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Home My WebLink About2026-04-22 Environmental Management Commission Agenda County of Hawai‘i ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION 345 Kekūanāo‘a St. Suite 41 • Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 • Ph: (808) 961-8083 • Fax: (808) 961-8086 Erica Perez Chair Justin Canelas Vice Chair C. Kimo Alameda, Ph.D. Mayor Daniel Girvan, P. E. Director, Department of Environmental Management MEETING AGENDA Pursuant to Hawai‘i Revised Statutes Chapter 92, this meeting will be online with a location available to the public. The public may attend either in person, online, or by telephone. DATE: Wednesday, April 22, 2026 TIME: 9:00 a.m. IN PERSON: Community Meeting Hale (Building G), West Hawai‘i Civic Center 74-5044 Ane Keohokālole Highway, Kailua-Kona ONLINE: Via Zoom https://www.zoomgov.com/j/1612028078 (Meeting ID: 161 202 8078) PHONE: +1 669 254 5252 (Enter the meeting ID, see above) STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC: To ensure timely delivery to commissioners, please submit written testimony before 12:00 noon on the business day prior to the meeting by (1) email to cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov or (2) facsimiles to (808) 961-8086. When submitting written testimony, please specify for which agenda item it is being submitted. All written testimony will be part of the public record. Pursuant to HRS §92-3, interested persons who want to provide oral testimony may do so either at the time the Commission takes public statements on items on the agenda, or at the time the specific agenda item is called, subject to applicable statutes and rules of procedure. I. CALL TO ORDER II. INTRODUCTION OF DISTRICT 3 NEW COMMISSIONER: Louisa Lee III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR January 28, 20261 1 III: Draft Minutes – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/153900/2026-01- 28%20Environmental%20Management%20Commission%20Minutes_draft.pdf County of Hawaiʻi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR March 25, 20262 V. PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA The public may provide testimony at this time or at the time the agenda item is called. Public testimony must be related to an item on the agenda and pursuant to Commission Rule 1-5(i)(2), the Chairperson may limit the length of any person’s testimony as long as each speaker is accorded a minimum of three minutes. VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 1. Department of Environmental Management (“DEM”) presents their 12-month road map for implementation of Bill 83 outlining funding, draft rule changes, small business impact assessment, and coordinated review by the EMC.3 Bill 83 was passed by Hawaii County Council to reduce disposable plastic or polystyrene food ware and service ware. 2. DEM will provide an update on its priority projects that are included in the Mayor’s proposed Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Capital Improvements Program (“CIP”) budget.4 VII. UPDATES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (DEM) 1. General: a. Current staff vacancies and strategy for recruitment. 2. Solid Waste Updates: a. Update on Pāhala transfer station. b. Update on Kona Low damages. 3. Wastewater Division Updates: a. Update on Mandatory Connection Rule HAR §11-62-06(b), which states that all buildings generating wastewater that are located "within or near an available public sewer system as determined by the director" must connect to that system and its application in Keaukaha and Nāʻālehu/Pāhala. b. Update on Department of Environmental Management’s Priority Projects 1. Island-Wide Integrated Wastewater Management Plan, including Cesspool Conversion Plan, consultant extensions, and updates to contract deliverables and timeline. 2. Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant. 3. Hale Halawai Force Main Replacement pending completion September 23, 2026. 2 IV: Draft Minutes – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/154763/2026-03- 25%20Environmental%20Management%20Commission%20Minutes_draft.pdf 3 VI.1: Bill 83, 12-month roadmap – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/1/edoc/153901/Bill%2083_12%20Month%20Road map_Effective%20January%2020,%202027.pdf 4 VI.2: Bill 136, Proposed CIP Budget for FY 2026-2027 – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/Weblink/0/doc/1125680/Page1.aspx County of Hawaiʻi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer VIII. NEW BUSINESS 1. Christopher Dipnarine from 4mycity in Baltimore will present on running a large scale commercial in-vessel composting unit in Baltimore – how it works, costs, maintenance, and details about his community food waste diversion program utilizing one of these machines. 2. EMC discussion on in-vessel composting and potential recommendations on next steps for further investigation or development. 3. EMC discussion on the intended use, scope, format and frequency of Departmental reporting regarding its external consultants. IX. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 1. Commissioners and members of the public may email items for consideration on the next agenda to Chair Perez by Friday, May 1, 2026. X. ANNOUNCEMENTS 1. The EMC has Commissioner vacancies for Districts 2, 5, 7, and 8.5 2. The next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the Puna Conference Room. Please contact the Board Secretary or review the agenda posted on the County Calendar within six days of the next meeting for confirmation. 3. See current schedule for EMC meetings for 2026.6 XI. ADJOURNMENT Note: A meeting held by interactive conference technology 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 agenda. 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 in recess and will attempt to reconvene at 1:00 p.m. on the same day, using the same meeting ID listed on Page 1 of this agenda. If at that time a quorum of remote members and the in-person members are unable to establish and maintain at least an audio-only connection by 1:15 p.m., then the meeting shall be automatically terminated. The regular meeting place is accessible to persons with disabilities. To request an auxiliary aid or language translation, please call (808) 961- 8083 five days prior to the meeting date. Comments may be sent to the Department of Environmental Management, 345 Kekūanāoʻa Street, Suite 41, Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720, or emailed to cohdem@hawaiicounty.gov. 5 X.1: Boards and Commissions – https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/boards-and- commissions 6 X.3: 2026 schedule – https://records.hawaiicounty.gov/weblink/1/doc/152898/Page1.aspx County of Hawaiʻi is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer Notice to lobbyists: If you are a lobbyist, you must register with the Hawaiʻi County Clerk within five days of becoming a lobbyist. [Chapter 2, Article 15, Section 2-91.3(b), Hawaiʻi 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.” [Chapter 2, Article 15, Section 2-91.3(a)(6), Hawaiʻi County Code.] Registration forms and expenditure report documents are available at the Office of the County Clerk-Council, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo, Hawaiʻi 96720.