2015-05-27 Environmental Management Commission Minutes

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT COMMISSION MINUTES May 27, 2015 West Hawai'i Civic Center Community Hale, Kailua-Kona, HI COMMISSIONERS ALSO PRESENT: Thom Randle, Chair PRESENT: Georjean Adams Jeffry Fear Paul Buklarewicz James Fritz Christine Dochin Trina Nahm-Mijo Susan Osborne STAFF: BJ Leithead Todd, Director Amy Self, Deputy Corporation Counsel EXCUSED: Luana Neff Sharron Henry, Secretary 1. CALL TO ORDER & ANNOUNCEMENTS: Commission Chair Thom Randle called the meeting to order at 9:34 a.m. James Fritz, new commissioner for District 9 was introduced and welcomed. 2. APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF MARCH 25, 2015 MEETING: Commissioner Jeffry Fear moved to approve the March 25, 2015 minutes. Commissioner Susan Osborne seconded the motion. Motion passed unanimously with members present: Fear, Fritz, Osborne, Randle and Nahm-Mijo voting yes. APPROVAL OF ADDENDUM AND/OR SUPPLEMENTAL AGENDA: None 4. STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON ITEMS LISTED ON AGENDA: Christine Dochin suggested that a welcome packet be provided to all new commissioners to include commission and department/division information. Paul Buklalarewicz, Executive Director of Recycle Hawaii (RH), (1) clarified that Kristine Kubat's testimony at the March 25, 2015 meeting was not on behalf of RH and she is no longer affiliated with RH. He stated that the Outreach Contract that was negotiated in May 2014 between RH and the County was cancelled and the program ended in March, 2015: (2) He also clarified that Noah Dodd and Sam Robinson's school education program was part of the RH Zero Waste Program: (3) He feels that county contracts are competitive: (4) RH feels that all children should be provided hands-on recycling education and stated that the Big Island schools have received this education for the past 3 years: (5) The organizations/agencies that apply for large private grant funding need to provide matching funds. (6) Mr. K's Recycling is the County E -Waste recycling vendor. He is receiving and storing alkaline batteries from residents and is requesting that the County allow him to dispose of these batteries at the Residential Household Hazardous Waste events because, even though he is a commercial business, the batteries are coming from residential customers: (7) If the county would amend its DOH Transfer Station permits to include oil collection, the oil could be collected at the RH reuse centers that are located at some of the county transfer stations. Georjean Adams indicated that alkaline batteries are not hazardous and can be disposed of with regular trash. 5. CORRESPONDENCE/REPORTS/DISCUSSION: ■ Director's Report (attached to original minutes): - There are 2 additional engineers in the new FY 15-16 budget: one will be assigned to Solid Waste Division, dedicated to building permit process and other SWD projects as needed; one will be assigned to Wastewater Division, dedicated to building permit process and other WWD projects as needed. - Resolution 126-15 was adopted by council authorizing payment of funds of a later fiscal year and a multi - fiscal year agreement to furnish organic waste diversion operations. Meeting was recessed at 10:05 a.m. for a short break and resumed at 10:09 a.m. County of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.