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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2002-04-24 Enviromental Management Commission Minutes Minutes for Wednesday, April 24, 2002Page 1 of 3 Return to: Home Page | Table of Contents | Commission Page ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES Wednesday, April 24, 2002 8:41 a.m. Waimea Civic Center 67-5189 Kamamalu Street, Kamuela, Hawai‘i 96743 PRESENTALSO PRESENT :Barbara Bell:Christine Ross, Pacific Waste Riley SmithTiffany Edwards, West Hawai‘i Today Sam KawamuraMike Allen Hugh OnoPete Hendricks Carolyn WitcherSteve Cassulo Peter MartinMike Kaha Luana Jones David Frankel Mack Asato STAFF :Galen Kuba Larry Capellas Dudley Akama, Corporation Counsel Kristen Griffiths   1.CALL TO ORDER Barbara Bell called the meeting to order at 8:41 a.m. 2.APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MARCH 27, 2002 MEETING Riley Smith moved to approve the minutes. Sam Kawamura seconded the motion. Motion was unanimously carried. 3.STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS LISTED ON AGENDA Christine Ross of Pacific Waste expressed her thoughts regarding the private industry. When private industry does anything or sets up anything, we have to think the whole process through. It is one thing to want to raise prices, but if you don’t collect the money that you are charging, then you have no revenue to maintain your operation and repair or improve your equipment and you have no revenue to expand services. If there is no full thought process in regards to the Volcano Community bin that wants to get donated, the donation will fail. A solution can be reached, but the whole process needs to be thought through. First suggestion would be to buy two bins rather than one and then the Volcano Community Association can go to any vendor. The biggest expense on a haul like that is the truck and driver, which costs approximately $95.00/hour. With two bins, one can be sitting at the yard. The day they are exchanged, the driver would bring an empty bin up, leave it there and take the full one. It is only one trip. If there is only one bin, the driver has to do two trips. Pick up the bin, run it to the recycling center, take it back and return to the baseyard. Tiffany Edwards of the West Hawai‘i Today commented on the discussion of the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan. The statement that "it has been released to the press" is incorrect. She was allowed to peruse it in Galen Kuba’s office. The Draft Addendum to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan was being circulated among the County officials and therefore, it is public record. The County has a policy that it does not release draft documents to the public. Anytime you pay someone $400,000 for a study, when it goes into the County, it is the public’s record. It is final when it gets to the County officials and starts circulating. It is a very important document and would like to be able to properly inform the public. Galen Kuba stated that this first draft was only intended for an internal review. 4.APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA Hugh Ono moved to amend the agenda to include an update on the testimony given by Hugh Ono to the County Council on Communication 567, Bill 200 and 201 in regards to Solid Waste and Wastewater fees. Peter Martin seconded the motion. Motion was unanimously carried. file://C:\Test1\minutes042402.htm6/22/2011 Minutes for Wednesday, April 24, 2002Page 2 of 3 5.CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/DISCUSSION Director’s Report  Galen Kuba provided a written report to the Commissioners. All comments on the Draft Addendum to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan should be presented to the Department by April 30, 2002 for submission to Harding ESE. The intent is to give administration’s point of view to the Consultant. The next draft will be presented to the public for review. Riley Smith suggested that the mid 2004 closure of the Hilo Landfill should be identified on the timeline so we understand how the timeline relates to the closure of the landfill. David Frankel explained that in regards to the State Bottle Bill, Senator Inouye proposed that beyond the five cent deposit, the tax would be ½ cent rather than two cents. She has changed her position from an ADF to a true bottle bill format. Since the legislature is not taking any more testimony, copies of the Commission’s April 4, 2002 letter to Mayor Harry Kim will be sent to Senator Inouye. The Department sent a letter to Mayor Kim regarding the Property tax issue and the East Hawai‘i Regional Transfer Station. No response was received. The Department will send out another letter regarding tipping fees. The Recycling Coordinator position was approved by the Executive Review Committee with the provision that it be filled after June 30, 2002, the next fiscal year. On April 11, our Personnel Specialist turned over all materials to Civil Service for processing and recruitment. Solid Waste Division Chief’s Report  Larry Capellas provided a written report to the Commissioners. Mr. Capellas suggested the possibility of transfer stations on the border for transportation to the Hilo Landfill rerouting to the West Hawai‘i Landfill to get a better break on the Waste Management contract. He will need to check if the hauling cost is going to be feasible. Diversion Credits are residential credit claims. Commercial haulers get a credit of $2.00/per household to pickup refuse and haul it to the landfill to offset the cost of initial charges that the hauler passed on to the residents when the landfill tipping fee was started. Mike Allen questioned if this is a legitimate rebate and suggested that this be looked into. Galen Kuba will provide the Commissioners with the memo to Councilman Aaron Chung Re: 7.7% Budget Cuts. Wastewater Division Chief’s Report  Peter Boucher provided a written report to the Commissioners. Riley commented on David Frankel’s concerns as to whether it would be a good idea to notify the public near the location of the Hilo outfall. Peter Boucher’s report stated that notification is not required and that this is a moot issue. Peter Boucher will provide a summary of Brown and Caldwell’s findings at the next meeting. 6.OLD BUSINESS Volcano Transfer Station – Container Donation (David Frankel)  The Volcano Community Association does not want to donate their recycling container to a private business because the private business could do anything they want with it. Business Services is currently picking up in Volcano once a month at no cost. Hugh Ono stated that the County is not in recycling, so the County should never be expected to get into the Hugh Ono moved that this matter be referred recycling program. Maintenance should not be County’s responsibility. to the Corporation Counsel to investigate the liability concerns based on County ownership and purchasing concerns and make a recommendation. Carolyn Witcher seconded the motion. Mike Allen stated that if they do this on their own, they have the option to deal with any hauler they want. If the County takes ownership of this container, it will have to go up for bid for the hauling.If the County owns it, are they bound to have it go out to competitive bid? Motion was carried unanimously. Diversion Grant Credits (David Frankel)  David Frankel moved that the Environmental Management Department’s Solid Waste Division should immediately offer waste diversion grants of up to $40 per ton to remove up to 4 more tons per day from the waste stream from the Pu‘uanahulu Landfill. The County Council should appropriate funds to increase diversion of waste from the Hilo landfill. This motion and the accompanying rationale shall be forwarded to each member of the County Council and to Mayor Kim. Barbara Bell seconded the motion. There is no recycling section in the Department of Environmental Management to monitor this 4 tons/day without creating a new process. The County does file://C:\Test1\minutes042402.htm6/22/2011 Minutes for Wednesday, April 24, 2002Page 3 of 3 not physically recycle. Larry Capellas stated that we have a diversion grant of $40. We have a landfill tipping fee of $43.89. What we save is $3.89/ton. Mike Allen feels this is impractical. The key is to increase the tipping fees is to give the County more money. Peter Martin stated that long haul will be starting in approximately 26 months. At that time, we won’t have any other facility constructed, except the transfer station. We are going to have a long haul, therefore, we will be way in excess of 250 tons. At which point we should be petitioning the Council to budget with the understanding that it can be used for tipping or diversion. The Commission should petition the Council to consider this kind of action for the future. Hugh Ono, Riley Smith, Mack Asato, Sam Kawamura, Carolyn Witcher, Luana Jones and Peter Martin opposed Motion was not carried. the motion. 7.NEW BUSINESS Update on Testimony Given by Hugh Ono to the County Council on Communication 567, Bills 200 and 201  Regarding Solid Waste and Wastewater Fees Received an email request from Barbara to provide testimony on Communication 567, Bill 200 and 201, both of which would transfer the authority to regulate the tipping fee and the Wastewater fees by the Environmental Management Commission. The testimony that was given that we support the adoption and approval of the bill as a representative and member of the Environmental Management Commission. The reasons were that the Commission was created as a result of a charter amendment and we believe the voters intended that this Commission would be better able to focus on the issues facing this new department and we believe that this Commission would best function in a role similar to the Department of Water Supply’s Commission. We also believe that by empowering the Commission, that these issues would be de-politicized and the adoption would lessen duplication in government that all bills related to this department are heard twice. It must first be reviewed and heard by the Commission before being forwarded to the County Council for action. Lastly, the members of the Commission indeed wanted this responsibility. Jon Olson spoke for the communication. Two others spoke against it. Motion was filed. Commission is advisory. Perhaps, push for a charter amendment through the voters. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS Discussion of Addendum to the Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan  Discussion and Approval of Commission Protocol and Procedures  8.ANNOUNCEMENTS Wednesday , May 22, 2002, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Hawai‘i County Council Room, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 201, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 Wednesday, June 26, 2002, Kona Mayor’s Office Conference Room, 75-5706 Kuakini Highway, Room 103, Kailua-Kona, Hawai‘i 96740 Wednesday, July 24, 2002, 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Waimea Civic Center, 67-5189 Kamamalu Street, Kamuela, Hawai‘i 96743. Wednesday, August 28, 2002, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., Hawai‘i County Council Room, 25 Aupuni Street, Room 201, Hilo, Hawai‘i 96720 9.ADJOURNMENT Peter Martin moved to adjourn the meeting. David Frankel seconded the motion. Motion was carried unanimously. Meeting was adjourned at 11:16 a.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitted by: ___________________________________ KRISTEN GRIFFITHS Interim Environmental Management Secretary Return to: Home Page | Table of Contents | Commission Page ©Copyright 2002 County of Hawaii, Hawaii file://C:\Test1\minutes042402.htm6/22/2011