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Home My WebLink About2003-01-22 Enviromental Management Commission Minutes ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES Wednesday, January 22, 2003, 9:11 a.m. Waimea Community Center Building, 65-1260 Kawaihae Road, Kamuela, Hawaii 96743 COMMISSIONERS Riley Smith ALSO Gerald Takase, Corporation Counsel PRESENTPRESENT :Marjorie Erway:Steve Cassulo David FrankelJim James, Environmental Resources Mgmt. Sam KawamuraLinda Schiffler Hugh Ono Anne Plack Carolyn Witcher EXCUSEDSTAFF :Mack Asato:Barbara Bell, Director Luana JonesPeter Boucher, Wastewater Division Chief Bobby Gonsalves, Acting Solid Waste Division Chief Sharron Henry, Secretary CALL TO ORDER 1. Commission Chair Smith called the meeting to order at 9:11 a.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF DECEMBER 18, 2002 MEETING 2. Hugh Ono moved to approve the December 18, 2002 minutes.Sam Kawamura seconded the motion. Motion carried unanimously. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS LISTED ON AGENDA 3.: None. Commissioners and Department Staff introduced themselves. APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA 4. Commissioner Ono made a motion to add to New Business a document briefing of the items mailed to commissioners since the last meeting. Witcher seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. The item was added to NEW BUSINESS. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/DISCUSSION 5. DirectorÓs Report (attached to original minutes) UPDATE TO ISWMP: A copy of the FINAL document can be picked up in the DEM office. It will be added to the website to accompany the 1993 Plan. SORT STATION: A Ðvisioning partyÑ workshop was held to begin implementation of a comprehensive plan for writing the RFP that is due to be released in late March. Participants included City and County of Honolulu, State and mainland environmental specialists Bell will include a timeline in next monthÓs report. PROGRAMS: Keaau community recycling center is scheduled to open in March. HIEDB has applied for additional years funding and is requesting support letters from the commission and Mayor. Scrap metal bids, ranging from $1.76M to $2.57M annually, were opened last Friday. A contractor has not been selected. The last barge, under the current HMR contract, is scheduled to leave in late February at $22.50/ton. Bell will discuss pricing, contract and stockpiling further in next monthÓs report. th The greenwaste program will stay the same until June 30. LEGISLATION: Ordinance authorizing the Mayor to enter into a multi-year contr January 23rd Council agenda. A 10-year vs. a 1-year scrap metal contract saves the county $30/ton. Bell thanked Ono for his support and attendance at the Ordinance to amend the vehicle registration fee will be on the January 23rd Council agenda. Resolution setting county division goals is on the January 23rd Council agenda. Ordinance to increase sewer user fees will be deferred at todayÓs Finance Committee meeting. Bell and Boucher will further discuss and work to gain support for this ordinance th with council members before the February 4 Committee meeting. Boucher clarified that federal grant conditions require operations, maintenance and replacement of equipment to be paid from user fees. Administration is also paid out of user fees. All property owners pay debt service out of real property taxes. Ordinance authorizing tipping fee increase of $10/ton/year for five years is also agendized th on the February 4 Finance Committee that begins at 9 a.m. Bell requested the commissioners provide written testimony or public testimony on the th proposed ordinances at the February 4 meeting. RESIDENTIAL HOUSEHOLD CREDIT: Bell is proposing that the residential credit be tied to the tipping fee increase. Auditing will be the responsibility of the department. The commission members suggested the credit be increased on 1.08 tons/year or as records indicate, and adjusted annually, as substantiated by BellÓs research and data. The Solid Waste Division Administrative Rules will be updated to reflect the increase. : PERSONNEL Bell introduced Bobby Gonsalves, Acting Solid Waste Division Chi th Accountant III interviews are February 7 and Recycling Coordinator interviews should be in February. Recycling Coordinator qualifying list has not been received from Civil Service. Bell is interviewing a possible department Student Helper candidate next week. BROWNSFIELD EPA GRANT APPLICATION: Bell thanked Jim James for his supportive letter submitted to EPA. James suggested the mayor communicate with Wayne Nastri of the San Francisco EPA office reiterating his support for this project. -2- If the application is accepted, EPA will make an environmental contract available to do an assessment of the scrap metal piles and associated problems at the Kona and Hilo Solid Waste baseyards. Solid Waste Division ChiefÓs Report (attached to original minutes) ACTING DIVISION CHIEFÓS BACKGROUND: A county employee for 7 ½ years, experienced in highway and building construction, and heavy equipment, Gonsalves is on loan from Highways Maintenance Department. HILO LANDFILL: Current elevation is approximately 150-155 feet; new 15-foot high lift started January 4, 2003 with an estimated life of 14 months; next 15-foot high lift will begin by April, 2004 with a life of 8 to 10 months. In coordination with County surveyors, calculations will be gathered over a period of 6-8 months to more definitely determine the life of the landfill. The commission will continue to be updated monthly. Monitoring requirements are being reviewed for compliance with DOH regulations. Test trips from various sites to Pu`uanahulu could begin in preparation of the closure. SOLID WASTE DIVISION STAFFING: In the process of filling vacant positions. EQUIPMENT: Fleet operation and equipment repair process are being reviewed. NEW EQUIPMENT: Following up on delivery dates for Hilo D-8 Dozer and West Hawai Recommends retaining the 1991 Hilo dozer and selling the West Hawaii track loader. Following up on the Fall 2003 delivery of the 11 new containers. KAILUA-KONA DISTRICT: No mulch is currently available at Kealakehe Transfer Station. Greenwaste processing will begin again in the next two weeks. Illegal dumping of C&D materials at Waiea Transfer Station is being monitored. NORTH-SOUTH KOHALA DISTRICT: Looking at solutions at the North Kohala station to resolve greenwaste dumping outside the trailers. HILO DISTRICT: A nighttime trailer fire was reported at Waiohinu Transfer Stati Keaau and Pahoa stations reported security problems. Heavy amount of trash was reported at Keaau. HOOF AND MOUTH DISEASE: State and County staff observed cruise ship disposal of dry solid waste last week. Immediate burial of waste at the landfill is the current procedure and the one requested by the Department of Agriculture. -3- Arrival and rubbish disposal schedules have been requested and inspections will continue. Wastewater Division ChiefÓs Report (attached to original minutes) SEWER CONNECTION EXEMPTIONS: The proposed ordinance has not been agendized by council. NORTH KONA IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT: Proposed ordinance has not been agendized by council. NEW SEWER USER FEES: See discussion under 5. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/ DISCUSSION, DirectorÓs Report. PROPOSED SEWER EXTENSIONS: Proposed resolutions have been deferred by council. Mayor is assessing budget availability for Kalaniana`ole extension. EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT PROJECTS: Commission supported Boucher requesting council to re-appropriate funds, already in the Division budget, for four projects that are ready. WASTEWATER FACILITIES TOUR: February 26th, following the commission meeting, the Wailuku Pump Station, Wailoa Pump Station, and East Hawaii Treatment Plant facilities will be visited. STAFFING: CE3 position is vacant. CE5 position is occupied but the employee is not working in the Wastewater Division. PUA PUMP STATION Î KALANIANA`OLE AVENUE BY PUHI BAY Source of odor is being analyzed and treatment will be forthcoming. Boucher will update commission monthly. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6. : None NEW BUSINESS 7. DISCUSSION OF ORDINANCE RELATING TO INCREASING VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES: See discussion under 5. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/ DISCUSSION, DirectorÓs Report. DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF RESOLUTION SUPPORTING NATIONAL RECYCLING EFFORTS: Deferred. Luana Jones will present support resolution at next me DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF REVISED SOLID WASTE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES: Bell is present proposed revisions at next meeting and review will begin. Boucher will present Wastewater Rules draft at next meeting. -4- Before adoption, rules are to be submitted to DBEDT for small bu determination. DISCUSSION OF ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING DISCONNECTION OF WATER SERVICE WHEN SEWER FEES ARE DELINQUENT: Council members Safarik and Chung have voiced support for this ordinance. Boucher will discuss with Manager of Water Department and this i future meetings. DISCUSSION ON DISTRIBUTION PACKET DOCUMENTS: Completed Gift Disclosure form is due to Corporation Counsel by June 30, 2003. Disclosure of Financial Interest Forms are due to County Clerk by January 31, 2003. Rural Community Pay-As-You-Throw Guide and TRENDS publication we Mr. Bob Platt as discussed at the December 18, 2002 meeting. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 8.: None. ANNOUNCEMENTS 9. Wednesday, February 26, 2003, 9:00 a.m. Î 12:00 p.m., HawaiÒi County Council Room, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 201, Hilo, HI 96720 Wednesday, February 26, 2003, 12:00 p.m., Wastewater Facility Tour to begin at County Council Room. Tuesday, March 25, 2003, 9:00 a.m. Î 12:00 p.m., Kona MayorÓs Of 5706 Kuakini Highway, Suite 103, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 Tuesday, April 22, 2003, 9 a.m. Î 12:00 p.m., West Hawaii DHHL District Office, Kuhio Hale, 64- 756 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela, HI 96743 ADJOURNMENT 9. Erway moved to adjourn. Kawamura seconded and motion was carrie Meeting adjourned at 11:45 a.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitted by: SHARRON HENRY Environmental Management Secretary -5-