HomeMy WebLinkAboutAll Other Depts-CIP, FY 2014-15 DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET REVIEWS 4/3/2014
DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET REVIEWS 2014-15
ALL OTHER DEPTS-CIP
April 3, 2014
All Other Departments— CIP (ss)
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The departmental budget review reconvened on April 3, 2014 at 9:06 a.m., and
proceeded as follows:
All Other Departments— CIP
Honorable Tim Bynum (present at 9:07 a.m.)
Honorable Mason K. Chock, Sr.
Honorable Gary L. Hooser (present at 9:07 a.m.)
Honorable Ross Kagawa
Honorable Mel Rapozo
Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura (present at 9:10 a.m.)
Honorable Jay Furfaro, Council Chair
Chair Furfaro: Aloha and good morning. This morning is
April 3rd and this is a continuation of the first draft of the Budget Ordinance. So, this is a
continuation meeting and I would like to acknowledge again that testimony is only required
at the beginning reading of the Bill itself, the Budget Bill, but I am allowing opportunities
in each morning session for the items on the agenda to accept additional testimony in the
beginning. We are really focusing right now on capital improvement budget items, and the
areas we are going to cover today are in fact, Department of Parks and Recreation, followed
by the Housing Agency, Office of Economic Development, Department of Planning, and the
Transportation Agency. Also on a housekeeping note, Mayor, good morning. I did send
your Office a note that we are going to try to end today at 3:00 p.m. for the purpose of us
doing a continuation of an Executive Session and I hope that was enough head's up for you
folks and tomorrow another housekeeping note is first Friday. I will be turning the
meeting over at approximately 10:00 a.m. to Mr. Rapozo, because I will be doing the
monthly tour of visitors for the Historic County Building. I ask that we could focus on
taking the break at 10:50 a.m., so that I can bring the portion of the tour into the
Chambers. So that will be a request of mine and I have discussed that with Mr. Rapozo.
On that note, is there anyone here at approximately nine (9) minutes after 9:00 a.m. that
wants to give testimony on any of the items that are going to be covered in today's scope of
work? Seeing no one, I would like to suspend the rules and Keith are we going to start
with you? Why do you not come up then? Rules are suspended. Everybody has their
distribution items for today? You have the floor, sir.
There being no objections, the rules were suspended.
KEITH SUGA, CIP Program Manager: Good morning, Chair, Vice Chair,
Councilmembers, Keith Suga, County CIP Manager, for the record. I wanted to take a few
minutes to do an overview for Parks and then we can have Lenny come up and run through
his projects. As I mentioned on Tuesday for Parks and Recreation Department going back
to the chart that I provided for Fiscal Year 2014 Parks had a CIP budget of roughly
fourteen million dollars ($14,000,000). As of March 24th, they had spent or encumbered
about six million dollars ($6,000,000) worth of projects, which equates to about forty-two
percent (42%) of their CIP budget being either spent or encumbered. I must provide kudos
where kudos is due and Parks and Recreation has done an excellent job moving projects
and executing projects. So not only getting projects to come below budget, but as well as
executing the project and staying closely with the contractors to assure that we are keeping
them on the schedule and also economically...keeping that in mind as the project
progresses and William Trujillo and Brian Van Gorp within the Parks Department has
done a great job managing those projects and getting them out and executing them. So, I
just wanted to acknowledge them. Just for reference on the last page of that packet of
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charts that I provided you, again shows the breakdown of the Parks projects being proposed
in Fiscal Year 2015. Divided up within the various districts. So just a point of reference for
you folks. With that I think I would like to have Lenny come up and run through his
projects.
LEONARD A. RAPOZO, JR., Director of Parks and Recreation: Good
morning, Mr. Chair.
Chair Furfaro: Good morning.
Mr. L. Rapozo: For the record, Director of Parks and Recreation,
Lenny Rapozo. I love budget because it is a time where we can tell our story. It is a time
that we can acknowledge some of the good things that we are doing in our Department like
William and Brian has done a lot of great work. Forty-two percent (42%) of what we have
encumbered is actually probably the highest in the County, right? The highest in terms of
getting projects in what was allocated and even including when we have our emergencies,
Kapa'a Pool come up, where we had to do the demolition and rebuild of the western comfort
station in Po`ipu, where we have to stop everything and everybody as a team is focused on
those particular projects so it is not too much an inconvenience or minimize the
inconvenience to the community and to the public. So, I am proud of the Planning and
Development Division of Parks and Recreation for what they have done. We are going to
have our new Planner start on May 1st, which will even give more support to this Division.
So on that introduction, I would like to...I guess Mr. Chair we will go line item by line item?
Chair Furfaro: I think that would be appropriate. We will start
line item by line item.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay. So with that, let us go through our line
items. Black Pot Master Plan we currently again are working on the procurement to
procure the professional services and we anticipate the execution of the contract to start
working on the Master Plan to be executed by May of this year. That is the three hundred
thousand dollars ($300,000). I believe we went out for a Request for Proposal (RFP) and we
had twelve (12) submittals and we have gone through the process of reviewing and working
through the process of getting a consultant to work on this Master Plan. The Black Pot
restrooms, we are executing the construction contract for now, for this comfort station to
improve the wastewater system and we are designing an interim area for the improvement
access to what formerly was the boatyard that we now have possession of to improve that
particular...add capacity to the park with the wastewater or the comfort station that is
there.
The Hanalei Courthouse Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Improvements, we
have met with the community. We have gotten...we are working on final design. We had
one more meeting with the community. I believe I am coming back to you to discuss the
dialogue we had with the community regarding the Courthouse. But we are in the final
stages of design plans and hope to be able to go out to bid by June of...at the latest June of
this year. This is the one project that is being managed by Public Works. It is a holdover
project that they had started before we became a Parks and Recreation Department. We
felt that it is best that it continues in that direction, so that there is no break and they can
continue doing that particular project.
Kilauea Gym, the consultant has completed a review and has come up with
recommendations. We are ready to come back to this body with the consultant for them to
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present their findings, but in the interim he is work on possible corrective measures for the
Gym to address the flooding and the floor. This is a new project to address the mitigation
that needs to take place to remedy the Gym leaking and the floor.
The North Shore improvements, Ha`ena State Beach Park Improvements. Looking
at the facility and this is a Special Trust Fund project. Just keep the money in there for
potential improvements there. Same with the...we are looking to improve the "Anini...the
bids are out and we are currently working on the recommendation of award to expand some
of the wastewater improvements there to address high-volume use during camping. It is
grant funding of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) is being just held there in case there are
projects that the community wants to do. We have some means to...if they want to do the
project we have some funds there. That would be the Hanalei District with the totals
before you. Any questions on Hanalei before we move over to the next district?
Chair Furfaro: Go ahead JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: Good morning, Lenny.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Good morning.
Ms. Yukimura: Congratulations on the great job that your team
is doing.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: So on the Black Pot Master Plan, what is the
status of the procurement?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We have gone through all of the resumes and we
are going through the recommending of award to the consultant.
Ms. Yukimura: So you have a committee that is looking at it?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: That will soon be recommending an award?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. How many applications did you have?
Mr. L. Rapozo: There were twelve (12).
Ms. Yukimura: Twelve (12).
Mr. L. Rapozo: There were about twelve (12).
Ms. Yukimura: On the Black Pot restroom, executing
construction contract, so for comfort station improvements. It is the IWS, which is
wastewater, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
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Ms. Yukimura: So are we improving the level of the treatment?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are...no, we are expanding...adding a leach
field to it to expand the leach field.
Ms. Yukimura: Will this amount of money, it is half a million
dollars will that be sufficient to proceed to construction?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Are you working with Wastewater?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are working with Public Works, Doug Haigh's
Division.
Ms. Yukimura: Has there been any thought of...there are some
ponds, right, mauka?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Ponds?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. They may not be in our ownership in the
park, but I am just wondering about any...there is some biological systems that can get
really high-level of treatment so you can discharge into a body of water, whether that has
been considered at all?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, we have not looked into that.
Ms. Yukimura: On the Kilauea Gym is the three hundred fifty
thousand dollars ($350,000) enough to finish?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The remedy, we believe so.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. You are convinced the remedy will work?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: You feel like you have a good handle on the
leaking?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Definitely.
Ms. Yukimura: And the problem?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: So this should bring to an end the problem we
have been dealing with since Hurricane `Iniki?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: You say that very confidently.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: I read the report and for me, it is a better
understanding of what is happening. We want to make a presentation here so that you can
get the feedback.
Ms. Yukimura: That would be good. When do you plan to give us
that feedback?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We will work with the Chair as to when the best
date would be.
Ms. Yukimura: Prior to construction?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, prior to construction. He is still going
through the remedies of what can be done.
Ms. Yukimura: Good, I am looking forward to it, thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We had a good dialogue regarding the floor, so he
is putting together another option.
Ms. Yukimura: You had a good dialogue about what?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Regarding the floor. So he is putting together a
third option for the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Good, thank you very much.
Chair Furfaro: Vice Chair Chock and then Mr. Kagawa.
Mr. Chock: Thank you, Chair. Good morning Lenny. I know
you got this communication from the committee member about the lights out at the park.
That is not included in any of this park budget?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Actually it is in the....you are talking about
Kilauea?
Mr. Chock: Yes, Kilauea.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That was the next...we did not put Kilauea in?
We are looking to repair and maintenance (R&M) because of the light pole that fell down.
We are looking to R&M. At one time, there was only one company that was able to take the
fixture off the pole and take out the pole and plant the pole. We found another company
here that was able to do it. So, we have asked both of them to give us a breakdown.
Unfortunately, the pole did fall and we know we have to replace the other poles. So we are
waiting to get a number for that and that will be an R&M project. We will put the poles
back in and replace the current fixtures there and then when we are able to get moneys to
address the shielding of the lights, we have the designs complete. It is just a matter of
money.
Mr. Chock: It is a separate item than this?
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, that would be a separate item. An R&M, a
repair & maintenance.
Mr. Chock: I do not want to take away from your
presentation, but I got a sense of urgency because the other light poles or at least the
description provided was that they are unsafe.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I do not know what expertise that committee
member has.
Mr. Chock: I understand.
Mr. L. Rapozo: If one (1) is rotten and termite eaten, you can
pretty much bet that the others are in similar condition. We are waiting for the two
companies to come back with a bid. We have asked them and we have asked them and we
have asked them, but it is out of our hands.
Mr. Chock: Have we restricted use in that area at this point?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not at this point.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Kagawa.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you, Chair. So, the Black Pot restroom we
are going to fix up the existing restroom?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are going to increase capacity at the restroom
with a better leach field and we are also looking at the old boatyard that we now have.
There are two stalls there and we want to make that available as well.
Mr. Kagawa: Oh, wow, good. I was wondering if we are going
to expand. Sometimes when it is busy I see a line especially the women's.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. So hopefully it will address the discharge
and we do not have backflows and what have you.
Mr. Kagawa: I guess on a related item, so when we
anticipate...I cannot forget the picture with the Mayor when we had that big regatta in the
summer and he was pictured stopping the tourists from using the bathroom, I guess. On
the big regattas we still expect to bring in or requiring the organizers to bring in those
portable toilets?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, if you remember the State canoe races
because we anticipate about seven thousand (7,000) people, off-island, as well as visitors to
Kaua`i, we spent some overtime. We had people there just maintaining bathrooms,
trashcans, plumbers on standby, in case there were clogs that could be mobilized, the
pumper truck there in case they needed to pump. We had them all. So, I think events like
that we have learned that we need to do it because we have a lot of off-island guests here.
Mr. Kagawa: Even with the Kaua`i ones I know the crowds are
just amazing how it fills up.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes and the organizers need to take some
responsibility by bringing in adequate port-a-potties. That was one of the problems there.
There are some staffing problems that day when the Mayor was there and those staffing
problems were addressed internally.
Mr. Kagawa: The next question, I just wanted to get a handle
on that Anini Park Improvements.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is another one we are improving the
wastewater and expanding the leach field.
Mr. Kagawa: There are current problems with heavy usage?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. I think it was the last one.
Mr. Kagawa: The last one towards the Hanalei side?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Kagawa: Okay.
Mr. Suga: Just to add Councilmember Kagawa we have
been meeting internally with Parks and Public Works and try to coordinate when there are
high-volume weekends with a lot of campers to inspect them ahead of time and do the
necessary pumping as needed to assure that the levels in the tanks are low to prepare for
the busy weekend.
Mr. Kagawa: Well, you know, during the height of the oama
biting season I had a complaint and I brought it up about the restrooms being plugged on
one of the weekends, and I think we talked about it on the floor and I went back and did an
inspection on my own a couple weeks later and the bathrooms were spic and span. The only
problem that I got was that they said that the women's side toilet paper again was missing.
I keep talking to the caretakers and they say that they put adequate toilet paper, but I
guess people take it for use as napkins or what have you. Is there a way to solve that
mystery to prevent them from being taken?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Weekends...well, every day, that particular park
there are two cleanings, a morning guy and afternoon rover guy. So they should be
restocking it. We can have a whole agenda item about clogs. Clogs happen and when they
happen and if it is brought to our attention on the weekend, at any park, call the Kaua`i
Police Department (KPD) and they notify us. We take the steps to get it unclogged with
the help of Public Works and this one the system itself needs to be improved.
Mr. Kagawa: The same things, that they are saying when
there is no adequate toilet paper, people stuff...I guess they use shirtsleeves and what have
you and that is what really ends up clogging the toilet. I know it is a hot-problem because
the people that are actually creating the problem...so it is a tough one and you almost want
to at the end of the day on a busy weekend have some people handy because you never
know if people are going to take all the rolls and use them.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Some people actually use those sanitized wipes
that you buy. Those get caught in the system because they do not break down and dissolve
and get caught on whatever is in the system and clogs it.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you for taking time on that.
Chair Furfaro: I have a couple of questions and I think it is a
very unique system for your Department, but I just want to make sure, I am going to
reference two years ago a memorandum that I wrote about project management. You have
some big projects coming up with the Kilauea Gym and eventually what we are going to
have in Hanalei and so forth. But I had wrote a recommendation about projects over three
hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) should, in fact, be earmarked with a Project
Manager and this is really something that we have shared with the Building Division.
Time after time, we have Pat, who has done a very good job for us who is assigned in
Buildings, but now with the very unique credentials that Ian has for your Department, we
are finding that we have had two (2) pretty successful projects done and under budget,
because he acts as a Project Manager for the Parks Department?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Brian Van Gorp is the Project Manager for
Parks.
Chair Furfaro: So you have a Project Manager in your
Department?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: But I do know whether it is the Wailua Golf
Course or the bath facilities at Po`ipu and so forth that Ian has been very, very much
involved and in fact I will read from my questions about construction management dealing
with a dedicated Project Manager, which you are now telling me that we have with Brian.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We have one.
Chair Furfaro: Okay. That the enforcement of codes and plans
by making sure we are keeping a good audit trail on documentations or shortcomings with
the contractors. We also talked about it would take an additional burden, which is
currently placed on the Building Division Chief, which is Doug. He gets some relief by you
having this additional Project Manager and so forth. But it seems to me we are in a very
unique situation having a registered architect in your Department such as Ian, that we are
given a great deal of focus to managing these projects and that is the reason we have been
successful in running under budget on the projects?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Partly. With the reference to the Western
Comfort Station, Brian just came on-board. He was new. Ian we are very grateful, I am
very grateful. We all should be very grateful. He has a special talent that is not required
as the Deputy of Parks and Recreation, but seeing the impact and not having plans, we
could not find plans for that Western Comfort Station. For the old pool. If we had to go and
procure that out, that would be at least a year before we could even address construction. I
have never asked Ian formally could you kindly draw this? He has come from his side,
willing to use his talent for the betterment of the community to get the project done and
moving forward. Ian did oversee the Western Comfort Station because there was a design
change that he felt would be better. Part of the reason that we are having problems there
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is the design, there is not enough hips so that the water would fall away from the building
and impact the building and Ian went and without the old plans he had no base to start. So
basically Ian volunteered because if not, we would have to procure architects and get it
done and Ian volunteered his time and talent to go and get that done for us to move it
forward. Brian coming on board about the same time has taken over the Project Manager.
William was the Project Manager when Mel Nishihara was the head of that Division. Now
he is a Division Chief and Brian has done an excellent job at coming on, getting his feet
wet, and is he pounding in terms of what is going on out at Lydgate and all of our projects.
Chair Furfaro: So basically what you are telling me, when it
came to the Wailua Golf Course, and the facilities at the Po`ipu Beach Park and so forth, we
had the value of kokua.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Kokua. Manoai. Let me go back a little bit.
Prior to this. We were able to...we had Raphael. He was part time. He was not full time.
We were able at the time able to charge his time to projects. So we had him address ADA
projects. So he was working less than twenty (20) hours a week...I am sorry...less than
twenty (20) hours a pay period. That is all he wanted to do. The value to him is that he
had a stamp. Well, as we continued to do that we were notified that there may be some
concerns in the way that we were expending that money to pay for him may not be right.
So we had to stop that practice and we have what we have today.
Chair Furfaro: So Brian is on board.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Brian is on board. Fully-loaded, fully moving.
Chair Furfaro: His areas of conformance with best practices will
be the person that we are looking to for reporting, communicating to contractors, doing
quality inspections?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: The project oversight itself, and Divisional
support for Doug, if necessary?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. So all Parks projects Brian has been doing
the construction Project Manager's stuff. Working trying to get the consultants and the
bidding and at RFP, Will has taken that and of course he supports Brian when Brian needs
the support.
Chair Furfaro: What I want to make sure is when I look at the
Building Division, this has really helped Doug with time management. On the flip side, we
are looking to you having a Project Manager in the Parks Department and not necessarily
should I be pushing the Building Division to have additional inspectors and project
managers on board.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Not for Parks projects, yes.
Chair Furfaro: So you have it all worked out?
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes and the plate overflows for Brian and like
when emergencies come up, like the pool and the focus has changed and he is not able to
really push this, but once this is gone he is able to jump back on it.
Chair Furfaro: Just so you folks have a clear understanding of
the best practices, as well as who is actually accountable?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: Whose kuleana it is and I am glad it is working
well. JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: The conditions that Councilmember Kagawa
brought up with the toilet paper, have you considered other dispensers that discourage
theft?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. Where there is a will, there is a way.
Ms. Yukimura: But not everybody has the will. It is so easy to
take a loose roll, right? I know that it may even go to some vandalism if you have a
container that is hard to get toilet paper from, you know? But that takes a lot more effort
and it is much less effort than having to unplug a toilet, you know what I mean? So in the
long run, if we can discourage that kind of behavior. So, I presume whatever we are
learning we are putting as design specs in new bathrooms that we are building?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, and some of them are just old-school
plantation welding that we do. We have an amazing welder that works for my dad,
Waimea High School graduate, one year older than you.
Ms. Yukimura: You have a gem if you have somebody like that.
Very good. On the Kilauea termites issue in the Parks, the termite-ridden poles, do we do
annual inspections or treatment?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, we do not and that is something that we may
need to look at.
Ms. Yukimura: Could we look at including that in the
maintenance plan?
Mr. L. Rapozo: This is the second one in two years, the first one
was at Hanapepe tennis courts and I do not know how old those poles are. They are pretty
old, but where we do have them we need to look at doing that.
Ms. Yukimura: The thing is that if you inspect and treat them
regularly, hopefully you will not have as many.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. Any more questions regarding
Hanalei District? If not, moving on.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay. This is a comfort station improvement,
new design for comfort stations and I think part of the problem with our maintenance...not
that I think, but I believe it is a problem is that we have all different kinds of designs. So
what we want to try and do now is have a small design for a comfort station, a medium, and
a high-capacity, depending on the use of the parks. Rather than what we are doing now,
trying to find the plans for this one and finding the plans for this one that is all unique and
different and this is an attempt to come up with a small comfort station design, a medium
comfort station design. For example, we consider Peter Rayno Park to be a medium design
and eventually, hopefully, long-term budget improves, money improves we want to start to
change and do one comfort station every year. The Mayor supports that and thinks that is
a good idea. So we will look at all of our comfort stations that need renovation or maybe we
need to change because capacity issues have changed such as Nawiliwili Park and we have
standard designs and put whatever design we feel is appropriate. Just to make it when it
becomes a maintenance issue it makes it easier and construction has plans ready. All we
need to do is permitting, plot design, and move forward with that. So that is what this new
project is about.
The next one is regional park improvements. This one here is to support projects
like the Isenberg basketball court that we are continually doing. That we are doing right
now. It is in construction and to put in scoreboards at Peter Rayno and Waimea softball
fields.
The next one is an Islandwide Park Master Plan that is just a holdover encumbrance
that we still have an open contract with the Master Plan. We have not closed out that
contract yet.
The Village Park Lighting System. The design is complete and we are moving into
construction. This is the basketball court in Anahola Village Park. The ADA
improvements at Anahola Village Park and the parking lots. We are working on in-house
designs for that project.
The Kapa'a Pool Restoration, this one was completed in November of last year, but
the remaining funds we are using to replace the pump filters that we have there. We have
one (1) particular filter pump that has been there since the facility has opened, 1961, I
believe. It is still functioning, but we know that is not going to last and we do not want any
more downtime than necessary.
Ms. Yukimura: I am sorry, what facility are you talking about?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Kapa`a Pool.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Then next one is a new project, Kapa'a Pool
Resurfacing. We are finding that the pool decks or around the pool, the deck and the
transition to the pool needs some maintenance there. The surface has become rough and
causes skin to be damaged if you hold onto the sides. So that is a maintenance project that
needs to get done.
Kapa'a Stadium construction is ongoing as we speak. The re-grassing and the
grading and the drainage and the new goal posts that have been put in. As part of this
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project we also put in water lines in there. The water line believe it or not was about
eighteen (18) feet deep going through the 50-yard line and was going to be my luck that
when we finished it, the waterline was going to break and start leaking. So since we had it
uncovered we rerouted the water line with a new backflow preventer, increased capacity
that goes around the field and hooks up to the other facilities with the new locker rooms
and all of that side. So that is ongoing.
The Kapahi Park is a new project. We are looking to replace the comfort station
roof. Again this is one of those comfort stations there are no plans and so they need to be
drawn for us.
Mr. Rapozo: Lenny, what is KNPT?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Kapa'a New Town Park. So we are going to
replace the roofs at Kapahi and Kapa'a New Town Park.
Playground renovations are ongoing at Kilauea and Anahola Homestead Park.
Anahola Clubhouse parking lot, that is one we are currently working on the
procurement to address some of the drainage problems at the Clubhouse parking lot.
This hockey rink grant, it has been there before even I came on board. My
understanding is that the grant was put there to help with the design of a roof over the
hockey rink that the community wanted. We just have not taken it out in case the
community ever comes back to us and said we are ready to move on it. I did meet with
them early on in my tenure and we met a couple of times, and we have not moved forward
or they have not moved forward with that project.
Kapa'a Light System. In the current CIP we have a project right now that will be
changing the lights on the softball field, but this is to address the lighting at the
basketball, tennis court, and hockey rink to make them shielded lights and bird-compliant.
The soccer field...the Environmental Assessment (EA) has been completed and we are
working on procuring a consultant to work on the final design. This is the soccer field that
is north of the New Town Park which will be part of the New Town Park System. This is
the vacant land behind the Kaua`i Products Show, Councilmember Kagawa. So if you come
on that bike path, it is the first vacant lot on your left, behind the Kaua`i Products Show.
The Park Improvement Special Trust Fund, this money is there in case of needed
repairs or community projects, same with the other district fund and the resurfacing of the
Kapa'a Neighborhood Center and pool parking lot. We are looking to seal-coat the parking
lot. With the new environmental laws we probably will not be able to do a new parking lot
there, so we are just trying to perform some maintenance for the parking lot.
Wailua Tennis Court and Homestead lights are new projects, designs have been
completed and we are asking for money to go to construction. The tennis lights, we were
victims of copper theft or copper thieves, who were able to harvest three of the big cables,
copper cables that fed to the tennis court and to that facility. So that would be the
Kawaihau District. Any questions on Kawaihau?
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, Lenny and we will go back to page 1.
Anyone with new questions going down the list? Councilmember Kagawa?
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Mr. Kagawa: Thank you, Chair. Lenny, I have...regarding the
Isenberg Basketball Park, looks like it is going to be great and one of my relatives said
Uncle, can we be sure what we put as the basketball back board, to have the full one and
not the half-moon because he said it is hard to hit his bank shot. So, I was thinking that
you, me, and the Mayor could play there one day and to use the back board whenever we
could, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Your nephew probably does not throw up bricks.
That is why we had the metal back board.
Mr. Kagawa: He said the half-moon, I guess your bank shoot
would hit off the corner and go out-of-bounds.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are going back to the regular. So we are
going back to the regular design. But also if you did not really notice the side baskets are 7
feet and every other place that you play at is 8 feet. So it was not regulation to begin with.
When we redo the court we are going to fix everything at one time.
Mr. Kagawa: Right on.
Mr. L. Rapozo: So it is going to be a pretty neat looking court
what it is down. Will again is the Division Chief for Planning and Development, so we are
going back to regular basket.
WILLIAM TRUJILLO, Chief of Planning and Development: Excuse me, I am
fighting a cold. Yes, you are talking about the ones on the sides, the baby court. The one
that goes the short way. That one was previously the shorter baskets with the back boards.
As long as you guys do not hang we will be okay with it.
Mr. Kagawa: I think it is great. The court was in pretty bad
shape with grass growing on it. It is high-use or really good timing that we have done.
Congratulations.
Mr. Trujillo: Hopefully it will be done by earlier summer.
Total renovation, so we yanked it up.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We also made an ADA connection from the
sidewalk to the court.
Mr. Trujillo: With bleachers also. We have a small area for
bleachers and the area for the teams to sit on also.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you. To me that is a really well-planned
park for Kaua`i, we get the softball going on and the neighborhood center. A lot of kids play
at night at the basketball courts. So really well-down there. Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Anyone else on this?
Mr. Hooser: A general question.
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Mr. Rapozo: I want to go down the list by line item so we are
not bouncing back and forth. Any questions on the comfort station improvements...you do
not have to create one, JoAnn. If you do not have one that is fine.
Ms. Yukimura: I want to commend you for wanting to
standardize design. It makes so much sense. When they did the old public schools on our
island you will notice that they all had similar architecture and just altered it for the
particular site characteristics. It just saves a lot of money if you have a really good design,
which you can then keep improving. That is good. What about the longstanding problem of
reconverting back or maybe you addressed that? That we would be doing that every
year...where we took away two bathrooms to make a handicapped stall and it is really
limiting the use by our constituents, our population? Is that in a plan somewhere?
Mr. L. Rapozo: You know that is a tough one, because we have a
set space. And to conform...
Ms. Yukimura: I know.
Mr. L. Rapozo: With ADA standards, at the time I believe that
they did the best that they could with the space that we had. We even had to increase the
size of the comfort station or build a whole new one.
Ms. Yukimura: I do not think they really thought about it,
because they were not thinking about the need for two (2) stalls. They were just thinking
like single-purpose, we have to make this ADA accessible. They did that to all of the
bathrooms and now you know, we just have problems. So, this has been like a ten (10) year
request and unless it is not a problem, we need to address it.
Mr. L. Rapozo: The new comfort station design will address that
right? If it does not meet the needs, then we would have to replace it.
Ms. Yukimura: What about the other ones that are not going to
be replaced for another ten years.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Again, with the ADA, we go back to the Isenberg
one, that was one that was told to us.
Ms. Yukimura: That is definitely one of them.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Especially the women's stalls. The need for the
turnarounds, I really cannot see how we could add a stall in there to bring back a stall.
With the ADA requirements for the turnaround with a wheelchair, I am not sure we could
do that. There was an additional urinal and I went there the other day and they still have
not put up the partition board for the men's. So, I have to follow-up where that work order
is.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That one there, we are either going to have to
make the size bigger or build another comfort station.
Ms. Yukimura: Maybe. It shows the far reaching impacts of not
thinking something through well. It was done way before your time, but if you give this
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design problem to some real design crazies, this design workshop that started at Stanford
University and now it is going wild. They apply it to really tough problems, international
problems and so forth. You give it to them and they somehow figure something out.
Mr. Chock: We are having a workshop this summer.
Ms. Yukimura: Give a problem to one of these design experts
and then apply that...make that the problem-focus of the workshop. Because that is a
really big issue, I think. If you can find a design solution, it will be a good one. I am glad
you went to that workshop. Okay that is my comments.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. I share that, JoAnn. Isenberg is a
problem. It is a major problem. There are really two options as Lenny stated you build a
new one or expand the old one. I do not know what it costs to build a new one and I do not
know what it costs to expand the old one, but rather than look at standardizing for the
future, that is one project that we should be looking at now. I do not know...I do not know
if it may be feasible to build another smaller restroom, maybe on another location at
Isenberg where they may have to walk and leave that alone. It is one (1) stall because the
way it is designed now and I know we can take in portable toilets during the big functions,
but I just think that we should look at...I do not know Ian you are the architect, I am not
sure, but it is probably cheaper to build a new one than to try retrofit the old one.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is why the Mayor, myself, Steve, Ernie, Ian,
Keith...we went on this park tour. Every facility from Ha`ena to Kekaha. You look at
Kekaha Faye Park they have one small comfort station and one stall in each one of them.
We come up with a design like this and maybe that one is going to be the men's and we will
give the women a new one.
Ms. Yukimura: Could be.
Mr. L. Rapozo: And could solve that.
Ms. Yukimura: That is good thinking.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I agree with what you are saying. Give me the
checkbook.
Ms. Yukimura: Tell us the costs. Have you calculated the costs?
Mr. Rapozo: That is my next question, how much will it cost?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are working on the numbers because our
Parks have been neglected so long.
Mr. Rapozo: This does not apply to you Lenny because ten
years ago it was a problem and they went in to take care of ADA. We did not have a choice
and they were kind of limited. It is almost like you solve one problem to create another and
that is what we did and it is rough when you have two hundred (200) people there for a
senior softball tournament.
Mr. L. Rapozo: If the Department of Justice was involved, just
like with the birds we had a timeline to retrofit the stadiums and we just made it in.
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Mr. Rapozo: If I am not mistaken and I think for the newer
Councilmembers the Isenberg, it was like eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) to enclose the
two (2) stalls. That is what it cost the design and construction and what that got us was a
wall that allowed the wheelchair to go in, but it took away the stall. Anybody have an idea?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The Peter Rayno comfort station was just under
four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) and that was not too many ADA issues involved.
The Mayor and I looked at things that were sitting on the books for a while. Ha'ena Beach
Park was about four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000). We budgeted five hundred
thousand dollars ($500,000) and it was about four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000), but
had ADA connections involved.
Mr. Rapozo: You have to assume that you have ADA
connections.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Peter Rayno's comfort station we consider to be
about a medium size, four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000).
Mr. Rapozo: So small would be a little less than that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: If you had built either a new one or whatever,
you would have solved two problems at once. You know what I mean? You would have
solved both the ADA problem and this problem that we are trying to solve now. So that is
why this planning process is so important and the other thing, especially for large regional
parks, depending on the design you can get away with two (2) comfort stations or you need
four (4) comfort stations if you do not plan how people connect to the bathrooms from the
playing areas? Do you know what I mean?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: So that is why master planning is so important.
A lot of our plans that we do...oh, good, we should put a play ball field...a ball field here or
we should put something here. Then you get this hodgepodge and then you need four
bathrooms instead of two. So Councilmember Rapozo's idea of a new one at Isenberg, you
do have the Neighborhood Center there, and they have ADA accessible toilets, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: Not at night.
Ms. Yukimura: Why could we not open them at night?
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is a whole different subject.
Ms. Yukimura: I just sent in a request because I have gotten
requests about the stadium bathroom for the soccer field, because elderly and others have a
hard time in the portables.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Councilmember Yukimura, it has been my policy
and I have told this to the various leagues I will put a lock for them there, which I have had
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in the past and they have access to the visitor's side bathroom if they want to. It is never
been one that we said you could not have that. It is always been open to the coordinators of
the league to go ahead and use the bathrooms. I have told my staff at the Stadium, that is
our job, that is it. So, if your constituent has to use those bathrooms they need to see the
league coordinators because that option has been available. I would rather walk to the
Stadium, I agree. That option has always been there. If it is not there it is by choice of the
league coordinators.
Ms. Yukimura: So all they have to do is make a request?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. I put locks on for the various leagues and
when their league is done, we take their lock off and put another on so they can use the
facilities.
Ms. Yukimura: But it needs to be open to anybody. Because you
cannot give lock combinations...you cannot know everyone who wants to use it.
Mr. L. Rapozo: If they are there between 6:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
they can go through the main gate, Monday through Friday, well now it is 6:00 a.m. to
2:00 p.m. and they can use the facility. We are not catering to a bath house, I do not think
that is the function of the bathrooms there. But if someone needs to use it because they are
using the facility, it is always open...it can be open, I should say.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, from what I am gathering there is a need
for that and I was even like brainstorming how far is it from the Veteran's Center can we
make an agreement that they can use the bathrooms there? Again we are kind of having
makeshift soccer fields.
Mr. Rapozo: I think for the organized soccer activities, I do
not know if that is your constituent, it is always open. The organizers gets the combination
and open it.
Ms. Yukimura: Then people just do not know it. So maybe that
is what needs to be done.
Mr. Rapozo: It is open. I know, because I have...depending on
how bad I have to go, I use the portable, if I can wait, I go to the Stadium. But it is always
open and during the day, the Stadium for anyone it is open. I know a lot of issues with the
homeless people taking showers.
Ms. Yukimura: Weekends too?
Mr. Rapozo: I am not sure about weekends.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are not open on weekends.
Mr. Rapozo: The stadium is not open on weekends.
Ms. Yukimura: The soccer happens on Saturday.
Mr. Rapozo: They have the portable toilets.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: I am saying that they have their own lock and
can open it for the weekends and I told my staff.
Ms. Yukimura: I am glad to know.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is our job.
Ms. Yukimura: There is some communication glitch, but thank
you very much.
Mr. Rapozo: I just have...before I turn it back to the Chair.
Chair Furfaro: Why do you not continue until we get through
Parks?
Mr. Rapozo: It might take us until tonight at the rate we are
going. Okay. I guess I question the amount to construct a bathroom. At four hundred
thousand dollars ($400,000), you can build a two thousand (2,000) square feet home with
two restrooms, a shower, I mean I guess you see my point. You could build a two thousand
(2,000) square feet home and so we may be better off building a home and renting out the
rooms and let the public use the restrooms? I do not mean to be funny...yes, Lenny, yes, so
I am not sure if we are getting gouged by contractors and maybe I am just so illiterate but it
is hard to justify four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) for a bathroom. Does it have to
be hollow tile? It just seems extremely high when you can build a home for that. Anyway.
Maybe we can look at that. CIP Manager, you have experience in construction.
Mr. L. Rapozo: The bids go out and come back. It is what it is.
Mr. Rapozo: I know, you get so many construction workers
and they know...and it just causes the supply and demand, I guess economics, but at some
point, my gosh, it might be cheaper to hire an in-house construction crew.
Chair Furfaro: Maybe it is marble.
Mr. Rapozo: Marble. Moving on to page 2. If anyone has a
question, stop me. Islandwide...Anahola Clubhouse Parking Lot, Anahola Village Park
Lighting System, Anahola Parking Lots...a lot of these projects have been closed already.
You have a question?
Ms. Yukimura: Park lighting?
Mr. Rapozo: Which one?
Ms. Yukimura: Anahola Village. Yes, I do not know if there is
problems in Anahola with Shearwaters, but are we doing everything possible to address it
and I have...everywhere we have lighting I have got that question?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The lighting improvements are because of the
Shearwater improvements.
Ms. Yukimura: The lighting improvements are purposely for
the...they are focused on Shearwaters?
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. When we started this venture three or four
years ago...the design was every park facility to address the Shearwaters. This one here is
the next group of facilities that we are asking funding for.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. Is it a technology that is pretty well
certified for not attracting Shearwaters?
Mr. L. Rapozo: It is the same technology that we had for all of
our stadiums. Same design consultant.
Ms. Yukimura: Somebody tested it to know that it does not
attract Shearwaters?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We were put off of probation, so we were in
compliance. These were deemed as guidelines from Federal Fish and Wildlife probation
when we were on there.
Ms. Yukimura: It puts us into compliance?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Very good. At the time, given what we learned
yesterday from PMRF, is it also energy-conserving? Are we also...do we have criteria for
our lights that are the best energy use?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Hopefully the improvement in our timing system
will help improve it.
Ms. Yukimura: That is one aspects of it, but also, you know, I do
not know the technology, LED versus...do we put into the specs the best technology for
energy conservation?
Mr. Trujillo: I do not have the exact numbers with me, but
when we did the designs for all of the lightings, this is a blanket statement for all the
lighting ones on the CIP, as well as the previous ones we have done before, the new systems
that we are putting in does save energy. Primarily because of the reduction in the number
of fixtures that are up there. That alone saves, as well as the new technology, like you
mentioned to reduce the amount of energy that each fixture takes. As Lenny mentioned the
timing and control systems that we are putting in will also help reduce energy use. The
timers will be better. The control systems will be better and more centralized throughout
the whole park system.
Ms. Yukimura: That is good to hear. Are we going out to bid
with one contractor on all of them?
Mr. Trujillo: That is my idea. I will work with Purchasing to
see what is the best, most efficient way, to get it all done.
Ms. Yukimura: With the idea of getting economies of scale and a
lower per unit price?
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Mr. Trujillo: Yes, as we have done in the past to batch as
much as we can together.
Mr. L. Rapozo: So going back...we have the project with four (4)
parks being done by one contractor. Currently our current project we have four (4) parks in
one project.
Ms. Yukimura: Very good. Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Members, I am going allow Mr. Bynum to ask a
few questions. Unfortunately he has to leave the meeting and will take questions out of
order. So thank you for your indulgence.
Mr. Bynum: I apologize. I have to leave in a few minutes, it is
beyond my control. I really appreciate that you are moving forward on the lighting systems
and I know how difficult it has been without clear guidance in the past. Getting the
Planning Division fully staffed is great news and already have seen the benefits, even when
it was just partially staffed. So very pleased with those outcomes. In the lighting retrofits,
I think it is in the budget this year for the basketball courts at Kapa`a?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: That is one we have been waiting for. But I
understand that we had to know exactly what to replace those lights with. So that is good
news. My big question like every year and it probably will not get all answered right now is
the status of the twelve (12) acre soccer park that we need to resolve in order for the Kapa'a
Business Association...in order to use this new staff to redo Kapa'a Town Park? It has
been a forty (40) year vision.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We went through that. Bottom of page 2.
Mr. Trujillo: That project went out for advertisement for
professional services to the design work. We are in the process of that, as well as a few
other projects in procuring the consultants.
Mr. L. Rapozo: So we hope to execute the contract for final
design consultant by May of this year.
Mr. Bynum: That is great. So we are looking at design this
year, perhaps build...start build next CIP?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Maybe not. Depending on what the design comes
back as.
Mr. Bynum: I will follow-up. We have both been pretty busy
and I have not had time to discuss these with you, but I have seen the positive changes that
are happening and I just want to close by saying that I have been very fortunate to be
spending more time on the bike path with family and walking and it is just the
maintenance there and the section I have been walking from the Lihi to Kealia is
outstanding and you can see that people are taking initiative there by expanding the public
area by mowing thoughtfully and kind of slowly chipping away at the guinea grass and
turning it into planter zones. You can see that people are taking initiative there.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Our Irrigation Specialist starts on April 1st. Now
we can address irrigation especially by the Lihi comfort station.
Mr. Bynum: It looks good over there, too. Thank you for those
changes and I will follow-up to get more details on some of these questions. Thank you very
much. Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Mr. Bynum: I appreciate it.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay. Let us go...I want to go back to where we
were, which was the Anahola...we took care of the bird issue. Lights addressing the bird
issue and next is the pool restroom reconstruction or the pool resurfacing? Mr. Kagawa.
Mr. Kagawa: Just a quick question. So where you come up
from the pool is rough, and we are going to smooth it out?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Kagawa: Is that going to create a slipping problem?
Because it is made rough to prevent slipping, right?
Mr. Trujillo: We are talking about inside of the pool. In the
pool, where were you are actually swimming inside the pool, the interior.
Mr. Kagawa: The interior.
Mr. Trujillo: We have gotten complaints or the lifeguards have
gotten complaints that the concrete is getting rough and when you are in the water for a
while and your skin is thinner and weaker and when they rub up against it, they are
starting to get cuts in some areas.
Mr. Kagawa: I pictured it as the top.
Mr. Trujillo: It is hard in the description to really say where.
So it is inside the pool. You just cannot patch it. You have to redo the whole interior.
Mr. Kagawa: Again, regarding the restroom, compliments to
you guys for getting that job done. It turned out...when I heard "portable"
portable/temporary, I kind of got afraid of how it would look. But in the end, I think job
well-done. The contractor did well. I think the price was pretty reasonable. You should
use that contractor for all restrooms maybe.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That guy was awesome. It morphed and we
came here and said we would use CTW, as we worked with CTX and trying to meet the
Department of Health, who came into the picture that we needed to do this and that and
these other requirements, their price went from "X" and ballooned to like seven hundred
thousand dollars ($700,000). It was crazy. Again working with our manager, contract
manager and our Deputy, they came up with the design there and it was cheaper in the end
to build it the way it was. So, it morphed from portables to what it became to and it was a
lot cheaper.
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Mr. Kagawa: Good job. You said the filters are old?
Mr. L. Rapozo: One of them. One of them is a sand filter that
has been there since the pool was constructed.
Mr. Kagawa: That is how old?
Mr. L. Rapozo: 1961 when it opened.
Mr. Kagawa: So we will have to change that filter?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I think it would be a wise thing for us to do. It
has never been maintained because it is enclosed. They actually put the filter in and put
the structure around, so we will have to cut it open to get it out.
Mr. Kagawa: That is adequate moneys, the eighty thousand
dollars ($80,000)?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: Do we still use chlorine in that pool?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I believe so.
Ms. Yukimura: Is it not the best practice now to use a different
technology?
Mr. Rapozo: Salt?
Chair Furfaro: Ultraviolet.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. Ultraviolet. I know we have talked about a
new pool, but the money we are pouring into this pool to make it usable, we are going to
have ten more years? So, I am worried about that part of the old pool and I do not have
any idea how much it costs, but if it is a ten (10) to fifteen (15) year vision, is it something
that we need to move into or plan for?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I am not sure what the effects on the current
pumping system that we use that we add chemicals. That is news to me. Would that mean
that we are buying new pumps?
Ms. Yukimura: I do not know what it involve, but I know that a
lot of other places and the hotels and everybody are converting because I think there are
some questions about swimming in chlorine and I do not know where we are putting the
water afterwards. Some water must be changed, right? I do not know pool technology. I
just know that there has been a transition and the Chair knows more with hotels.
Chair Furfaro: There are a couple different approaches with
water maintenance right now. There is the ultraviolet system which our pump is not ready
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to be modified for and as Mel mentioned, a salt with an iodine base treatment and again
our filter system is not dealing with that. If you want it see that, if you go to my previous
hotel, after we redid the pool and re-plastered the pool and it is not putting cement, but it is
a really fine plaster you can get a demonstration there and I am sure Mel could arrange
that. You are still working there?
Mr. Rapozo: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: So, you could get an engineering visit to their
filter system. You are right, Lenny, our problem is the filter system was built and patched
and then the structure was built over it. It is like you would have to plan not only to
change the system itself, but you would have to build a new roof and everything over it.
But I do want to caution you on the re-plastering, I do not know what the specifications are,
but it certainly would not hurt to take a set of goggles and go visit the pool itself. You will
find there are a lot of algae that is actually growing in the plaster already. That pool has
not been re-plastered in twenty-five (25) years. It actually should be on a nine (9) year
cycle, but if you do not actually scrub out the algae that is in the existing plaster, you are
going to even shorten the life of that even more. So, I would really suggest you have an
understanding of the scope of the bid if you are treating the algae after the pool is emptied
first in the scrub-down, before it gets re-plastered. You could really extend the life of that
pool.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: I will be glad to join Mel, if you want to go see
the filter system over at the other project. JoAnn is right, too, many hotels are changing.
You just do not want to deal with chlorine.
Mr. Rapozo: Any more questions on the pool re-surfacing? I
am not an expert by far.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I only know that too much chlorine, you get
yellow hair, right?
Chair Furfaro: Sometimes red.
Mr. Rapozo: I will tell you at the hotel, the guests are excited
because it does not...some clothes I guess, some bikinis and bathing suits are affected by
chlorine, but on the other side you get the people complaining because it is salty. The
people expect to jump in a clean, refreshing pool and it is salty. You cannot please
everybody, okay, moving on. Stadium. Go ahead.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you. Lenny, how is it coming along?
Nicely? I am worried again about the existing problem with drainage if it downpours hard?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The other design was to get it swelled out. That
is why we needed to crown it. We have the crown 1% to make the soccer people happy and
we have some kind of drain and the swale runs around the perimeter.
Mr. Kagawa: It runs out towards the road? So, it should get
better than it was?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, definitely.
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Mr. Kagawa: Okay. It was muddy and messy.
Mr. L. Rapozo: It was slick, like clay.
Mr. Kagawa: What about...you said we are going to put new
goal post?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Kagawa: You guys are going to put some type of netting
because every time...
Mr. L. Rapozo: The same netting that was there.
Mr. Kagawa: They may lose the ball?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I wanted to go higher, but what they told me that
was the deepest to sink the poles before they hit water. So we could not go any higher.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Any more questions? Regarding the bleachers, I
know we had discussion...I thought we had discussion a year or so ago about getting the
higher bleachers?
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is not in this budget. It is going to be a lot
of money.
Mr. Rapozo: I know.
Mr. L. Rapozo: It is going to be a lot of money because we did a
measurement and thanks to Warren Koga and Public Works, I think he told me we need
fifteen feet on both sides in order to get the distance to be like Hanapepe Stadium. So we
will go fifteen (15) feet on the north side, you get the parking lot, and then they already
established where the announcers booth is and you will not see from either side...you have
the baseball field on the other side. It makes sense for to us do ADA where you have the
stadium where you go up. It is going to be a lot of money.
Mr. Rapozo: I am just excited if we can get this done.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are trying to get the field ready for play and
then look at that.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay. Any more questions on the Kapa'a
Stadium Improvements? If not going down...
Ms. Yukimura: I do.
Mr. Rapozo: Go ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: Regarding the Kapa'a Stadium and what is that
area you said is adjacent to the town that you are developing? I forget which project it was.
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Mr. Rapozo: He was talking about the soccer field behind the
Kaua`i Products Fair.
Ms. Yukimura: It still is adjacent to the stadium, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Pretty close to the stadium. The baseyards are
in between.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. That is a regional park, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: So, I am just asking whether planning has been
done for optimum placement of bathrooms and food...what are those little places where
people do the concessions? Food concessions. Now you have a huge area and just thinking
about where all the bathrooms are, given one bathroom...
Mr. L. Rapozo: You know, Councilmember Yukimura, this is one
area where the sins of our uncles...there are federal moneys involved at Kapa'a New Town
Park, Land Water Conservation funds which limits the amount of what we can do in that
park. We cannot take away any more park than what we have already. Ian did a fantastic
job working with these people to put up the locker rooms and in addition to what we have
talked about and we are hoping with the addition to the soccer field there, we are adding to
the park. So, if we take away, we have to add, but we have not had those conversations yet.
In order for us to look here and place this and place this, there are other things involved to
look at what we are allowed to do in the park. I would love to put a bus shelter there, but
they tell me I would be taking way from the park.
Ms. Yukimura: That was my next question.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I am glad I am answering your question.
Ms. Yukimura: I do not think you understand my question.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I do understand, but there are certain rules of
what we can add or not add.
Ms. Yukimura: I am not talking about taking away anything,
but new facilities, where are the bathroom facilities for the soccer park?
Mr. L. Rapozo: What soccer park?
Ms. Yukimura: The new soccer parks?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We have the conceptual designs of the soccer
park that there is a stadium and facilities within the park.
Ms. Yukimura: And it has bathrooms?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
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Ms. Yukimura: Okay.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are not going to have the soccer guys play
there and they have to go all the way to Kapa'a New Town Park to use the restrooms. They
are going to have comfort stations there. If that is your question, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Like Hanapepe, there is a big request for a
bathroom. Sometimes when you place the bathroom on one edge of one circle of activity,
the other activity, if it is on the end from where the bathroom is, can use the new facility.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We have had those discussions and if you are
looking at Hanapepe, you are exactly right. You are going to add bathrooms, they also want
dug outs and there is a proposal in our Master Plan to have a new ticket and comfort
station facility on the public side on the locker room side of the park. So exactly what you
are saying, how we are going to mish mash all of this. So, we are looking at those type of
things.
Ms. Yukimura: I am just asking if planning is being done with
those kinds of things in mind. Optimizing bathrooms and food concession spaces? Then I
want to go to parking bcause we have major problems when we have one of the uses of our
park, which is the Wednesday Sunshine Market, right? What is the circulation in terms of
that parking, because are you going to have additional parking? Are you going to use the
existing parking for the stadium for the soccer parks?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Councilmember Yukimura there will be parking
at the soccer area. We are not going to ask people to park there and have to walk all the
way to the soccer park.
Ms. Yukimura: Forgive, I do not understand the distances, but I
am just asking if the thinking has been done.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: The other part is that the parking around the
stadium is potentially parking for the Kapa'a Town, if you want to make it a walking town.
Because in the daytime or in the morning there is a lot of parking, right, over there? If
there is a safe way to get into town, it is that whole planning and even Kamahalo has his
stuff right on that road that goes to Hoku Foods...there needs to be some thinking about
pedestrian and car circulation in that area. I am just saying that as we think about the
parking for the stadium to keep in mind it is potential parking for the town and indeed it is
already used when we have major celebrations in the town park. Right? They do shuttles
from there. So, it is just...and this is not...this is actually for the Planning Department.
Mr. Rapozo: I was just going to say, we will get there.
Ms. Yukimura: I know but we are doing such good
interdivisional / interdepartmental thinking as you think parks, I am saying there is this
bigger context. Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. Kapahi Park and Kapa'a New Town
Park Comfort Station Roof Replacement. Playground renovations, Stop me now if you have
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a question. Anahola Clubhouse parking lot? Environmental Assessment for park facilities
which is closed out. Hockey rink grant?
Ms. Yukimura: I have a question.
Mr. Rapozo: For the hockey rink?
Ms. Yukimura: About the playground renovations in Kilauea
and Anahola. Is that the replacement of the rubberized floor for the playground
equipment?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, that is a four-park project.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, because it includes Kalawai. So, the
contract was awarded on 10/13 and notice to proceed on 01/14, currently anticipate project
completion at the end of 2014. So, I just want to say thank you because this has been a real
concern for the Kilauea people and I know it is had a lot of complications, but I know the
Chair has been concerned about that, too. So thank you very much. That is coming to a
completion.
Mr. Rapozo: Was that April...was that the correct date? Yes,
completion in April.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay.
Mr. Rapozo: Hockey rink grant? Kapa'a New Town Park
Lighting System? Go ahead Councilmember Kagawa.
Mr. Kagawa: I do not see the line for the skating rink. So, I
want to link it.
Chair Furfaro: Good one.
Mr. Kagawa: Does the skateboarders...I think Danny had
asked if maybe we could perhaps incorporate some of his ideas into the existing?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I do not have the number.
Mr. Kagawa: Okay.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I can try to double-check with the budget, at the
end of the budget process, but I do not have a number yet.
Mr. Kagawa: It is great that you guys are jumping on that. It
is not a way of a few people, but I see it catches on with kids practicing it everywhere and
as Danny mentioned that skating rink that they have now, skateboard rink is very
outdated. He can do some improvements there that would really add to their enjoyment?
Mr. L. Rapozo: You are taking about it down to zero and
redesigning it.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you.
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Mr. Rapozo: Councilmember Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: A follow-up question on that. Will you folks be
submitting the numbers for the supplemental budget?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The numbers?
Ms. Yukimura: For the skateboard park?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, if we can get the numbers, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Because I, too, would like to see that begin to
happen. If you were not planning to I was going to ask for it in the supplemental. Great.
So, that is for the skateboard park in Kapa`a, right?
Mr. Rapozo: Yes. The hockey rink. It was decided that that
would be the best location, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The skating board rink?
Mr. Rapozo: Your hockey rink, which is your skate rink?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No the hockey rink, it is next to each other.
Mr. Rapozo: Separate, okay.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Kapa'a New Town Park Lighting System?
Kapa'a Soccer Field Improvements which we just covered. Park improvement and
equipment? Park improvement ADA, park improvement Kawaihau grant...resurface
neighborhood center and pool parking lot?
Ms. Yukimura: Question.
Mr. Rapozo: Go ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: You have a resurface Anahola and a resurface
Kapa`a, are you planning on putting them on the same contract?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Probably, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Good, you are ahead of me. Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Mr. Chock.
Mr. Chock: Park improvement and equipment. Does that
include tables, too?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, tables are separate in our R&M budget.
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Mr. Rapozo: Wailua Homesteads Park, tennis court lights and
Wailua Houselots tennis course lights we can take both at the same time. Go ahead,
Councilmember Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: The copper theft happened at Wailua Houselots?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: So this two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000)
is to replace the copper?
Mr. L. Rapozo: To put the new fixtures, as well as design and
bring that up to...to replace the copper and get it functional again, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: This repair was caused by the theft.
Mr. L. Rapozo: There are two issues there. There was a theft,
but we also need to change the lights to make it bird-compliant.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Because the theft occurred it includes
replacement of the copper.
Ms. Yukimura: Were the thieves ever found?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No. Police reports were generated and we did
our due diligence from the Department's side, but as far as I know they have not been
caught.
Ms. Yukimura: They were caught on...there was a Pali Highway
theft?
Mr. Hooser: Budget?
Ms. Yukimura: What?
Mr. Rapozo: Sometimes they get electrocuted while they are
trying to steal them and they catch them...other than that it is tough.
Ms. Yukimura: Is there a way to set up the copper to discourage
theft?
Mr. L. Rapozo: My understanding Councilmember Yukimura,
the guy took a big, big screwdriver and shorted the system out. That in and of itself is
brave. Then my understanding that the amount of copper that they took and how they had
to take it was done over two nights and they had to pull it with either a horse or a truck.
Because of the length and the size of this thing. So in the sleepy hollows of Wailua
Houselots nobody heard or saw anything until they went to turn it on and it was gone.
Ms. Yukimura: Somebody needs to do design thinking on this
problem for prevention.
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Mr. Rapozo: Unfortunately, this is happening all over the
country. So if there is a design out there...I do not see it. I think it is designed as best it
can and somebody said earlier where there is a will, there is a way and these guys are going
to get it.
Ms. Yukimura: If you could put some identifying mark on the
copper and see what the copper markets are doing too? I mean we need some creative
thinking here.
Mr. L. Rapozo: If you know the process now, before you can cash
in copper you have to get an affidavit signed how you obtained the copper. That is the
process now. You have people circumventing the law, no matter what kind of law you have.
Ms. Yukimura: How much of this two hundred thousand dollars
($200,000) is for the copper replacement?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Do you have an idea? I do not know.
Ms. Yukimura: I would like to know that.
Mr. Rapozo: Put that down as a question. Do you have a
follow-up?
Chair Furfaro: No.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay. Any more questions for Kawaihau? If not,
let us try to get through Po`ipu.
Chair Furfaro: Maybe I do have one.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay, go ahead, Mr. Chair.
Chair Furfaro: Yes. You know, I know Mr. Bynum talked about
the bike path in Kapa'a and so forth earlier, but let me ask you, is there any way that we
can work out a solution for the overlook that we put in all the parking and the walk path
down to the path and so forth for the Kaiakea scenic overview? I do not know who has
taken responsibility for that, but there are no receptacles, no benches, the broken glass, and
so forth, it is horrific and all of our visitors that pull over for a scenic overview, it is like in
no-man's land. Is that the State's responsibility?
Mr. L. Rapozo: We own one parking lot and the State owns the
other one. I will ask staff.
Chair Furfaro: All the bumpers are broken. It is Kauai and
says it is a scenic overlook, but you get there and it is shameful and then you have the
walking path which is addressed and trimmed. Somebody needs to wrestle with that.
Thank you, Mr. Rapozo.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, Mr. Chair. Moving on, Lenny, if you
want to tackle Po`ipu District or Koloa District, I am sorry.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay. Playground resurfacing we talked about
that. Po`ipu Beach Parking, this one here was funds to address the flooding at the parking
lot during heavy rains. We got the report from the Army Corps of Engineers and they gave
us five options ranging from two million five hundred thousand dollars ($2,500,000) to
twelve million dollars ($12,000,000) and that would not even resolve totally the drainage
issues there. It appears that it would be more cost efficient the last time we procured
pumping services in 2009, which cost us about twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) that we
have money on standby in case we get to the level that we can do it. What we did in-house
was that...with that wonderful fabricator that we have, if the flooding is not that bad, we
have talked to the Department of Health and we discharge the energy up on
Manookalanipo Park using a pump from Wastewater, `Ele`ele and we pump the discharge
you up there and disperse the discharge in two separate areas and let it naturally seep into
the ground. If the flooding hits levels of 2009 and we have done this twice already down
there, but if it reaches the levels of 2009, we would probably procure the services of
somebody to remove that water. We thought this money was needed as our portion to Army
Corps, but Army Corps was gracious enough to do the study at no cost to the County. That
is why moneys have been moved for that particular item.
Mr. Rapozo: Kalawai Park?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Kalawai basketball resurfacing, self-explanatory.
We need to do the basketball and tennis courts. It is terrible. It is really, really bad. The
lighting system is addressing the lighting at the softball field. Kalaheo Gym we need to
start looking at the gym roof and the facility as a whole. Maintenance...we are potentially
going down the road that so far it has not been leaking, but if you take a look at the roof, we
need to do some kind of repair or even replace, including the facility. Because the roof is
exactly the same. This money is to help design professional services to do an assessment of
the roof for that facility and repair. District funds and grant funds are there in case of any
projects that come up. Parking lot resurfacing for the Koloa Neighborhood Center parking
lot and Koloa Park basketball and tennis court resurfacing. There is another park that
really needs attention. Po`ipu Beach Park Phase 2, we did the renovations with the comfort
station and now we want to attack the other comfort station, as well as all of the pavilions
and do the renovations there to bring it up to what we have said all along. We want to
make it a world-class park as we are doing out at Lydgate. This one here, the Po`ipu
Restroom comfort station that has been completed. This other contingency will support the
Koloa lighting project and that is the Koloa district.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you very much. Any questions starting at
the top? Playground resurfacing, Kalawai, Koloa. Po`ipu Beach parking. Go ahead,
Councilmember Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: So the twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) is
there for pumping?The Po`ipu Beach parking?
Mr. L. Rapozo: That pumping will be an R&M.
Ms. Yukimura: I mean I really commend you for thinking about
it, getting the Corps to help with it and realizing that the cheapest and most economical
option is just at time of flooding repair because it is so infrequent. That is good.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: We are hoping Federal Emergency management
Agency (FEMA) declares...if FEMA gives a declaration we can get reimbursed for that as
well.
Ms. Yukimura: Right that would be eligible, conceivably for some
of our emergency-related reserves, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay. Thank you. Kalawai resurfacing, Kalawai
basketball, lighting system, Kalaheo Gym improvements...Mr. Kagawa.
Mr. Kagawa: So with the roof we know, we realize we need do
something with the roof because it is worn.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We do not want to wait until it leaks.
Mr. Kagawa: So no leaking then?
Mr. L. Rapozo: So far.
Mr. Kagawa: So far. Because I know what it rains hard, I do
not know if it is the precipitation, but it gets slippery, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. You know, I do not know why the design
was, but if you go up on the walls, and it goes out like this. These are all grates, like a
screen. A lot of times the wind kicks up and brings that moisture into the gym.
Ms. Yukimura: It also vent ventilates it.
Mr. L. Rapozo: It does ventilate it.
Mr. Kagawa: The plan to is to have the consultant assess the
roof?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Kagawa: We do not have anybody in-house to determine
that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No.
Ms. Yukimura: I have a follow-up.
Mr. Rapozo: Go ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: I commend you for not waiting until it leaks.
That is really great. I just wondered whether we have been doing regular maintenance on
the roof?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No.
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Ms. Yukimura: Is there...I do not know anything about roofs, but
is there like a periodic every five years we do that?
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is part of the job of new planner coming in.
Ms. Yukimura: One of the jobs of your new planner is to develop
a regular maintenance plan. That is very good.
Mr. L. Rapozo: So it will help better prepare us for budgeting, as
well as maintenance.
Ms. Yukimura: Maintenance is really key.
Mr. L. Rapozo: And budgeting.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. Any more questions? If not parking
lot, play court resurfacing at Koloa Neighborhood Center? Po`ipu Beach Park Phase 2
improvements, Po`ipu Restroom renovations, and the project contingency.
Ms. Yukimura: I have a question about the tennis courts. Has
there been any analysis of clustering tennis courts rather than trying to put them at every
park? I am talking about into the future now. Thinking that we have a good
transportation system that connects people and you can have tournaments with a large
number of tennis courts and may be regional, but not at every park. We have a lot of tennis
courts and basketball courts and there is a reason for the decentralization, but sometimes
you can get the economies of scale by clustering them in certain regional parks and overall
planning, you would have regional parks and neighborhood parks, but you would not put
tennis courts in neighborhood parks and you connect by bikeway or whatever to the
regional parks.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are just addressing tennis courts and
basketball courts that are presently where they are. I guess at some point, they felt that
tennis courts needed to be in neighborhood parks.
Ms. Yukimura: I know, I am asking to relook at that thinking
from long ago.
Mr. L. Rapozo: You want us to take them out?
Ms. Yukimura: No.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We are not anticipating putting any more tennis
courts in neighborhood parks as of right now. The one cluster that we looked at with
tournament play was Vidinha Stadium and that has been part of the Master Plan for a
while. The initial one they had tennis courts there as well. So, with that in mind, there are
no other studies or what have you that we have looked at putting tennis courts any place
else.
Ms. Yukimura: Even basketball? Instead of basketball in every
park we could do one good gym, basketball gym in Lihu`e, right?
Mr. L. Rapozo: I would love to have that.
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Ms. Yukimura: So, what I am saying it is about how we use a
given amount of money. Just in terms of long-term planning. Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, any more questions for the Koloa
District? We have Lihu`e and Waimea Districts left, Lenny, we only have one new project
in those two districts. So go through Lihu`e and Kekaha and hopefully we can get you out
of here before the caption break.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay. So with Lihu`e, Lihu`e Stadium is the
finalizing the bid documentation that would improve the baseball, that would include
lighting, as well as ADA construction. We talked about this at the last budget meeting.
Lydgate small pavilion renovations, they are currently in construction, is to bring those
pavilions back to...it is a maintenance...so back to better design or better usage.
Wailua Golf Course is done. Replacing existing waterline, we are advertising and
we hope to go out to construction...it has been advertising and an Invitation For Bid (IFB)
is out and hope to complete this project by July of this year.
The Convention Hall is a removal for carpet. We are doing ongoing improvements to
the Convention Hall and currently to replace the carpet in the theatre and we are looking
at capacity of the Convention Hall and part of this money will be used, where the storage
room or considered to be a storage room, we are going to add a conference room there. We
can store those chairs and tables in other places in the Convention Hall, but we want to
make more capacity at the Convention Hall. That is where part of this money is going
because we are not using all of this money for carpet removal and carpet replacement.
Lydgate Park we covered that. Softball at Peter Rayno, the designs have been
completed...
Chair Furfaro: Excuse me, Lenny, I want to go back to the
conference room. Can you give us a better description of what you want to accomplish in
that? How many people will it seat? Will it be soundproofed?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Sure.
Chair Furfaro: What are some of the components for us to have
an additional conference room?
Mr. L. Rapozo: There are a lot of requests at the Convention
Hall for meetings and I felt that the room that we stored the tables and chairs as a storage
room and it was called a "crafts room" at one time. It does not give us full capacity. We can
store the chairs any place in the Convention Hall. We can leave them in the exhibit halls.
When the exhibit halls are being used we can put them in the aisle in the theatre. If the
theatre is used we can put it into the lanai in the back until the function is over. There are
always needs for people to meet, I feel. This conference room can comfortably sit
twenty-five (25) to forty (40) people. So, what I hope to accomplish is air condition the room
and put in easel boards and furniture such as boardroom meetings and separate entryways
to have people using the room without impacting the exhibit room and still have people able
to use the meeting room and still maintain the doors just in case we need a breakout room
when we are having meetings in the exhibit rooms that we have an additional breakout
room that we have. It is to improve or increase capacity of that facility.
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Chair Furfaro: How would you handle if there were a conference
going on and somebody was using the other room, how would you handle sound spillage?
How would we control the interruptions from one meeting to the next? Is this going to be
sound-proofed?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, it will not be sound-proofed. We could, but I
think the costs will be too much for that. With that in mind, that may be one of the
limitations to having a conference room, but at least we would have an additional area to
increase the capacity of the facility itself and to better make use of our space.
Chair Furfaro: It has benefits for smaller meetings forty (40) or
less you do not have to set up all the big space, but at the same time, you could not double-
book the room without having sound spillage from one meeting to the next?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Depending on what is going on in the exhibit
room. In the exhibit room, if there is something going on in the theatre, we let them know.
We have this available, this is what is going on in the theatre and they have already booked
the theatre. It is going to...they may use the lobby area. So, whoever is using it, Eddie
does a really good job in terms of informing the users of what is happening. You can use it
no, problem. It is available and then when we come in with our change of fees, that also
hopefully will add to our revenues as well.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you for giving us a little bit better
overview. Let me see if there are questions on the modifications? JoAnn?
Ms. Yukimura: I applaud you for looking at whether we are
using our space optimally and you anticipate a separate entrance to the room?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: That is good. I do think noise is a concern and I
do not know if you have to absolutely sound-proof it, but certainly there are degradations to
buffer the sound and certainly that should be a consideration. Because I think the Chair is
concerned that you might limit the use of the bigger room if there is a lot of sound
transferring.
Mr. L. Rapozo: We can look at that.
Ms. Yukimura: So yes, it is good at time of design and prior to
construction that you check out the options so that if you can use both rooms at the same
time that would be extremely valuable. If you cannot use them at the same time and you
give out the small room, then you are really limiting the big room.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I am not sure what that would entail, but we are
just looking at what the given structure is and just trying to maximize what we have.
Chair Furfaro: I just think we are asking you to consider that.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is a good point. Yes. Maybe if we have
moneys leftover, we can look at that and what the costs will be and we can spend down
those moneys.
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Chair Furfaro: JoAnn, you still have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: One more thing you said storage is easy to
accommodate.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I am not saying easy, but we should be able to
make due.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, think about that carefully, because if you
plan to put it out on the patio that limits the use of the big room, because I have seen
sometimes that they use that for drinks on the patio. If you are thinking about
moving...what is the word...musical chairs...musical storage, you know? It is not very
functional.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Depending on what is going on.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Just keep us posted.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Will do. Because I think it is an exciting thing for
the Convention Hall.
Chair Furfaro: I do agree. I do agree. I will finish up to break
time, Mel. So where are you going next after this modification?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Softball field pavilions. This money here we are
working with the Hanama`ulu Hillsiders who are doing the construction of their pavilion
down at Peter Rayno. Moneys have been allocated in case the Lihu`e team or Isenberg
seniors want do it. This is a holdover project from last year that the seniors are coming in
and are wanting to do their pavilions like Kaumakani and Kapa`a.
Vidinha track and field. This is part of the whole complex redoing and we are
looking at improving the shot put area and getting more distance with the anticipation and
hope that we will be able to...once this is done that we can qualify to hold the State Track
Meet here. I think it would be good for our island.
The Isenberg playground, working on the recommendation for award. This is a long
overdue project to repair or replace the playground area by the Neighborhood Center in
Isenberg Park. Again this is the baseball field improvements. We had spoken of earlier the
lighting and the ADA. They are all lumped together with the next two line items.
The Lydgate pavilion restroom renovation is ongoing. This is at Lydgate Beach Park
and the final is park improvement equipment district funds as all the other areas have.
The last one in this is the relocation of the temporary maintenance shelter at the
Golf Course. The IFB was posted to be...the deadline was this Friday and again, the intent
is to remove that structure, split it in two, and use it at two of our baseyards. One on the
west side, one on the eastside, so we can have a shelter for some of our assets that currently
do not have shelters. The ADA access removal...these are part of the projects...I am sorry,
I am going to Waimea. Are we just going to continue?
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Chair Furfaro: Continue. Let us see if we have a question before
we go into Waimea. Is there any question up until this point? Mr. Kagawa and then
JoAnn.
Mr. Kagawa: Regarding the baseball field improvements, so
that includes the lighting and is it going to include a grand stand?
Mr. L. Rapozo: It is the lighting, new dugouts to be ADA
compliant, which are bigger dugouts. A new ADA-approved announcer's booth and scorer's
booth and ADA connections throughout the park.
Mr. Kagawa: Okay. Well, you know, that is one of the things
that I think we have you mentioned State tournaments, but that will give us capacity for
State tournaments as well. I think that has been the missing component from my playing
days and I look forward to that getting done.
Mr. L. Rapozo: At least we have a place we can watch baseball
at night.
Mr. Kagawa: Yes, exactly.
Mr. L. Rapozo: At least one place where we can watch baseball
at night.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: B.C., before I recognize JoAnn, we started at 9
minutes after 9:00 a.m., I want to go to 9 minutes after 11:00 a.m. and take the break. Is
that acceptable to you? JoAnn, you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Are we doing anything with the bleachers?
Mr. L. Rapozo: No, the bleachers have already met ADA
requirements.
Ms. Yukimura: And the lighting is approved for shearwaters?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: So you can have night games?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Very good, thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Chock?
Mr. Chock: Thank you, Chair. I have been frequently at
Niumalu Park with the work that we are doing there and I know it is not on the list, but do
you have some future plans as well to address some of the needs in that park as well? I
know the restrooms itself...I know it is not closed in and we had talked about some things.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: It is not in this budget. We have not gotten to
that one. But yes, we need to look at it. It is a big challenge considering where it is at and
the design and the age of it.
Mr. Chock: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Kagawa.
Mr. Kagawa: Follow-up on Niumalu Park. Councilmembers
received one of emails that said we did a great job in closing down Hanama`ulu Park, but it
appears that some have gone to Niumalu, is that true?
Mr. L. Rapozo: One (1) individual.
Mr. Kagawa: Okay.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I met with them...first week in March. I met
with the Niumalu community and talked about some of the uses of the park. First it
started with the way we managed the pavilion. Then we talked about a whole bunch of
stuff. Met with and talked about the racing and the individual down there that moved
from Hanama`ulu to Nawiliwili and now she is over there. Met with Public Works. Met
with the Police Department. Spoke to Harbors, because some of the issues involve noise
from the yacht club and Harbors said it is ongoing and they are trying to work with
that...deal with that. Trying to work with the Cruise line guys because there is some stuff
that goes on, on Thursday nights. It is a pilot project with the way we manage the pavilion.
It is about a little less than a month now that we instituted and we are having a meeting
again with the community next week on the 10th to see how it has been with the pilot
project. We may extend the pilot project a little longer to get better feedback from it and
see what...and then I am bringing of course Public Works and KPD with me, so that they
can address their portion as how to we want to handle what is going on down there.
Mr. Kagawa: I agree as a whole that facility is pretty old and it
would be nice at some point to begin the stage of actually knocking that thing down.
Mr. L. Rapozo: That is part of the large comfort station /
medium comfort station, small comfort station, and we can just do that.
Mr. Chock: Thank you, Chair, just to follow-up on
Councilmember Kagawa. I think what we have seen since we have cleared the area, there
are a lot of homeless actually in that area, that are now in the park. So there might have
been one transfer, I think when you go down there, there are quite a few.
Mr. L. Rapozo: There is one that they had brought to our
attention.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Rapozo?
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you, Mr. Chair. You mentioned racing?
Is that one of the complaints?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Down there.
Mr. Rapozo: Racing vehicles, vehicle racing?
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Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Rapozo: I am glad because we just had a discussion
yesterday.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I guess the way they say that the design of the
road and going up to Alekoko they come around that turn and I find it pretty amazing
because there is a speed bump as you go up towards Alekoko. I am thinking when they
come down they are probably racing as well.
Mr. Rapozo: Or they drift going up, just for the sake of
drifting and slowing down for the bump and tearing it up again.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I had meetings with KPD and I had meetings
with Public Works. There is some line of sight issues that they brought up regarding when
they come out of that intersection.
Mr. Rapozo: I went there yesterday and I looked the
alignment and I am just having a hard time understanding how you will put a two-way
bridge with the approach because it is narrow. I know it is not a Parks issue, but it affects
the park. Thank you. I was interested to hear that was one of the complaints from the
community.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Lenny, you may want to put that on
your radar screen because we asked Engineering about a community meeting.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Public Works and KPD I have asked them to
come with me on the 10th when I reengage with the community again.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you. JoAnn?
Ms. Yukimura: So can I go to the maintenance shelter?
Chair Furfaro: We have got five minutes.
Ms. Yukimura: I can do it in five minutes. So the maintenance
shelter is that big white structure that you have been wanting to remove for a long time?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: That has kind of got a ripped roof and
everything?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Now what is the plan for it?
Mr. L. Rapozo: The plan is still the same. We want to split it
with half going to the west baseyard and half to the east to put our assets underneath.
Ms. Yukimura: That will be done when now.
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Mr. L. Rapozo: The IFB is out now and bidding should be done
by Friday. Again to Ian's credit, he had to really...the problem was trying to get the plans
of the structure from the manufacturer. That was a hold up with him completing how we
are going to break it up to move. He finally got it and he finished the bid documents and it
has been out to bid and the close of bidding will be Friday.
Ms. Yukimura: When can we expect it to be removed?
Mr. L. Rapozo: June...at least it gets the contracts, to looking
more like June, maybe.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. I know some people will be very happy.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I think we were doing our due diligence to move
it and not just crush it.
Ms. Yukimura: At one point we were going donate to a
non-profit.
Mr. L. Rapozo: The County can use it.
Ms. Yukimura: That is great.
Mr. L. Rapozo: If the non-profit wanted to bring whatever to
take it down...people have asked and I have always said we wanted to use it.
Ms. Yukimura: That is very good. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Members, I am going to share with you, Lenny
you are coming back next week Thursday anyway and there is a little bit left on your CIP
piece and I would like to see if we could finish it during your time next week Thursday?You
only have a couple of items there. Let me see if it is acceptable to the members? Mr.
Hooser?
Mr. Hooser: I have been waiting to ask questions about the
budget and I will not be here next Thursday. My questions will not take a lot of time.
Chair Furfaro: Why do not I give you the floor now?
Mr. Hooser: Thank you. It is general questions regarding the
Park budget and CIP and they are budget-related questions. Because I think we kind of
forget that we are doing the budget and it is a good opportunity to talk in general, but we
are facing a huge shortfall in terms of having a sustainability budget. My question is
similar to the question that I asked the other day in terms of General Fund, Special Funds,
and Bond Funds and I noticed there are about 14 projects that are new projects totaling in
round numbers three million dollars ($3,000,000), just rough math. Are there projects here
that Special Funds can only be used for certain projects in certain districts? So the goal
would be, and the Council has worked on this, but I would much rather have the
Administration work on what projects can be taken out of Special Funds and shifted to
Bond Funds and to be used for General Fund purposes. Looking at this, it seems like there
are some General Fund projects, some Bond Funded and some Special Funds and my
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follow-up question is on the maintenance part. I hope we are not using...we can use Special
Project Funds, Special Trust Funds I should say on maintenance, also, I believe. If you
want to address have you looked at maximizing the General Funds? Or minimizing the
General Funds, I mean?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes. These projects here are capital in nature.
So when we make the requests, we leave it up to the Mayor because some of these lighting
things, I have asked for them in years past and they have given us enough money to do
some and not all. So yes, the only other Special Fund that Parks has is the 209 fund that
we talked about, the Revolving Maintenance Fund. That money is there that we have used
in the past and tried to maximize that use to alleviate some of the burden on the General
Fund. We have done that for maybe two or three years now, but it is gotten to the point
that we have used that money and now we have to use General Fund money to do our
maintenance work.
Mr. Hooser: If I could just interject for a second?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes.
Mr. Hooser: I really appreciate the presentation and all the
work that Parks is doing. I am just trying to figure out the money. We have the Special
Trust Funds and my thought is using those funds to replace Bond Funds and General
Funds and then take Bond Funds that you are replacing and use that in other parts of the
budget to free up General Funds. We talked about park benches and facilities and stuff
that maybe is not capital money, but it is my understanding that we can also use those
Special Trust Funds for those items and thus free up more General Funds. My goal is to
not take away our health moneys, to find $10 million or so in General Funds and taking
them in these ways is one option. So if you could address that, thank you.
Mr. Suga: Councilmember for the budget that is in front of
you currently one of the challenges that we had and I worked closely with the Budget
Analyst.
Mr. Hooser: If you could just speak a little bit louder.
Mr. Suga: To answer your question with regard to some of
the 402 Fund district moneys I work closely with the Budget Analyst to try to fund certain
projects in certain districts because not all of the districts had an equal amount of
unassigned balance, if you will. So there was some creativeness in terms of in some areas
we needed to fund with General Fund moneys and looking at the big picture, inclusive of
Bond Funds this is our proposed balanced budget, incorporating all of the things...we did
take that into consideration. I saw the communication that was sent over looking at
General Fund projects that could possibly be Bond Funded. I am working on putting
together that communication back. So to answer your question, that is kind of process that
we went through, to look at all of the different districts and see what funds were available.
Unassigned and what we could bring forward to balance everything out. On the Bond Fund
side we do have a limited amount. To do the movement that you are speaking towards, it
would require removing...defunding something Bond Funded projects that are proposed.
Mr. Hooser: My goal would be not to spend any General
Funds at all unless legally required to for CIP projects. To use as much of these Park Trust
Funds as we can to supplant, if you would, Bond money and General Fund money for
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things, like park benches and things that it is applicable. The fourteen (14) new projects,
it begs the question of how many of these will actually be done? We want to do all of this,
but the reality is at the end of the year, there will be lots of projects more than likely and it
is just a question of how much money...how much of these can be done during the coming
year and can that money be spent better in terms of reducing the impact to the General
Fund?
Chair Furfaro: Before we answer that, that was an excellent
summary of a question that I think you should give some thought, but I am five minutes
over the required break time. We are going to take a break for ten (10) minutes. When we
come back, Mr. Hooser will still have the floor. Mr. Hooser will be anticipating a response
then. Okay. We are on a caption break.
There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 11:14 a.m.
There being no objections, the Committee was called back to order at 11:28 a.m., and
proceeded as follows:
Chair Furfaro: As we come back from recess I would like to say
that I would like to finish this up by 11:45 a.m. If we can put a call out to Housing, I would
appreciate it. I would like Housing from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and then 12:30 p.m. we
will break for lunch. 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Planning. 2:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. on
Transportation. If we need to go to 3:30 p.m. we will and then rejoin our Special Counsel
at 3:30 p.m. So we left with Steve, you are prepared to respond to Mr. Hooser. Mr. Hooser
you still have the floor.
Mr. Hooser: Thank you, I did speak briefly with the Director
of Finance and I believe we are on the stage. I will restate quickly we had our general
budget presentation last week and we are in a very tight fiscal situation. We do not have
the reserves that we had in prior years to draw upon. We are taking extraordinary
measures to balance the budget and I do not believe that the community as a whole and
probably a lot of people that are working with the budget realize the urgency of the matter.
If we had another Lehman Brother's meltdown when property values dropped or another
hurricane or tidal wave or disruption of economy, we do not have money in the bank to
draw upon of any significance whatsoever, nothing and we are in dire straits, but we do not
really appreciate how dire it is. It is my objective in working with the Administration to
maximize the amount of General Funds that we have available, number one. So the theory
is we look at CIP projects like we are talking about here across the board, and we minimize
the use of General Fund moneys on these projects. In areas like here we are talking
specifically the Special Trust Funds, the Parks Special Trust Funds these funds have to be
spent on Parks in the district.
Chair Furfaro: In the district for which the taxes were paid.
Mr. Hooser: That is right and there are areas that Special
Trust Funds could be used for Bond Funds and likewise there are instances that Special
Trust Funds can be used for maintenance, equipment, tables, furniture, facilities.
Therefore, save General Funds that would otherwise be used. The downside of that and I
will be quiet and let the Director respond and I will be forthright about this, by taking these
Special Trust Funds and using them appropriate and not necessarily for the projects and
would mean delaying the projects and that is the situation that we are in. We cannot have
it all, as much as we would like to have it all and the reality is some of these projects would
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not be completed anyways and there is some room to move the budget around. I did speak
to the Director of Finance and I said to him it would be easy for the Administration to take
this line of thought and do the restructuring than the Council to do it. Director?
STEVEN A. HUNT, Director of Finance: In relation to the Special Trust
Funds, Councilmember Hooser is correct it is capital and to some degree R&M and repairs.
The issue becomes if we are going to be supplanting operational R&M it has to be done by
district and I do not believe the operational R&M budget is prepared by district. It is just a
general R&M line item. So we would have to be very careful if we are going down that
route to defund one of the Special Trust Fund projects that we are proposing in CIP and use
those funds as an R&M line item within the operational budget of Parks and Recreation.
So that is just on a cautionary concern that would be one area that comes up immediately is
are we using appropriately within the districts for which they were assigned? Much easier
with capital-type improvements because you can see and identify them and even R&M that
are spelled out, but we have to be careful how those would be assigned. In totality, the
General Fund - CIP request is approximately $2.37 million of which some items cannot be
redacted out of that budget. For instance the Host Community Benefits is one million one
hundred seventy thousand dollars ($1,170,000) that is not eligible for bond funding. That is
not a capital improvement in nature. So that has to be general funded. The Community
Facilities District (CFD) moneys are project specific and have to be used by ordinance and
part of the overall General Fund plan includes earmarking to projects. To the degree we
can we will shift funds out of General Fund into areas that we know we can supplant with
bond money or Special Trust Fund money. Just on a very cursory basis that is probably
maybe a couple hundred thousand maximum, but I know in a very tight budget even a
couple hundred thousand is worth the effort go through this process. I want to caution
getting into operations R&M Trust Fund would be risky.
Mr. Hooser: As you mentioned a couple hundred thousand is
important and a couple hundred thousand in CIP and a couple hundred thousand in
maintenance, we are getting to my goal. I think the bottom line for me and I think it should
be for the entire County in terms of the budget that we need to be as creative and as frugal
as we possibly can be. Because I really, truly believe that the budget is a very precarious
position and hopefully nothing disrupts our economy, but we do not have, as you know, we
do not have significant funds to draw upon. So it behooves us, I think, to look at some of
these projects and if we can use that money for other purposes General Fund to say maybe
we will do it next year, we will not do it this year. Thank you. Thank you, Chair.
Chair Furfaro: What are you telling me Steve, you are going to
revisit the numbers? I want to make sure that you understand too, from me, I will be
joining you on the 9th with the call to the Bond Counsel. But we go through these peaks
and valleys, where we spend money, and then we go without. What we go without ends up
putting us in positions with long-deferred maintenance. Pools do not get plastered. Pump
houses do not get replaced and so forth. I just want to make sure that we understand there
is a downside that you have got to keep these red-flags out there for us to see every year
especially if you defer something. Because then it really becomes deferred maintenance.
Mr. Hunt: I would agree. With respect to Councilmember
Hooser's comments, being frugal definitely is a concern. Being creative may actually be
doing a disservice. We have drawn quite a bit on the fund balances and that is a major
concern of our rating agencies now. If we are not addressing the imbalance of income and
expense, that does not get us any closer to the end game of a sustainable budget.
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Chair Furfaro: Like I said, I will join you the morning of the Stn.
Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: In my experience the budget process is a lot of
good minds come to the table and by the end of the day we make changes and maneuvers. I
really support the intent of Councilmember Hooser's questions about...because if we find
one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000), that is one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000)
and when we think of these big numbers it does not sound like much, but ten of those is
million dollars ($1,000,000). My question how too is one of the things that I very much
valued about our Parks Department for many years is its ability to respond to community
needs when they are readied to step up. So my only concern about this discussion is that we
make sure that we do not impair Park's ability. People come up with great ideas and
Parks says yes and community puts in sweat equity and we get an improvement for ten
thousand dollars ($10,000), twenty thousand dollars ($20,000), to define whatever
mechanisms that we have, even if there are only a few left. Certainly would not want to
say no to a community group that is out there organizing, because we get such a big bang-
for-the-buck. I do not think those are inconsistent. Get what we can from these forums, but
make sure that we leave enough for Parks to have that flexibility in each district. Would
you agree with that, Mr. Rapozo?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, I agree with you.
Mr. Bynum: Thank you.
Mr. L. Rapozo: I think the one caution is that when we do
projects and you are right, some of these projects will not be completed, but when we go to
contract, the total has to be encumbered.
Chair Furfaro: I understand that you will come back to us
money that is not encumbered for some money for other equipment and I will wait for my
comments for that. Councilmember Yukimura and then Vice Chair Chock.
Ms. Yukimura: How does the 209 Fund interface with all of this?
Are you using it for maintenance?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Currently we use it for both maintenance and
some other projects and we will be coming before this body.
Ms. Yukimura: When you discuss your operating budget?
Mr. L. Rapozo: To discuss the 209 Fund and how we plan to use
the 209 Fund in the next Fiscal Year.
Chair Furfaro: That will be an operational discussion?
Ms. Yukimura: That is a place you could take moneys from?
Mr. L. Rapozo: For maintenance.
Ms. Yukimura: You cannot use it for CIP as well?
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Mr. Hunt: I think the issue is in reconciling getting the 209
Fund into the operational budget from our general ledger side we had to look at what was
approved or encumbered prior to the May legislation, Ordinance No. 941 and what we came
up with balances we had roughly one million two hundred seventy-six thousand dollars
($1,276,000) that was pre-approved or encumbered prior to May and unencumbered two
hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars ($288,000) and since the May Ordinance passed
about forty-nine thousand dollars ($49,000) is still available in the current Fiscal. So that
is some funding that could be used for R&M type of projects or capital, but anything going
forward, again is strictly operational because it is now incorporated into the operating
budget.
Chair Furfaro: I would hope that you were prepared to discuss
that forty-nine thousand dollars ($49,000) balance when we go to operational items next
week, Thursday?
Ms. Yukimura: Actually it is three hundred thirty-seven
thousand dollars ($337,000). That is available.
Mr. Hunt: Two hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars
($288,000), correct.
Ms. Yukimura: Two hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars
($288,000) plus forty-nine thousand dollars ($49,000). Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: You did not make yourself clear to me. Now I am
clear. I thought I heard forty-nine thousand dollars ($49,000). The others had been
committed. So be prepared to answer for how you will creatively work on that for
operational issues? Mr. Chock.
Mr. Chock: Thank you. These projects are really important
projects that we need to get done, but to help kind of get a sense of what Councilman
Hooser is talking about, would it be important...because it is so convoluted in terms of
priority, but help to prioritize where it is that we want to focus our time and energy moving
forward? Maybe that is something that we can prepare for before the next time we come
and have the discussion? That is just a question if that is possible?
Chair Furfaro: Actually, Mr. Chock, that is what they were
supposed to be doing the last three months, preparing for this presentation. Am I right,
yes?
Mr. L. Rapozo: Yes, these are our priorities.
Mr. Chock: Based on the discussion that we are going there
still needs to be more discussion on what goes first and what goes last. That is what I am
trying to get at. I think that is what we have to get a better grip on.
Chair Furfaro: I think the message is when we get through this
whole process, when it is time to cut that is our decision. We would hope that they have
laid this out in some form of priority. Mr. Hooser you have the floor.
Mr. Hooser: To follow-up on Councilmember Chock, the new
projects. The new projects are not encumbered what I can tell from this. So it would be
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helpful to have maybe a list of order of priority and it could be in terms of timing, which
ones are likely to do sooner or others that maybe will not make it this year, that kind of
thing? So, if we are looking at shifting projects we would have some indication from you. I
think that would be helpful.
Chair Furfaro: Actually, I think that will satisfy Mr. Chock and
Mr. Hooser to identify on a separate report to us the new projects by order of priority,
knowing that the one on the bottom may be the one that gets sacrificed.
Mr. L. Rapozo: Okay.
Mr. Hooser: I know that it is not the one that you personally
like or do not like, but I am saying that the ones are likely to happen and that kind priority.
I know it is difficult to say this park is better than that park and that is not what I am
asking, but in terms of implementation. Would be the way I would suggest.
Mr. L. Rapozo: When we come here, since I have been here, we
intend to get all of this stuff done, the new ones. We look at it in terms of the whole Fiscal
Year. So, our intention that we would not come and asking, for instance, lighting. The
design of all lighting has been done. It is a matter of getting the funding and putting
together the bid documents and there are four of them here. We would knock four of them
out with one bid document. I can understand, but from a Parks' standpoint, that is how we
approach the CIP budget.
Chair Furfaro: Again I want to reiterate, because I have given
you folks a lot of time and we have a timetable today to satisfy Mr. Hooser's questions and
Mr. Chock's request, I want you to look at all the new projects that you have and prioritize
them only on the new projects and we would like to see that response to us and we will
continue on this course next week Thursday. Folks, if you want to continue like this, I am
going to cancel Housing or I am going to cancel Transportation.
Ms. Yukimura: Just a procedural question.
Chair Furfaro: Go right ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: So, we did not finish the west side districts?
Chair Furfaro: I said we will continue that on Thursday when
they are here for operations.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Did you folks hear me say that earlier? We all
understand that we will continue west side on your operations date. But in the meantime,
it is important for us to answer the questions by Mr. Hooser and Mr. Chock on the new
projects. Please be prepared to have a prioritized list for us so that we can revisit those
questions.
Mr. Hunt: Just a point of clarity, when you are talking
about prioritization of the new projects you are specifically speaking to ones that are either
funded by General Fund or Special Funds?
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Chair Furfaro: All new projects.
Mr. Hunt: Okay.
Chair Furfaro: I want to see priority lists on all new projects.
Anything that shows up on the yellow line as "new" identified in a prioritized list.
Acceptable to you, Mr. Chock?
Mr. Chock: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: We will continue this discussion on Thursday.
Thank you very much. Nice presentation. We are going to ask Housing to come up now.
Keith we have a handful of projects for the Housing Agency and let us start with the way
we have always started with a quick summary on Housing CIP.
Mr. Suga: There are really just two items and really they
are combined into one project. I will let Kamuela speak to the Affordable Housing project
in the CIP.
KAMUELA COBB-ADAMS, Housing Director: Good morning, Council.
Chair Furfaro: Introduce yourself.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Kamuela Cobb-Adams, Housing Agency.
Chair Furfaro: Welcome.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Thank you. The items that we have here are just
a formality because we are in the process of encumbering them for design of Lima Ola and
we have the contract being worked out now. If everything goes as planned it will not even
be in next year's budget this money, but it is placed there as it has not been encumbered
yet.
Chair Furfaro: It has not been encumbered?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: No, it is...yes, it is in the contract. We got our
final proposal done and it has been contracted right now. I guess I want to clarify what you
mean by"encumbered." The contract is not executed.
Chair Furfaro: That is usually what puts us into a contract that
we have to live by and obey. JoAnn?
Ms. Yukimura: So you said this is Lima Ola. I do not know if
everybody knows what Lima Ola is. What is your...it is going to be infrastructure for how
many units?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: The 273. It is part of a contract to...the entire
project is going to be between four hundred (400) and five hundred fifty (550) units.
Ms. Yukimura: You are going to put in the infrastructure...you
are going to design the infrastructure for all right now?
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Mr. Cobb-Adams: There is off-site...there is some preliminary
engineering needing to happen. There is a lot that needs to happen. Right now the
intent...I do not think we have enough money to design for the whole project, but we need
to do some things for the whole project like the topography of the whole project in order to
design a part of the project. So, it is kind of...so some things are the whole project and
some things are portions of the project, I guess is the scope.
Ms. Yukimura: What is your sequence for doing this project?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: We are going through or finalizing value
engineering, which is basically trying to decrease the cost of the original conceptual plan.
We are currently trying to finishing up all of our studies for the environmental portion, as
well as working with the different State, County, and Federal agencies as to what type of
improvements we are going to need to make off-site.
Ms. Yukimura: But your environmental projects is that an
Environmental Assessment (EA)?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Environmental Assessment, yes.
Ms. Yukimura: You are doing an EA?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Go ahead, I am sorry.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: So we are doing...that is the sequence of it and
the intent is when we get through all of those portions we will also work on the design.
Ms. Yukimura: When you say "design," design of the subdivision
or design of the houses?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: No, design of the subdivision, on-site and off-site.
Ms. Yukimura: Do you have a critical path chart on this?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: You mean like a schedule, a development
schedule?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Yes, we have a development schedule.
Ms. Yukimura: Can you provide that, please.
Chair Furfaro: Keith, by chance do you already have that?
Mr. Suga: I do not have the latest updated one but
Kamuela has that in his files.
Ms. Yukimura: So, what is the plan for the first phase in terms
of building date of units and how many and when?
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Mr. Cobb-Adams: We are finalizing value engineering. In that
value engineering is a possible increase of unit density and we are looking at some changes
of the roads. So that they are just more cost efficient. We are trying to decrease the overall
cost of the infrastructure. So until we finalize that phase, we will not know what the actual
dollar amount. We had an old...we had based on the conceptual plan we had an estimate
for the project. I am trying to basically make that cheaper or less costly by engineering
design.
Ms. Yukimura: You have an estimate for the project which is
how much?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I think it is around one hundred fifty million
dollars ($150,000,000) to one hundred sixty million dollars ($160,000,000).
Ms. Yukimura: To complete the project?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: To complete it in the conceptual design that it
was originally provided.
Chair Furfaro: Point of clarification, JoAnn, may I ask?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: One hundred sixty million dollars ($160,000,000)
project complete. How many units?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: That was originally based on four hundred (400)
and four hundred fifty (450) units depending on how many units we do in the multi-family
portion and also that cost is not intended on being the County cost that includes all the
housing. This type of project we would do...we would enter into a development agreement
with developers so that they could take on a portion, similar to what we are doing with Rice
Camp and Pa'anau. It is going to need private-public partnership in order to happen.
Chair Furfaro: You know how much that comes out on a unit
cost basis?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Per unit cost, probably around four hundred
thousand dollars ($400,000), around there.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you. You have the floor, JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: So, did you do a feasibility study?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: No, there was not...when I came here there was
a study done, which was called a feasibility study, but it was a cost approach. A basic cost
estimate of the design. What we did, we had to come back...see that design is based on
conceptual plans. There were not any commitments from the Department of
Transportation, Department of Water, off-site sewer, and the costs that we are doing now
about preliminary engineering and working with the agencies and doing a Water Master
Plan to identify what the cost is. So even that cost we are still working down that cost, yes.
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Ms. Yukimura: How do you know there will be developers who
will bid on this? When there is no possibility for market housing?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Well, you never know, but that is why we are
doing value engineering.
Ms. Yukimura: But usually you do a feasibility study before you
go through all of this cost. What is the total cost of doing all of this professional services?
What you just described, topography, EA, all of that, what is the total cost?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I do not have all of those costs with me right
now.
Ms. Yukimura: Ballpark?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Topography, you want the whole design?
Ms. Yukimura: Right.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I would think to design a project like this would
cost from $3 to $4 million.
Ms. Yukimura: Why would we go through all of that cost without
knowing whether the project is actually feasible?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: We are not going through that. I think we spent
two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) something on a conceptual plan which we
completed a year and a half ago and now we are spending some more money to lock-down
our costs and to value-engineer it to decrease the costs.
Ms. Yukimura: But a conceptual plan is not a feasibility plan.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Right. So what I am trying to tell you is that you
cannot do a feasibility plan without the appropriate studies and value engineering.
Ms. Yukimura: I guess I beg to differ, the feasibility plan is the
first step and would save you a lot of money.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I would hope that you have some confidence.
There is no request for a feasibility study on Rice Camp and we are breaking ground and
doing good on it.
Ms. Yukimura: You had answers to requests for proposals which
shows there is a market for it. I do not have confidence that there is a market to do a
subdivision with an average cost of four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) a house to
make it affordable housing without market-housing to offset.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Okay. So, I guess on a breakdown, Rice Camp
total cost probably cost close to three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) per unit, but you
use subsidies, tax credits, other types of methods to decrease that cost and partner with
private developers. So the actual cost is not always what the sales price represents. No
affordable housing...you cannot build housing that I know of that is affordable. The cost is
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not affordable to the majority of the people here. So there is going to require some type of
subsidy, creative financing, and creative ways of developing. The Housing Agency has done
a number of things to try to decrease this. With the support of the Council, we worked on
fast-tracking permitting which we hope will be implemented on April 15th and leveraged
our money to get tax credit investors to come here and produce housing. We are looking at
larger projects because there is a way to decrease the costs of average per unit by doing a
larger cost. We are looking at partnering with A&B on this project because they have water
needs in there to offset. So there are a lot of things that we are doing now that is going to
decrease the cost and if you look at the four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) per unit
cost as the end dollar amount that is not correct. That is the cost, but what our target is for
families between one hundred forty percent (140%) of the median income and below. Our
target prices are going to be at those points and we are going have to use partnerships and
financing and other methods to make this project work. I guess that is the best way I can
answer. When it comes to a feasibility study it is never feasible to do affordable housing.
The costs in Hawai`i are too high.
Ms. Yukimura: So what is the feasibility of getting tax credits for
a single family housing project?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: You would not get tax credits for single-family.
Nobody does it. They do tax credits usually for affordable rental and it is multi-family. So
the single-family houses in general you would target at the higher income, so the 140s and
120s, just because those are the only median income groups that could afford probably the
cost of the house.
Ms. Yukimura: Why would you use a majority of County
resources for this project one hundred forty percent (140%) or one hundred twenty percent
(120%) before you meet the need where your charts alone show the greatest need is one
hundred percent (100%) and below?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: We have a mix. So there is a mix of multi-family,
single-family, also our 2011 Housing Study shows there is a huge need for eighty percent
(80%) and below, like you said, but there is a need and demand for single-family housing
and for those who can afford at the higher income levels. I think we should build for those
and build those at cost and not provide subsidy. Why someone else would not do it? It is
risky and they want a certain amount of profit that we would not target that profit.
Ms. Yukimura: Why would it be good to do eighty percent (80%)
in `Ele`ele where the travel costs are great?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I was not here, but my understanding was that
this project was evaluated years ago at the request of the Council to identify land that is
developable for affordable housing. So, they scoured Kaua`i, and this parcel of land had
some development potential because they had sewer capacity. The traffic is not
substantially bad in the area. There is land next to the highway.
Ms. Yukimura: I am not talking about traffic being bad in the
area, but people getting to work, traffic into Lihu`e and Po`ipu.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Po`ipu it is about fifteen (15) to twenty (20)
minute drive to Po`ipu and twenty (20) to twenty-five (25) minutes to PMRF which are both
major centers of work for the west side of Kaua`i. It is also more ideally located in that it is
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the first place on the west side if you come from Kekaha side it is out of the tsunami
evacuation zone. I think `Ele`ele is a great idea to grow. I think if you look at the economy,
you go down there, we took the HHFDC Director there from the State last week after...or
two weeks ago after the groundbreaking and it was booming. There were so many tourists
in that industrial area. I think that town is ideally situated for growth.
Ms. Yukimura: I agree it is situated for some growth, but
four hundred (400) to five hundred (500) houses and you have to do a comparative study.
Chair Furfaro: Excuse me, JoAnn, we are not going to revisit the
whole merits of the project in this CIP budget. I want you to focus your questions on unit
costs associated with the project. Now that is what this budget discussion is. If you want a
new item to revisit the concept, the selection, and so forth, I will be glad to put it in your
Housing Committee. This is a CIP budget.
Ms. Yukimura: I am asking about unit costs because now...
Chair Furfaro: Now you are asking about unit costs, I agree.
Ms. Yukimura: The cost of travel is part of the cost of housing.
That is how now people calculate housing. I asked about that and Kamuela gave me some
good things, but it is about comparative sites and where you put...so that is the issue for me
which I have not heard a comparative analysis.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Like I said, the Housing Agency has looked for
and still continues to look for other sites to develop. This was identified as an ideal location
given what was available and given the development potential for the property. Like I said
we bought this piece of property for about the same price we bought Rice Camp and it can
realize...we are at eighty-four (84), so at least six times as many units.
Ms. Yukimura: It is also important Ag lands. So the question is
why could you not do a smaller project that might be really appropriate for `Ele`ele? Like
one hundred (100) units? Or even two hundred (200), but four hundred (400) units...I
mean, I would support a smaller project, but when you talk about four hundred (400) in
`Ele`ele, it makes no sense to me, especially if they are primarily single-family.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn, we have other questions from other
members. Will you yield the floor for a few minutes?
Ms. Yukimura: I am actually done. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum and then Mr. Kagawa.
Mr. Bynum: I will try to keep this focused. I do not want to go
back to the debate of whether we should build there or not. The decision I was not that
comfortable with, but it is already been made. So, I am in a different space. There were
different things that happened before that the Council was unaware of when we did that
and I have discussed this with you in past and I want to get more of a sense of status on
that and context, okay? It had to do...what I did not know was about deed restrictions. I
voted for this project based on the premise that it would employee modern principles of
Smart Growth and cost efficiencies, right? That it would bring in all of these concepts. The
scale I supported because it was a big scale and it had the scale to bring and incorporate the
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Smart Growth principles and found out subsequently there were deed restrictions that I
was not informed of when I made the original vote that kept us from using many of the
principles. We cannot do mixed-use development, we cannot have a retail component and
do all kinds of things that would have brought the costs down and make it more livable. So
I am very unhappy about that. The last discussion that we had, there was...you would
pursue looking at that issue again. Can you give me an update on that?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: We did meet with A&B about that issue. They
did not have a problem with doing commercial property, but we have not gotten to the point
where we asked them to put it in writing.
Mr. Bynum: I understand that this process is going ahead. I
am very likely to support this and other efforts to move ahead with this, because I was in
the camp that felt we should relook at that land purchase after the economy turned for
many of the same reasons JoAnn is saying. That half of the units in Lihu`e may be cost-
effective because of the transportation issues. Now we have the seventy-five (75) acres. It
is in coffee right now, which is also the people have a hard time with is if the coffee was so
important and it is Important Agricultural Lands (JAL), why are we doing this where we
have productive Ag lands that are actually producing a product and revenue? But those
are old issues to me "old" in terms that I cannot undo the decision and direction that we
want and I do not want to. But I really want to watch this direction really closely and see it
evolve. So, I have issues with how this conceptual design...I met with the people who did
the conceptual design. This is before you were here, Kamuela. I said why did you not
incorporate this Smart Growth principle? Why did you not incorporate this? Oh, we were
told not to. It is like so they...the original guys were not given free rein to bring their best
product to the table. So that original conceptual design is not really meaningful to me. I
think I hear you saying that we cannot rely on that as the template, do you agree?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: You know, I look at Smart Growth and I am a
fan of Smart Growth. Went to the conference this year for the first time and I look at
`Ele`ele and they have a bunch of commercial area zoned for that. You can look at it two
ways, spread out your commercial into the different residential areas, or connect your
current residential better to existing commercial.
Mr. Bynum: I do want to ask the Chair of the Housing
Committee for us to have further discussion...for me, not about if we are going to do this,
but just these details going forward. Right? Because it is not set in stone yet clearly from
your statements, how many units? What mix of single-family versus multi-family? You
said there is the potential open door to change the deed restrictions to bring some many of
the elements should they be deemed appropriate? The way those deed restrictions cut us
off from even having the dialogue and I want to see movement on that and I guess I will
turn it into a question for the County Attorney. Because you are doing what the Housing
Agency has done really well for many years in my opinion. By hook or crook, creative
financing, but you know, I have been looking into that creative financing too. There are
things called tax incremental financing that we could use in a mixed-use development,
right? But because we have these deed restrictions, can you commit to look and give me a
better answer about deed restrictions? If they are saying they do not have a problem, let us
change the deed and get these restrictions out of there, so we do not have our options
truncated by getting out lawyered again, in essence.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I really appreciate that input. Respectfully, the
Housing Agency, I think has done a tremendous job. I just want to continue it and looking
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far down the road, this project is a multiple-year project and will be done as the market can
bear it. I think it was a great investment by the County to take this land, because land
values are much higher than when we bought the land. My passion is that we are so far
behind. We needed close to one thousand (1,000) affordable housing units from 2011 and
we have not done much. So I guess what I am trying to say that we have so much
momentum and you are not the only one who wants to change things. I guess I am just
saying that I want to move forward.
Mr. Bynum: Kamuela, I agree with you one hundred percent
(100%) and please do not take what I am saying as a criticism of the Housing Agency. A lot
of these decisions were political decisions. You are fulfilling the task that the Mayor and
the majority of the Council set for you. Please do not take what I am saying as criticism
and I am changing those parts that are amenable to change. I am saying that we are
committed to this, I want to be involved in these...and I think rest of the Council does to get
the best project we can for the County and I think this issue of deed restrictions is an
important one to resolve. It may not make a difference in the long run, right? We may just
go with the project and the deed restrictions were not part of the problem or the issue. I
could go on and talk about neighborhood-commercial versus big things and the connection
issues. Let us do that later. In the meantime though, can you look at this deed restriction
and work with the County Attorney to see if we can get rid of it? If you have heard from the
landowners that they are open to that, let us take it to the next step.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: We could, but I guess what I am saying, it will be
detrimental to moving forward, our environmental studies are not based on commercial use
and we are pretty far along with the environmental studies.
Mr. Bynum: Let me close with this. I am not trying to be
oppositional, Kamuela. These are questions that we still have time to address. We can still
address these questions. So value engineering, that is a big red-flag for me after fourteen
(14) years of being around these County things. Sometimes it is great and it is important.
You learn how to do things more efficiently and more cost-effectively. Other times, you do
not...the motive to go into value engineering is that you did not like the bid and want to cut
the cost. A couple of examples. We valued engineered the Golf Course then we had to come
back with a separate project to fix the problem. So sometimes value engineering is like too
much money and you take away the things in the project that was going to make it livable,
walkable, a place that people want to live. We have to convince people to go from
single-family to multi-family by building a multi-family with public spaces that they want
to live in. Value engineering is really a red-flag for me. Another example is the restroom at
Kealia, that is part of the bike path.
Chair Furfaro: Excuse me, I think you have made your point on
value engineering.
Mr. Bynum: I will close with this statement, when we follow-
up on these issues, I want to ask more about what was the motive to value engineer.
Because sometimes the motives are different and the outcomes are different.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I can directly answer that. Our intent is to keep
the value in the project, but yet change some of the design elements so it decreases the
costs. So shifting walking paths in certain areas instead of doing curb and gutter, a ten (10)
foot swale that improves percolation to the ground, but puts the sidewalk away from the
road. Saves us a lot of money. So we can save millions of dollars just in concrete. The
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intent of value engineering is the Federal government has cut our budget. The Housing
Agency is funded mostly by Federal money. The theory behind value engineering it is
easier to cut millions of dollars than to find millions of dollars. If we can do the project that
has the same type of value, but make slight changes that make it more affordable to build,
that is what we are looking at doing. Like I said, it is easier to save a million dollars than
find a million dollars. So that is what we are trying to do with value engineering.
Chair Furfaro: We appreciate your answer.
Mr. Bynum: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Kagawa.
Mr. Kagawa: Thank you. You know, I come from a kind of
different perspective and we all have our differences. Because for me, I grew up right
there. I went to `Ele`ele School. The Cliffside, Hanapepe Cliffside project, that was built
two houses away from me I think in 1984. I was about eighteen (18) years old. It was all
sugar land. The Cliffside project we had many questions back in 1984 because I think on
the west side, it was already kind of affordable, but the Cliffside was even a better deal. I
do not know it was one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000)...it was really affordable
to that time and the Cliffside project turned out to be a success, Hanapepe Heights
Cliffside?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I am assuming so.
Mr. Kagawa: I am just go trying to go back in history and
`Ele`ele Nani was on Ag land and that turned out to be successful and that was done...you
know what year`Ele`ele Nani?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I know it was done by A&B, probably 15 years
ago.
Ms. Yukimura: 1998.
Mr. Kagawa: So this is long overdue. How many units are the
Cliffside and`Ele`ele Nani?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I think the total is between five hundred (50) to
six hundred (600) units, but I am not sure what the affordable component is.
Mr. Kagawa: Each?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: The total of the `Ele`ele Nani around the park
and school.
Mr. Kagawa: So if it is done in the 1990s we are looking at
twenty (20) something years since we have had a nice, affordable project on west side. So I
am in favor. Everybody is crying to me about Waimea High School enrollment is now 600.
When I was going to school there it was nine hundred (900). So we need new families to
move there. I do not think we can fit everybody in Lihu`e. I think if they work in Lihu`e we
have to make transportation and fix that problem by the tunnel of trees or something. We
have to allow people...twenty (20) miles should be far away. To say I am not going to live
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there because twenty (20) miles is too far for me. Some people love living on the west side,
like me. I loved it. It was just a burden because of the traffic. That is why I moved. But to
me, we have got to fix that infrastructure and it will work. We cannot say...dictate to
people where they should live because of where the jobs are. We have got to let the west
side thrive as well and we have done the Rice Camp and I am happy. So the per unit costs
that we are looking at four hundred thousand dollars ($400,000) includes the
infrastructure?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: I am sorry, I did not anticipate this amount of
detail and I came a little unprepared. What we really look at from the Housing Agency is
leveraging entitled land and some infrastructure costs. I am focused mostly on decreasing
that, so the developers come with the vertical and cost of the on-site infrastructure. What a
project like this does...we focus on that amount and we use that to get partnerships from
the Federal government and State government. I guess when you look at the per unit
cost...that is not always the cost.
Mr. Kagawa: It might go down.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: With Rice Camp we paid for the land and gave
them Federal money in the form of a low-interest loan and they have the money for the rest
of the project.
Mr. Kagawa: You are saying there may be some opportunities
as we progress?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: That is the only way to do it.
Mr. Kagawa: I do not know if you already briefed me. Is the
plan to go green, as much as we can? I know solar water hearts is heaters is required now?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Yes.
Mr. Kagawa: And possibly photovoltaic?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: We are like a Master Plan. We are designing the
infrastructure for as green as possible with what I call it green swales. I do not want to go
into too much detail. For the buildings we create criteria for the developers to meet the
green component and we give them a framework of green initiatives that we want in it and
choose the developer that has the greenest types of buildings with the best qualities.
Mr. Kagawa: I think we have got to do it to the maximum
extent, because there is a lot of also Federal and State tax credits that...the reason why a
lot of us do not go green because we do not have that large sum to do it now and for a new
buyer, we can do it right now because we just add it into their costs and they will get that
tax benefit. So please look into all of the photovoltaic. You do not want to put more panels
than a single-family would need, but to work on that end would gain my support even more.
Thank you. Thank you, Chair.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Rapozo?
Mr. Rapozo: Thank you. I try hard just to limit my discussion
to questions, but I think I need just for the public anyway that Mr. Chair, I think you
remember back in probably 2002-2003 we co-introduced a Resolution from Mayor Baptiste
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to land bank, to put money aside in the budget to land bank because we did not have any
opportunity for the County to offer to developers other than as an extraction for
development. There was no opportunity for the County to offer any kind of assistance or
subsidy, if you will for the development of affordable housing. I remember the Resolution
and I think we set aside three million dollars ($3,000,000) to five million dollars
($5,000,000) in the budget back in the day when we had money. This project I believe was
the first purchase that we had made, I think, Mr. Chair, correct me if I am wrong this is the
first one we utilized the fund to purchase land. I guess I want to just say that I think that
was a smart choice. I think we can all have differing opinions as Mr. Kagawa said, but I
think the project is a great project and I think we need to get out of your way so you can
make it happen. I think what you have done for this County since you have been here...the
Housing Agency has always been blessed with great Administrators and leaders and
continue to do that, but I think there comes the point we need to get out of your way and
let you do what you do best. I mean no disrespect to my colleagues, but we have had this
discussion numerous times. This is a budget matter and it is not even a new item. It is a
carryover from the last budget year. But I definitely would support an update.
Councilmember Yukimura, in your Housing Committee where we can have the dialogue
and the discussion. But from all that I know and maybe I do not know enough, but from all
that I know, the project, I can tell you I support it and I thank you for your creative ways
to make these things happen. Rice Camp was just one, I think, that was...I do not want to
say unorthodox, but it was definitely creative and it works and I trust in your leadership. I
really want to see this project get off the ground and built to get local families in homes. I
just wanted to make that comment.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you for reminding me of our joint
Resolution back eleven (11) years ago. I am going to make a couple of statements and then
give the floor to Councilwoman Yukimura. First of all, I want to make sure that you
understand because I felt a little sensitivity from you. I want you to know that I think you
are doing a great job. Maybe we do not tell people often enough. Good job. Good job, young
man.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Thank you very much.
Chair Furfaro: I would like to see after the budget though, as
Mr. Rapozo had talked about and I know JoAnn would like to do this after the budget, if we
could have something on the agenda and I want to make sure that we pick a Committee day
that we do not have a lot of things on the agenda, because we are committed to this. But I
would like to have the discussion focused around a list that we all understand when we are
talking about the "deed restrictions." Second piece, I would like to make sure that we have
a better understanding of what kind of green initiatives perhaps, will be in the project? I
would like to be able to know what is available to us possibly in tax credits? I would like to
have a little better understanding of the phases of the incremental...once designed the
incremental infrastructures? Are there partners out there that will help us with that?
Because here is really the bottom line on a project like this. If we are unit cost of one
hundred three thousand dollars ($103,000) for everything, roads, sewers, water, buildings,
those are a cost to us. If our target market, the top is one hundred twenty percent (120%),
those people in one hundred twenty percent (120%) will only qualify for housing in the
three hundred twenty-six thousand dollars ($326,000) range. So you have got to think the
difference between the four hundred three thousand dollars ($403,000) and three hundred
twenty-six thousand dollars ($326,000) and that difference is what government will
subsidize. Okay? For doing affordable housing. Then we have to bring in how do we offset
that with tax credits and other partners and so forth? So we have to have this discussion.
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But I would like to do it sometime after the budget, maybe early July, you know? We get
through the new year. Would you be able to help us more with this type of discussion then?
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Definitely.
Chair Furfaro: Sounds like a plan. JoAnn, you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, I think Mel was there when I spoke at the
Rice Camp groundbreaking blessing and the biggest part of my speech was congratulating
the Mayor for appointing Kamuela. So my questions do not indicate any lack of confidence
in his ability. But I do reserve the right to ask project-specific questions about the project
and the only reason I keep bringing them up, because I do not feel like I have gotten
adequate answers about them. I think it is an inherently difficult project. Four hundred
thousand dollars ($400,000) a unit versus three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) a unit
at Rice Camp is a huge difference per unit and if the project does not get tax credits, that is
an even harder thing. The question is how much money do we put in? Or what projects we
have access to? Or what resources do we have access to? Where do we put that and get the
most leverage? I just want to say in terms of a question, Kamuela, Tim's point about deed
restriction is really fundamental. Because if you know that you can have other uses there, it
changes the whole nature of the project. It will change the whole nature of the
infrastructure analysis, too. Plus it is related to the plan for `Ele`ele and Hanapepe. If
there is an urban growth boundary, that plan I did when I was Planning Director in 1980,
maybe...Planning Committee Chair, sorry. Was 1980. So how does all of that huge
expansion relate to the growth of the community? That is a Planning question. But
hopefully it is aligned with our planning, our overall planning. But coming back to the deed
restriction issue on that particular parcel, if you do not have the deed restrictions, it opens
up all kinds of possibilities that could make the project more feasible on a long range. Now
the other thing is you say we need housing, that is what is driving me. How fast will we be
able to get housing there, versus putting our resources...we did not know Rice Street was
available whether the land banking resolution came out and only in the course of events
that cost two million dollars ($2,000,000) and we are breaking ground thanks to you and
Makani and other's good work, but that was a much easier project to break ground on and
are there other parcels that we are able to do that? That is my question.
Chair Furfaro: I want to make sure that we understand, I think
JoAnn will agree to put this in her Committee in early July when we get through this year.
Along the lines of the questions that I outlined for you. Nobody here...we thought perhaps
we were farther along with some of the infrastructure numbers and units and so forth and
we would hope that we would be there with some firmer answers, not final answers, but
just firmer answers. We are going to go ahead without any more questions and adjourn for
lunch. You only had the one item for today. When we come back from lunch, I think we are
going to Economic Development at 1:30 p.m. That is where we will continue. Thank you
very much, and I have to concur, JoAnn has great praise for you. She is very pleased with
the work. So do not be too sensitive.
Mr. Cobb-Adams: Thank you all.
Chair Furfaro: Have a great lunch.
There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 12:29 p.m.
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There being no objections, the Committee was called back to order at 1:32 p.m., and
proceeded as follows:
Chair Furfaro: We are back from our lunch recess, and I would
like to ask Keith if he could come up again, and we are going to be dealing next with
Economic Development.
Mr. Suga: Thank you Chair, Keith Suga, County CIP
Manager, for the record. We are going move on to the Office of Economic Development CIP
items, and the first item would be on the bottom of page 1. Alternative Energy Projects. At
this time I would like to call up Ben Sullivan to kind of give you a brief overview of this
project, this initiative.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
BEN SULLIVAN, Energy Coordinator: Hello, members of the Council
thank you for the opportunity to have this discussion. My name is Ben Sullivan, Energy
Coordinator, Economic Development. We have a number of initiatives underway that
relate to the CIP and one, I think that you all had some discussion on already is the
utilization of gas from Kekaha Landfill. So the status of that is noted here. We are...we
have advertised and are currently reviewing submittals for a consultant to help us with
feasibility, but we have done a lot of in-house review and feel it merits this movement and
we are very excited about that opportunity. That is one listed. Another is doing some
energy optimization at the Civic Center, that relates to the renovations being designed for
the Piikoi Building. As Public Works was embarking on this design process for the Piikoi
Building, we decided this was a good time to look comprehensively at the whole facility and
try do some real good scrutiny of the energy system and optimization and that includes an
audit, as well as a review of the mechanical systems and what not. We expect to see some
energy savings out of the whole facility from that. There is also a reference here to support
for the gas collection and control system out of Kekaha. So, I already mentioned the
utilization of methane, but a concurrent step is actually designing the system to capture the
methane. Any discussion?
Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Ben. First of all, Ben I want to ask
you that I personally have been very patient on the cooling systems across the County, but I
have to tell you starting with just some of the basic understandings of what the chill water
temperature should be set at does not seem to be a constant program throughout the
County. Today you folks are here and we have no chill water because the compressor is
down and I could not even use this as an example. I am wondering, they did not schedule
us today to shut us down, so when you guys were in front of me I could show you. Or did
you want us to operate with all the windows open for natural ventilation. What are the
chill water plans throughout the County?
Mr. Sullivan: Certainly some of this knowledge lies with Brian
Inouye, but there is an opportunity for optimizing chill water temperature, but it is not
something steady throughout the year or even throughout a given period of time, it relates
to outdoor temperature and demand on the system. There are a couple of things that we
can do and some that we are doing.
Chair Furfaro: I want to caution and make sure you understand
you are speaking to a 39-year hotel veteran who dealt with and TRANE and many air
conditioning systems about cooling systems in hotels. I understand those basics.
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Mr. Sullivan: Right, I think I am speaking to the whole Council
so I am trying to address the issue as thoroughly as possible.
Chair Furfaro: I am not trying to be sassy with you, but nobody
can tell me.
Mr. Sullivan: We have made a small adjustment at the Civic
Center to see the outcome as far as chill water temperature and just raising it a degree. It
seems like a small measure, but there is a reluctance to do that without outside help. So in
that we now have a team coming in shortly to do that kind of work. We are going to be
looking at those issues as part of the optimization for that facility. There are negative
impacts that potentially could be serious that I think our operations people get concerned
about when we, on our own start bumping up the chill water temperature. We are taking a
cautious approach but we are doing something about it. We have not taken the same
adjustments at the Police facility. However, that facility is going to be looked even sooner
than the Civic Center and that is certainly an item...mechanical optimization is an item on
the radar. There may be further opportunities in that keeping up with the developments in
terms of system optimization and software management is an amazing time right now. The
tools are really incredible and so there may be future requests to be able to do even more
with that, but I think we should be able to tell you something much more definitively when
these two projects have moved out. The Police facility we expect analysis back in the
summer from the University of Hawai`i. You approved that request for gift recently. The
Civic Center, I am not as clear on the timeline but I think it is late in 2014 that we will see
the results this include those kind of recommendations that we expect to be moving forward
on very quickly.
Chair Furfaro: Can I ask, at our facilities with Civil Defense,
Police, the Prosecutor's Office, we still have a TRANE automated system there?
Mr. Sullivan: We do.
Chair Furfaro: Is Brian programed to actually set chill water
temperatures seasonally?
Mr. Sullivan: I would have to consult with Brian on that to find
out.
Chair Furfaro: I would like to say as we are talking in terms of
chill water, we do not want the chill water cooler. We want to move it up and what I hear
you are moving it up one degree at a time. If I went to the shop and I wanted to look at the
chill water setting, what would I find? What degree?
Mr. Sullivan: I believe that we moved it up from forty-four (44)
to firth-five (45). But again, I would need to check that...that is not information that I have,
but it is my best recollection.
Chair Furfaro: I am going to say that you could probably move
that up three (3) degrees to forty-eight (48) and not have too much of a problem with the
circulating water as it comes back to the plants. But that is just my observation. But your
plan is about one (1) degree each time and then kind of get a feeling?
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Mr. Sullivan: Well, what our strong preference is to take the
advice of the mechanical engineers that are going to come in and help us, because there are,
in fact, negative outcomes that are possible as you well know. One (1) of the issues that is I
think alarming to people who do not have the depth of experience like myself and Brian in
terms of mechanical engineering background is possibilities that relate to humidity and
concerns about not taking enough humidity out or having too much availability in humidity
in the building. Your message is loud and clear and we have taken steps and certainly
something that we are very well aware of and two the projects on the books are moving
forward to address these issues.
Chair Furfaro: I want to understand as a hotelier, you are
dealing with humidity that sets in behind wallpaper in guest rooms and mildew that has to
be under the carpet, but it has been four years ago I went over and set the chill water
temperature. It is something that I think there is a bigger opportunity for us on energy
savings. I just needed to say that. I would like to be informed maybe in six months of the
progress that you are making with all of our chill water.
Mr. Sullivan: Sure, I will make that note.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you. There is a real need for a couple
people who can go into and set temperatures and override them depending on the large
swings in climate that we have, especially during the business week. Currently does our
contract allow TRANE to do that from Honolulu?
Mr. Sullivan: You know Brian manages that more directly
than I do. We do have the capacity to do that. The question for us is more one of operational
concerns. Myself and Brian both have the ability to access that system and make those
adjustments ourselves directly.
Chair Furfaro: Okay. Thank you. JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: Hi Ben.
Mr. Sullivan: Hi.
Ms. Yukimura: On this professional service for renewable
natural resource...natural gas resource feasibility study?
Mr. Sullivan: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: What is the scope of work?
Mr. Sullivan: Well, the scope of work has not been negotiated.
It was a solicitation for professional services so it is qualifications that we solicited, but the
scope of work will be to look at the natural renewable natural gas resources that the
County has under its control including the landfill, but also food waste, and the waste
stream. We are asking the consultant that we bring in to look at those resources in
combination, because if we are going to use renewable natural gas it is going to...those
both...both of those resources will come into play. So there is a lot coming out of the
landfill, but also the potential to capture food waste and put it into the existing digesters at
the Lihu`e Wastewater Treatment Plant and utilize gas from that as well and the added
benefit of that project is to get significant diversion from the waste stream.
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Ms. Yukimura: So what is the end in mind for this feasibility
study?
Mr. Sullivan: The end in mind is to have enough information to
move forward definitively with the utilization of the gas resources that we control. So that
will almost certainly include utilization of the landfill gas and one way or another, but it
will also very possibly include utilization or upgrades to the Lihu`e digester to yield
additional gas. The feasibility study will include recommendations of fleet modifications,
fueling, and it is the whole system...not just getting the gas out of the landfill. If we get the
gas out the landfill and want to fuel vehicles can we feasibly move that gas from Kekaha to
Lihu`e and then putting it in the fueling stations, and fuel the vehicles? Those kinds of
questions will be part of the scope.
Ms. Yukimura: That is excellent. What level of detail and action
ability are you planning to have at the end of the feasibility study?
Mr. Sullivan: What we hope to get from the feasibility study is
the ability to "A", have a definitive path forward. Or "B" to leverage financing for the
project, if that is necessary and certainly always is in one form or another. And then "C", to
determine from a business standpoint what type of project structure we would like to see.
Obviously there is the potential for public-private partnerships and the potential to put the
resource out for developers and a potential do some of that in-house. The questions will be
clearer at the end of the study because we will know what is necessary and what pieces are
required and what level of expertise to operate these things and what not.
Ms. Yukimura: So what I am hearing is that you hopefully will
have a clear pathway to the end result, which will give you some opportunities for
financing, like grants, etc. Hopefully if it proves to be feasible, it will become a source of
energy for County operations.
Mr. Sullivan: Well, that decision is really yet to be made.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, of course.
Mr. Sullivan: But it very well could be. We know that the gas
resource at Kekaha has value and so the question is how can we get in a better position to
leverage that? That is what the feasibility study is going to do so if, in fact, what we
suspect and which we have studied extensively to be used in vehicle, we would use it
operationally.
Ms. Yukimura: Do you know how much gas the landfill is giving
off?
Mr. Sullivan: The estimates that I have done are based on a
study put out in 2007. So I should not say the estimates that I have done because I am just
reading the study and translating it into terms that we are familiar with. It is about eight
hundred thousand (800,000) gallons diesel equivalent per year at the base of the curve. So
what I mean by the base of the curve, landfill gas comes out in a fairly peaky curve and you
start producing and it gets quite high and comes down, that eight hundred thousand
(800,000) gallon figure is at the base. So there is a whole bunch of fuel higher up, but
harder to use because you do not have it continuously.
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Ms. Yukimura: So that study is going to cost about forty-five
thousand dollars ($45,000)?
Mr. Sullivan: No. That study is one hundred twenty thousand
dollars ($120,000).
Ms. Yukimura: Oh, you have $1 million to play with. One
hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) and you also have ninety thousand dollars
($90,000)...well, so the one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) includes the ninety
thousand dollars ($90,000) that is here on the spreadsheet?
Mr. Sullivan: No, that is an additional. Those are separate
figures. $120,000 for the feasibility on utilization and the ninety thousand dollars ($90,000)
is being applied towards the cost of the gas collection capture system.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. Then the Piikoi audit, what is that?
Mr. Sullivan: The Piikoi audit and optimization I believe the
figure is in here I believe it is one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000). Is that
correct, Keith?
Ms. Yukimura: What is it?
Mr. Sullivan: I am sorry, there is an audit, energy audit at the
front-end and there is an optimization of the mechanical systems, as well as oversight of
the design process for the new facility. So what we want to do...
Ms. Yukimura: The new facility?
Mr. Sullivan: I am sorry, the Piikoi renovations.
Ms. Yukimura: That have already been done?
Mr. Sullivan: No, no.
Ms. Yukimura: That are going to be done?
Mr. Sullivan: That is right. Right. In the past we have...that
process for the Civic Center has been additive and it is always a new process for design and
they come in and add a chunk to the system, but they rarely have the opportunity to look at
the whole system's performance as part of the design process. So you are just kind of
tacking on and tacking on. So what we wanted to do this time to make the system run
better was have the mechanical engineers in the design process look at the whole thing.
They are going to say how is this whole thing operating and they are going to evaluate the
entire system. Obviously we are going to be adding space so savings is relative.
Ms. Yukimura: So the energy usage...we noticed that the energy
usage of the County went up this year, so I think we are planning to talk to you about it
when Economic Development comes and so just a head's up that we are curious about that
and how the photovoltaic system has interfaced, etc.
Mr. Sullivan: Okay.
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Ms. Yukimura: Also a head's up that I am hoping that somebody
is monitoring the islands energy usage and we are having some kind of United Way
indicator thing that shows us what energy usage is as an island.
Mr. Sullivan: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: It is a request that we could put into the Kaua`i
Island Utility Cooperative and we would like you to work with us on that.
Mr. Sullivan: Okay.
Ms. Yukimura: That will be the electrical use energy use and
there is the transportation energy use, all the gasoline and then there is the gas use that is
gas.
Chair Furfaro: I am prepared to write a letter to KIUC if they
choose to have it go through you on all the other pieces, that is fine.
Mr. Sullivan: If you are satisfied with it, the Department of
Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT) puts out that information on a
quarterly basis and I can pull some information and provide it. I am not sure of the level of
granularity you are looking for, but that would help.
Chair Furfaro: Sometimes there is error-checking that needs to
be done and please understand for myself as a thirty-nine (39) year resort veteran I have
just enough knowledge to be dangerous as an ex-general manager, but then you work for
an ex-general manager in George Costa, so you know where both of us are coming from.
Mr. Chock, you have the floor, and then Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Chock: Actually, Councilmember Yukimura asked the
question, because we have seen the energy increases in the budget. I was looking forward
to hearing more. So I was looking forward to it on the agenda.
Chair Furfaro: We can do it with George today, but it would be
something that could be put in your Committee. Economic Development. We touched on a
little bit yesterday, but we will touch on it some more when George comes up.
Mr. Chock: Okay.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: Landfill gas. Did I miss a presentation where
this was described? I have heard during the budget hearing we are going to use landfill
gas to power the Transportation Agency. That is all news to me. Did I miss something?
The last time I checked in we were in long-term laborious discussions with the military. Is
that all gone?
Mr. Sullivan: I believe this Council had a discussion last year
about that and that was the case up and we put our heads together and the Mayor said it is
time to cut our own path here. We have got to take the lead and that is what we have done.
We found what we believe is a credible way to move the project forward. There is still the
possibility that something might come of that relationship. But we feel that moving
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forward on our own is going stimulate all of those possibilities, as opposed to just waiting
for someone else.
Chair Furfaro: I would like to add that that discussion was
based on the fact that each time the base commander is rotated it is like we have to start all
over again and that was one thing that triggered the Mayor's thinking that we had to do
some initiative on our own. You still have the floor, Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: This is new. I did not miss something, but we
are going a different direction.
Mr. Sullivan: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: How much money and for what purpose?
Mr. Sullivan: The CIP line item is for alternative energy
projects. So that...we are pulling from that line item, but it is a general line item. So we
are only using one hundred twenty thousand dollars ($120,000) for the study of the overall
cost of the project is substantial and we would have to come back to this group to look for
capital funding or other avenues to borrow money. It has the potential for positive or
neutral in terms of revenue, so we do not expect to come to you for a massive cost that will
not pay us back.
Mr. Bynum: When would we anticipate a more robust
discussion than we can have like now?
Mr. Sullivan: We have asked the timing on the feasibility
study...I am sorry...
Mr. Hunt: I just wanted to express too, just so you are
understanding there are two tracks ongoing simultaneously. One has to do with the closure
requirements. We are looking at taping into our financial assurance to fund some of the
flare, bringing the methane flare. Based on GASB Statement No. 18, closure costs cannot be
capitalized and we cannot use bonds, but have to use fund balance that brings us to our
financial assurance. In totality I believe we have ten million one hundred thousand dollars
($10,100,000) in that financial assurance, including the one million seven hundred
thousand dollars ($1,700,000) that FEMA has contributed, but yet to be booked. We are
going to be looking at extract something of the methane to flare during an operational
plant, if you will, the landfill continue to remain open and going vertical. So, we are looking
at strategically placing where that equipment would be to bring it to flare. So there are
really two projects. One is going to be done through the likely through the financial
assurance, which will get the extraction and bringing it out and second...
Mr. Bynum: You mean the landfill closure set aside money?
Mr. Hunt: Correct, yes.
Mr. Bynum: So some of that...some of the efforts are
consistent with closure that also help lead to methane collection?
Mr. Hunt: Right.
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Mr. Bynum: Just on the big-picture, great. I remember
having lengthy discussion with PMRF about all of these assurances and promises. So we
have not tapped this asset for how many years? Final question, I want to hear more about
it and I am sure we will. The second is does actual collection and turning into fuel require
the landfill to be closed? We are not going to go there unless the landfill is closed?
Mr. Sullivan: No. It is very common practice to have an open
active landfill be mined for methane.
Mr. Bynum: It sounds good and I applaud the change in
direction and I just like to get more information in the future. Other than that, the other
question that I had during the discussion, people are referring to our energy went up, was it
dollar costs that went up or energy usage that went up?
Mr. Sullivan: No. The year is not over yet. I still want to work
on that data and present it to you next week with as much clarity as I can. I think an
offhand comment right now would send us spinning, so if that is okay with you?
Mr. Bynum: That is fine with me. I just wanted to make that
distinction that we cannot just look at dollars, but kilowatt hours.
Chair Furfaro: For Mr. Bynum that was a discussion earlier at a
Council Meeting and we are waiting not just to hear on dollars, but kilowatt units, as well
as the actual rates per kilowatt based on demand usage.
Mr. Sullivan: I will have all of that.
Chair Furfaro: You will have all of that?
Mr. Sullivan: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you. JoAnn. No?
Ms. Yukimura: I am good, thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Hooser?
Mr. Hooser: Just a brief question. My mind has been
wandering since you have gone to the methane. Methane mined from the landfill led me
and you to the wastewater treatment methane source as you mentioned, right?
Mr. Sullivan: I did not hear the first part of your statement, I
am sorry.
Mr. Hooser: You mentioned wastewater treatment as another
source and that led me to a discussion that we had a day or two (2) ago about bio solids and
sludge that now goes to the landfill.
Mr. Sullivan: Correct.
Mr. Hooser: Which led me to a dairy that we have, being
planned with lots of cow dung possibly. Is that a source of methane, agricultural waste?
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Mr. Sullivan: People do capture methane from agricultural
production but that requires a concentrated animal feeding operation so you can collect the
manure. In a facility where it is dispersed, I have never heard of it being collected.
Mr. Hooser: Animal waste could be a source?
Mr. Sullivan: Yes.
Mr. Hooser: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Ben, we look forward to your future reports on
some of the questions asked. I also want to just compliment you and all of your partners in
this over in Economic Development. You folks certainly have us in your sights and we
appreciate that.
Mr. Sullivan: Thank you, sir.
Ms. Yukimura: I do have a few questions?
Chair Furfaro: Oh, you do have a few questions? I was just
going to excuse you. You did not get away that easy.
Ms. Yukimura: You are slated to spend one hundred twenty
dollars ($120) plus ninety dollars ($90), plus one hundred twenty dollars ($120). Two
hundred forty dollars ($240), three hundred thirty thousand dollars ($330,000) which is
what is accounted for. So the balance from seven hundred ninety-seven thousand dollars
($797,000), that is in there for subsequent work?
Mr. Sullivan: The results of the two projects from Police and
Civic Center will yield fairly immediate recommendations in terms of energy savings. What
we expect in the next Fiscal Year off the bat we are going to be moving forward on those
recommendations.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. Because that is half a million dollars.
Mr. Sullivan: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Are you good with that JoAnn?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: I will not have to repeat my compliments, but my
commitments to you.
Mr. Sullivan: Thank you, sir.
Mr. Suga: Chair I would like to bring up George to go over
the next CIP items.
GEORGE K. COSTA, Director of Economic Development: Aloha Council Chair
Furfaro and Honorable Councilmembers, for the record, George Costa, Director for the
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Office of Economic Development and I am here to present an update on the Kaneiolouma
Ahu project. As you know we came before the Council to move the funds from what was the
Islandwide Agricultural Park System over to the Kaneiolouma project. That was basically
to complete the kii platform which has been completed if any of you have been out to Po`ipu
recently. Those funds, the three hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) were also to
build a viewing platform. So that visitors that are basically going and looking at the facility
from the outside have a place to at least stand on a platform area adjacent to the
platform and view the Kaneiolouma site. Then the last part of the three hundred fifty
thousand dollars ($350,000) was to complete the security wall. That portion specifically
around the culvert that runs underneath Po`ipu Road. During the clearing last year by the
hui, they found that culvert and most of it, and almost all of it was blocked with debris and
rocks. The hui cleaned it up and determined that they needed to build a more significant
wall of about one hundred (100) yards to connect the eastern section to the western section
of the wall near what will be the viewing platform. If you have been out there recently,
actually since December with all the rains we have been having and then clearing that
culvert, now the water freely flows from mauka into the Kaneiolouma site. I have since
learned that site is like...makahiki games have been held there and there is like a coliseum
floor and that during the rainy periods is filled up with water. Prior to Po`ipu Road being
built, that water freely flowed and I have since learned that besides during the dry season
where the makahiki games are being held, that floor area with the water fill also acts as a
mirror to reflect the celestial stars above. They are waiting until the rains have subsided
and they can complete the work. That is basically where we are right now to finish building
the viewing platform and incorporate the culvert into that process.
Chair Furfaro: George, have you folks given any more thought
that we talked about on that corner, where the visitor cars may park and any alternative
places for people who want to enjoy viewing the facility might have an alternate parking
area?
Mr. Costa: Right. We are looking at an area across the
street where the Manookalanipo Park is. Right now the remaining rock that is going to be
used to complete the wall, that is where it is stock piled and since that area has already
been grubbed for storage of the rock. If you have been there, there is not really room on the
shoulder and that is where people are pulling over right now. Once we get the rock out
there and the wall completed that is an area being looked at right now for parking.
Chair Furfaro: Fair enough.
Mr. Costa: It is adjacent to the bus area too.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you, George. You know we all love this
project because it seems to have really responsible people managing it and so exciting to see
this archaeological site come back to life. The budget that we see here, the four hundred
thirteen thousand dollars ($413,000).
Mr. Costa: There is three hundred fifty thousand dollars
($350,000) for the wall and those elements that I described. From the bids that I have
seen, they probably come slightly under the three hundred fifty thousand dollars
($350,000). There is another sixty-three thousand dollars ($63,000) for contingency. So
right now that is not scoped to be used, but once they get started again, we may need to
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look into use something of that contingency. But right now, I do not see that as a necessary
portion. It may be used for the parking area.
Ms. Yukimura: All right. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Any more questions of George? George I am
going to take advantage of a moment here and I think we have something to distribute to
you. But I wanted to share this as it relates to Economic Development. This is a pricing
plan for the Golf Course as it relates to the capital improvements that have been made at
the Golf Course. As promised, I told the other Councilmembers if I am introducing
anything, I will also introduce the revenue to go along with it. This piece shows a
suggestion and I know Councilmember Yukimura has been working on an ordinance that
allows the Council to quickly respond to pricing plans for the Golf Course. But I wanted to
get it distributed. This is for discussion later when Economic Development comes up.
Mr. Costa: Okay.
Chair Furfaro: We spent a substantial amount of capital money
in fixing the Golf Course and the recreational facility. This forecasts about one hundred
thousand dollars ($100,000) of additional revenue, but it also has about forty-five thousand
dollars ($45,000) of costs associated with marketing the destination so that we can improve
the number of rounds. It would be discussed when Economic Development comes up in
front of us later in the week. But I wanted to get it distributed so everybody has it in front
of them.
Mr. Costa: Okay.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: Just to add, the policy mechanism I am
proposing as a Charter Amendment to allow the Council to delegate the fee-setting to the
Administration, but on some assurance that the fee-setting will be done within certain
parameters. But we know that to respond to market, an ordinance process with first
reading, public hearing, ordinance, you know? Second reading, is far too long to respond to
the market effectively. So that is what we are hoping to do. My concern is there needs to be
a better plan for management of the Golf Course, because we are subsidizing the Golf
Course at one million dollars ($1,000,000) a year, operating moneys. That is one million
dollars ($1,000,000) of General Fund moneys. As the bonding companies have...the
bonding rating companies have indicated that they are concerned about our subsidizing of
user...basically Enterprise Funds, with General Fund moneys. So that is something that we
all have to be focused on transforming.
Chair Furfaro: So you can take an advance look at this. I think
we passed them out to the Administration. It is not a big reach. It is a reach to get more
rounds into the Golf Course by having some marketing money. It basically still compares
very well to the four municipal golf courses in Honolulu.
Mr. Costa: Right.
Chair Furfaro: I have to tell you, my compliments to yourselves
and the vendors and the people that work in CIP to get the clubhouse up, running, auto
machines for cash available, floors repaired. We put some money into it and now we need
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to be able to extract some more rounds of golf by marketing it, so that the following year we
can bump the rates. A lot of people do not realize the municipal courses in Honolulu, even
for kamaainas are twenty-six dollars ($26) and a twenty-five dollars ($25) bump for the
five-round membership ticket. It is a very small start, but we have to start somewhere.
Mr. Costa: Great, thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you for all your work on Golf Course, in
Economic Development.
Mr. Costa: I want to give credit where credit is due. I know
the Parks Department in working with my brother Ian and Lenny, because I know that has
been a real sticking point for the Council. So for the last year we have been really looking at
that and I know Sue Kanoho and myself were eager to get a marketing plan going, but
obviously needed a physical plant back up and running.
Chair Furfaro: Now it is, we will be talking about a marketing
plan later. Here are some of the highlights. Any other questions for CIP for George?
Mr. Hooser?
Mr. Hooser: I will put it in the form of question since we are
talking about the Golf Course and I wanted to offer my compliments also and pass them on
to Ian, please and the Parks. I was at a function that the Chair and Councilmember
Yukimura were there a couple of months ago and saw a presentation and was very
impressed by the progress made, on the five (5) of or six (6) different things that had to
happen and looks like just about every one of them has happened. I was very pleased to see
that and wanted to offer my thanks.
Mr. Costa: Thank you.
Mr. Hooser: Thank you, Chair.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Hooser. Okay. Do we have
somebody up next?
Mr. Suga: Chair if I may for the section for the Planning
Department, if I could run through the projects, and then when the members have
questions, we have some Planning staff who could come up and answer the questions for
the specific projects.
Chair Furfaro: Sounds like a very good approach. We are
finished with Economic Development, thank you, George. We are now going on to
Planning.
Mr. Suga: So we are now on the top of page 2. The first is
the East Kaua`i Development Plan. Notice to proceed has been issues to the University of
Hawai`i, Department of Urban and Regional Planning. Estimated completion of this project
would be the 3rd quarter in Fiscal Year 2015.
The next item is the General Plan Technical Studies. This project comprises of four
studies. One being the socioeconomic forecast which is in the final editing stage. The next
one is the land-use build out analysis and that is near completion. The third one is the
infrastructure analysis which is about half way through the process at this point. The
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fourth one is health issues and the built environment on Kauai which is also at about fifty
percent (50%) complete.
The next couple of items are the General Plan Update. Currently the staff is in
negotiations with the first ranked consultant and they anticipate a recommendation of
award being issued in the April-May timeframe 2014.
Next item would be a new project coming forward, the Historic Rice Street
Redevelopment project. This project would support the Rice Street revitalization and
economic activity.
Next item is the South Kauai Development Plan. Currently about seventy-five
percent (75%) with this project, draft report and spatial plans currently being reviewed at
the Community Advisory Committee (CAC).
Next item, Lihu`e Development Plan, contract has been awarded and the projected
completion for this project is January of 2015.
Then the last item is the North Shore and Po`ipu Corridor Study. This is a project
that we are currently discussing within the TCC Committee and we are trying to identify
the scope for the solicitation that would focus on the shuttle services in the various areas.
Chair Furfaro: Members, again, I want to focus on the actual
projects, the progress, the cost, and any carryover balances and so forth. The theories and
applications behind them can be referred to various Committee Meetings and / or to the
operational meetings later on. Because we are trying to get to a Special Council Meeting at
3:30 p.m. Is a couple of candidates going to join us here? How about long-range planning?
Dee is coming up.
Mr. Suga: It depends on the project.
Chair Furfaro: I said long-range planning. Why do you guys not
kokua me a little bit and all sit in the front row. I feel like I am back in class...Keith we
will follow your lead as you go through the project. Then whoever's project it touches on,
can you just move to that seat and answer the question. Sound fair enough in okay. Go
right ahead. Keith, give us the first project.
Mr. Suga: The first project is the East Kauai Development
Plan.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, I just assuming that we are going to get the
final result, I want to commend you for figuring out how to do it without any money or did
we encumber forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or whatever we put in last year's budget?
Mr. Suga: Correct, funds were encumbered.
Ms. Yukimura: How much was that?
Mr. Suga: Dee is saying fifty thousand dollars ($50,000).
Ms. Yukimura: We are going to get the encumbered amounts for
every project right?
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Mr. Suga: Yes, ma'am.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. May this never happen again, the
East Kaua`i Development Plan. When was this started?
DEE CROWELL, Deputy Director of Planning: 2008.
Ms. Yukimura: 2008 or 2007, what is it now in 2014?
Chair Furfaro: So it is six plus years.
Ms. Yukimura: Conditions have changed, so the Plan's basic
assumptions have been changed too. I am glad it is going to be finished, because some of
the things that I was talking about earlier this morning, about the parking at the stadium
and how that relates to possible rim parking out in Kapa`a, so people can walk into Kapa'a
safely and those are the kind of things that this Plan will generate, just as the Lihu`e Plan
is focused on in Lihu`e. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Any more questions on that project? If not, let us
move to the next capital project.
Mr. Suga: The next item is the General Plan Technical
Studies?
Ms. Yukimura: Who is the Project Manager? There is no one
listed there.
Mr. Crowell: Depending on the project.
Ms. Yukimura: This is the project, General Plan Technical
Studies.
Mr. Crowell: Within the project it is broken down into
socioeconomic analysis, land use build-out, infrastructure analysis, and Na Lei Wili Wili.
Ms. Yukimura: So you are saying these are projects within what
we are looking at as a CIP project, General Plan Studies, each is a study within itself and
has a project manager? Could you tell us who the project managers are of each one?
Chair Furfaro: Come up Marie.
Mr. Crowell: Marie Williams is in charge of a couple of them.
MARIE WILLIAMS, Long Range Planner: Hi. I am the lead for the
projections.
Chair Furfaro: Marie Williams, if you could introduce yourself.
Ms. Williams: I am sorry, aloha and good afternoon, my name
is Marie. I am the Planner with the Planning Department in the Long-Range Division.
There are four separate projects in this particular item. They are the projections and right
now the project, the consultant firm working on the project is SMS and we are almost done.
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The other report that I am the lead on is the land use build-out report. That is about 80%
complete as well. We have our other long-range planners who are also filling in as the lead
for these projects. Perhaps Lee Steinmetz could come up and speak to his project.
Chair Furfaro: To all of you in the audience, we want to get the
highlights of your project only. This is not to go through the theory and application, but the
highlights of the spending and the progress so far.
Ms. Yukimura: I do want to acknowledge that I think Peter
Nakamura was the head of these projects and we know his untimely passing caused this
vacuum in the Planning Department. So that has been a real unexpected event for all of
us. But if these projects are to move forward, I presume we need to have somebody in
Planning overseeing them.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much for that recognition for
Peter, JoAnn. Go right ahead.
LEE STEINMETZ, Transportation Planner: Thank you. My name is Lee
Steinmetz, the Transportation Planner and I am managing the project number 4 that you
see here, the Na Wili Wili, our consultant is developing a community health assessment.
There are really two parts, one is the community health needs assessment and the other is
relationship to the community health to the built environment and both issues will tie into
our General Plan in terms of relationship of community health to the General Plan and
especially to the built environment. The last one you see is the infrastructure analysis and
that is managed by Lea in the Long-Range Planning Division who is not with us today. We
would be happy to answer questions you may have on any of those. Both of those are 50%
complete. The health issues one is closer to seventy-five percent (75%) complete. All of
those will be complete on-schedule with the General Plan Update.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. I think I sent several memos to
Planning about what I am going to talk about. I am very concerned that we do not yet have
commissioned a legal study about growth. Because I think that issue will be a major issue
of the General Plan Update. We have already had a ballot issue and a lawsuit and a court
decision on it. You know, there are nine thousand (9,000) units that have some level of
entitlement for hotels on this island and we talked about yesterday how you add inventory
and the challenge to keep a healthy occupancy is very difficult if we do not have similar
increases in arrivals, but if we do, how are we going to handle it on the land? Our visitor
sites? Our roads? Our water? Our sewers? All of that.
Chair Furfaro: Time out there, I was letting it run JoAnn, but
the tape was ending. He just ran out of tape. We are going to give JoAnn the floor when we
come back.
There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 2:23 p.m.
There being no objections, the Committee was called back to order at 2:28 p.m., and
proceeded as follows:
Chair Furfaro: We are back from the tape change. I have a 4th
and 5th member in the building, JoAnn, you have the floor.
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Ms. Yukimura: I am not wanting to talk philosophy either. I
want to be prepared for our General Plan update and as someone who has been involved in
this planning process, long-range planning process for over twenty (20) years, probably
thirty (30), I know this issue is critical. So, to me, we have to have some legal report, just
like you do for infrastructure and socioeconomic, we need to have some kind of study done,
so we know what our options are. What the legal landscape is about. I guarantee you it
will come up in the Citizens' Advisory Committee. Because it is like a core question for our
community. How much can we grow? And over what time period? For a long range study
like the General Plan update, that is like a given question. So, I want to be ready. I see it
as a preliminary study. If you disagree, I am okay with disagreement, but I want to make
sure that we have the proper framing of it i.e., that we have the proper way to get the
proper consultant who can really help us and I would like to know how much it would cost
because I will consider putting money in the budget. This is a budget issue for me.
Mr. Steinmetz: So if I could maybe respond, I do not think we
are in a position to agree or disagree today in terms of your recommendation. I can tell you
that in terms of technical studies and the way that they are currently scoped that that is
not included, currently. I think this is something that we need to take back to the Planning
Department to discuss a little bit and then come back to you with some ideas. That could
also be part of the...Keith just suggested that could be part of the operational discussion
that is coming up later. But we could certainly have more discussion. I just do not think we
really have an answer for you today.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. That is totally acceptable. I am hoping
that the Planning Department realizes that it is a core issue. That we need some legal
underpinnings in order to be able to address it well and that the citizens who are going to
be part of this process are going to need them, but not just them. Council is going to need it
and the Planning Department and the Planning Commission is going need it.
Chair Furfaro: The discussion of what goes into the next
operating discussions is not Keith's decision to make, it is mine. But we will certainly put it
on the discussion and if we have to refer to Committee, we will. Let me ask you, in any of
the technical studies, and I just need a simple yes or no, do any of them talk about growth
caps?
Ms. Crowell: Well, I believe the socioeconomic analysis was
created in response to the Charter Amendment of a few years ago.
Chair Furfaro: That is what I thought, regardless of what the
outcome as JoAnn explained about being challenged in court, I thought one of the technical
studies we were doing was going to touch on that. We may be...when we have planned
committee discussions we can talk about exactly what that scope is. That is the only
answer that I need for now. Going down the list, Keith, next one.
Mr. Suga: Chair we kind of touched on the General Plan
update and the next item is actually the General Plan update.
Chair Furfaro: For some reason JoAnn has her hand up first
again. You can be first again. Go right ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. So this is showing a total budget of about
$750,000. Around there?
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Mr. Crowell: Eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000).
Ms. Yukimura: Eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000). Is
this going to be sufficient to complete the General Plan update?
Mr. Crowell: Not if we have to hire an attorney.
Ms. Williams: Right now we are working on the scope of work
with our number one ranked firm and going through the process of selecting a firm. As the
status update shows. Right now based on the discussions we have been having about two
weeks in now, yes, it will be enough to complete the Plan. You should also consider that we
will be building on the technical report which is essentially phase 1 of the General Plan
process. So with that base in place we can really move forward and go directly into the
public process of the General Plan.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn, I would like to add to that, in preparation
of this General Plan, we had over the last several years earmarked including this eight
hundred thousand dollars ($800,000) about two million dollars ($2,000,000), and that was
the intent of doing all of the work in those technical plans in advance of this. But to really
clarify what JoAnn is saying at this point, the eight hundred thousand dollars ($800,000)
balance you feel is enough for us to complete the General Plan?
Ms. Williams: That is correct.
Ms. Yukimura: It includes a very robust citizen participation
component?
Ms. Williams: Yes. I think above and beyond anything that we
have seen before. I cannot detail what exactly we are working on, but it looks like we will
be hiring sub consultants through our primary consultant and bringing a new means of
doing outreach, stuff that we might have seen when we have attended the Smart Growth
conference, for example. It is really exciting.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes. So it includes consultant work that will
help translate to the public the choices that we have to make as a community and the
implications of those choices?
Ms. Williams: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Very good. Given what we learned at the form-
based code workshop, are we incorporating any of that learning into this?
Ms. Williams: Yes. Part of the scope will be assisting us with
developing a framework for form-based code or perhaps it might be a little bit premature to
say it is a framework. It is more how do we introduce the subject to the public? How do we
vet this as a tool to help manage growth? So our General Plan will be very much exploring
form-based code.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
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Chair Furfaro: Good with that JoAnn?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Other questions? Keith, let us move on to the
next item.
Mr. Suga: Sure. The next project is the Historic Rice Street
Redevelopment Projects. This is a new project being proposed.
Chair Furfaro: Transportation come on up.
Mr. Steinmetz: Any questions on that one or do you want a
briefing?
Chair Furfaro: I would say to give us a quick overview and we
will open to questions.
Mr. Steinmetz: This is building on the Lihu`e Town Core Plan to
really start to develop some place making components for Rice Street and in combination
what is proposed in the Public Works budget in terms of doing some work on Rice Street
and what we see using the funds for are to develop some identity for Rice Street in terms of
some way-finding systems, perhaps a historic walking tour, and plaques associated with
that. Doing banners. Perhaps doing some sight furnishings. Things like that to help
improve the identity of Rice Street and improve its historic nature and support economic
revitalization and encourage public-private partnerships in terms of development of Rice
Street.
Chair Furfaro: Questions?
Ms. Yukimura: I am totally in support of it. Your scope is sort of
contingent on do something work with the businesses and citizens on Rice Street, right?
Mr. Steinmetz: Correct. Yes. This would include community
involvement to figure out how we do this and what we do and get support for it.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Any other questions on that part? Keith, how
many more items do we have for Planning?
Mr. Suga: We have three more, Chair.
Chair Furfaro: Okay.
Chair Furfaro: So I do hope we can finish Planning by 3:00 p.m.
and go to Transportation. Next item?
Mr. Suga: The next item is the South Kaua`i Development
Plan.
Chair Furfaro: Marie, do you want to give us a quick update?
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Ms. Williams: Yes, let us see we launched this project. We did
a public kickoff in June of last year and I am happy to say that now being the end of March
that we are just about ready to take out to the public a final draft. I would say that we are
approximately eighty-five percent (85%) complete with the project.
Chair Furfaro: Questions for Marie?
Ms. Yukimura: What was the total cost?
Ms. Williams: I believe the total cost was six hundred
seventy-five thousand dollars ($675,000).
Ms. Yukimura: You are going to take it out to the public in?
Ms. Williams: In May.
Ms. Yukimura: In May. Then a plan goes to the Planning
Commission?
Ms. Williams: Yes. It would be followed by Planning
Commission review which may take a couple of weeks and the next step is to take it to
Council for review.
Ms. Yukimura: But you have an ordinance that is going to be
associated with it or not?
Ms. Williams: Right now, yes, most likely. I think there is
language that we are required to adopt our development plans that way. But we are
exploring various options. We are doing some new things with zoning that we have not
done before. So we do need to speak with the County Attorney's Office and figure out our
best route moving ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: So when would you anticipate that it comes to
the Council?
Ms. Williams: Provided that Planning Commission review is
complete by July, perhaps in fall of this year it would come before you.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Any more questions? Next item.
Mr. Suga: Next item Chair is the Lihu`e Development Plan.
Chair Furfaro: Does Marie stay in her seat? See moving to the
front row has its advantages.
Mr. Crowell: This is a project being managed by Lea, who is
not here today, but I believe they are in the same kind of point as the South Kaua`i
Development Plan, which is they are getting ready to issue a draft of the report.
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Ms. Yukimura: Timetable?
Mr. Crowell: Probably about the same.
Ms. Yukimura: So coming to the Council in the fall?
Mr. Crowell: Possibly, depending on how much time the
Commission takes.
Ms. Yukimura: Did we use six hundred seventy-five thousand
dollars ($675,000) also for the Lihu`e Plan?
Mr. Crowell: No, that was, I believe, nine hundred thousand
dollars ($900,000).
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you very much.
Chair Furfaro: Any other questions on this project? No? Keith.
Mr. Suga: The last project for Planning is the North Shore
and Po`ipu Corridor Study.
Chair Furfaro: Lee, you have the floor first.
Mr. Steinmetz: This was an implementation item from the
Multi-Modal Land Transportation Plan (MMLTP) that was approved by the Council and
this was actually funded by the Council in last year's budget. We spent some time figuring
out what the scope of this project should be and as Keith mentioned this went to our
Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) which is guiding the implementation of the
MMLTP and Councilmember Yukimura is a member of the TCC. We have completed that
and now completed our description of what we want and we sent that on to Purchasing for
advertising for consultant and anticipate that happening in June, when most of the
advertisements happen for the year and award or selection of a consultant and award
starting next Fiscal Year and moving into actually doing that project as soon as we can
after we select a consultant.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: Just for everybody's information, this is a study
for potential shuttle in Po`ipu, K5loa, and on the North Shore, the ends points of the North
Shore Shuttle are not as clear, but there seems to be a great need in both communities. It
can really alleviate congestion and parking issues. So it is very important. Thank you, Lee,
for the work and to the team for the work on it. I look forward to seeing the results.
Mr. Steinmetz: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Question, Mr. Rapozo?
Mr. Rapozo: I guess the first question is...that is all right.
Chair Furfaro: Okay. Any other questions that covers the
Planning Department CIP? A comment? Go right ahead?
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Ms. Yukimura: I just want to thank all those involved, basically
the Planning Department and Keith for your work on the long-range plans. They are so
important and it is a real pleasure and relief to have professionals like you who are so
capable and also moving these projects along. I look forward to the results of the plans
itself, but also to the implementation of the plan, because that is where our citizens will see
the benefits. Really thankful for all the planning that is going on in the last few years.
Chair Furfaro: Any other comments? I have one and I want to
thank all of you who came over to share in the CIP. I also want to reflect on Peter
Nakamura, who was working with all of you as the Long-Range Planner. He was also
known as kind of the designated-driver because when you went out to have a cocktail he
would be our designated-driver and I want you to know he is looking down on us and saying
he is still the designated-driver and got you off on the right course. So thank you for your
work and reflecting on Peter in your work. Thank you.
Mr. Suga: Chair moving along I would like to bring up
Celia from the Transportation Agency.
CELIA M. MAHIKOA, Executive on Transportation: Celia Mahikoa, Executive
on Transportation with the Transportation Agency. Also I want to introduce our Program
Specialist.
JEREMY KALAWAIA LEE, Program Specialist: Kalawaia Lee.
Chair Furfaro: Could you introduce one more time, please?
Mr. Lee: Kalawaia Lee.
Ms. Mahikoa: We just wanted to thank you for this opportunity
to come before you today and just provide you with an update on where we are at with our
bus stop improvement project. where we go from here, what we have been able to
accomplish over this past year and Kalawaia has been the Project Manager on and has been
instrumental in keeping the coordination going between all the willing players who are
helping us through this project between Public Works and Planning and State Highways
and all the players involved in this critical project for the public. So if you do not mind if we
could just start out with Kalawaia providing us with what we have been able to accomplish
this past year and where we are at right now and what we can look forward to the
upcoming months.
Chair Furfaro: Sounds like a good place to start, Kalawaia, go
ahead.
Mr. Lee: Thank you, Chair. We engaged in an
engineering design contract with SFFM International. They have come to a point of
completion of their engineering design work and hope to go out to bid by the end of this
month, April, 2014 with the first phase of our construction contract that covers nine
locations with the potential for additional locations depending on the fund availability and
bid prices when we receive them. So that is going to be the first phase of work. The
locations are equally distributed around the different districts around the island and in
order to provide equity for the community, I do not know if you know the specifics, but we
are going to be providing better infrastructure for each of the locations that we have
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identified bus shelters bike racks, trash recycling, benches, lighting, things that make it
easy and more comfortable to serve the community with the bus service.
Chair Furfaro: May I get some clarification, when you say at
these bus shelters providing lighting, I assume it is solar?
Mr. Lee: Correct, photovoltaic (PV) solar lighting.
Chair Furfaro: Mr. Rapozo, then Vice Chair Chock.
Mr. Rapozo: I guess the first question is which Bond Fund
will be funding or is funding this?
Mr. Suga: Councilmember Rapozo I need to double check
and verify.
Mr. Rapozo: I know this one is not showing the source. That is
the only one that I noticed.
Mr. Suga: I will double check for you.
Mr. Rapozo: Okay. This past Fiscal Year this bond...I get
guess it has been in the CIP for how many years? This is the second year? Did we build
any shelters last year?
Mr. Lee: No, we did not.
Mr. Rapozo: You are saying nine shelters...how much did the
study cost?
Mr. Lee: Engineering design totaled three hundred
fifty-five thousand dollars ($355,000) for a total of forty-nine (49) locations. We can only
fund construction of nine locations.
Mr. Rapozo: So the study that is done. So all forty (40) plus
locations are done?
Mr. Lee: Forty-nine (49) are done.
Ms. Mahikoa: Of the three hundred fifty-five thousand dollars
($355,000), two hundred forty thousand dollars ($240,000) was from existing Federal
Transit Administration existing funds.
Mr. Rapozo: So the two hundred eighty-five thousand dollars
eight hundred fifty-eight dollars ($285,858) which is carrying over plus the three hundred
two thousand two hundred sixty-three dollars ($302,263), bringing it to five hundred
eighty-eight thousand one hundred twenty-one dollars ($588,121) is that for nine (9) bus
stops?
Mr. Lee: The total that you read right now is for two
phases of construction.
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Mr. Rapozo: What is the two phases?
Mr. Lee: The first phase is...
Mr. Rapozo: I guess the real simple question is how much bus
shelters do with we get for five hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars ($588,000)? You are
not telling me nine, right?
Mr. Lee: Yes, about sixteen (16) to twenty (20) stops total,
depending on bids as they come in.
Mr. Rapozo: How much is each shelter costing us?
Mr. Lee: If you were to average them out across the full
range of all the different locations we come out to about a median number of twenty-five
thousand dollars ($25,000) per location. But in that range you find some that are twelve
thousand dollars ($12,000), some at sixteen thousand dollars ($16,000), and going all the
way up to forty-five thousand dollars ($45,000) per location depending on the needs.
Mr. Rapozo: You said the five hundred eighty-eight thousand
dollars ($588,000) gets us nine (9)?
Mr. Lee: No, sir.
Mr. Rapozo: Help me understand the five hundred
eighty--eight thousand dollars ($588,000) because you told us funding only allows for nine.
Mr. Lee: The current funding that we have in the Fiscal
Year is three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000).
Mr. Rapozo: You have three hundred two thousand two
hundred sixty-three dollars ($302,263) and the proposed...you have currently
unencumbered two hundred eighty-five thousand eight hundred fifty-eight dollars
($285,858) and then looks like for this upcoming Fiscal Year you are increasing by $302,263
bringing the grand total to that five hundred eighty-eight thousand one hundred
twenty-one dollars ($588,121) and you are saying that five hundred eighty-eight thousand
one hundred twenty-one dollars ($588,121)will produce nine bus shelters?
Mr. Lee: No, sir.
Mr. Rapozo: Help me understand what five hundred
eighty-eight thousand dollars ($588,000) gets us.
Mr. Lee: Sixteen (16) to twenty (20) locations.
Ms. Mahikoa: And plans for forty-nine (49).
Mr. Rapozo: And what?
Ms. Mahikoa: The plans for forty-nine (49) and construction of
sixteen (16).
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Mr. Rapozo: I thought the study was already done that took
care of the plans for the 49?
Ms. Mahikoa: We are coming into the final...
Mr. Lee: It is going out to bid right now. The engineering
design plans have been concluded and the bids have been finalized and hopefully we will be
going out in April. There is a portion of that...a majority of that money that funded the
engineering design was from Federal Transit Administration grant funds that were
matching funds and you see the two appropriations of money for the current Fiscal Year of
two hundred eighty-five thousand eight hundred fifty-eight dollars ($285,858) and then the
three hundred two thousand two hundred sixty-three dollars ($302,263) comes up with your
total of five hundred eighty-eight thousand one hundred twenty-one dollars ($588,121).
Those are for two phases of construction work we will plan to get sixteen (16) to twenty (20)
locations done with that money.
Mr. Rapozo: Are we using the pre-fab shelters that we talked
about? It is pre-fab?
Mr. Lee: Yes, sir. We have a design that the island has
approved. That will be a pre-fab structure, depending on who the vendor is, they will be the
deciding person who will choose which pre-fab structure will be purchased.
Mr. Suga: Councilmember Rapozo the bond for this
particular appropriation is the 2005 bond issuance.
Mr. Rapozo: I do not fully understand it. I am not going to
spend any time today, Mr. Chair. We will send over a request for a breakdown of the five
hundred eighty-eight thousand dollars ($588,000) because I am not getting it, but I do not
want to waste any time here. We can do that in a communication.
Chair Furfaro: Celia, the communication will request of you to
identify our fund and Federal grant fund and what was in the preliminary design scope?
Did it include site visits for the topography of that site and so forth? Actually, with the
balance of the money, how many will actually be built and installed? And we would like to
know the installment costs as well? Okay? Mr. Chock and then JoAnn.
Mr. Chock: Similar questions that you had, Councilmember
Rapozo. Twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) per site?
Mr. Lee: Average.
Mr. Chock: And that includes the cost of the plan as
well...that is not just installation that is my question?
Mr. Lee: It does not include the installation.
Mr. Chock: It does not?
Mr. Lee: No.
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Chair Furfaro: Hold on. Did you all take notes of what my last
statement was and how to break it down? Now you may want to revisit your response on
the twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000)? Does it include installation?
Mr. Lee: Yes it does, sorry.
Mr. Chock: And the cost of the plan? Is incurred there as
well?
Mr. Lee: Yes.
Mr. Chock: Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: And the full amount Celia is potentially 49
identified shelters.
Mr. Lee: Correct.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn, you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: It is much cheaper than a restroom which we
were told today the average one...four hundred forty thousand dollars ($440,000) for one
restroom.
Mr. Rapozo: Not much cheaper.
Ms. Yukimura: Let us see, so this five hundred eighty-eight
thousand dollars ($588,000), which would be what you want in the 2015 Fiscal that will
build sixteen (16) to twenty (20) bus shelters and do you plan to do that this year then? Is
that your goal this year? To get twenty (20) finished by the end of the new Fiscal Year?
The upcoming Fiscal Year?
Mr. Suga: Councilwoman, the two hundred eighty-five
thousand dollars ($285,000) that is currently appropriated for Fiscal Year 2014,
Transportation is on the schedule of trying to get out the initial phase 1 bid in April. So
although the funds are not encumbered as of today they hope to do so before the Fiscal
Year 2015 starting and the three hundred two thousand dollars ($302,000) being requested
is to fund the next phase of construction for the next set of shelters.
Ms. Yukimura: So that is what will ultimately show up in the
budget when you reconcile everything at the end of Fiscal Year 2014?
Mr. Suga: Exactly.
Ms. Yukimura: I understand you are getting community involved
in...there are many groups and the stellar example of course is the Kilauea Lions or North
Shore Lions and the Kilauea and Princeville bus stops, but this money is going to also
support that kind of community action as well?
Ms. Mahikoa: Yes, very much so.
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Ms. Yukimura: And those are part of the twenty (20) inventory
or will there be others on top of the twenty (20)? The twenty (20) includes the community-
based ones?
Mr. Lee: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. You have the design and engineering done
for forty-nine (49) and we have applied for grant-in-aid from the State, right? That was our
one request as a County. How much is our request?
Ms. Mahikoa: Six hundred thousand dollars ($600,000).
Ms. Yukimura: So if we get the six hundred thousand dollars
($600,000), we will have three hundred thousand dollars ($300,000) for other purposes or
other shelters. Now what is the prognosis?
Chair Furfaro: Excuse me, JoAnn, for JoAnn's last question, you
all shook your head and it did not record. Would you answer with a yes or no?
Ms. Mahikoa: Could you repeat the question?
Ms. Yukimura: If we get the moneys from the State, we will have
three hundred two thousand dollars ($302,000) basically to apply to other shelters or to use
for other purposes?
Ms. Mahikoa: Yes.
Mr. Suga: Yes.
Mr. Lee: Yes.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. Well, I just want to thank you,
because I know it is been a long wait to wait for those forty-nine (49)engineering designs,
but now we can fly because we have all of the preliminary engineering planning done. That
you are doing this in a standardized format to the extent possible, like Parks is trying to do
standardized bathrooms and so forth. That allows us to do a lot more economies of scale
and all sorts of things. So good planning, good work. Thank you. The citizens will be so
happy. One last question. How many of these twenty (20) are on the main highway?
Mr. Lee: I would have to take a look at the specific
locations.
Ms. Yukimura: I definitely want to get that information. I also
want to know of the forty-seven (47) or forty-nine (49), how many are on the main highway?
Because I see that as the State's responsibility. It is part of them making the State
highways multi-modal. When they spend eighty million dollars ($80,000) to widen a
highway, that is a really small amount for them to put along a two (2) mile stretch to take
care of all the bus shelters. So that should be part of all of their highway projects.
Mr. Lee: We can get that information, too.
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Ms. Yukimura: Excellent. Thank you.
Mr. Rapozo: I have a question.
Chair Furfaro: I want to add one more thing on the recap. Of
the costs, when you break it down, I want to re-emphasize, and every shelter is being built
with a solar panel for light?
Mr. Lee: Correct.
Chair Furfaro: So I would like the details of that cost as the
break down. Mr. Rapozo.
Mr. Rapozo: I do not know if you can answer this, but the bus
stop at Princeville on the highway, how much did that cost us?
Ms. Mahikoa: The infrastructure improvements were included
as part of the contract that we had for getting each stop with those 8 x 5 ADA compatible or
accessible platforms. So I do not have that exact amount that applied to that stop. I mean I
am able to get that, but I do not have it off the top of my head. The materials that it took to
construct that stop, there was the design and labor which was provided by the North Shore
Lions and probably twelve thousand dollars ($12,000) in materials.
Mr. Rapozo: My memory says it was a lot less. Maybe you can
find out for me.
Ms. Mahikoa: Sure.
Chair Furfaro: That will be part of our questions that will go
over then. Vice Chair Chock?
Mr. Chock: Yes, thanks. Thank you for the work that you
folks do. I really appreciate it. I think some of the conversations that we have been having
today, just as people are looking at the budget and looking at what the costs are, and what
it is going to take to actually complete some these projects it behooves us to opening
ourselves up to different, creative solutions and how we will include the community like you
have. My question in the report that you are putting together, to include the community
volunteer hours that you are including from whatever groups you have identified, the
Lions and other groups that said they would be willing to contribute. I think it behoove us
to look at those for the work to get done for this island. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Any more questions on the bus stops? No? Does
that complete that item? So let us go to the next item.
Ms. Mahikoa: We also have listed our Transportation Baseyard
Check-in Facility. Which we had envisioned one of our goals that we need to accomplish
within the near-future is locating additional baseyards, satellite baseyard space. So what
this was was to assist us with as we located a place that could fulfill this need temporary
for now, we needed assistance with fencing or with establishing a small structure that we
could lock up items that we needed to secure a satellite baseyard location, that this would
assist us with that. This we have not needed to utilize these funds up to this point. Public
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Works has been very generous in allowing us space at the Honsador space at the Airport.
So this line item is not being utilized at the moment, but as things are changing with this
temporary resource we have, we may need to utilize some of it in order to get some of the
area prepared for the additional vehicles that we are moving in as we are phasing out our
older vehicles with this latest purchase of our most recent fleet replacement. So that is why
there appears to be no activity because of the assistance we have received for now from
Public Works with the extra space.
Chair Furfaro: JoAnn.
Ms. Yukimura: So is it your goal for the next Fiscal Year, by the
end of that Fiscal Year to have two satellite baseyards or check-in places established?
Ms. Mahikoa: That would be an ideal situation if we could.
However, it also depends upon how we would obtain that space. There are no resources
available for the purchase of a location on either side right now. We had anticipated being
able to include accomplishing this and having a plan set for this within our short range
transit plan, which I am still in discussion with State DOT as far as identifying specific
funding for that. We have unfortunately not been able to move with that.
Ms. Yukimura: So, I guess you have checked out the Police / Fire
Station at Princeville and that is much too small?
Ms. Mahikoa: Right. With the size of our vehicles we would
need someplace large enough and secured.
Ms. Yukimura: What about the baseyard down in Hanalei next
to the Courthouse?
Ms. Mahikoa: We could enter into discussion on those as well.
Ms. Yukimura: Because I mean, I do not know how big a space
do you need for your initial satellite?
Ms. Mahikoa: We are probably looking at space for
approximately four to six, thirty (3o) to thirty-five (35) foot buses. So probably looking at
least a quarter acre to half an acre.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, if you have not looked in detail at the
Courthouse site, I would. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: May I follow-up on that one? Have you spoken
to Rory at the Princeville Community Association? Because the park that was granted to
them from phase 1 has a twenty-eight (28) stall parking lot, and it is also where the school
buses go and I am sure we can talk with him about the possibility of having a support
substation by getting approximately twelve thousand (12,000) square feet of land from the
Community Association for which we serve right now. You have a stop there. They have
three point two (3.2) acres as part of that park. May I just ask you to put that into your
discussion piece with Rory at the Princeville Community Association? It is separate from
the developers, but that land was conveyed to them. Mr. Hooser.
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Mr. Hooser: Yes, since we are discussing where you might put
your baseyards I would encourage you to consider which side of the bridge you want to be
on also. I think that would be important, since Transportation is important in terms of
flooding and that sort of thing.
Mr. Rapozo: I think with the new eighty million dollars
($80,000,000) road that they will build from Kapa'a to Princeville, it should be perfectly
fine.
Ms. Yukimura: It is going to cost two hundred million dollars
($200,000,000) at least.
Chair Furfaro: I am going interrupt for a housekeeping item. I
see two gentlemen in the room and are you planning on testifying on today's budget? There
is no public testimony on the second item for this afternoon. So you are not here to testify
on our continuance for this afternoon?
GLENN MICKENS: We are just here to listen to the CIP.
Chair Furfaro: I just wanted to make sure that you knew in the
continuance there was no additional public testimony since we provided it earlier today.
Thank you. Okay. Celia is checking with this process of a baseyard. Is there anything that
you want to add to that?
Mr. Lee: No, I do not. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Further questions? Celia, I want to recap a
couple of questions when we come to the operating issues. First of all I would like to make
sure that I get some clarity about any Federal Transportation money that would be
available for our fleet? If you could have some kind of a schedule on what kind of grants we
might be able to pursue? Then I want to get some kind of a definition of a "route" versus a
"rate of frequency?" I want to know the ten (10) weakest occupied routes that you have? I
just use the word "route" but I really want to know when are the buses traveling from point
A to point B with the weakest occupancy because we may not be looking at any other way to
strengthen the ridership issues where you need additional capacity. You know, we may
have to look at the weak shuttle areas to enhance the high-demand shuttle areas. I sent a
second communication over to you and I hope I have clarified myself. Great. Any further
discussions on CIP?
Mr. Rapozo: Mr. Chair, it is not for CIP, but in preparation of
the operational budget, the paratransit service, the breakdown of the service and the costs.
I am interested in that. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: I think in particular both Mr. Rapozo and I are
interested in the service that we provide versus the service that we could contract out. We
want comparison, even using taxi vans and what are the comparable rates?
Mr. Rapozo: Well, I think we talked about it at the last
budget as well, with the cost. I was telling the Chair the other morning I was heading
towards Wailua Houselots and following the huge bus for paratransit pickup and that to me
makes no sense to use the big...the large one. I mean even the smaller one I think is
overkill so I just shared my concern with the Chair, either contract it out to a cab service as
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we talked about the last budget, does it qualify for Federal assistance because I think
operational cost with the bus with the driver and maintenance and all of that is a lot,
versus a fifteen dollars ($15) cab ride to more than likely going to the clinic, to the hospital,
or to the doctors. So just when we get to the operational side. Thank you.
Chair Furfaro: Thank you for letting us go there because
replenishment of the fleet, this is equipment and CIP stuff, but if we depend on grants what
opportunities are out there? Then if you can, please tell us which of the 10 point A to point
B with the least frequency of riders? Because we might have to look at beefing something
up in an area that needs more capacity. Okay? I am going let the two members from the
bus leave. Thank you very much. Keith, I want to say the last two days you did a very, very
good job for us. Your work, your effort is very much appreciated and it certainly showed
with these schedules.
Mr. Suga: Thank you very much, Chair. Thank you very
much.
Chair Furfaro: Any final questions for Keith? Okay. We are
going to continue with our session from yesterday at 3:30 p.m. We are going to take a break
here. I am sorry, I have some housekeeping announcements. Officially we are in recess
until tomorrow and we will start up again with the departmental reviews. Your time is
pau.
There being no objections, the Committee recessed at 3:12 p.m.