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HomeMy WebLinkAbout 05/01/2013 Public Works/Parks & Recreation Committee minutes MINUTES PUBLIC WORKS / PARKS & RECREATION COMMITTEE May 1, 2013 A meeting of the Public Works / Parks & Recreation Committee of the Council of the County of Kauai, State of Hawai`i, was called to order by Councilmember Ross Kagawa, Chair, at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Suite 201, Lihu`e, Kaua`i, on Wednesday, May 1, 2013, at 10:16 a.m., after which the following members answered the call of the roll: Honorable Tim Bynum Honorable Gary L. Hooser Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable Mel Rapozo, Ex-Officio Member Honorable Jay Furfaro, Ex-Officio Member The Committee proceeded on its agenda items, as shown in the following Committee Report which is incorporated herein by reference: CR-PWPR 2013-14: on PWPR 2013-10 Communication (04/03/2013) from Committee Chair Kagawa, requesting the presence of the County Engineer and the Chief, Engineering Division, Department of Public Works, to provide an update on all County bridge projects, to include, but not be limited to, the Department's plan to maintain the historic nature of historic bridges, nature of repairs/rehabilitation, and targeted completion dates. [Received for the Record.] There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 12:52 p.m. There being no objections, the Committee reconvened at 7:30 p.m., and proceeded on its agenda items as follows: PWPR 2013-11 Communication (04/04/2013) from Committee Chair Kagawa and Council Chair Furfaro, requesting the presence of the Director of Parks and Recreation to provide an update on the repair and maintenance of the swimming pool facilities located in Kapa'a and Waimea, along with the status of the plans to relocate the Kapa'a Swimming Pool to a new location. [This item was deferred.] Chair Kagawa: Before I ask for a motion to defer, I want to say that we have a letter from Pam Baligad and she is very passionate, just like Chair Furfaro, about our attention given to that pool over the years and the condition that it is in now. I will ask members to defer. I do not think that there is any rush to do this item tonight. I do not think any motion that we do tonight will change the status of either pools. Can I have a motion to defer? PWPR COMMITTEE MEETING 2 May 1, 2013 Ms. Yukimura: Can I just ask a question? Chair Kagawa: Councilmember Yukimura. Ms. Yukimura: What are we expecting as an action on the part of the Administration? Chair Kagawa: I have a recommendation to Lenny on Waimea pool, to comply with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on the restroom side. They have a foot shower where there is a curb and people in wheelchairs have to go around to get inside of the restroom. It is pretty ridiculous. The curb has been there since the 1960s or whenever it was built. We need to, I think, ask them if there is any way that they can remove the curb. That is all I wanted to get with Lenny. But as far as Kapa'a Pool, I think we got the update last week. Mr. Furfaro: We got an update and we asked them to consider closing the pool four (4) days a week to accelerate those repairs, leaving it open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Remember, the current pool is currently closed on Mondays. But it was only a suggestion so that they could accelerate the repairs. Chair Kagawa: Then they would come back to us with an answer as to Chair's recommendation. Ms. Yukimura: I just want to say that perhaps at a later agenda we can get an update on their repairs and their timetable for the repairs. I am concerned about the long-term future of a pool i g p in Kapa a. I think we need an assessment of how much it would cost to bring the pool up to standard so that it lasts for a long time or find another cite and begin plans to design and develop a pool somewhere. We have to have some kind of clear picture of what the long-term scenario is. Chair Kagawa: I will send a letter to Lenny and I believe it will be covered under this agenda to discuss any long-term plans in two (2) weeks. Ms. Yukimura: In two (2) weeks, we will be having them back to talk about this? Chair Kagawa: Hopefully. Ms. Yukimura: Okay, thank you very much. Chair Kagawa: Can we have a motion to defer? Mr. Furfaro: I wanted to speak. I just wanted to say that for fourteen (14) years, I swam at the Kapa'a Pool. For me, as a diabetic and exercise, this is so important to me and I have to tell you as a Councilmember, I am embarrassed to go to the Kapa'a Pool. I want that message carried back to the Administration. The deferrals, the postponement, the lack of putting any repair and maintenance into that building, to the point that it has become a safety issue, is extremely, extremely bothersome and I am glad it is coming back in two (2) weeks. Thank you for the moment. PWPR COMMITTEE MEETING 3 May 1, 2013 Chair Kagawa: The more scary part was what Ms. Baligad said, that we were very fortunate that it fell during the night when it was closed because you saw that the cement broke the sink. If it fell on somebody, we would really be in huge jeopardy. Councilmember Hooser, go ahead. Mr. Hooser: Just real quick, I know it is getting late. I wanted to echo what the Chair said. It is another example of things that are not going right. There was earlier discussion by Kapa'a Business Association on a plan in looking at the Kapa'a area and I think this is worthy of maybe including the location of the pool with that discussion also. I do not know if it has already been decided, other possibilities, but with if we are going to be looking at supporting a plan for that area, then certainly the pool might be part of that. So, that is just my thought. Chair Kagawa: Thank you. Councilmember Rapozo. Mr. Rapozo: Request permission to be real, sir. Permission granted? Chair Kagawa: Granted. Mr. Rapozo: I agree with the Chair, first of all because I think it is an embarrassment. But as we sit here today and we listen to all the plans for parks and soccer fields and we are doing it in the same breath that we are saying we are broke. Absolutely broke. We are so broke that we have to raise fees. We have to raise taxes. I guess I am a realist and this pool needs to be repaired. No doubt about it, the pool needs to be repaired. But there comes a point where somebody has to draw that line and say, "anything going forward is on hold, timeout." I appreciate what the gentleman said today. Of course we want to move the kids off of there. We want to put them in soccer parks so we can have a passive park. We want all this and others, but there comes a point that we all have to be real with ourselves as well and say, "There is no money." So, it is wonderful to think about, talk about it, but to invest anymore money in projects that are not necessary or not core to this County, I think, is troublesome. The Kapa'a Pool on the other hand, needs to be fixed and we need to do what we need to do. I appreciate Mr. Kagawa bringing this on the agenda. But I think we have to be real with ourselves too. Christmas is over. We cannot be Santa Claus to everybody. My gosh, I sit here and listen. As much we want to do everything for everybody, let us fix what we have before we start — again, the public gets the perception. That gentleman was here today, why was he here today? He was here today because last year he was told we were going to do it next year. We are going to put the money in the budget. So, he is over here thinking everything is all good, it is going to be done. Then he realizes, oops, it is not there. Hey Council, can you put three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) or four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000)? Where are we going to get four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000)? Where are we going to get three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000), really? Now, the gentleman goes home thinking well, hopefully the Council is going to help me out. The Council does not have the money. So, that was the reason I requested the permission to be real, because I think we have to get real. That pool needs to be repaired. Waimea Pool PWPR COMMITTEE MEETING 4 May 1, 2013 needs to be repaired. Those are assets that we have to fix. We cannot fix that,. while creating new parks, new theatres, and all of these wonderful things that we saw — I do not know what was the total cost on that plan. Mr. Chair, I do not know if you remember, the Department of Parks & Recreation's master plan that came up here with the skateboard parks and.. Ms. Yukimura: He never even gave us a copy. Mr. Rapozo: Because it is probably two hundred million dollars ($200,000,000). Ms. Yukimura: Because they did not plan well. Mr. Rapozo: My point is this, the people perceive those messages as commitments and we cannot deliver. All they get from this Council and from this Administration is, we want to raise taxes. So, I just wanted to make that point. I was kind of boiling up when we were talking about all of these fancy projects because we just cannot do it right now. We just cannot do it right now. Thank you. Chair Kagawa: Thank you. I have to give credit to Chair Furfaro for putting this on the agenda actually. Thank you, Chair. Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. I have to say that if we can fix the Kapa'a Pool for long-term in an economical way for long-term existence, then let us do that. But we need to really— I am not sure of the answer to that question and if we do not, we need to find another site for a pool because that community needs and deserves a pool. I believe people are willing to increase their taxes if they are going to get value, if they are going to get the kinds of activities and services that they want. So, I do not see it as a dead-end. But I see it — that is why we need really good planning. Good planning will tell us how to use our money well and then we need to provide services. Kapa`a Pool, as far as I am concerned, is a service that needs to be provided long-term. Chair Kagawa: Thank you. Can I have a motion to defer. Upon motion made by Mr. Bynum, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and unanimously carried, PWPR 2013-11 was deferred. CR-PWPR 2013-15: on Bill No. 2470 A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 23-3.7 OF THE KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS lil AMENDED, RELATING TO CONCESSIONS AT SPOUTING HORN (Parks and Recreation Improvement and Maintenance Revolving Fund) [Approved as Amended.] PWPR COMMITTEE MEETING 5 May 1, 2013 There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:03 p.m. Respectfully ubmitted, Allison S. Arakaki Council Services Assistant I APPROVED at the Committee Meeting held on May 15, 2013: ROSS KAGAWA CHAIR, PWPR COMMITTEE