Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2009-11-25 Enviromental Management Commission Minutes ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION Wednesday, November 25, 2009 Liquor Control Conference Room, Second Floor, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 230, Hilo, HI 96720 COMMISSIONERSALSO Suzanne Mayhew Jon Olson PRESENTPRESENT: : Steve Pavao Nancy Cook-Lauer Stan Boren Scott Enright Diana Miller Steve Okoji Paulette Pavao Sherm Warner EXCUSED: STAFF : Lono Tyson, Director Molly Lugo, Deputy Corporation Counsel Sharron Henry, Secretary ABSENT: Richard Ha CALL TO ORDER & ANNOUNCEMENTS: 1.Commission Chair Mayhew called the meeting to order at 9:04 a.m. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF OCTOBER 22, 2009 MEETING MINUTES 2. : Commissioner Steve Pavao moved to approve the October 22, 2009 minutes as written. Commissioner Sherm Warner seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously. APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA: 3. None STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS LISTED ON AGENDA: 4. Jon Olson spoke on the need to increase Vehicle Fund fees collected with motor vehicle registration and suggested the request be taken to the County Council. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/DISCUSSION: 5. Abandoned Vehicle (AV) Program Report (attached to original minutes) The West Hawai`i Abandoned Vehicle Coordinator position will be unfunded in next fiscal yearÓs budget. A fee increase request will be made to the Council. Solid Waste Division Report (attached to original minutes) The department is considering raising current landfill tipping fees and adding other fees due to the current and expected budget deficit. - Vice Chair Steve Pavao asked that the fee requests be brought to the Commission before going to Council. - Director Tyson indicated that due to the struggling economy and a need to maintain minimum levels of service, solid waste management fees were near the top of the departmentÓs legislative list, along with sewer fee increases after the sewer fee study is completed. It is the intent of the department to take these requests to council prior to or during the budget hearings. TRANSFER STATIONS: - The change in transfer station hours and days of operation was - The Director explained what issues were considered in reaching the new schedule, including: Limited traffic studies performed by County staff at County tran Internet surveys completed by residents on the County hawaiizerowaste.org website; Communications received from residents through the postal system Phone calls from residents to the department and division; Letters to the Editor in the local newspapers; Existing employee resources; Employee union contracts. st - The proposed new schedule will take effect on December 1, 2009. - The department will continue evaluating transfer station hours/days and the schedule could be modified as necessary. - The Director has encouraged the Council to support development of an Enforcement Branch to address illegal dumping, non-permitted structures, planning infractions, and other Hawai`i County Code violations. - Commissioner Enright said he has received only negative comments regarding the changed hours and days of operation and the first talking point should be the fiscal deficit. He feels people will understand better why these decisions are being made if they understand the fiscal limitations the County is and will be experiencing. - Full-time transfer station attendants will improve the dissemination of information to the public regarding landfill diversion opportunities; and should encourage commercial haulers and busines to comply with County regulations by not disposing of their load - The use of volunteers, community associations and drug court labor at transfer stations has also been discussed but is not seen as a reliable resource at this ti - Permanent closure of some transfer stations could still be possible with additional budget reductions. GREEN WASTE: - Council passed a resolution to ban organic wastes from the la - Fee increases for green waste tipping fees will be coupled within the plan addressing this resolution. The ban and tipping fees is intended to be implemented when the current green waste area is moved from Kealakehe to the West Hawai`i Sanitary Landfill in Pu`uanahulu. - Private green waste companies cannot compete with the free County green waste/mulch programs. - Looking at other options of locating green waste collection at days or limited onsite collection and processing. E-WASTE: - This program is funded through the end of this calendar year and is not currently planned to be funded next fiscal year due to financial constraints st - January 1, a new State law will address a portion of the e-waste stream. EQUIPMENT: - The County, through the Department of Public Works Automotive to maintain and repair our heavy equipment, truck tractors, and refuse trailers. There are a limited number of stalls and employees to repair all County equipment and Solid Waste Division equipment is normally prioritized behind Fire, Police and Civil Defense. - The sustainable solution for the Solid Waste DivisionÓs equipment problems is to have a maintenance and repair facility and associated staff within the department dedicated to managing intradepartmental equipment/vehicle repairs and maintenance on a regular and timely basis. The department continues to request the staff and equipment for this type of facility. - If all department equipment was running and maintained, we would have enough to do the job. Buying new equipment is not the solution; timely repair and main SORT STATION: - Consideration is being given to the best utilization of the Sort Station while the landfill is still open. Wastewater Division Report (attached to original minutes) LARGE CAPACITY CESSPOOL REPLACEMENT PROJECTS: - C. Brewer has initiated construction of the private landowner sewer laterals on the . NÒlehu/Phala Large Capacity Cesspool Replacement project - Komohana Heights Large Capacity Cesspool Project is 95% complete. The EPA will be imposing a fine for late closure but the department has been working with the EPA and is hopeful that the fine will be reduced from $ 177,500 to approximately $40,000. ADMINISTRATION: - The Director discussed and explained the Asset Management Syst implemented and developed by the Wastewater Division Chief, Dora Beck. This program is likely the first of its kind in the State and could serve as a model for other departments in this County. Director’s Report (attached to original minutes) LEGISLATION: - The Department continues to work with Council member Hoffmann in preparing the draft Ordinance to Ban Plastic Bags. The Director is recommending a ban, not a use-reduction. There are exemptions for small businesses in the current draft. - Resolution 255-09 was approved. This resolution requests the Council to pursue federal funding for the removal of the former Kailua-Kona landfill. The Administration formalized a request to EPA for federal financial assistance in this regard. The estimate to remove the rubbish from the former landfill to the West Hawai`i Sanitary Landfill is between $20-$4 PERSONNEL: - The Department provided Human Resources with a list of unfunded and vacant positions on th November 12 for budgeting purposes. The Director discussed his objection t operational and engineering support positions necessary to manage the CountyÓs environmental risks and liabilities. Additionally, the Director noted that furloughs, currently proposed for the next fiscal year, would set the department back further and would cost the department greatly in lost time, productivity, and progress on addressing operational and administrative deficiencies. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 6. None NEW BUSINESS 7. ELECTION OF OFFICERS FOR 2010, TO INCLUDE RECOMMENDATION OF SELE COMMITTEE Commissioner Boren made a motion to nominate and elect Steve Pavao as the 2010 Chair. - Commission member Okoji seconded and it passed unanimously. Commissioner Boren made a motion to nominate and elect Scott Enright as 2010 Vice - Chair. Commission member Paulette Pavao seconded the motion and it passed unanimously. STATUS REPORT ON THE UPDATE TO THE INTEGRATED RESOURCE SOLID WAS MANAGEMENT PLAN, TO INCLUDE NEW REVISIONS SINCE LAST MONTHÓS REP INPUT RECEIVED AND ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NOVEMBER 16, 2009 SOLID ADVISORY COMMITTEE; TIME TABLE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL BY STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND COUNTY COUNCIL. - With the absence of the Solid Waste Division Chief, the Director provided the following update: The last scheduled Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) meeting was held last week. The Draft public review period is over. The Draft has been sent to the State Department of Health for review and no comments have been received as of today. When the State Department of Health comments are received, if the comments are only of a regulatory nature, the SWAC would likely not be reconvened. However, if the State Department of Health comments affect the Draft recommendations, the SWAC may be reconvened to address the comments and make appropriate changes. Once the State Department of Health comments are incorporated, it will be sent to the Mayor for review and approval, and then on to Council for formal Some of the recommendations included are: investigation of a new Hilo landfill within the adjacent quarry; increased recycling efforts; and evaluation of long-hauling of waste during the period the Hilo landfill is open. The Draft does not recommend technology at this time. The complete Draft Update can be accessed on the County and Department websites. The Director encouraged the commission members to review the Draft Update and talk to their district council member regarding the Draft Update to furt of importance to them. Commission Secretary will notify the commission members via email when the DOH comments are received. DISCUSSION AND DECISION-MAKING RELATING TO COMMISSION MEMBERS REPORTING INDIVIDUAL DISTRICT UPDATES, INCLUDING CURRENT AND UPC PROJECTS THAT RELATE TO THE DEPARTMENT; AND DISTRICT GOALS FOR F GROWTH AND NEEDS. - Commission member Warner: Spoke with his councilmember, Pete would welcome the CommissionÓs recommendation to Council relating to rate setting but at this time, does not support delegating this authority to the Commission. - Chair Mayhew shared that Council member Naeole-Beason suggested community groups or prisoners be used at the transfer stations so the hours could be extended from the new schedule. The Director offered the following information regarding using n Volunteers are not permittees to the CountyÓs State Department of Health permits which o regulates operation of the County solid waste facilities. Volunteers would not likely be accountable for failing to open and/or close the facilities. o County employees will be specially trained to inform and assist o stations. Volunteers would not have the training to assist and would likely have a higher turnover rate than County employees. The County would have liability for non-County employees working o sites but limited ability to manage that risk. - Commissioner Enright talked with Councilperson Yagong who indicated he was not willing to give up the responsibility of setting rates but he would like the input of the commission after reviewing department recommendations. Yagong would like to have the transfer stations opened earlier than the new schedule indicates Î at least one morning a week at each transfer station, and was wondering if this could be accomplished by using prison inmates or Department supervisors. FORMATION OF SUB-COMMITTEES OF LESS THAN A QUORUM OF MEMBERS TO INVESTIGATE SPECIFIC SOLID WASTE AND WASTEWATER ISSUES AND REPOR INFORMATION BACK TO COMMISSION AT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS. - Deputy Corporation Counsel Lugo clarified that under the Sunshine Law, if the sub-committees are standing committees, 2 members can participate; if it is an investigative sub-committee, up to 4 members can participate. Commission member Enright made a motion to form two standing committees; Education - and Legislative. Commissioner Paulette Pavao seconded and the floor was open for discussion. After discussion of the responsibilities of these two committees, Enright amended his - motion, adding that he would structure language to define the committees’ functions and bring it back to the next meeting for further discussion. Paulette Pavao seconded this amended motion and it passed unanimously. Enright will submit a draft of the sub-committee scopes to Lugo for review prior to next - meeting. - The Director will provide a list of proposed Department legislation at the January meeting. - Deputy Corporation Counsel Lugo indicated that 2 sub-committee members can talk with each other but cannot share information with other commissioners outside the regular meeting. - Each sub-committee can provide a report for the regular commission meeting through the department secretary for distribution with other agendized items for the upcoming meeting. WAYS THE DEPARTMENT CAN APPLY AND IMPLEMENT SOLID WASTE USER FEE AID IN FUNDING AND CONTINUE THE ABILITY TO OFFER SOLID WASTE/REC PROGRAMS TO COUNTY RESIDENTS DURING THIS TIME OF FINANCIAL RESTRICTION. - Director indicated it is not known yet what the budget ceiling will be but the department made voluntary cuts in the first submission of the budget to the Finance Department. - After receiving the DirectorÓs legislative list at the next meeting, the commission will agendize items for further discussion. The Director will invite the Mayor to attend the January commission meeting to discuss - financial restrictions the County is facing. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 8. : Increase in current Department fees and imposition of new fees Asset Management System program presentation by Wastewater Divis Department Legislative List MEETING ANNOUNCEMENTS 9. Tentative 2010 meeting schedule was distributed (attached to ori January 27, 2010, W.M. Keck Observatory, 65-1120 Mmalahoa Highway, Kamuela March 24, 2010, Kona Council Office Conf. Room, 75-5706 Hanama Place, Suite 109, Kailua-Kona May 26, 2010, Liquor Control Conf. Room, 2nd Floor, 101 Aupuni July 28, 2010, W.M. Keck Observatory, 65-1120 Mmalahoa Highway, Kamuela September 22, 2010, Kona Council Office Conf. Room, 75-5706 Hanama Place, Suite 109, Kailua-Kona nd November 24, 2010, Liquor Control Conf. Room, 2 Floor, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 230, Hilo The Commission Chair acknowledged and thanked Diana Miller for her participation as this was her last meeting. ADJOURNMENT 10. Paulette Pavao moved to adjourn. Boren seconded and it passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 12:27 p.m. Minutes Respectfully Submitted by: SHARRON HENRY Environmental Management Secretary BOLD FORMAT NOTE: ACTION ITEMS ARE IN PRINT (MOTIONS AND ITEMS REQUIRING ACTION TO BE TAKEN FOR FUTURE MEETINGS).