Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/23/2014 Public hearing transcript re BILL#2542 PUBLIC HEARING APRIL 23, 2014 A public hearing of the Council of the County of Kaua`i was called to order by Mel Rapozo, Vice Chair, Committee of the Whole, on Wednesday, April 23, 2014, at 2:09 p.m., at the Council Chambers, 4396 Rice Street, Room 201, Historic County Building, Lihu`e, and the presence of the following was noted: Honorable Mason K. Chock, Sr. Honorable Gary L. Hooser Honorable Ross Kagawa Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura Honorable Jay Furfaro Excused: Honorable Tim Bynum Honorable Mel Rapozo The Clerk read the notice of the public hearing on the following: "Bill No. 2542 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 21-9.2 OF THE KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO INTEGRATED SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT," which was passed on first reading and ordered to print by the Council of the County of Kaua`i on March 27, 2014, and published in The Garden Island newspaper on April 13, 2014. EDUARDO TOPENIO, JR., Administrative Assistant to the County Clerk: We do have one (1) speaker which is registered speaker, Mr. Pat Gegen. Mr. Rapozo: Mr. Gegen. There being no objections, the rules were suspended to take public testimony. PAT GEGEN: Aloha Council. For the record, my name is Pat Gegen and now I am representing Zero Waste Kaua`i. First of all, I come up here and I say, "Wait, give the public more money." Now, I am saying, "No, take more money from us." I do agree with Bill No. 2542 at increasing the landfill dumping fee, the tipping fee, and the reasons are really quite simple. Right now, we are currently subsidizing an unsustainable practice by throwing resources in our landfill. Why are we not at least charging the cost of what it cost the County to run that landfill? What kind of business practice is that where we are not even collecting what the actual cost is? So, what we are doing is we are actually promoting that behavior of throwing things in the landfill. Studies show that to change social behaviors, it is best to promote and recognize the desired behaviors and it is better to penalize or make the undesired behavior less desirable, less comfortable to do. Ask any parent or any teacher who happens to be in the audience, what do you do? You praise the good behaviors and you penalize the bad behaviors. Councilmember Rapozo, how many times did you as an officer stop somebody for speeding and give them a ten dollars ($10) bonus for speeding? That is what we are doing when people are throwing a ton or rubbish in the landfill. We are giving them ten dollars ($10) back saying, "Guess what? We are not even collecting the whole cost." It does not make any sense. Increasing the fee will promote better alternatives than continuing to send our resources for burying. PUBLIC HEARING 2 APRIL 23, 2014 BILL NO. 2542 Currently, over sixty percent (60%) of the current materials going into the landfill could have other useful purposes. If you take a look at what is going into the landfill, seventeen percent (17%) to twenty percent (20%) of it is paper. Paper is recyclable. It is compostable if nothing else. What is the next biggest thing that is going in there? I think there is about thirteen percent (13%) food waste. I do not know about you folks, but I do have a compost pile at home and you know what? My garden keeps getting better year after year because all of the scraps are going into that compost which then is being put into the garden. We have better things to do than continue to fill up Kekaha. At what cost is that? We are already looking at an expansion at Kekaha. How many more do we want to do? Let us not continue wasting that money. The Council passed a Zero Waste Resolution two (2) years ago with a goal of about seventy percent (70%) diversion. I believe right now we are at around forty percent (40%), give or take a little bit. So, we still almost have to double what we are doing right now. My question is what has this body or what has the Administration done to try to reach that goal? Having a goal without action is just dreaming. If we want to do something, we have to follow our dreams and our goals with true action. Raising this fee to at least cover the cost is the beginning of showing some action towards a goal that this body has set. The raising of the fees is just one (1) minor step in the right direction to achieving these objectives. My previous testimony... Mr. Topenio: Three (3) minutes. Mr. Gegen: ...that I sent in, I actually suggested increasing the fee to make it more of a hindrance and utilizing some of that money to promote the good behaviors that we actually want. So, thank you very much. Mr. Rapozo: Thank you very much. Anyone else registered to speak? Mr. Topenio: No other registered speaker. Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. Anyone in the audience wishing to speak on this matter? There being no further testimony, the public hearing adjourned : -• 5 p.m. Res I • _ .ley sub fitted IDbAJDO • ' ► 5, ., ' Administ ive Assistai• to the ounty ' erk :aa