01-09-2013 Water, Parks and Roads Subcommittee Meeting Notes

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PARKS AND WATER IMPROVEMENTS SUB- COMMITTEE MEETINGS January 9 and 22, 2013 PRESENT: Bill Aierstruck , John Winter, Toni Withington, Andi Longpre, Giovanna Gherardi GUESTS: Jim Watt, Mahana Gomes, Hawaii Rural Water Association To comply with the North Kohala CDP Strategy 4.SS: Upgrade Potable Water System (pgs 78 -79). The Sub - committee invited Jim Watt and Mahana Gomes to discuss how their organization helps communities to address water improvements. Jim Watt and Mahana Gomes are employed as "circuit riders" for the Hawaii Rural Water Association (HRWA). They said the Department of Water Supply (DWS) is presently supportive of communities developing "Associations" to improve their respective water supply systems. They described a community in Kona Ocean View that successfully developed a Water Association, secured federal USDA grant funding, and thoroughly upgraded their water supply. IF our community wants to go forward, HRWA would provide help and guidance throughout the process of forming a Water Association and applying for grants. It is important to note that the USDA funding typically comes as 30% grant money and 70% as a loan. Under some circumstances the loan may be reduced to as little as 30 %. The Water Association is responsible for repaying the loan. DWS might collect the money by adding the costs to homeowners' water bills. Loans are typically at an interest rate of 2 -3% over a period of 20 -40 yrs. Jim and Mahana proceeded to describe the processes involved in underground water line location and leak detection. They described the various methods involved and their accuracy. Water loss due to system leaks can be significant. Reducing such losses may help us get support from DWS on this project. HRWA can supply the equipment free of charge. Having a hired or volunteer plumber do the work can reduce property access issues. The sub - committee agreed that the first step would be to elicit the community's input as to whether or not there is a water transmission problem that needs to be fixed. Possible problems are leaks, pressure, flow and location of water meters. If the community agrees that there is a problem we would then host a workshop /information session to explore possible solutions. Since the focus of the subcommittee has shifted away from parks, it was agreed to rename the group the Water, Parks and Roads Subcommittee. A short discussion was held about adding the issue of roads to the groups' agenda for 2013. Akoni Pule Highway will be resurfaced during this year and the problems at Pololu lookout are increasing.