various Hawaii County committees and
commissions, including representatives from the Liquor Commission, Kau’ and South
Kohala Action Committees, Game Commission, Merit and Appeals Board, Leeward and
Windward Planning Commissions, Environmental Management, Veterans Advisory Board,
and Waimea Community Association. There were also attendees whom I did not have the
opportunity to meet, as well as several invitees who were not present. Notably, Puna and
Hamakua ACs were not represented, and it was also noted that the North Kohala AC has
disbanded.
Opening Remarks and Meeting Facilitation
The workshop began with brief presentations from Mayor Alameda and the Managing
Director, emphasizing the significance of county Boards and Commissions. As appointees,
we were reminded that we serve as representatives for the county during meetings and
hearings we chair. The discussion highlighted best practices for facilitating meetings, with
advice drawn from individual experiences. Key points included the use of Robert’s Rules of
Order, setting time limits on testimony, and strategies for de-escalating potential conflicts.
While these practices are important, it was acknowledged that meetings differ in their
subject matter, attendees, purpose, and tone.
As committee or commission members, we were encouraged to focus on drawing out
information from those who wish to testify, rather than engaging in debates about
agreement or correctness. The Mayor and Managing Director stressed that maintaining
decorum during meetings is essential and leads to positive outcomes.
The remainder of the session was facilitated by Micah Alameda who conceded that the
individual commissions and committees vary widely and that a one size fits all will likely
not work and that his goal was to hear from the various Boards and Commissions and look
for ways on how the administration can improve its support.
Communication No. 2025-27
Mr. Alameda posed three questions for open discussion.
1. Is there a format that you prefer for your meetings? In person, zoom or hybrid.
Ideally, the In Person format was preferred. However, members felt that
hybrid would work the best toward encouraging community participation and
with issues in achieving quorum. The issue of the differences between quasi
legal and advisory Boards and/or Commissions needed clarification.
Zoom and hybrid may lead to distractions, poor communication, blackouts
and hacking as was recently reported by the Game Board.
Quorum was the biggest concern and achieving quorum the most disruptive
when scheduling meetings.
2. Your Thoughts on Sunshine Law.
Members felt that more training was needed for all Boards and
Commissions. In principle the Sunshine Law supports the need for
transparency but can also limit interactions. Members felt that much more
could be accomplished if members were allowed to discuss issues without
having to worry about who else is present.
Many members serve in advisory positions and felt that the Sunshine Law
may be trying to address an issue that does not exist.
3. How can the county administration better serve the Boards and Commissions?
Allow, encourage, facilitate, schedule regular meetings of all the Boards and
Commissions.
Fill vacancies. Mr. Alameda mentioned that the present administration has
appointed 47 new members to B & ‘s since taking office.
Provide stable funding to increase staff and support other board activities
(travel costs, outreach).
Mr. Alameda suggested that the County Council has or will be taking up as a budget issue
the hiring of two additional staff to support the B&C’s and that each B&C can request
funding.
I suggest that the Kona CDP Action Committee take up these issues at our next meeting.
From:Stephen Holmes
To:Planning CDP
Cc:
Subject:Testimony for Kona meeting
Date:Friday, November 7, 2025 9:46:04 AM
I would like to testify on the proposed Adaptive Management Plan proposed by CWRM for the Keauhou Aquifer
and why it is totally inadequate.
The failure of the State Commission on Water Resource Management to adopt Water Management Designation forthe Keauhou Aquifer is a violation of their Public Trust duties under the State Constitution. The National ParkService brought in experts and laid out the case well, but it was rejected. Substituting this lame AdaptiveManagement Plan that just feeds money to a paid consultant to hold listening sessions with stakeholders is a wasteof taxpayer money and does nothing to promote wise water use. We can and must do better.
Previously, I testified that Hawaii County has entered into a federal court settlement to end illegal dumping ofwastewater at the Kealakehe WWTP. They are required to upgrade to R-1 and do recycling. This will generaterevenue if the target is to displace potable water use. Recycling is a powerful tool to protect the aquifer and savepotable water for drinking water needs. It is cheaper than new source water development and should be incorporatedinto all future land use planning.
The County is also subject to an EPA Countywide Consent Decree which mandates thousands of unsewered homesin Kona be connected. This will greatly increase the availability of recycled water beyond the current average dailyflows at the treatment plant which are around 2 MGD. Connecting all these homes will present a significantchallenge to the County and the current sewer improvement district process will need to be amended. A morestreamlined process is required to bring costs down and recognize that the County has already committed to puttingin sewer lines. The old process involves a voting process by homeowners and that decision has already been madeby County government.
Putting in sewer lines will impact traffic, but new sealed low pressure technology can ease the pain and bring costsdown. This technology includes the laterals by putting grinder pumps next to the homes and spreads this cost outover 20 years rather than forcing homeowners to connect out of their pockets. This also allows roads to be restoredquickly and reducing the impacts to traffic. Low pressure lines can be installed using directional boring to avoidimpacting trees, driveways, or underground utilities. All new developments should be required to adopt thistechnology as sealed systems prevent infiltration of groundwater reducing pumping and energy costs.
Recycling is just one tool in a real adaptive management plan. Another is adopting water efficiency standardsalready proposed by the State, but opposed by DWS. These are national consensus standards and DWS needs torecognize that water efficiency is always cheaper than new source water development. It is time for DWS to comeinto the modern world as a utility rather than just taking a Drill, Baby, Drill approach.
Finally, any true adaptive management plan should encourage water retrofits. Honolulu used third party financing inthe form of energy saving performance contracts to retrofit all City buildings. It is a shared savings approach that isguaranteed under State law. State agencies like HDOT have also extensively used ESPCs to generate water andenergy savings. It has no upfront capital cost. Hawaii leads the nation in per capita ESCO financed projects and it isa huge opportunity to reduce water demand. It can be used by hospitals, hotels, and commercial buildings, too. Lotsof success stories in Hawaii, but so much more can be done.
The best way to protect the Keauhou Aquifer is by taking direct action and not wasting public money on an adaptivemanagement plan that accomplishes nothing.
I urge the Kona CDP to integrate water efficiency retrofits, water recycling, and water efficiency standards into yourplans. All proven strategies that produce results. These are all things that I worked on as a member of the HonoluluCity Council and later as the Energy & Sustainability Coordinator for Honolulu. The future of our island homedepends on protecting our groundwater and coastal water resources for future generations. The AMP is a
bureaucratic non-response.
Mahalo,
Steve HolmesKailua-Kona, Hawaii