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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2001-12-19 Enviromental Management Commission Minutes Minutes for Wednesday, December 19, 2001Page 1 of 4 Return to: Home Page | Table of Contents | Commission Page ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES Wednesday, December 19, 2001 9:03 a.m. Hawai‘i County Building, Elections Conference Room 25 Aupuni Street, Room 105, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 PRESENT:Riley SmithALSO PRESENT:Dante Carpenter Barbara BellChristine Ross Hugh OnoMike DuBois Peter MartinBob Platt Sam Kawamura David Frankel Carolyn Witcher Luana Jones EXCUSED:Mack Asato STAFF:Galen Kuba Peter Boucher Larry Capellas Kathy Garson Gerald Takase Kristen Griffiths 1.CALL TO ORDER Barbara Bell called the meeting to order at 9:03 a.m. 2.APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF NOVEMBER 28, 2001 MEETING Hugh Ono moved to approve the minutes. Riley Smith seconded the motion. If minutes are amended, the Motion was title should say, "as amended" and the footer should say, "amended as of (a certain date). unanimously carried. 3.STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS LISTED ON AGENDA Dante Carpenter of Pacific Waste, Inc. discussed the possibility of going to the legislature this year to request authorization for special purpose revenue bonds for either a waste-to-energy power plant or any combination of items which might require heavy funding. Special purpose revenue bonds are basically offered in every state in the U.S. They are federal tax-free bonds that reduce the cost of construction of certain kinds of projects which are authorized to be used without taxing by the federal government. Pacific Waste, Inc. will be requesting a waste-to-energy support funding between $30 and $40 million. A lot of discussion has been relating to the closure of the Hilo Landfill in 2004. Recently had a discussion with Environmental Management on public-private partnerships. In anticipation of the legislative session beginning next month, the Commission needs to decide whether or not to take a position, not necessarily to support certain entities, but to support the principals which certain entities may want to represent. It would appear that Pu‘uanahulu may be a preferred location, being that it is away from a populated area, is already set up to receive solid waste refuse from throughout the island, and has a large enough area that perhaps could be utilized. Will talk to any and all parties that have any cognizance with the waste management problem on the island. Hugh Ono mentioned that a waste-to-energy facility in the Pu‘uanahulu area would not solve many of the concerns about hauling solid waste from the east side to the west side. Roughly calculating what it would take to haul everything to Pu‘uanahulu for an ultimate sort would be approximately 6 loads a day. We are trying to look at file://C:\Test1\minutes121901.htm6/22/2011 Minutes for Wednesday, December 19, 2001Page 2 of 4 it in the best interest of the company, and it has to do with operation in a fashion which is environmentally satisfactory with the policies that are or are going to be. Many technologies require a fairly large amount of refuse which isn’t generated by the Big Island. A waste-to-energy power plant may be marginal, but has the best opportunity. There would probably need to be some mechanism set up requiring all of the island’s rubbish to go through Pacific Waste, Inc., but that will not stifle any independent actions. There are a lot of details to still be determined. 4.APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA Riley Smith moved to include Carolyn Witcher Update on the North Kona Improvement District. Peter Martin seconded the motion. Motion was unanimously carried. Carolyn Witcher moved to add discussion on media protocol for Commissioners. Sam Kawamura seconded. Motion was unanimously carried. 5.REPORTS/CORRESPONDENCE Director’s Report  Galen Kuba will be going to the Executive Review Committee to discuss the two new positions he is interested in. The two types of procurement were discussed. One is competitive sealed bidding in which the consultant puts together a package, everybody bids on the same package, and lowest price is picked. The other is a competitive sealed proposal in which we offer a certain amount of information to prospective proposers and they put together a package. It is design/build to some extent in which we do not provide a plan per se to be put out to bid. It is offered by vendors or whoever is interested, provided they meet certain qualifications. Design/Build is very confidential. Solid Waste Division Chief’s Report  As circulated. Larry Capellas will circulate 3 copies of the Disaster Debris Action Manual among the Commission members. Wastewater Division Chief’s Report  As circulated. Actions by the Environmental Management Commission (Discussion on Media Protocol for the  Commissioners) Hugh Ono mentioned that the Commission will be getting into some discussion of issues and will have differences of opinion. Hugh suggested that when an item is discussed, throw everything on the table, and once a vote is taken, the Commission should carry the action out as a unified body. In other words, once a position is taken by the Commission, each Commissioner is asked to support the position, regardless of how they may feel as individual members of the public. By doing that, the Commission will probably minimize the problem of controversy in the press. Gerald Takase discussed the Sunshine Law. The Commission is not supposed to meet as a group outside to discuss the business of the Commission. Social situations are not a problem. Getting together to decide what the Commission is going to do when you get to the meeting is prohibited. Gerald Takase stated that you need to remember as members of the Commission, when the media calls you, you need to qualify your statement as "your" opinion. Only the chairpersons can speak for the Commission after discussing it at the meeting. You are free to make your own comments, but let the media know that these are your personal thoughts. You will probably get a lot of attention when you start setting fees and it is good to band together. file://C:\Test1\minutes121901.htm6/22/2011 Minutes for Wednesday, December 19, 2001Page 3 of 4 6.OLD BUSINESS Establishing Solid Waste and Wastewater Fees by the Environmental Management Commission  Looking at the current code, Gerald Takase proposed sending a bill to Council eliminating all the language about the fees and saying that the power to set fees will be transferred to the Commission. If Council approves, that ordinance eliminates the Council’s power, the Commission has to be ready to act. If Council approves, you will need to change the Commission rules to give you this rate making authority. The Commission will need to discuss how to set the rates, and actually going through and setting them. Gerald Takase will check on Chapter 91 to adopt the rates by rules. Currently, the Wastewater user fees are calculated and proposed to council by the Wastewater Division. Peter Boucher looks at his projected expenses for the next few years. Then he modifies the rates for different classes and the projections for future users and adjusts the numbers and comes up with proposed fees. Peter Boucher makes a recommendation, runs it through the Department, on to the Mayor and then it goes to Council. Residential rates are based on unit cost or flat rate since it is difficult to separate irrigation water. Nonresidential rates are based on water consumption. Currently, the operations, maintenance, replacement and administration costs are funded by the sewer user fee. Our system can handle a certain flowrate, but it operates under capacity because we don’t have the hook-ups. The users are paying for the operation of a system that is costing more than it should if it was ideally operated. If we can bring up the level of connections, we can maintain or reduce the fees. Need to extend the sewer farther. David Frankel stated that some of the capital costs may be recovered through the capacity assessment fees. David also suggested that the Commission should determine the Wastewater rates and have the authority over the budget similar to the Water Commission and the Department of Water Supply. Galen Kuba commented that there is a strategy to presenting the ordinance to the Council. Must decide to handle it incrementally or give them everything at once. Galen stated that the Department will submit the ordinance to the Mayor’s Office. Gerald Takase will have a draft ordinance transferring authority for the next meeting.   Peter Martin moved to defer the discussion to the next meeting. Carolyn Witcher seconded. Motion was unanimously carried. Update by Carolyn Witcher Re: North Kona Improvement District  Deferred. 7.NEW BUSINESS General Agenda Items for the Year  Deferred. 8.FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Deferred. 9.ANNOUNCEMENTS Wednesday, January 23, 2002, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Kona Police Department Conference Room, 74-5221 Queen Ka‘ahumanu Highway, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740. file://C:\Test1\minutes121901.htm6/22/2011 Minutes for Wednesday, December 19, 2001Page 4 of 4 Wednesday, February 27, 2002, 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., Hawai‘i County Council Room, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 201, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720. Wednesday, February 27, 2002, 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., Solid Waste Advisory Committee, Hawai‘i County Council Room, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 201, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720. 10.ADJOURNMENT Carolyn Witcher moved to adjourn the meeting. Hugh Ono seconded. Motion was carried unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 11:17 a.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitted by: ___________________________________ KRISTEN GRIFFITHS Interim Environmental Management Secretary Return to: Home Page | Table of Contents | Commission Page ©Copyright 2001 County of Hawaii, Hawaii file://C:\Test1\minutes121901.htm6/22/2011