HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/18/2011 Regular Council MeetingCOUNCIL MEETING
May 18, 2011
The Council Meeting of the Council of the County of Kauai was called to
order by Council Chair Jay Furfaro at the Council Chambers, 3371 -A Wilcox Road,
Li1hu`e, Kauai, on Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 9:41 a.m., after which the following
members answered the call of the roll:
Honorable Tim Bynum
Honorable Dickie Chang
Honorable KipuKai Kuali`i
Honorable Nadine K. Nakamura
Honorable JoAnn A. Yukimura
Honorable Jay Furfaro, Council Chair
EXCUSED: Honorable Mel Rapozo
PETER A. NAKAMURA, County Clerk: Six present, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much and on that note, Mr. Clerk,
we have the Lieutenant Governor with us today specifically to talk with us
regarding the upcoming APEC Conference. So let's clean up the first page of our
agenda on any minutes approvals and go right to his item, if we can.
MINUTES of the following meetings of the Council:
Council Meeting of April 20, 2011
Public Hearing of May 4, 2011 re: Bills Nos. 2404, 2405 and 2406
Mr. Chang moved for approval of the minutes as circulated, seconded by
Ms. Yukimura, and unanimously carried.
COMMUNICATIONS:
Mr. Nakamura: Mr. Chair, we're on page 2 of the council's agenda
on Communication C 2011 -148.
C 2011- 148 Communication (04/26/2011) from the Director of the Office of
Economic Development, requesting agenda time for Lieutenant Governor Brian
Schatz to do a presentation on the Asia - Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) USA
2011 Convention being held on Oahu from November 7 — 13, and to also provide
information on other initiatives and activities taking place during this event.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Lieutenant Governor,
Councilmember Nakamura would like to greet you on behalf of the county and
Kauai Council. We're delighted that you're here with us. Thank you,
councilwoman. And Lieutenant Governor, again, I want to thank you for all your
help in the recent legislature, but I'm going to suspend the rules so you can give us
a little bit of an overview of the APEC Conference. But again, thank you for all
your help in this last legislative session.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
COUNCIL MEETING - 2 - May 18, 2011
BRIAN SCHATZ, Lieutenant Governor: Thank you very much, Chair
Furfaro, Vice Chair Yukimura, Members of the Council. It's good to see you all.
Congratulations to your newest Councilmember Kuali`i. It's nice to see you here. I
think you're going to be a welcome addition to the council. The community is
excited about you. The people on Oahu are excited about you. So, thank you to the
Kauai County Council for this opportunity to talk about the Asia Pacific Economic
Cooperation meeting in the State of Hawaii. We do have a PowerPoint, so feel free
to...
Mr. Chang: Lieutenant Governor, excuse me, you have to state
your name for the record, sorry.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: That's okay, for the record my name is
Brian Schatz. Thank you very much. So what is APEC? APEC was established at
a ministerial level in 1989 to foster economic growth and prosperity. The United
States under President Clinton hosted the first leaders' meeting in 1993 and the
focus is on trade and investment, business facilitation, and economic and technical
cooperation. The secretary for APEC is in Singapore. There is a robust network of
committees and working groups that include education, energy, finance, fisheries,
health, life sciences, oceans, telecommunications, and transportation. And there are
regular meetings of the ministers. The APEC members, and this is really
interesting to me, they are the ones you would expect like China, Hong Kong,
Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, but also Mexico, Peru, Chinese Taipei, Papua
New Guinea, Brunei, and of course the United States and Canada. And so it's
important to remember that this is not just a group of Asian economies, but rather
it really is Asia Pacific in nature. Twenty -one economies participate every year.
The leaders' summits have been all across the planet. Each economy has
their shot at hosting an APEC every 21 years. President Obama selected Honolulu
as the location. The city is the official location and one of the things that Governor
Abercrombie and I have made sure of and that's why I'm here on Kauai to talk
about APEC is that even though Honolulu is the host city, and they do select a city
rather than a state, and this is a United States government meeting, not a state
government meeting, we want to make sure that this opportunity does not pass us
by without exposing the APEC economies, the 20,000 people that are going to be
here, the ministerial leaders, the CEOs, to the Hawaiian Islands and especially to
Kauai. The 21 APEC economies represent 43% of global trade, 60% of U.S. exports,
55% of global gross domestic product. There's been 7% annual growth since '89
versus 5% in non -APEC countries. And so this all confirms through data what we
already know, which is from an economic perspective Asia is really where the
growth is going to occur and of course 40% of the world's populations. In 2009 out of
two million international visitors to Hawaii, 88% of them came from the APEC
economies. The movement of people within this region is a critical part of Hawai`i's
tourism industry.
The timeline for APEC USA actually started last year with the senior
officials' meeting in Honolulu in December. And then what they have is a bunch of
ministerial and other meetings that culminate in what they call leaders' week in
Honolulu. So there will be a senior officials' meeting in San Francisco in September
and then this slide shows that APEC is APEC, but there are actually subsets. So
there are two days for the heads of state to meet. There are three days for what
they call the CEO Summit, which will have at least 1500 and perhaps up to
2500 chief executive officers from these economies. So what we're looking at is
roughly a week of activities and probably about two or three weeks of preparation,
press coverage, and for us to be in full operational mode.
COUNCIL MEETING - 3 - May 18, 2011
As I said, you're looking at 21 heads of these economies, up to 2,000 members
of the global media. This number, 1,000 business executives, has to be updated in
our PowerPoint because we are looking at closer to 2,000 members for the CEO
Summit. And we're looking at finance and trade ministers at a very high level. So
there's just zero chance that many of us are going to be interacting with the heads
of state themselves. But our opportunities, from an economic and government and
cultural interchange standpoint, actually lies in the mid to high level ministers,
who are going to be looking for opportunities to advance their agenda and see
whether it overlaps with Hawai`i's agenda.
In the short -term, the sort of hard economic impact has been estimated by
the university to be about $120 million in direct spending based on
17,000 delegates. And the media exposure, which we're still trying to quantify, it is
safe to say that if we were to purchase this media exposure in terms of gross ratings
points throughout the Asia Pacific Region, it would be upwards of $100 million
worth of exposure. It's nearly immeasurable. But it's probably second only to
Hawaii Five-0 in terms of gross ratings points for the State of Hawaii.
In the long -term, we are looking at economic development, increasing access
to capital, new investment and enhanced trade. And the second point is really
critical. We want to position Hawaii as a destination for high level and global
meetings. One of our challenges for our tourism economy is that especially in the
mainland of the United States, you have problems of business and government
decision makers not wanting to hold a serious meeting in the State of Hawaii for
fear that either taxpayers or shareholders will criticize them for meeting in Hawaii
because we have a reputation for being such a great leisure destination that people
can't fathom that we can also hold a serious meeting. APEC can be a moment for us
to pivot with the continental United States market, but also with the Asian market,
which doesn't have those same sort of predispositions against business travel to the
State of Hawaii. Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and China are already in serious
discussions with our convention center about holding some serious corporate
meetings in the State of Hawaii. And of course, the community opportunity, which
I'll flush out over the rest of my presentation, is to start to build the kinds of
relationships that will bear fruit over the long run.
The key themes for Hawaii APEC are Hawaii as a place of discovery,
connection, and quality of life. We are going to focus on the following areas:
renewable energy, health and life sciences, astronomy, earth and ocean sciences,
agriculture, and education. We also want to emphasize those assets that we can
show where there is a connection to an APEC economy. So for instance, we're
working with your economic development office with the Russian delegation to talk
about the Russian fort on this island. What's exciting, as I've been meeting with
most of the consul generals from the APEC economies, is that they are looking for
any presence of the people from their economy historically, economically, or even in
terms of current culture so that they can make those connections because especially
on the Asian side it is all about relationships. So they want to meet with the
Filipino Chamber. They want to visit the Russian Fort. They want to know what is
the history of Mexican - Americans in the State of Hawaii. So it's been a really
interesting exercise in terms of building long -term cultural and personal and
economic relationships.
Of course, we have a lot to show. We want to show our sustainable growth.
We want to show that we have one of the lowest carbon footprints among the
United States and of course showcase our wonderful natural environment, that we
COUNCIL MEETING - 4 - May 18, 2011
have the longest life span in the United States, the 5th longest in the world, and
women as leaders, which is a critically important issue for a lot of member
economies where for instance out of 21 economies only one is represented by a
woman.
Okay, so here's how we're actually working. The Hawaii host committee is a
not - for -profit organization led by Peter Ho, the CEO of the Bank of Hawaii, and the
Vice Chair is Tim Johns, the CEO of Bishop Museum. It's a public - private
partnership. They've raised several million dollars to operate, but they are not
running APEC. The State Department and the White House run APEC. What we
are here to do is to host them, to facilitate them, and to try to make sure that things
are running smoothly, and we maximize the opportunity for our needs. The State
Department and White House have their own diplomatic and economic objectives.
We're here to assist them in that first. That's our first obligation. And secondarily
but not unimportantly, we also want to make sure that if we're going to have
20,000 people and 21 heads of state and ministerial leaders, we really want to show
people what we've got.
NCAPEC is the national organization for APEC. On the left side of the
screen, the NSSEC coordinating council is the national security special events
coordinating council. That is going to be led by our secret service agent -in- charge
and there's a joint command with the secret service, with primarily our Honolulu
police, some of the state DOD assets, and the state sheriffs department. The
command is under the secret service to ensure that when you have 21 heads of
state, not to mention senior secretary level leaders, including Secretary Clinton,
Secretary Geithner, and all their counterparts throughout the APEC Region,
security is really the most important thing. And on that topic you may have read or
heard that the legislature failed to appropriate the necessary funding for the state's
sheriffs department to provide the resources for the joint command. That is true.
We did, however, work with the attorney general's office and found the statutory
authority, because of the importance of this from a security standpoint, to expend
the money anyway. And we have verbal assurances from the legislature that they
will authorize an emergency appropriation in the first part of the legislative session
J 2012. So although we're going to have to do a little bit more administrative work
to make this work, from a security standpoint this will change nothing at all. And I
want to assure everyone that we're going to have the joint command that will keep
everyone safe.
So here are some of the opportunities for involvement. We have
opportunities for showcasing Hawaii in media packages, displays, events and
activities. We're working with your county economic development office to put
together media packages. So there is going to be what they call a media concierge
at probably the convention center. And so the 2,000 or so members of media,
especially before and after the actual leaders' meeting because during those two
days we're not going to get any attention, but there will be opportunities for us to
show our assets. What we're going to do is develop little itineraries, and we're
working with Hawaiian Airlines and others, to make sure that if a member of the
media is interested in coming to Kauai and learning about our renewable energy
assets, and there are some very exciting things happening on this island as you
councilmembers know, then we can show that. We also want to show off PMRF and
some of your natural resources. And so we're working on tight little packages where
they can kind of fly in and either spend one or two days to learn about the island of
Kauai and what the island of Kauai has to offer. Most of this will be pre and post,
not in the middle of.
COUNCIL MEETING - 5 - May 18, 2011
I mentioned the operating structure. We have a host committee, a board of
directors. We have a sort of more operational committee and then we have nine
subject matter committees, whether they be marketing or security or business
outreach. Here is a list of the APEC host committees. One thing I'll note because it
looks like a committee full of people with significant responsibility is that it's a very
broad cross - section of community leaders and I would say nearly to a person,
everyone actually actively participates. This is not one of those board of directors
where people come in and sort of bless the operation quarterly. We have weekly
meetings. They are three hours. They are operational in nature. And you have
CEOs and business leaders and government leaders drilling down at a pretty
detailed level in terms of what needs to happen to make this successful. And I
think this is a real model for cooperation. We're not getting any kind of
jurisdictional pilikia between county and state, or between banks or any kind of
nonsense like that. We're all working together, I think, very well. That's just a
listing of our subject matter committees. The funds for the not -for -profit are
primarily to support marketing, hospitality, and volunteers. There will be a
thousand to 1500 volunteers. So there's going to be some training and care and
feeding of volunteers. And then the logistical support, and a nine - person staff.
Okay, so the neighbor island initiative, and this is really driven by the
Governor and I in wanting to make sure that, again, although it's happening in
Honolulu, there's an opportunity for the entire state to benefit. This is, as you
know, consistent with the governor's desire to ensure that it is not an Oahu- centric
administration, and you'll see that in, as he likes to say, "3- dimensions" with the
Governor coming to Kauai to visit and being here personally and not just mouthing
we don't want to be an Oahu- centric administration, but actually living that. And
that means working with your economic development office, your chamber of
commerce, your economic development boards to develop itineraries to show off
what Kauai has to offer. Barry Taniguchi, the CEO of KTA Stores on the Big
Island, is chairing the overall neighbor island committee.
I want to point out we have a very good website, apec2011hawaii.com. So
check it out and it is a good way to direct people to kind of understand what APEC
is and what it isn't. We'll talk about the business opportunities in a second. We are
aggressively asking for community involvement, but one of the things that the
council leaders can help with and members of the public is in kind of helping people
to understand what APEC is and is not. So for instance, the chair of the chamber of
commerce gets asked very often, how do I get a ticket to APEC? There will be no
tickets. I'll be lucky if I get in. It is a high -level ministerial meeting and head -of-
state meeting between federal governments. So our opportunity is to host the thing,
which is something we, because of our culture, because of our tourism
infrastructure, we can do at such an excellent level that really our initial
interactions with the State Department and the White House have been so positive
because they are just not accustomed to a host city having it together like we do.
We placed all of the 21 economies in various hotels, everyone's happy. We are on
top of this at a level where we're now waiting on word from the White House and
the State Department on a lot of decisions because we want to make sure to kind of
knock everything down and not be scrambling at the last minute.
I'll talk a little bit about the business opportunities and in your packet there
is a business showcase. I think we're not calling it a contest. It is essentially an
opportunity for anybody who thinks that they have something that is worthy of
showing off at APEC leaders' week that they can submit an application. And there
will be a community group to evaluate these applications, according to some
criterion to show off what they've got. There will be virtual exhibits. There is going
to be a lot of opportunities for a local business to show off what they've got. Now, I
COUNCIL MEETING - 6 - May 18, 2011
should point out that there is limited display space in the convention center, so this
is not going to be like an exposition where it's Blaisdell Center or some big hall
where everyone can have a booth. There's really limited space because of security.
But we are trying to make sure that we really show off what we've got to show and
not just that we're a premiere location for hospitality, but that we've got great
agricultural products, that we're becoming a legitimate leader as a renewable
energy test bed, and that we're a good place to investment on our terms. So what do
we need?
First, I think you can help to educate the public about APEC and it's not just
about how specifically to participate, but in my view it's sort of how to understand
APEC. And if you'll just allow me to editorialize a little bit, here's how I see it.
APEC is only a seven -day event. And so the idea that your economy can get
transformed in seven days is not realistic. However, what this can be for all of us is
a moment to think about how we, as communities, as government leaders, as
community members, and as private sector companies, interact with Asia. If we
think back to 30 or 35 years ago and the relationship that Hawaii built with the
Japanese, that wasn't done by accident. That wasn't done totally organically. It
was done because of a sustained effort on the government level, on the cultural
level, on the economic level. And so what we really want to do is take APEC as an
opportunity to build the kind of relationships that we have with Japan throughout
the Asia Pacific region and you, the government leaders here, are the ones that are
going to be able to sustain those relationships over the long run. Whether it be
through sister city relationships, whether it be through facilitating economic
development, but this is a long -term play. Our economy doesn't suddenly get
connected to China and Chinese Taipei and further connected to the Philippines
and Japan on November 13th, but we can begin a process that will allow us to take
advantage of Asian growth over the long run.
I do want you to, if you wouldn't mind, push out information about the
business showcase because there is a lot of I would call "pent -up demand" in the
business community to try to figure out how they can participate. You can talk with
your county economic development office to coordinate potential familiarization
tours. They call them FAM tours, where members of the media can come to Kauai
and learn about the economic opportunities here. The one thing I'll point out with
respect to the FAM tours is we're doing everything that we can to tee them up, but
they are voluntary. So I just want to kind of manage the expectations there. We're
very hopeful and relatively confident that you will get visitors from media outlets
interested in knowing what there is to offer, but again, it's up to them to come to
Kauai and write about Kauai. And then it's up to them what they write about
Kauai. So we're doing everything we can to allow the best possible opportunity.
And then finally there is a document in your packet, which is just the five
things that businesses can do to prepare for APEC. And the one message I would
offer in addition to what I've said about the business showcase is that businesses
should not wait for government. Businesses should not wait for the state
department. They shouldn't wait for me. They shouldn't wait for the APEC host
committee. If you've got a viable economic strategy or business strategy that you
think can work, then get going. We're happy to facilitate it, but it doesn't all have
to be brokered through government or through this not - for -profit host committee.
Businesses should find their own opportunities within APEC because APEC is a
primarily private sector focused enterprise and so all of you folks in the private
sector, come up with your own marketing strategies, get out there, figure out your
way to sort of wedge your way in. The President and CEO's name and number
Gregg Yamanaka is his name is on the last slide, and there's the information in
COUNCIL MEETING - 7 - May 18, 2011
terms of how to get in contact with us. But if you have any suggestions, questions
or concerns, you can always contact my office as well. So I would be happy to
answer any questions or hear any suggestions that the council may have.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, thank you very much, Lt. Gov. Schatz.
That's a very interesting overview that you gave us, especially on the two key
components that are very much of interest with Kauai. I will make note to George
if there becomes an opportunity to do anything with a Russian delegation, I'll be
very happy to share some historic overview with them. A lot of people believe
there's two Russian forts on Kauai, but there's actually three. There was
Fort Barclay down at Wai`oli Park and I have a little opportunity to share some
information with George. And then of course, within the Mexican delegation back
in 1848, as we know many Mexican vaqueros came here to launch us on our
ranching exploits including Queen Kapule who had the Cowboy Castro for the
Wailua area and actually on my wife's family Louis Antonio Domingo Gomez out in
the Princeville area. So a lot of historic pieces that can be shared and we'll certainly
do our best. One of the very interesting things, I think you shared, was the
$100 million worth of media value in showcasing our place. As you may or may not
know, Kauai has a small share of the Japanese visitors, but the opportunity for us
to expand our east -bound visitor at a time when they are recovering from tragedy
and we're concerned that we might lose market share on Kauai to islands like Maui
and Oahu, who need to make up for that market, these new markets will give us an
opportunity to showcase. So I really appreciate you sharing these overall benefits
and you can count on Kaua`i's finest to attempt to do our absolute best. On that
note, Council Vice Chair Yukimura, the floor is yours.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you, chair. Thank you, Lieutenant
Governor, excellent overview.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: You were referring to a packet and I don't know
that we got any packet. We do have one flier.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: There should be two fliers. It's only a packet for me
because I have the printed version of the PowerPoint, so excuse me.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. Oh and then if we could get a copy of your
PowerPoint.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Sure. It's now on your laptop, so... Oh, apparently
the APEC host committee does not allow distribution of the PowerPoint. I'm sorry.
I'll check on that and see if we can get a..
Ms. Yukimura: Okay, no, there was just important information.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Yeah, I'm not sure about that, so. Let me double
check because maybe we can make an exception for the county council.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, okay. Thank you.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: For what it's worth, it's part of the record, so I'm
not sure we're allowed to withhold it from you and I'm not sure I want to check with
the Office of Information Practices.
Mr. Bynum: Please don't.
COUNCIL MEETING - 8 - May 18, 2011
Ms. Yukimura: We know exactly where you're coming from on that
score. Otherwise, I don't have any questions, but you've given us a good framework
from within which to work and we're excited for the ways we might make
connections.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilmember Kuali`i.
Mr. Kuali`i: Aloha, Lieutenant Governor, mahalo.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Aloha.
Mr. Kuali`i: I just had one quick question. I thought I heard
you say in the beginning hope to see you all there. So if I was able to get over there
for a day or two at the most from November 7 to the 13, when is the best day if you
could only get there for a day?
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Let me have my staff get back to you. There are
going to be some opening receptions. There's a governor's reception, which I think
might be the most appropriate venue. As you know, especially with Asian
government officials, presence is critical from legislators, from senior officials. And
so there will be instances in which we want to make a good showing. And so we'll
make sure to reach out to you with respect to when the best opportunities for
Hawaii generally making a good showing would be. We'll let you know.
Mr. Kuali`i: That's it. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Mr. Bynum? Councilmembers?
Ms. Nakamura: Just a quick question. So this Hawaii Business
Innovation Showcase, if a business wanted to pursue this, what would be the best
way for a Kauai business person to try to be a part of this event?
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Oh, just go to apec2011hawaii.com and the
application is very straightforward and downloadable at apec2011hawaii.com.
Ms. Nakamura: So they submit an application.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Yes.
Ms. Nakamura: And then some will be selected.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: And then some will be selected. But I want to be
clear. The business showcase is really just one avenue, and frankly, very few will
be selected. And so I think if I were to give advice to a company, I would say apply
through this and then plan on not getting it and develop your own marketing
strategy that doesn't get brokered through the Lieutenant Governor's Office or the
APEC host committee because as I said, what we're here to do is tee up APEC the
best we can. There are going to be 2,000 CEOs in the room —well not in the room —
but there will be 2,000 CEOs in circulation, thousands of finance ministers and key
decision makers. And so at that point, we're happy to provide advice, the host
committee can provide advice, but it's a private enterprise at that point. And we
want to make sure that both because we want to manage expectations, that we're
not going to place everyone with a senior finance minister, but also because they
COUNCIL MEETING - 9 - May 18, 2011
need to understand what APEC is and it's focused on private sector and private
enterprise and trade, which means we should try to tee everything up and then get
out of the way.
Ms. Nakamura: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Council Vice Chair Yukimura?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, you know, there's this business innovation
process, which you have explained clearly, how does the stories part come involved,
which I think is so creative and innovative in and of itself?
Lt. Gov. Schatz: That piece, we're working with your county
economic development office to develop what we think are the sort of key anchor
stories about the island of Kauai.
Ms. Yukimura: I see.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: But we continue to look for input. That process is
not pau. There are some obvious ones in terms of renewable energy and PMRF, but
we're open to further discussion and frankly it depends. We may have someone
from Hong Kong that wants to learn just about renewable energy. We may have
someone from Japan that wants to know about our native rain forest, right. So we
kind of have to have a menu of opportunities for people to write the stories that
they're interested in.
Ms. Yukimura: Yeah, because stories bring to mind, for me,
storytelling and actually culture and arts. So maybe there's a way to combine all of
it.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Yeah.
Ms. Yukimura: Yeah, thank you.
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Okay, I'm being told there's also a separate RFP on
the host committee website that is a call for stories. This website has been built
over the last three or four months, and it's gone from a sort of static informational
website to the place you should go to find information about APEC and we'll be up
on Facebook shortly
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Lieutenant Governor, first of all, let me extend
congratulations on the standard that the state and your administration, the
governor's administration, have really set, almost a new standard for the
coordination of these international events. And we congratulate you for the fine job
thus far, and we also certainly want to say you can count on our support. If there's
anything, certainly make a request through the mayor's office, make a request
through the council. I know many of us personally would like to volunteer at events
on Kauai to really showcase the destination. And on that note, I want to also say
thank you for just coming over and giving us this briefing. We went through a little
budget process and put some money on the side to market our particular needs, but
it's very good of you to do this to be over here, very good. And we'll stay in touch.
I'm going to see if there's any testimony from the public here that might have a
comment about the event. But we're looking forward to doing whatever we can to
help the state in this event.
COUNCIL MEETING -10-
Lt. Gov. Schatz: Thank you very much.
councilmembers.
May 18, 2011
Thank you,
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Is there anyone in the audience that
would like to speak on this posted agenda item? If not, to the media people, the
camera man in particular, we are going to take our 10- minute recess now because
when we come back, we're going to take some action on the rest of the agenda, but it
gives us an opportunity to individually thank the Lieutenant Governor. So we're on
a recess for 10 minutes.
There being no objection, the meeting recessed at 10:18 a.m.
The meeting was called back to order at 10:30 a.m., and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: Members, before we go any further, I would like to
have a moment of personal privilege. I'd like to ask Cyndi, if I could ask our intern,
who is in the audience, Mayank Bishnoi, if I've got that right, to just come up to the
Mike for a second and say hello.
MAYANK BISHNOI: (Inaudible.) I'm Mayank Bishnoi. (Inaudible.) So
I'm here just to (inaudible).
Council Chair Furfaro: Well, we're very glad that you're checking out the
mayor's office, but you're welcome to check out the county council any time.
Mr. Bishnoi: Yeah, thank you, thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: So anyway, I just wanted to introduce Mayank and
JoAnn?
Ms. Yukimura: I just have a question. So what is your major and
what brought you here?
Mr. Bishnoi: I'm a political science major. I usually intern with
the senator of Tennessee, but I wanted to get a different spin on things, so I asked
my uncle, he lives here, if I could come down to Hawaii and see if I could work with
the mayor. So that's what I'm doing for the next couple of weeks.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, you'll learn a lot of practical political science.
Mr. Bishnoi: Yeah, thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you for being here with us today.
Mr. Bishnoi: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, we're back from recess. Members, thank you
for giving me a personal moment of privilege. I want to close the APEC thing and
then go to complete streets real quick and then back into the agenda mode, if I
could, please, Mr. Clerk?
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, if we could get a motion to receive
communication 2011 -148.
COUNCIL MEETING -11- May 18, 2011
Ms. Yukimura moved to receive C 2011 -148 for the record, seconded by
Mr. Bynum, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you and then we'll go to page 3, if we could.
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're at the bottom of page 3 of the
council's agenda on a communication for receipt, C 2011 -160.
C 2011 -160 Communication (05/05/2011) from Council Vice Chair
Yukimura, transmitting for Council consideration, a resolution promoting the Safe
Routes to School Program, which helps form multidisciplinary task forces at each
participating school, enabling students to walk and bike safely to school.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Councilwoman Yukimura, as you
know, this is just the communication. We'll get to the resolution later, but if Bev
and others wanted to speak, this is the time to speak and I'll turn the floor over to
you and suspend the rules.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
Ms. Yukimura: Oh, Mr. Chair, thank you. This is just a statement
of support from the council, the resolution is, and if Miss Brody would come
forward. As you recall, last week as had Deb Hubsmith from the national program
speak about it, but the resolution is here today for us to act on. And a brief
statement from Bev and...
BEV BRODY: My name is Bev Brody and I'm the Get Fit Kaua'i
Island Coordinator.
JENN BLOOM: I'm Jenn Bloom. I'm the Get Fit Kaua'i Safe
Routes to School Coordinator for Kaua'i.
Ms. Brody: Thank you very much for hearing us this morning.
We realize that there is a safe routes to school resolution that's on the agenda later
in the day, and Jenn and I are here to just urge you all to please vote in favor of it.
As JoAnn said that Deb was here last week, Deb Hubsmith, and she helped us move
forward on many of the initiatives. We had a very, very successful walk to school
day in Koloa, where over half of the student body was present and walked and biked
to school. That's 50% of the children walked and biked to school. So the need is
there. We have met with public works since then and we are actually going to be
applying for the safe routes to school money that hopefully will be released by
HDOT in the early fall. Our intent is to create task forces at now five different
schools and apply for an islandwide safe routes to school grant that will allow our
children to walk and bike to school safely.
Ms. Yukimura: Jenn?
Ms. Bloom: I think it's just important to vote for the resolution
because it's helping, it's garnering your support to help us to continue with the
initiatives that we have already started to implement on the island. So it's
i mportant to have your support in that matter.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
COUNCIL MEETING -12- May 18, 2011
Ms. Yukimura
Are there any questions?
Mr. Bynum: I just want to say what a pleasure it's been
attending a Built Environment Task Force and to see this collaborative effort grow
over the last year and a half with your guidance and leadership and particularly
Marie Williams from planning, who facilitates those meetings. And it's bearing
fruit, it's bearing fruit in very particular and significant ways when Deb Hubsmith
was here. I'm already hearing from our public works department about them
changing some of their plans related to safe routes to schools and complete streets
issues. So thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: Any other? Councilmember Kuali`i.
Mr. Kuali`i: Aloha and mahalo. Yeah, just to say thank you for
all the work that you've been doing and will continue to do, and I'm really, excited
about what's to come. Yeah, yesterday I had a briefing with the housing
department, about eight of them, the director and some of the different managers
from different areas. And I was excited to hear about the long -term potential
development in `Ele`ele and how it's on the coffee plantation side of the highway, but
the school is on the other side. I started to question about complete streets and
making sure it's walkable. They said, oh yeah, and then they showed me their
plans and so they're already on it and I'm sure it's because of your efforts and thank
you so much.
Ms. Yukimura: Any other comments? Councilmember Nakamura?
Ms. Nakamura: Good morning. I just wanted to thank Get Fit
Kauai for facilitating the discussion at the school level. At Kapa`a Elementary
School we have teachers talking to parents, talking to administrators, and now with
the county about how to improve the routes to school. And it wouldn't happen
without that type of collaboration that you are making happen. So thank you so
much for your commitment to this effort.
Ms. Brody: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. Chair?
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Yes, ladies, thank you again
for being here. And I did hear Mr. Bynum indicate that he was at one of the recent
meetings and so forth, but I think this is a general statement I want to make. Not
all of us, perhaps through some guidelines that I've sent out in internal
memorandums about having more than two of us actually participating in a
meeting, especially when concepts, ideas and decisions are being thrown out
because that would put us in an area that when we came to a vote, if we were
challenged, it would be seen as a serial communication because decision processes
might surface. So just to let you know, we are trying to encourage two to
participate where possible, but certainly not as a group without getting more clarity
there. So I think you'll see that the support will come out when we get to voting on
the resolution.
Ms. Yukimura: Yeah.
Ms. Brody: Thank you so much. On that note, I'd just like to
ask, is it breaking the Sunshine Law or whichever to invite everyone to the annual
meeting for Get Fit Kauai? No? No decisions are being made. We're just going to
have a wonderful brunch.
COUNCIL MEETING -13- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Send out the invitation.
Ms. Brody:
I will, thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: But I just wanted to share with you, so you'll see
the celebration in the vote on the resolution. Don't be discouraged because you only
see two councilmembers attending the workshop, so.
Ms. Brody: I feel the love. Thank you so much. It's great and
I'm very happy to have your support. Thank you very, very much from all of the
members of Get Fit Kauai.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. And I might mention that I did check
with the Lieutenant Governor about those $7 million in funds. He said he
believes and will confirm that it will be available this fall. So that's great and
Kauai obviously has already the best plan and application, which is great. Any
more comments? Thank you very much. Oh, wait, hold on.
Mr. Chang: Any more comments, not necessarily questions,
comments?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, go ahead.
Mr. Chang: I just wanted to say thank you again. It was a
great presentation last week. But I think when these routes get established in
benefit for obesity or the children or the kids, there are a lot of seniors who do their
walks also. So you're making it safe for everybody to utilize the path. It's not just
going to be during school hours. And there's a lot of parents with youngsters on
strollers and whenever you get a safe route, we're including everyone, not just the
schoolchildren. So I just wanted to say on behalf of just a good route that's being
visible, it's used, it's safe, I think that benefits the whole community. So I just
wanted to make that comment in addition to the goals of your organization. So
thank you. And, again, thank you for the presentation. And I think Deb really
enjoyed herself last week also and I know Kauai is in her heart. So thank you very
much. Thank you, Councilmember Yukimura.
Ms. Brody: Thank you very much. Just on that note, we are
not going away. We are going to have safe routes to parks, safe routes to school,
safe routes to the stores, safe routes to the libraries. So everything that you're
talking about can fall in under safe routes to school and it's for everyone, yes,
exactly.
Mr. Chang: It reminds us that you are from Canada because I
like when you say, "safe routes."
Ms. Brody: Did I say roots?
Mr. Chang: Routes.
Mr. Brody: Safe roots to school routes.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, you know the thing about safe routes to
school is often it's a parent or a grandparent accompanying the child to school. It
really can be quality time when you walk every day. And then the parent or the
grandparents getting the exercise too.
COUNCIL MEETING -14- May 18, 2011
Mr. Chang: And they have to walk home for the double exercise
to come back and pick them up.
Ms. Yukimura: That's right, yes, yes, thank you. Any other
questions or comments? If not, thank you very much.
Ms. Brody: Thank you very much. We really appreciate your
time and your support.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, ladies.
Ms. Yukimura: Chair?
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Is there testimony from anyone in the
audience? Ken, please come right up.
KEN TAYLOR: Good morning, Chair, Councilmembers. My name
is Ken Taylor. I am in support of resolution 2011 -58. I think Kauai has really been
blessed having Bev arrive and take on some of the issues that she has dealt with
over the last couple of years and I expect the next couple of years will even be
greater events taking place. But I would just like to say to the people in the
community that don't know Bev, they should go out of their way to meet this gal
because she's a dynamo, she's a dynamo. I don't know how we were blessed with
having Bev arrive, but it has happened and I just think it's great. I think this
resolution is extremely important and look forward to working with Bev in the
future on additional activities for the community. So, again, please support
resolution 2011 -58 and I'm sure there'll be a lot more to follow. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Is there anyone else? Mr. Mickens?
GLENN MICKENS: - Thank you, Jay, for the record Glenn Mickens. I,
too, want to say I do support this resolution. There is an 800 -pound gorilla though
always lurking in the sideshows and we have to worry about how we're going to
fund this thing. It sounds great and we definitely need to make everything we
possibly can safe forever our kids, whether they are biking or walking or whatever.
But you're going to have paths. You're going to have to have sidewalks or
something and again, we're talking about probably millions of dollars to be able to
make this a reality. So in the real world, I just want to make sure that we don't just
talk about something that we're going to do any more than the landfill or anything
else we've been going after for 20 years, the money has to be there. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Glenn. Is there anyone else in the
audience? If not, can we move to receive this communication?
There being no one else wishing to testify on this matter, the meeting was called
back to order, and proceeded as follows:
(Inaudible.)
Council Chair Furfaro: No, I'm asking. When I say, can we move to
receive, I need a motion, I need a second.
Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -160 for the record, seconded by
Ms. Yukimura, and unanimously carried.
COUNCIL MEETING -15-
BILL FOR SECOND READING:
May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. The next item, I know
Mr. Costa has an 11:30 meeting, I am going to ask that we go to the Kauai
Marathon, but first, I will ask Mr. Chang if he would like to recuse himself from
this portion of the meeting?
Mr. Chang: Thank you, yes, Mr. Chair, I will be recusing
myself, thank you.
(Mr. Chang was noted recused from the meeting on Bill No. 2404.)
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. On that note, may I have the clerk read
the item?
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're on page 7 of the council's
agenda under Bills for Second Reading, Bill No. 2404.
Bill No. 2404 — AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE
NO. B- 2010 -705, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE OPERATING BUDGET OF
THE COUNTY OF KAUAI, STATE OF HAWAII, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY
1, 2010 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2011, BY REVISING THE SURPLUS AND
APPROPRIATIONS ESTIMATED IN THE GENERAL FUND (Kauai Marathon
grant $150,000.00)
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. On that note, Mr. Costa, I'm going to
ask you to come up. I'm going to suspend the rules.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
GEORGE COSTA, Director of the Office of Economic Development: Aloha,
Council Chair Furfaro and Councilmembers, for the record George Costa, Director
for the Office of Economic Development.
Council Chair Furfaro: Do you have anything to add or summarize from
the earlier reading in committee of this bill?
Mr. Costa: Yeah, I just wanted to emphasize the event itself as
a positive event for the island of Kauai. We had presented the benefits, not only
economic benefit, but the benefit to the community. I know there were some
concerns or requests to look into additional funding, and when Mr. Craver was here,
he did mention that he has applied with or inquired with the HTA for the last
couple of years. He has received verbal commitments, but nothing materialized.
And I received yesterday a verbal commitment from HTA for funding between
$25,000.00 and $35,000.00. I'm waiting to get something in writing. If that
materializes, then I would suggest maybe reducing the county's portion by that
amount, whatever we receive from HTA. And in conferring with Sue Kanoho of the
Kauai Visitors Bureau, in February we had the $200,000.00 visitor stimulus money
bill and there were several facets of that bill that were targeted towards our visitor
industry. And it's also a show to the legislature that it's Kauai County's
investment in the visitor industry. One of the items in there, we were planning on a
promotion, actually it was going to be this month, to go back to Japan because our
Japanese arrivals were on the increase over previous years. And so we had allotted
$20,000.00 in that plan go back to Japan. But in light of the tsunami and the
devastation in Japan, obviously it's not appropriate at this time. So there is that
$20,000.00 that is with Kauai Visitors Bureau and I'm not sure if this is the
COUNCIL MEETING -16- May 18, 2011
appropriate time, but here's another, I guess idea, to reduce what we're requesting
even more, by another $20,000.00 to make it $50,000.00. So I just wanted to share
that with all of you.
Council Chair Furfaro: So Mr. Costa, may I ask then if in fact we have an
amendment that reduces this money by $50,000 at this point, and it's
resummarized at $100,000, you understand that we would do that based on the
testimony you just shared with us.
Mr. Costa: Right, right, and again, this all came within the
last 24 hours, in fact, less than 24 hours. So what is needed is maybe an additional
24 hours to confirm in writing that we have those commitments, then I'm more than
happy to entertain an amendment from the county council.
Council Chair Furfaro: I guess that last part I heard, you would be okay to
entertain an amendment from the county council. Is that what I just heard you
say?
Mr. Costa: That's what you just heard. I don't know if that's
the proper procedure.
Council Chair Furfaro: That would be. We might have to take a few
minutes to write it up. Oh, we have an amendment already. See how quickly that
understanding goes? Now I'm going to recognize Councilmember Kuah'i.
Mr. Kuali`i: I just wasn't clear on what I heard. I thought I
heard that this all came to be in the last 24 hours, but didn't you also say you need
another 24 hours to confirm in writing?
Mr. Costa: Right because this is all verbal...
Mr. Kuali`i: So if we move forward and vote today, and you are
unable to confirm, then you understand it is what it is.
Mr. Costa: Well, I know for a fact $20,000 with the Visitors
Bureau is there and in speaking with Sue Kanoho, so that is available. I haven't
heard directly from HTA, but from a third person I heard that they made that
commitment. So that's where I would want to get that confirmation.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay and I think what Councilmember Kuah'i is
saying is you've just identified the fact that we're in shallower water now and
therefore if we take action on this today, you need to know you are in shallower
water from what might be amended from the original request, so. Council Vice
Chair Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: I mean one option we have is to just defer the bill
another two weeks, if the final confirmation is required. But it is up to the council.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilmember Nakamura.
Ms. Nakamura: A couple of things. I did have a chance to speak
with Michael Story, who's the sports event person at Hawaii Tourism Authority.
He called me from Australia yesterday and he did confirm that a contract is in the
attorney general's office. He could not confirm the amount, but the range is
accurate, the $25,000 to $35,000 range. I also this morning spoke to
Mike McCartney, CEO and President of HTA, Hawaii Tourism Authority, and he
COUNCIL MEETING -17- May 18, 2011
said that the HTA is supportive of this event, that they were looking for a project on
Kauai such as this to support and it's something that they support. So I feel
confident about moving forward and not holding this up.
Ms. Yukimura: Good.
Mr. Costa: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: George, if there are no more questions from the
members, I'll ask if there's people in the audience that wish to testify. Is there
anyone in the audience?
ROB ABREW: Aloha, my name's Rob Abrew for the record. My
testimony is really not about the event itself but the process of the administration of
this grant. In 2009 the marathon received a county grant of $10,000.00, and in
2010 they received zero dollars. And this year as of this morning they approved the
budget for 2012, there's $120,000.00 in there for that. My question is if we look at
Code 6 -3.1 for appropriating of funds to private organizations. "Appropriation of
Funds: All grants made by the County of Kauai to private organizations are to be
made in accordance with the standards that the private programs so funded yield
benefits to the public and accomplish public purposes. No grant, subsidy or
purchase of services contract to a private organization shall be made or allotted
unless the private organization submits an application indicating that the
organization complies with the following criteria: The private organization is a not-
for -profit organization, corporation or unincorporated association, chartered or
otherwise engaged in charitable services. The purpose for which the private not -for-
profit corporation or association is organized provides benefits to the people of the
county. The purpose for which the not - for -profit corporation or association is
organized and for which the group is requested provides services or activities to
meet a distinctive cultural, social or economic need for which adequate federal and
state funding cannot be secured."
And then underneath here, Organizations Applying /Granted Funds. "No
grant, subsidy or purchase of services contracted to a private organization shall be
made or allotted by the County of Kauai, unless a private organization so funded
agrees to the following: to comply with all federal and state laws prohibiting
discrimination —most of that is discrimination; to comply with all applicable
licensing requirements of the county, state and federal governments, and all
acceptable accreditation and other standards of quality generally accepted in the
field with the recipient's activities." I think right there in 2009 we violated the code
by funding this. In 2009 and 2010 for tax records for this marathon, there is no GE
tax license as of last night. So this county has funded this organization that had
not met the requirements or will meet the requirements until that GE tax is paid
for.
WILMA AKIONA, Council Services Assistant: Three minutes, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Abrew: Or that GE tax has been resolved through the
state. And I would hope that this county doesn't release any money to where that
money could be used to pay past expenses. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Anyone else who wishes to speak on
this? Glen.
COUNCIL MEETING -18- May 18, 2011
GLENN MICKENS: Thank you, Jay, for the record, Glenn Mickens.
First, I do appreciate any effort that George puts out to get other than taxpayers'
money for this event. If we can find it, great; any amount will help. However, I
believe that you have a copy of my testimony and you can follow me as I read it for
the viewing public. I believe that Councilmembers Rapozo and Kuali`i more than
made their case about the funding of this marathon at the last committee meeting.
The council is being asked to fund this year's marathon for $150,000.00 and was
asked on Tuesday, May 10th to fund $120,000 for the 2012 race, a total of
$270,00.00 being asked for in one year for two races in two years. Simple math,
$150,000 plus $120,000 equals $270,000. As Mel and KipuKai so factually said,
why not wait until the marathon is over this year and see if there will even be a
race in 2012. Since the race lost $192,987.00 in `09 and lost $158,751.00 in 2010,
and this year, without the injection of the county's $150,000 grant, the race is
optimistically expected to lose $150,000. At least that's the way I interpret the
figures on the spreadsheet. And I say optimistically since the economy is still in
bad shape and the Japan tragedy could make the red ink even worse. Mr. Sacchini
is on record as saying that the race has to pay for itself in three years or he leaves.
And again, without the $150,000 taxpayer grant, the event is still predicted to be in
the red. So the chances are slim that there will be a race in 2012. If this event is
supposed to be revenue - neutral or make money for those running it, why should the
taxpayers be asked to subsidize any part of it? Since we have been told how much
revenue is being generated by this race from tourism etcetera, then let those in the
hotel or restaurants, the gift shops, the helicopters, and the boat recreational
activities pay for it. They are recipients of the income, not the taxpayers. We don't
help many worthwhile organizations on Kauai that hold fundraising events, such
as the Taste of Hawaii put on by our wonderful Rotary Club. There is no other
organization that does more outstanding volunteer work for its citizens than the
Rotarians and this fine body does not receive one cent from the taxpayers such as
the grant that has been given to this marathon group. I respectfully ask that you
use some common sense in this issue and vote as Councilmembers Kuali`i and
Rapozo have. In other words, I'm definitely against funding this thing, okay?
Thank you very much.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you for your testimony. Is there anyone else
J the audience?
KEN TAYLOR: Council Chair and Councilmembers, Ken Taylor. I
think you've had some really good testimony this morning from the previous two
speakers. And I have said in the past that I'm supportive of the marathon, but I
have trouble with the funding of it through county coffers. And unfortunately at
your last meeting with what I thought was a good alternative to this process after
KipuKai had submitted a resolution or an amendment to the current resolution, you
voted it down and moved forward to proceed with giving the money. I think you
should revisit that proposal from KipuKai and consider putting off giving this
$100,000 or $150,000 to them until after the race this year. It only makes sense
with the information and knowledge that you have, comments from the race people
that there may not be a race next year. And that decision will be made, I assume,
after the race this year and the financial picture is looked at. So I just don't see
why you folks are feeling so inclined to move forward with just throwing out this
money when it could be done later this year with better knowledge of the future. So
thank you very much.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Ken. Is there anyone else who wishes
to testify on this? If not, I'm going to call the meeting back to order.
COUNCIL MEETING -19- May 18, 2011
There being no one else wishing to testify on this matter, the meeting was called to
order, and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: I suspect that an amendment is being introduced?
Ms. Yukimura: I think we're on the resolution, aren't we?
Council Chair Furfaro: We're on the bill.
Ms. Yukimura moved to approve Bill No. 2404 on second and final reading,
seconded by Ms. Nakamura.
Council Chair Furfaro: We have a motion to approve the bill as submitted
at $150,000. I believe we have an amendment that reduces it to $100,000.
Ms. Nakamura: Yes, I'd like to introduce this amendment to Bill
No. 2404, reducing the sum for the Kauai Marathon from $150,000 to $100,000
based on discussions with George Costa this morning, Hawaii Tourism Authority,
Kauai Visitors Bureau. It shows that an event like this can be a collaboration that
involves the state, the county, the visitor industry, and I would like to put forth this
amendment.
Ms. Yukimura: Second.
Ms. Nakamura moved to amend Bill No. 2404, as shown in the Floor
Amendment attached hereto (see Attachment No. 1), seconded by
Ms. Yukimura.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, this bill has been appropriately amended
with an introduction by Councilmember Nakamura. Is there any further discussion
on the amendment? But before we do go there, I will ask the county attorney and
the county clerk to please gain the written testimony from the earlier speaker
querying the GET so that it can be followed up by the county attorney. But now
we're on discussion on this amendment. Councilmember, did you want the floor?
Mr. Kuali`i: Yes, Mr. Chair. I'm glad to hear that in the last
24 hours that there was some movement and that there is this additional funding
from the HTA and then from the Kauai Visitors Bureau, I guess. I'm just
wondering if we might not give it a little bit more time if there might not be more
funding out there? And if there was any way, maybe Councilmember Nakamura
would consider giving it more time, maybe deferring it?
Ms. Nakamura: What would be the purpose of this deferral?
Mr. Kuali`i: It looks like we're getting some movement on
identifying additional sources. I think one of the major objections that I know I
have and that I've heard from the citizens is that the county is being asked to cover
the whole share, and that other important partners, such as HTA, KVB, the hotel
association, just different business partners, business associations, and this is
definitely a start of the $270,000 for the two years that $50,000 is coming and that
reduces our county's funding to $220,000 is a good start. But I was hoping that
maybe with a little bit more time, we could get a little more movement.
COUNCIL MEETING -20- May 18, 2011
Ms. Nakamura: Yeah, I'm not
of funds that are out there. I'm comfortable
interest in the council to make a decision today.
fallback position.
sure what other sources, big chunks
moving ahead to see if there is an
And if it's not, then that could be a
Mr. Kuali`i: I I think just as far as other sources, the Kauai
Marathon lists many, many partners and that the key partners are the County of
Kauai, the Kauai Police Department, and then the Po`ipu Beach Resort
Association, Sheraton Kauai, and Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. And then
they also list many businesses, many local businesses here on Kauai, and other
businesses that are back on the continent, businesses that they highlight as
premiere sponsors. Now the moneys from all of those parties combined, the actual
funding is projected at $50,000. And that is already included in their proposal when
they were asking the county for $150,000. So with a little bit of movement and
some money from HTA and KVB, yeah, that helps to bring the county's portion
down from $270,000 to $220,000. But there seems to be a lot of potential sources
out there, and I think in some of the discussion and testimony before and that's
probably what motivated you to move on some of what you got was that we saw that
it wasn't done by the organization.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilwoman Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: I think as Councilmember Kuah'i points out, there
is a lot of both in -kind and other support that is coming already from the hotels and
some of the others involved and actually the real contributions of the small
businesses, which operate on very small margins, is that they're going to keep their
employees employed. The whole purpose of this kind of economic stimulus and
creating a signature event is to increase the occupancy rates and the business
activity in the low periods of the season or the low seasons so that people can stay
employed on hopefully a full workweek or at least not get reduced too much in their
workweeks. And hopefully, if the event can grow and that is something that has to
be worked at because it doesn't happen right away. It will become more like the
Merrie Monarch or the Honolulu Marathon, which is really generating a lot of
economic activity. I think that's our goal with respect to a signature event. And
that's why there needs to be more than one year of funding, but not a whole lot after
two or three years. And it is a risk, but it's a risk we're willing to take to try to
build an event that will be sustainable and productive in terms of business activity,
visitor activity, and fulltime employment for our workers.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Mr. Bynum, did you have anything?
Mr. Bynum: Just that I appreciate the work that George and
Councilmember Nakamura did to find the funds that are available. I agree with
Councilmember Nakamura that it's unlikely there would be other sources. I
supported this in the budget; I support it now because it's investment for economic
development.
I do want to tell a quick story. This morning I was coming here, my daughter
who's a student and also works at Kauai Pasta said, hey, what's that about the
marathon? And I explained it to her and she said, all I know is when the
marathon's on, we're slammed, lots of work. That means more hours for Kauai
people, better tips. It's in the off - season as JoAnn said. And I know this is
anecdotal, but just from my 21- year -old daughter's perspective, hey, I know that
week we're slammed and it's usually an off - period for them. So that's the kind of
somewhat unmeasurable impact that these things have.
COUNCIL MEETING -21- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Councilwoman Nakamura, I want to
say that I do plan to support your amendment as George was able to give testimony
accordingly. And for those who came and testified, I also want you to know I've
been discussing with the staff that should this amended amount pass, it should be
noted for economic development that I will be putting narrative in the operating
budget that actually reflects that for the year 2012. I am looking for a narrative
that references before any of next year's money can be expended, we need to have a
memorandum of agreement signed by the organizers. So in fact if we want to
pursue having a contract for that year, we in fact know we have some written
documents in the narrative. So George, you won't see that until we actually publish
the council's message, but I think that's the next step. So I'll be supporting this
amendment.
(Inaudible.)
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes, go right ahead.
Ms. Nakamura: Thank you, chair. I just wanted to reiterate that
the direct economic benefits for this event is $3.15 million. The indirect economic
benefits that Councilmember Bynum alluded to is $5 million. So this community
directly benefits from this event. Signature events don't happen overnight. They
need to be nurtured. They need to be built on. They need to grow based on
experience, learn from the lessons, and only that way can it grow to be a real
premier event for Kauai, and I think that's something that this community is
lacking and I think this event tries to fill that void.
I would like to encourage the organizers of this event to use local vendors and
services with these county funds as much as possible. And I think this funding
issue has raised the ... for me, it's raised an interest in looking at what are the other
forms of sports tourism that's going on on this island? And what are some of the
other strategies we should be looking at? Whether it's a statewide Little League
tournament? A volleyball tournament? But these, even canoe races, that bring
outside visitors, whether it's state or from the mainland or nationally here, we need
to be looking at that and have a proactive strategy for encouraging that, and, if
needed, incentives.
So I also feel good about Mr. Costa's representation at our meeting last week
that the funds that are in the current budget would not be released until this year's
event is completed and there are assurances that the organizers are committed to
i mplementing the program next year. I would like to encourage the organizers to be
proactive about.getting additional funds that show that this is a truly collaborative
effort. So thank you for this time.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilmember Kuali`i, I was just informed that
before we take a vote on the amendment, you hoped to make a PowerPoint
presentation, and I will honor as such. But let me ask if there is any other
members before I give the floor to Councilmember Kuali`i? If not, you have the
floor, sir.
Mr. Kuali`i: Thank you, Mr. Chair. So with regards to the
Kauai Marathon and throughout my presentation, I'll just refer to it as TKM. The
issue at hand is approving a total of two years of county funding to the Kauai
Marathon (TKM), a new struggling private, non -profit that appears to be run by
and supported by individuals and businesses from out -of- state. $150,000.00 is
proposed and now with an amendment to $100,000 as a money bill, today, for the
September 11th, marathon. $120,000 has already been approved as a part of the
COUNCIL MEETING -22- May 18, 2011
fiscal year 11 -12 budget with the office of economic development funding and that's
for the September 12th marathon. Councilmember Rapozo and I see this as
multiple -year funding and we've heard from several citizens. So approving
today's... now my presentation was prepared with this $150,000.00 figure, but
approving today's $150,000.00 money bill would add to the $120,000 already
approved as part of the office of economic development's fiscal year 11 -12 operating
budget last week, by bringing the county's funding total to $270,000 for TKM's next
two marathons.
As Councilmember Rapozo stated before this would be an unprecedented
example of multiple -year funding approvals of over $100,000.00 each year to a
private non - profit, in fact a new private nonprofit that has no track record other
than according to their own financial reports two marathons, their first and second
ever with a combined net loss of $352,000. In 2009 their loss was $192,000 and in
2010 it was $159,000. Pulling back after two, not three years, avid runner and
TKM founder, owner, and principle funder, Jeff Sacchini of California in his
testimony to this council stated he wants to showcase Kaua`i's beauty and goodwill
as well as create a positive economic impact for Kauai in these tough times. TKM
race director Bob Craver, when it was his turn, stated that Sacchini was not willing
to invest his own moneys beyond the first three years. However, the TKM five -year
pro forma shows that Sacchini is pulling back all his financial support after only
two years, pulling back on even the in -kind services provided by his private
bookkeeper and personal assistant. So in this table I just gave you a picture of the
numbers, the percentage, the portion of revenues provided over the years, the actual
and projected. And so with the financial support from the founder /owner, 46% of the
marathon's revenues for the year 2009 was provided by the founder /owner. And the
county's share was 4 percent with the $10,000.00 grant. In 2010 it was 36% of the
revenue provided by the founder /owner. And the county did not provide any funds
that year.
So as far as background, Jeff Sacchini is a shareholder of two start -up
entities in the food business that sold to Tyson Foods and Smart & Final stores in
1997. He is also the current President of Piranha Produce Incorporated, a
wholesaler of packaged fruits and vegetables with over $50 million in annual sales
and over 100 employees. He is also the Regional Vice President of FreshPoint,
Incorporated, a food distribution company with over $250 million in annual sales
and over a thousand employees. So, as can you see, Mr. Sacchini is a very
successful business person. Now if he is indicating by his pulling out that he has no
confidence in the Kauai Marathon, why should we, on behalf of the tax funders and
with taxpayer moneys?
Revenue shortages. TKM has failed to maximize and diversify revenue
sources thus far. And as a parent by their five -year pro forma lacked the confidence
to project any future success at obtaining new or additional funding. Is this because
despite numerous efforts TKM has been unable to secure funding sources or is it
because TKM is looking instead to depend on our county taxpayers? Is that instead
what's meant by making this a signature event for our county? Will TKM keep
coming back to the council year after year, threatening to shut down if we don't
provide the funding to keep them afloat?
So as far as seeing where the funding has come from in this table, so the
Kauai Visitors Bureau, Hawaii Visitors Bureau, and HTA portion of revenues, the
only funding has come from the Kauai Visitors Bureau for both 2009 -2010, a grant
of $25,000 in 2009 and $51,000 in 2010. So that portion of total revenues for KVB
and HVB and HTA was 11% in 2009 and the county's share that year with the
$10,000 was 4 %. Now in 2010, KVB is 18% of revenues, the county did not give any
COUNCIL MEETING -23- May 18, 2011
moneys, that year was zero. And then see what happen the next three years. In
2011, 2012 and 2013, according to TKM's five -year pro forma, no funding projected
from any of those sources, KVB, HVB, HTA; no funding projected from anywhere
else in the state, whether it be DBEDT or other places. And then now the county is
asked to carry the biggest load there, 38% in 2011, 29% in 2012, and 20% in 2013.
Perhaps the percentages are going down also because they are projecting, which I
hope they are successful in increasing their revenues, having more runners and
having that kind of success.
So as far as TAT revenues, Chair Furfaro stated his strong disappointment in
not seeing the data from TKM on the TAT revenue generated on behalf of the state.
Piggybacking on the chair's comments I asked why TKM didn't take that data from
2009 or 2010 to the state to negotiate for even some minimal level of funding from
HTA, DBEDT or any other potential state funding source.
State Funding. In his testimony to this council, race director Bob Craver
stated that while TKM received verbal funding commitments from the state, no
amounts materialized into actual dollars. When Councilmember Nakamura asked
him if any written proposals were submitted for state funding, he answered no.
When she asked if he was working with the HTA Kauai representative, he
answered he didn't know who that was.
Funding partnerships. Why hasn't TKM created funding partnerships with
KVB, HVB, HTA, DBEDT or others? How about with the Kauai Chamber of
Commerce and other business associations?
I got this information from their website, TKM. It says key partners. So
besides the County of Kauai and the Kauai Police Department, the three other key
partners presented by TKM are all resort entities, whose support is coming
primarily in the form of comp rooms from their vacant rooms inventory. So the
figures on sponsorship, which is actual dollars coming from any of the business
partners or resort partners, in 2009 11% of the revenues came from those
sponsorships and in 2010 16 %, and projected for 2011, 2012 and 2013 is still only
13 %, 15% and 17 %. So they're not, by their pro forma, they're not accelerating their
efforts at raising the funding from other sources. And instead, again, for those
years, 2011, 2012 and 2013, they are asking the county to provide 38% of their
revenues, 29% and 20 %. So when you look at the bottom section of this table, with
regards to the total sponsorships, in 2009 that $25,000 is the singular total of funds
coming from all sponsors combined, from the different resort associations, from the
different businesses, businesses here on Kauai and businesses also not here on
Kauai. So on the website, these businesses are actually listed below, the additional
support. And I think as Councilmember Yukimura was talking about, most of this
support from the local businesses down below is probably in -kind.
The other part on sponsorships is on the TKM website, the first thing
showing in the sponsors' area highlights, it highlights an ad for Tudal Wine Group,
and they are TKM's featured sponsor. The ad goes on to talk about their other wine
products and the awards they won. Then it gives information on how to set up
tasting appointments or to get more information. I feel strongly that our county
should not be a lead sponsor or funder of any event that features the promotion of
alcohol use. This goes against everything that our county of Kauai anti -drug
program stands for and works on every day.
With regards to charitable giving, according to the race director Bob Craver,
TKM's direct charity included amounts in the range of $1,000 and $5,000 given to
organizations, such as the Kauai Independent Food Bank, as well as grad nights at
COUNCIL MEETING -24- May 18, 2011
the different high schools. So the table here shows what portion of the revenues
actually goes to direct charitable giving. As you will see, it's fairly low, 6% in 2009,
3.8% in 2010, and then it sort of levels off at that level, 3.7, 3.6, and 3.5 over the
next three years. So there isn't even a plan for raising more money for Kaua`i's
charities. Then as far as charitable giving continued, on the TKM website, it also
states between the three charities, over $400,000 was raised for their respective
non - profits by 110 participants. If you would like to help raise funds and join one of
these great cause, you can join the 2011 Kauai Marathon at no cost to you, but hard
work. Please contact them through the links above. They will be participating
while raising funds for research, benefiting their respective charities. And then the
three charities are the A -T Children's Project, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's
Team in Training, and the Giver for Liver from Canada and that raises moneys for
the Canadian Liver Foundation. And I got 6.5% or 7.2% runner participation based
on 110 participants of the 1681 runners in 2009 or the 1520 runners in 2010. So by
the website, I wasn't sure if they were talking about their last year or 2009. But
either way, that runner participation in the charitable part of the TKM is extremely
low at this point. And being that TKM is set up as a non -profit charity
organization, I would expect that these numbers should be much, much higher.
And additionally, I would like to see TKM work towards helping raise amounts like
that $400,000 for Kaua`i's local charities such as the Kauai United Way, the Kauai
Humane Society, and the Kauai Independent Food Bank, instead of the direct
charitable givings of only $1,000 or $5,000.
The registration fees, it doesn't cover half of the costs associated with the race
and the race director stated that they would not be raising the fees because they
already charge the highest race fees, also they felt that because of tough economic
times. So again, yeah, there are the numbers. As far as what portion of the
registration fees actually cover the expenses, in 2009 it was 34 %, in 2010 it was
33 %, and then for 11, 12 and 13, it's going up slightly, 38 %, 43% and 49 %.
As far as advertising and marketing, I just wanted to show what portion of
the revenue and what portion of the expense the advertising and marketing line
item represents. In 2009 the advertising and marketing was 84% of the revenue
and 45% of the expenses, and in 2010 56% of the revenue and 36% of the expenses.
MJR Media is a Fresno, California company, was the largest line item expense for
both years, in 2009 at $124,351 and 2010 at $96,014. And then further detail on the
services provided in exchange for those amounts only included website, newsletter
and graphic design.
One thing I was really concerned about and I asked and I didn't get answers
during previous meetings was when they showed us the budget with the projected
financials for 2011 and from one meeting to the next, they brought in the following
meeting their narrative, if you will, I think they call it a 2011 labor recap,
explaining how the expenditure, the labor expenditure of $127,000, how they came
to that total. However, when I added it all up, the narrative section, it only came up
to $94,000. So I put it all here in this table and so there's still an unaccounted
amount of $32,900 on that labor line item, which is one of the largest line items.
So TKM, taxes and audited financials. TKM race director Bob Craver stated
during his testimony to this council that TKM did not pay any GET taxes for 2009
or 2010 and that they would have a GET liability to account for going forward. On
April 6, 2011, when this bill was first introduced for first reading by
Councilmember Chang, Councilmember Rapozo had researched and found that
TKM had not filed their annual filings and did not have either a certificate of good
standing or a tax clearance. Also on April 6, 2011, Councilmember Yukimura asked
for an audited statement of TKM's finances of the past events. To this day, TKM
COUNCIL MEETING -25- May 18, 2011
has not brought forward documentation proving they're compliant with their GET
taxes, nor have they provided any validated financials of the two marathons they've
already completed. And that's it.
Yeah, I would just say in conclusion that there are many concerns that I have
still and that I've heard also from the citizens. And I just do want it to be clear,
though, that I do support job creation. I would just like to see us fund organizations
that are even directly hiring local people and local businesses to do the job, not just
to make the economic impact that supports our businesses. You know, tourists are
showing up and drinking coffee at their outlets and eating at their restaurants,
which I believe is very important, but I think that TKM should also set the example
and hire local people to actually help run the event and support the event instead of
having people that fly in from California to actually work an event. And the
marketing dollars that went to a media firm in Fresno, which was like 25% of the
entire expense for TKM should go to a local company and if we can't find somebody
on Kauai, at least in the state of Hawaii. And then again, the thing about
maximizing direct charity to local Kauai charities and maximizing charity
fundraising, raising for local Kauai charities also. And then the other thing I would
suggest is that TKM works closely with our tourism, with Nalani and the office of
economic development, and that going forward there's a lot more funding
partnerships, and that the county not be asked to be the lead funding partner
because I don't think that's our role. I think the economic development is
important, but I think it's important in all our industries, you know. So if we can
partner with the leaders in the tourism industry so that they play a role, I think
that would be better. Maybe going forward that the county could perhaps only
commit to being a matching partner and not "the lead partner" with amounts of
$25,000 and that be tied to a match. If KVB gives $25,000 and HTA gives $25,000,
then we'll give $25,000, so. Those are just my thoughts and I think I still
have... financial as far as the finances of it, I still have some serious concerns and I
heard one of the citizens make a testimony about if an organization doesn't have tax
clearance and isn't complying with general excise taxes, then they should not get
county funds and I agree with that. So at this time I still have no choice but to vote
no and ask all other councilmembers to consider doing the same for our citizens.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Councilmember Kuali`i for your
thorough work and research. It's obvious that you did quite a bit of studying there,
but the item that we have now and I would like to move towards a vote is that we
have an amendment introduced by Councilwoman Nakamura that reduces the sum
to $100,000. And also my confirmation that there will be a budget proviso prepared
for the purpose of the administration noting that this council would like to see a
memorandum of understanding entered into before the next launch of any funding
that's in the 2012 budget. On that note, Mr. Clerk, I would like to go to a vote, as I
mentioned earlier and the first item is the amended amount.
Mr. Clerk: Council Chair, we're on the floor amendment
introduced by Councilmember Nakamura that reduces the funding amount from
$150,000 to $100,000.
The motion to amend Bill No. 2404, as shown in the Floor Amendment, was
then put, and carried by the following vote:
FOR PASSAGE: Bynum, Nakamura, Yukimura, Furfaro TOTAL — 4,
AGAINST PASSAGE: Kuah'i TOTAL — 1,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL —1,
RECUSED & NOT VOTING: Chang TOTAL — 1.
COUNCIL MEETING -26- May 18, 2011
Mr. Nakamura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
Four ayes, one no, Mr. Chair.
Okay, so shall we move?
Ms. Yukimura: Mr. Chair, before we act on the main motion as
amended, I just want to say a couple of words.
Council Chair Furfaro: I will give you the floor, Vice Chair, go right ahead.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. I do want to thank Councilmember
Kuali`i for a very interesting and well- researched report. I think some of the points
raised about directing the charitable benefits to local charities and even some of the
purchases for the various needs of the marathon are really well -taken and are items
that we should use to make the Kauai Marathon a better event. I hope that
Mr. Craver and others will look at this and try to reshape some of the parts of the
marathon. I was impressed by the testimony that the Kauai Marathon was really
well - organized because I don't like to give county money to something that's not
well - organized. And I think the testimony is true in terms of the operations of the
day of the event. But it looks like in the areas of financial reporting and so forth,
there needs to be some improvements as well. And I believe the section read by Rob
as public testimony indicates that some of the control will happen at the economic
development office, that there will need to be tax clearances before moneys are
released. But as far as tax liabilities for previous events, that is not a county
responsibility. It would seem that that would be the responsibility of the main
sponsor back then. And I do think Mr. Craver said that that would be taken care of
by Mr. Sacchini. And then I think that your PowerPoint, Councilmember Kuali`i,
has been very helpful and useful, and I want to thank you for that.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Vice Chair Yukimura. Mr. Bynum, did
you have something to add?
Mr. Bynum: Yeah, I'll keep it short. This is a public process. I
love it. It's great. For the race organizers, you came into the public process, you're
going to get this level of scrutiny and I think it's a positive thing. Without going
into the details, I appreciate what Councilmember Kuali`i has brought up. But as
he noted there was a $35-1,738 loss in the first two years. That loss is borne entirely
by this individual who, in his passion, wanted to set up this race for Kauai.
Whether he has a loss this year will be determined at the end of the year. I don't
know that there might be more contributions from him and it's not something that
he set up to make money with because it's set up as a non -profit with public
purpose, which means there will always be accountability. But when you get this
kind of public process and scrutiny, it has a good outcome. And you are held wholly
accountable. So thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Bynum. If there is no further
discussion here, I would like to vote. Excuse me. I would like to call for the vote.
You have the floor.
Mr. Kuali`i: Chair, I just wanted to thank the councilmembers
for their compliments, but I would just say too that I'm just doing my job and doing
that level of scrutiny is what the people deserve. I think they deserve nothing less.
And I've been hearing from the people, so that's my motivation as well. And I just
wanted to say one more thing because in this pro forma, we did see a third year. So
there is a third year out there that's going to come back to us. And the number that
they put on there was $85,000 and I really want to challenge TKM and challenge us
and the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, the Kauai Visitors Bureau, and HTA, for us to
COUNCIL MEETING -27- May 18, 2011
move in that direction of making this not something that the county taxpayers have
to fund. And if we do it right, and if TKM does it right, then they won't be here next
year looking for funding, whether it's in the budget or as a money bill for $85,000.
So I challenge TKM and all the supporters, including us, to make sure we can find
that $85,000 from many of the various potential other sources. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. And once again, on behalf of the body,
I want to thank you for doing your due diligence and it also is an opportunity with
legislators in the body to also signify that now that the TAT is capped, any further
investment also benefits the state coffers as any increase in occupancy and average
daily rate after our $13.4 million goes to the state coffers. And so the state and the
HVB have stepped forward in helping with the shortfall this year. So perhaps that
should be on their target range as well for future years, as looking for sponsorship.
But again, thank you for your due diligence and on that note, may I call on the vote
of the main motion as amended and reduced by $50,000.
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're on the motion to approve Bill
No. 2404 as amended.
The motion to approve Bill No. 2404, as amended, on second and final
reading, was then put, and carried by the following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Nakamura, Yukimura, Furfaro TOTAL — 4,
AGAINST ADOPTION: Kuah'i TOTAL —1,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL —1,
RECUSED & NOT VOTING: Chang TOTAL —1.
Mr. Nakamura: Four ayes, one no, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. And on that note, I would
like to go to our agenda item as we have our legislative team here. And we can
again ask Councilmember Chang to return to the group of here.
COMMUNICATIONS:
(Mr. Chang was noted present.)
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair we're on page 4 of the council's
agenda on communication no. 2011 -164.
C 2011 -164 Communication (05/12/2011) from Council Chair Furfaro,
requesting agenda time for a briefing on the 2011 Legislative Regular Session by
the Kauai State Legislative Delegation.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. And on that note, Eddie,
may I ask that you present us with three areas for sitting, and senator, may I
welcome you and representatives that are here with us. I do want to indicate that
although you are known, you will have to find yourselves introducing yourselves.
And will Mr. Crowell be part of your presentation at this point?
(Inaudible.)
Council Chair Furfaro: We're going to break for lunch after this. I think
that's a fair assumption. I thought you were part of the senator's presentation.
COUNCIL MEETING -28- May 18, 2011
RONALD KOUCHI, Kauai Senator: Thank you, chair and members. For
the record, Ron Kouchi, and since I had a chance to share with you some of the
things that happened last week, we thought we would turn it over to Representative
Morikawa to tell you what happened in her first session.
DAYNETTE MORIKAWA, Kauai Representative: I guess it's still good
morning.
Council Chair Furfaro: Good morning.
Ms. Morikawa: I'm Daynette "Dee" Morikawa. I represent the west
side, southwest side of Kauai. And as you know, I am one of the eight freshmen. I
am the senior member of the freshman class and I was honored to have been
assigned to be Vice Chair for the Health Committee. That's something new for me,
so it's taught me a lot just this past session and I look forward to getting back into
the community and learn more about these issues. But I'm also a member of the
Human Services Committee and the Hawaiian Affairs Committee, and that to me is
very dear because I am part - Hawaiian and I have learned a lot about our history
just through that committee. I've just been to as many meetings as I possibly could
be and I've learned a lot and I look forward to still being the link between the
community and government. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you and welcome home.
JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA, Kauai Representative: Good morning, Chair
Furfaro, Vice Chair Yukimura, and Members. Thank you very much for having us
here. I'm James Kunane Tokioka. I was a part of this group for ten years and I
always reflect back at the moments that we've had here with many of the members
that I worked with here that has helped me to deal with the issues that we deal
with statewide, so thank you for giving me that opportunity here, thank you for the
work that you do for the constituents on Kauai. This is my third term in the state
house of representatives and I have been honored and privileged to have been doing
that. In the six years that I have been there... five years, five sessions that I have
been there, the biggest learning experience for us as we go from the county level to
the state level is being on the committee on finance. And as Representative
Morikawa knows and Kawakami, who's there now, the hours are long. We start
many times at 10 o'clock in the morning and we don't leave in many cases until
5 o'clock the next morning, as you folks have done here at times as well. And I
know Chairman Kouchi was part of those meetings here while we were here. But
as you know, the financial situation of the state is very dire. The issue that you
were talking about, chair, with the TAT and the capping, none of us, especially the
members from finance or ways and means that especially have served at the county
level, wanted to do, but the state is in real tough financial times right now. And I'll
give you an example of the scrutiny that the finance committee went with some of
the numbers. The East Kauai Water Soil User Group, which many of you know,
Jerry Ornellas and that group. They do excellent work out at the system that they
have. I think it's a $25 million system that the state used to own. They've taken it
over and a lot of the work is on a volunteer basis. But what they do need is some
assistance and they, for four years prior to last session, they were getting $50,000 a
year from the state to help with maintaining the system. But as frugal people that
they are and just conscientious about the money that they were receiving, they
came to the legislature two years ago and said, you know, Jimmy, we've been
getting this money and we know the state is going through some tough times, so we
won't take the money this year because we have some money in the reserves. And
said, you know Jerry, I don't know if you want to do that because once you stop the
flow, it's not going to be easy to get the moneys back in. So for fiscal years '09 and
COUNCIL MEETING -29- May 18, 2011
'10, they weren't receiving those funds. They came back to get it this year. We had
to jump through hoops just to get them their $50,000, and Senator Kouchi and
Representative Kawakami, whose district that was in, worked really, really hard.
Representative Morikawa voted for the number at the end on House Bill 200, but
that's the kind of things that we're talking about $50,000, that hours were spent
trying to get the moneys in for these groups. So we appreciate your understanding
and your working with us, and every single one of you have sent me and I'm sure
every one of the delegation emails on issues and we appreciate that because that
gives us the sense of what you're concerned about and the constituents that talk to
you are concerned about, and we appreciate that. Hopefully we can continue that
dialogue.
I know for Senator Kouchi, when we talk about county issues, in our positions
as for Ron, state senator, and myself as state representative, when we're in
meetings, the body at the legislature constantly reminds us that we are no longer
councilmembers, we are state legislators. But that's where we came from and I
know you will continue to have that dialogue with us and we appreciate that.
I'm not sure, senator, if you folks wanted to get into some of the numbers on
budget items or some of the projects that have been happening, but I just wanted to
touch a little bit on those things and at the direction of you, chair, I'm not sure if
members have questions for us about projects or issues, but thank you for the
opportunity.
Council Chair Furfaro: Well, representative, for all of you as a legislative
team, we certainly first of all want to thank you and we recognize how difficult it
was at the legislature this period. There were some very interesting issues that
came before you. It was very difficult when it came to health and welfare issues,
contract negotiations, the upcoming AREC, the retirement reform. These were all
very, very big items, especially for people who have been working most of their life
and then finding that you were able to draw a line in the sand for the next level of
government employees. And whether it was the $50,000 for Jerry Ornellas' group
or not, we were able, and I want to thank Senator Kouchi's Office for having the
assistant controller over to visit with us, especially on the benefit plans and so
forth. But we also realize it must be really tough when they're asking to get
reimbursed for the airfare, let alone the $50,000 for the farm workers. So I think it
really tells us how much we appreciate your work. We also know that we got part of
the trickle -down of these controls. We appreciate the fact that we're capped. We
can forecast for the next five years what our TAT cap is. We need to work hard in
reinvesting in the destination, so there are additional TAT revenues that go into the
state coffers. But we had many programs that were targeted by control at the state
level that ended up here in front of us: funding for domestic violence, funding for
children's programs, funding for invasive species, funding for health and food, and
also, the explanations that we had on the EUTF retirement system. They do have a
trickle -down effect and I just have to tell you it's very comforting for us to know that
we have people at our political subdivision level that are now at your political
subdivision level that understands how those things roll down to us.
We're taking a more conservative move going forward, although until we
reclassify what is our surplus into an actual reserve, we have heard things on our
health and welfare target going forward. It's a big number. We need to make sure
that we have that kind of reserve there. We also realize that we're only going to
plan on what the cap was, but that any new investment in capital improvements for
the county and LEED programs and energy projects and so forth that will help us in
the long run, we have to have that reserve to make those kind of investments, so we
can reduce operating costs.
COUNCIL MEETING -30- May 18, 2011
So I just want to say as chairman of the council, thank you very much. I
know it was a difficult session. And we certainly appreciate your work and you
always being in touch with us. I know I got several calls from individuals and
Mr. Kawakami about how things were progressing and other than just telling you
thank you very much, it was greatly appreciated, greatly appreciated, and I know
you're going to have a tough session next year as well.
The Lieutenant Governor was here earlier today. He gave us an overview of
APEC and we'll put our best foot forward here, representing Kauai County and the
state. But we know the net results might also help improve the business
environment here in the state. So on my behalf, thank you very much. Council Vice
Chair Yukimura, did you have anything? Go right ahead, you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. I want to thank the three of you and
Representative Kawakami for helping us keep the TAT as part of our budget, a very
critical part, and for your advocacy on behalf of Kauai in so many different ways. I
feel really good about the team that we have there, and know that you're accessible
and responsive and continually speaking on Kaua`i's behalf. So thank you for that.
And I have some questions, but I think I want to let others speak first.
Council Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum, did you want to speak?
Mr. Bynum: Sure, you bet. I really appreciate you guys being
here today and I think it was definitely a difficult year. I know I paid close
attention, and it being very difficult, I think, overall the budget you guys came up
with you did a good job. There were some revenue - enhancements, big cuts, very
difficult. Some of them I would have liked to have seen gone differently, but hey,
I'm not there, you are. But we had a big changeover in our legislative team this
year with Senator Kouchi and Kawakami and Dee Dee. And as I looked at this I
said, but these are people I know and trust, and I feel good about our team. When I
had questions, you're responsive. So I just am not going to ask a lot of questions
here today. I'm going to ask a lot when we get together individually. But I just felt
really good about our representation and please pass that on to Derek. Thank you.
Mr. Kouchi: And I think chair, I just would add that he was
cleared on his calendar to be here and obviously with everything that's going on
with Big Save Incorporated, his need to be with the rest of his family meeting with
all of their employees has taken precedent. He felt it was important to talk to those
longtime employees in person. And he just conveyed his regrets that he couldn't be
here.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you for that and it's very much understood.
With the announcement we heard today, it's very much understood.
Councilmember Nakamura? Councilmember Chang, go ahead.
Mr. Chang: I want to thank the delegation for coming over
here. You're very, very well- respected and when we talk to people from the Big
Island or from Maui or City & County of Honolulu, you folks have a lot of accolades.
So I just wanted to say that. And Senator you were here last week and mentioned a
little bit about the extension of the road consolidation. I think we're going to be
doing that on Saturdays also? Within the Kapa`a area?
Mr. Kouchi: The extension of the contraflow.
COUNCIL MEETING -31- May 18, 2011
Mr. Chang: Yeah, the contraflow. You're doing that one extra
day, I think. But can you just recap that traffic flow from Kapa`a because it just
seems to be a big question going on.
Mr. Kouchi: Representative Tokioka has been on this for more
than a year. I just came and supported his efforts, so I'll have him give you the
details.
Mr. Chang: Okay and I was going to ask Representative
Tokioka if he could tell us about the westbound from Lihu`e, past the community
college, so I guess we'll direct both questions to him.
Mr. Tokioka: Let me start with the bridge first. I mean the
contraflow first. During the previous administration, we tried to work with Director
Morioka, who did come down to Kauai and look at the traffic flows. As many of you
know who live on the east side, as you're coming towards the bypass from Kapa`a
going towards Lihu`e, especially on Saturdays during lunchtime 11 o'clock,
sometimes the traffic is backed up all the way to Kedha. And so being raised in that
area, I dread going to my parents' house and that was a good thing for me. But the
traffic is so bad sometimes it takes 45 minutes, as you know, to go two miles. So
anyway, when we looked at the traffic flow, we took some pictures from helicopters
to look at where it was backing up and it was backing up at the bypass connector to
Kuhi`o Highway. So what the recommendation was for a quick fix is to continue the
contraflow from the bypass to Wailua River bridge with two lanes going back
towards Lih&e. So with the help of the senate, and you have to have both houses
working together to get things done at the legislature, but Senator Kouchi, as soon
as he came on we talked about the issue. Director Okimoto at the Department of
Transportation came down. He took a look at it. Jadine Urasaki, the deputy
director, took a look at it. So what we did was we provisoed in the budget
$500,000.00 to do the work on Saturdays, to contraflow the traffic from the bypass
to the Wailua bridge, and they have done it on a temporary basis before and it's
shown to have worked. But because of the money situation, they weren't able to do
it. But it is a special fund, so we are going to be increasing their ceiling to get that
project done and contraflowing on the weekends, on Saturdays.
In relation to the bridge work here and the four lanes going out towards
Representative Morikawa's district, that was a $39 million project, the bridge and
the four lanes. The completion date for that, I believe, is in May of 2012. So that's
what that is looking at. The bridge work on Wailua, the completion date is this
Saturday, I think, is when they're doing the announcement. And of course because
of the rain, some of the deadlines were not met. But those were the projects. I
think the bridge project was $29 million in Wailua. So prior to us being there, or
myself being there, and Senator Kouchi, Morikawa and Kawakami, Representatives
Kanoho, Morita, Kawakami and Senator Hooser were working on some of these
projects as well. We've approved it over the last four years and when it's all done,
it's going to be incredible traffic relief for the people of Kauai. I'm sure the
heartache that we're dealing with now is going to be much appreciated. And I know
that Councilmember Yukimura especially, and many others, I know Councilmember
Furfaro as well when I was here, appreciate the bike path and bike lanes that are
going to be going in on that project, so that's just the update on that,
Councilmember Chang.
Mr. Chang: Thank you.
COUNCIL MEETING -32- May 18, 2011
Mr. Kouchi: Well, and the last piece is that there is concern for
the long -term safety of the bridge at Lihu`e Mill and so the funding is also there so
that the bridge at Liihu`e Mill will also be improved along those Kaumuah'i Highway
improvements and that was a concern that DOT has made a high priority, as well,
while we're doing all of these improvements in and around Lihu`e.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, before I recognize Mr. Bynum next,
Representative Tokioka, are you folks still looking at a special session after the
Revenue Council gets together on May 29th? And is it only the house that's going to
go back?
Mr. Kouchi: Well, both sides need to go back. Both the house
and senate leadership had separate meetings yesterday, but apparently after the
Governor was here on Kauai on Friday, he was on Maui on Sunday, he had a
cabinet meeting Monday, they've relooked at the Council of Revenue numbers and
had a report on how to deal with APEC funding, how to deal with the funding for
the claims against the state. They have internal accounts that they can use to meet
these funding requests until we reconvene in January, when we can remedy those
accounts. It appears that we'll probably not be having a special session of the
legislature. I think technically you would call a special session for some of the
interim judicial appointments where the senate would have to convene to confirm
judges so they'd be seated on the bench. But those sessions are specifically only for
the confirmation of judges. And that's the report from the senate. Representative
Tokioka can tell you about the house.
Mr. Tokioka: I'd like to reflect for the journal the words of the
senator from Kauai as if they were my own and that's exactly what happened
yesterday. We were both in leadership meetings in the house and senate, and we
talked about that. It was very brief and exactly what the senator said is what
happened.
Council Chair Furfaro: Watching PBS last weekend, there seemed to be
some mixture from the senate side if there was going to be a special action and the
house side with Speaker Say. So thank you for clarifying that and delivering us the
most latest on the coconut wireless. Thank you very much. Mr. Bynum?
Mr. Bynum: That's actually good news, right? So thanks. Just
to follow up on the traffic issues on the eastside, just to put this in context, and I
know you know this, first of all, thanks for that initiative. It just makes sense. We
know that Saturday afternoon is really tough for anybody who lives on the eastside
and that's our leisure time. That's when we really don't want to spend... and it
impacts business because people say I'm not driving into Kapa`a to shop because it'll
take me forever to get back home, right? So it makes sense. But the bridge will be
completed soon, which will accommodate four lanes. And just for people of Kauai,
there's another separate four -lane project that has been delayed by legal issues that
eventually it'll be permanent four lanes from the end of the bypass. And so it's just
really great that in the interim we're going to look at those Saturdays. Eventually
we won't need that contraflow because it will be a permanent solution. So
unfortunately that is delayed for us for some time and I don't know if you have any
update about whether that project is back on track or not.
Mr. Tokioka: Yeah, a slight update. I know when Steve Kyono
was the the island manager for the Department of Transportation, they were
looking at permanent striping and using that road that goes in the back of Kintaro's
along Kapa`a Sands.
COUNCIL MEETING _ 33 - - May 18, 2011
Mr. Bynum: Papaloa.
Mr. Tokioka: Yeah. They were looking at using that as one of
the permanent lanes going eastbound, but because of the bike path some of that
changed. Permanent striping for what's contraflowed now is one possibility.
They're going to gauge that, Councilmember Bynum, on this flow on the weekends
and see if that's something they're going to do for the temporary fix. But yes, as you
know, the permanent fix is the widening of that area, which I am not sure if
Senator Kouchi has an update. But I'm not sure what that time period is.
Mr. Bynum: And just to be clear, what I'm talking about is in
front of Coco Palms to the current bypass road that there's a separate four -lane
project that will involve undergrounding utilities there and I hope that gets back on
track quickly.
Mr. Kouchi: They've not yet resolved the cultural issues that are
surrounding it, but the money is in the budget. When that comes to resolution, the
project can be completed. Also I'd be remiss if I didn't say that Jadine Urasaki
who's in charge of the CIP projects for the Department of Transportation in
Honolulu has been great in meeting with the Kauai delegation, updating us on all
of our road projects. Dee may give you a further report about Koke`e because Jadine
has given us those updates. But more importantly, Ray McCormick, who succeeded
Steve Kyono, has been wonderful to work with as well. I didn't think it would get
better than working with Steve and Ray has been fabulous. His attitude is about
how we're going to try and make something work and not why we're not going to be
able to do it and even in paying attention to the small things. It was brought to my
attention when I became the senator that there has never been a sign with the
department of transportation that said Anahola even existed. And in meeting with
Ray, we now are going to have, if it hasn't gone up yet, a green DOT highway sign
that says Anahola is here and next week they are doing the dedication for the
commercial kitchen and some of the fair or farmers market that's out there in
Anahola. And they went in, did the striping for the turning lanes and have worked
with the Anahola community to try and make sure that people can get in and out of
that area safely. And he's been really great to work with.
Council Chair Furfaro:
Mr. Kouchi:
Council Chair Furfaro:
sorry.
Ms. Morikawa:
questions for the westside.
Ms. Yukimura:
Thank you. Councilmember Kuah'i.
I think...
Oh, Dee, you wanted to add something? I'm very
Yeah, I was going to ask you if anyone had
Tell us about the Koke`e Road.
Ms. Morikawa: Yeah, Koke`e right now they are starting to do
construction on the road and repairing the parking areas. So that's a big thing
because we did get funds. And we also did get funding for the raceway track out in
Mana. And I think for me, my biggest accomplishment this session was that we did
preserve the trout fishing. We were able to get DLNR to purchase the eggs and we
can get trout back into the streams.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilmember Kuali`i.
COUNCIL MEETING -34- May 18, 2011
Mr. Kouchi: And just on the Koke`e Road, the patching has been
done and I noticed there was a letter, but actually I've worked with Representative
Morikawa, and we've put the money in so we can reconstruct the road. As we've
seen in both the county and the state highways, you get the patching done, it's
wonderful. The next big rain comes, the cars run over it, and the potholes reappear.
And so there's $14 million over the next three -year cycle for us to help reconstruct
the road and make sure that we can get from that park area up to Kalalau lookout
in a safe way. And so that's also part of the budget.
Council Chair Furfaro: I'm not going to recognize you a third time
(referring to Councilmember Kuah'i).
Mr. Kuali`i: Aloha and mahalo. Thank you to each of you and
to Representative Kawakami as well for everything you do for the people of Kauai.
On a personal note, I want to thank you in advance for all the help you'll give me in
the next year or so as we work together. Not to get into details, but just to highlight
some of the areas that I'm interested in and I'll probably be working with you on is
with the parks in general and making sure that we're upkeeping our parks and
upgrading them and making sure that our people have these places to enjoy nature
and to enjoy the beach. It's our way of life and our entertainment, our free
entertainment that nature provides to us. So I think as times get even tougher
economically, it's important that we at least have that basic, those places for our
people to enjoy, and of course beaches and beach access.
And thank you Senator Kouchi for talking about Anahola. I'm not living in
Anahola yet, but I'm breaking ground, I'm building my house this next week, and I
have family and friends that live there and I've worked there for a while. But one of
the concerns of the Anahola Neighborhood is also about how fast people drive
through this residential area. With the Anahola Town Center Plan that the
community came up with, they have a lot of ideas and vision for how that might
change in the future. And I'm sure it'll take working with you along the highway
there. They are having the blessing for the kitchen next week, but the kitchen is
just a small part of the vision that the community has for that entire area along the
highway. And the hope is that one day the highway is even changed in such a way
that it's more pedestrian - friendly and safe, and it connects the mauka part of the
neighborhood and the makai part of the neighborhood. Right now it's just too
dangerous to get across the highway. So I look forward to working with you on that.
And then the other thing, and it is on the west side, and it is that I have a
special affection for the salt ponds and I'm hoping that I can help build or rebuild a
partnership with the county, the state, and the salt- making families, which I'm a
part of one of those families, so that we can make sure that we protect this unique
cultural activity and place, this very, very special place to our island and to our
state and I would say to the world. So going forward, I think we just have to really
pull up our sleeves and get together and do what needs to be done to prevent any
further deterioration and to make sure that we have this valuable resource for
centuries to come. And thank you again so much.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Mr. Kouchi: Chair, I'll just say to Councilmember Kuali'i on the
last item, we did have the Senate President and Vice President, along with Senator
Dela Cruz visit the salt pond area on the county's inauguration back in December.
They took an interest. So Deputy Director of Airports Ford Fuchigami, I made sure
he was out and looked at the Salt Pond area. We've talked to William Aila. I've met
a young lady from PBS and put her in touch with Kuulei Santos and they're looking
COUNCIL MEETING -35- May 18, 2011
at doing a feature on the Salt Pond area to get better acknowledgment and
education of the historical and cultural value of Hanapepe Salt Ponds. So we've got
quite a few things that we've already been working on. So we would certainly
welcome partnering with you as well as we continue to go forward in preserving this
treasure.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Now members, we have about
11 minutes before we break for lunch. And both ladies indicated to me that they'll
wait, so I'll let them split the balance of the time. Which of the two of you want to
go first? There we go, Councilwoman Nakamura.
Ms. Nakamura: Thank you. Here I was complaining that I was
getting home at 10:30 at night during the budget process, but 5 a.m. is pretty
incredible. Thank you all for your great work in supporting the Kauai community.
One of the initiatives in our budgeting process that I'm proud of was looking at
diversifying our economy by trying to begin implementation of our comprehensive
economic development plan for Kauai and I wanted to invite you. We will be
working through the Kauai Economic Development Board and the Kauai Planning
and Action Alliance to begin the facilitation of seven different industry clusters,
varying from diversified ag to health and wellness to sports and recreation and
culture and the arts. We want to partner with the state in the process, as we
dialogue with all the different stakeholders, to try to begin implementing some of
the priority projects in the plan. So I think that's an invitation that we want to
extend to our state legislators because there are state programs within the DBEDT
that hopefully we might be able to collaborate with. So I just wanted to put that out
there and we really didn't hear too much about the Hawaii Health Systems
Corporation at the local level here and it's such a huge employer and provides an
important service to our community, so I was just wondering if there was anything
you wanted to tell us about the funding of that organization?
Mr. Tokioka: DBEDT? Councilmember, of DBEDT?
Ms. Nakamura: Excuse me, for the Hawaii Health Systems
Corporation, KVMH and Mahelona.
Mr. Tokioka: Well, over the past years, Governor Lingle has, as
recently as last year, put in an emergency appropriations for $75 million to keep
that network running. As you know, it is the safety net for the health system
statewide. What sometimes people don't realize on Kauai is we have three
hospitals on Kauai. On Maui they have one and Maui is twice as big as Kauai. So
a lot has been looked at, the different hospitals, KVMH and Mahelona, and how to
better utilize that for the community. Right now, there are no big changes planned,
but they do have a new executive director which started at the end of session. So
he came on, I think in the beginning of May and so whatever plans the board may
have going forward and the new director may have going forward, we're not sure of.
But if something does come up, we'll let you know. They haven't come back in this
year for any additional emergency appropriations. But that's about all I know right
now, Councilmember Nakamura, to update you on that.
Ms. Morikawa: The new executive director is Bruce Anderson and
he has history there. I think we just have to give him time because he did come and
speak to us and he does know that we stress efficiency and let's just give him a
chance. But I really feel that we're in a good place with him. Thanks.
COUNCIL MEETING -36- May 18, 2011
Mr. Kouchi: And then I'll be at my capital office tomorrow. I
don't recall the date off the top of my head, but I'll get an email out. I've had an
opportunity to meet with Richard Lim, the Director of the Department of Business
and Economic Development and Tourism. It happened to be when Mayors Kenoi
and Carvalho were up lobbying to preserve the TAT. So I brought him into a
meeting with the two of them and we are scheduled to have DBEDT coming out to
Kauai, I believe, within the first week or first two weeks of June and they want to
meet with the county officials. They'd like to meet with KEDB, KVB and avail
themselves or make themselves available to see what they can do to partner. As
you can imagine, in the constraints of the budget there's limited funds for what they
can actually do. So they'd like to be a resource to the community and find out what
is the community looking at and how can they best now go about assisting, making
those projects happen? Certainly in talking with Richard Lim, he recognizes that
renewable energy is a real big opportunity for us here in Hawaii.- We've had a
discussion with the mayors in front of the joint finance and ways and means
committee about upgrading our broadband capability. I think we were one of the
tops in the nation at the start of the millennium and now we're at the very bottom
as far as our capability and if we do want to foster that kind of economic
development and those opportunities, clearly we need to have expanded broadband
capability in this current environment. And so he's committed to working in those
two areas. And I know Mayor Carvalho and Mayor Kenoi committed to make their
staffs available and welcome the opportunity to partner with DBEDT. So actually,
that's a good reminder and I'll get the e -mail out tomorrow.
The other thing I should say HSAC did have a bill pass this session and we
were able in this session to get that higher standard of penalty if there is an attack
against a lifeguard or firefighters. That was part of the HSAC package. So that
also was successful this past session.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you for that. We just had HSAC here at
Kauai County on Friday for an update and I was able to sit through that meeting.
Mr. Tokioka: Chair, can I respond to Councilmember Kuah'i's,
one of his comments.
Council Chair Furfaro: Go right ahead and then we'll go to Councilwoman
Yukimura.
Mr. Tokioka: Okay. Councilmember Kuali`i, just an update, at
the Kauai Community Correctional facility, as you know, we've had many accidents
in that area and you were talking about the safety of the Anahola area and making
it more pedestrian- friendly. But in that Wailua corridor, we put in moneys
three years ago to intersect the golf course entrance and the correctional facility's
entrance because as you know many times people are turning in on one side or the
other and it's very dangerous in that area. Two years ago we also reduced the speed
limit from 50 to 40. So those are some of the types of traffic calming devices that we
were alerted to and progressed on in that specific area. Ray McCormick called me
yesterday and as Senator Kouchi said he has been doing an incredible job for
everyone on Kauai. And he and said that money for that connection, for the
intersection at Wailua Golf Course, is going to be starting within the next few
months. So those are one of the types of things and I'm sure, as you know, former
Councilmember Kawakami would love to work with you on similar things in the
Anahola area because we know how hard it is for people to cross that area because
of the speed. Cars are traveling very fast and there are a lot of blind sections in
that area.
COUNCIL MEETING -37- May 18, 2011
Two other things, I know Representative Kawakami called me this morning
and just an update on one of the CIP projects that he has in his district was the
library at Kapa`a Elementary School, which for those of you who were at the
chamber luncheon —I think many of you were there — Governor Abercrombie said in
his speech that two of the projects he mentioned was the Kapa`a Elementary School
Library, which is a $6 million project, and the gym at Kauai High School, which for
the last five years we've been trying get put in the budget. It was in the budget
before, it was never released. But he committed to releasing the money for the gym
and as many of you know all three gyms on the island are over 80 years old. So it's
about time we start looking at renovating or rebuilding those gyms because they
just need to be rebuilt for the future of our children. So thank you, Chair, for that
opportunity.
Council Chair Furfaro: Council Vice Chair Yukimura, you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, thank you. Just in relation to what's already
been said, I really want to thank you all and the governor for the repairs to K6ke`e
Road, which have been so badly needed and I want to acknowledge the governor's
actually kept his promise that he made in the campaign. And I'm so pleased that
the moneys are going to be released, not only in K6ke`e, but also for the library and
the gym because the jobs are really what we need right now, construction jobs, and
that's just going to be a wonderful thing.
My question is on the upcoming session, you just finished the session, I'd like
to know how we can prepare with you for the next session? And there are several
things that are of concern to me. One is the low - hanging fruit for energy efficiency
and conservation on Kauai is solar water heating on all our residences. And I know
the legislature passed a bill, but there's a big exemption loophole that needs to be
closed. So we would like to ask to be able to work with you on that. And that would
really ensure that any new construction of residences will have solar water heating.
And then there are some legal challenges with the .PACE bill that would apply to
retrofits of solar water heating and we'd like to see if we can work with you on that,
although I think there's a bill just to be introduced in congress that will help to open
the field in that area. And then there's the issue of state ag lands and how they're
being used and especially how we can tie them to our primary goals of producing
food and energy, and ag, actually lands and water. And there are many other
issues. If there are ways you can advise us and guide us in terms of how we can
work with you before the next session to prepare some of these things, we would
really appreciate it.
Mr. Kouchi: And it's whether you think we would be invited to a
committee meeting or if there is a separate workshop, we would be happy to work to
schedule that.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Mr. Kouchi: One of the issues that came up at the leadership
meet for the senate side is the president is encouraging the ways and means
committee to go out and do some assessments in the interim to come up with the
priorities for next session and has indicated that certain subject matter committees
may want to tie in a visit by going when ways and means is there. I did have a
chance yesterday to talk to Senator Nishihara who's the ag committee chair and he
is interested in coming to Kauai. They were able to go to the Big Island during one
of the recess days with the ag committee, as well as the water/land committee.
They also went on two of the recess days to tour some of the ag operations on Oahu.
So he found it to be very useful, but I'm just happy to have supported Senate
COUNCIL MEETING -38- May 18, 2011
President Tsutsui from Maui. Having a neighbor island president has made it very
easy to have understanding about why the committee needs to get off of the island
of Oahu, get out to the other islands and see what's going on and what's being done.
So certainly if those visits do come to fruition, we would extend the invitation for
the council to participate with the ways and means committee and other committees
that may be there, and then as I said, the DBEDT meeting, that's upcoming. So I
would see that as several different ways to get some input and participate.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you and one request from our side is please
don't schedule it for a Wednesday.
Mr. Kouchi: I'm aware of the meeting day.
Ms. Yukimura: I mean we have had visits before where we really
wanted to participate and it's been virtually impossible. So thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: On that note, to the legislative team, I need to just
say thank you very much for all your continued fine representation of the issues
that are pertinent to our community, and I need to let the public give testimony as
you are well aware of because this was an agendaed item, although we won't direct
any questions to you, and I will limit them to three minutes because we have a
public hearing at 1:30 p.m. But a big mahalo to you and for all your fine work.
Thank you for being here and we'll continue to just stay in constant communication
with you.
Mr. Kouchi: I think my parting comment is we'll read Leo's
article. But in trying to maximize our time when we can be together, AARP had
extended an invitation and request to meet with us at 12:30 today. So we're now
going to leave here and go and meet with the AARP. Janice Bond has coordinated a
meeting with all of us. So we thank you for the time and if you need us back, just
send an email or make a phone call. We'll be happy to come back.
Council Chair Furfaro: Have a successful meeting with AARP. Thank you.
Is there anyone in the public who wants to speak? I'll be limiting you to
three minutes as we break for lunch. Members, we're going to continue to take
testimony. I need four at the table. Members, I need four at the table. Glenn, I'm
extending you three minutes. Thank you, Dee Dee.
GLENN MICKENS: Thank you, Jay, for the record Glenn Mickens.
Briefly, I know it's lunchtime, I wanted to thank the legislators too for coming over
here and being able to brief us on what the state can help us with or can't help us
with. The one added lane that Tim talked about from Coco Palms up to the bypass
road. It's about 1/8 or a quarter of a mile, I guess. I've asked this question to
Ray McCormick, who is really, really a good guy. You can talk to him. He's
informational, for the public. I really appreciate his being our director now of the
highways. Anyway, I want to know how that one lane is going to cost us $29 million
for adding that one lane from Coco Palms up to the bypass. I know there's a lot of
underground stuff and everything that's going to be responsible for that thing, but
how is that lane, it's going to go up to the bypass road, now you're going to go back
down to three lanes, now you're going to go back down to two lanes going through
Kapa`a, so how is that one lane going to really alleviate any traffic? I don't really
understand that for the $29 million that they're going to spend for it. It just doesn't
make sense to me. And they're going to (inaudible) putting a signal up at Kintaro's
Restaurant, another signal. Now you're going to have three signals, one there, one
at Haleilio Road, one at Kuamoo Road. You're going to have three signals there
within an 1/8 or a quarter of a mile. Those signals stack traffic up more than any
COUNCIL MEETING -39- May 18, 2011
other thing. You could put a 10 -lane thing there. If you put a signal there, you're
going to stop the cars from running. So I don't understand the rationale. And then
going through Kapa`a, they've got that nightmare there with coming out of Safeway.
They've got that 200 -foot lane. You guys have all come out of Safeway I presume.
They've got that little 200 -foot lane maybe. Half the time the traffic's backed up.
They pull into that lane, now they got to merge back, the cars coming through
Kapa`a still have to merge to get in that lane because the traffic is moving. Then
they move back into the other lane merging, which just keeps backing traffic up.
Anyway, I didn't know whether Jimmy — they've gone but Jimmy brought these
things up and I just wonder what can they do to alleviate it? I don't know who
granted that big condos there. Who granted them that permission to put that little
one lane up there that does nothing for the traffic? But I just wonder what can be
done to alleviate it? But anyway, I do appreciate Jimmy brought these things up
and Tim brought up about the one lane for that $29 million.
Council Chair Furfaro: I would suggest that you send Mr. Bynum an email
and I'm sure he can recompose it from his committee to them. But I can't speak for
the rest of the body.
Mr. Mickens: That is Jimmy's kuleana I presume, right?
Council Chair Furfaro: That's right.
Mr. Mickens: Okay, thank you, Jay.
Council Chair Furfaro: Is there anyone else before we break for lunch? If
not, members, it is 12:37 p.m. We will be back at 1:37 p.m. for public hearing,
which will be in public safety, and you are the vice chair, Mr. Chang. So that'll be
your public meeting.
Mr. Chang:
Thank you.
There being no objection, the meeting was recessed at 12:37.
The meeting was called back to order at 1:42 p.m., and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: For those in the audience, we're back to page 1.
Mr. Clerk, I would like to take item 143 that deals with Act 68 as the first item.
Mr. Nakamura: Mr. Chair, we're on page 1 of the council's agenda,
on communication C 2011 -143.
C 2011 -143 Communication (04/15/2011) from Councilmember Bynum,
requesting the Administration's presence to discuss the implementation of Act 68 of
the 2010 legislative session (Chapter 103B, Haw. Rev. Stat.), which requires that
Hawaii residents compose 80% of the workforce employed to perform government
construction contracts, and to describe the steps taken by the County to ensure
compliance with Chapter 103B, Haw. Rev. Stat.: Ms. Nakamura moved to receive
C 2011 -143 for the record, seconded by Mr. Chang.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. We have a motion to receive and a
second. On that note, Councilman Bynum, this is your communique. I'm going to
let you orchestrate this communication.
COUNCIL MEETING -40- May 18, 2011
Mr. Bynum: This communication and the next one I don't want
to take too much time with, but it has to do with something we ironically were
talking about earlier today, which is trying to get funds that come into the state
employing our local workforce, which is very important. And so the legislature last
year passed Act 68. The legislature had to override a veto to get this bill into place,
which said for government work 80% of the workforce needs to be local, people
living in the State of Hawaii. And so that applies to the County of Kauai, so we
have Mr. Barreira here from our purchasing division. I asked him if he would just
give us a brief overview of what the law is and how the county has moved to ensure
compliance in the contracts that we put out.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
ERNEST BARREIRA, Assistant Chief Procurement Officer: Good afternoon
and thank you, Councilmember Bynum, Honorable Chair, Members of the Council,
Ernie Barreira, Assistant Chief Procurement Officer for the County of Kauai.
Thank you for the invitation to be present today to speak as to the issues pertinent
with Act 68. As you noted accurately it was passed by the Hawaii State Legislature
last year. There were some interesting developments with the act having been
promulgated. The first thing, as you noted, is that while it makes routine reference
to the state procurement code under HRS 103D, they did not promulgate the law
under that chapter. Instead they created a new chapter HRS 103 "B" as in baby.
Because that was the decision by the state legislature, the state procurement office,
which normally takes responsibility for the implementation of new laws pertinent to
the procurement code did not have any legal jurisdiction to facilitate guidance and
implementation assistance that would normally occur. It caught us in almost a
Catch -22 situation. In addition to that, for some reason, and I cannot speak for the
state comptroller, but at the time the state comptroller did not issue an
implementation memoranda as well. So the counties were then forced to seek
implementation of this state law without centralized state guidance that would
normally occur. Part of the problem with that is without implementation being
facilitated by either the state procurement office or the state comptroller, there were
no administrative rules developed and we all know how the law works. The statute
defines the obligations and the administrative rules define the implementation that
needs to occur and provides us at the county level in particular and also at the state
level, particularly the executive and judicial branches, with guidance and
instructions as to how we should proceed. It also protects us from liability, to make
sure that we're doing what the law had intended. So that was a concern. The lack
of coordination, actually, left us in a situation where we were uncertain who was
responsible for the law and who ultimately would have the authority to dictate the
terms and conditions by which the law would be implemented.
Now, upon my appointment, shortly thereafter I became aware of Act 68.
There were tremendous rumblings in the community about the constitutionality of
the law because it is focused on residency requirements for the State of Hawaii.
Because of that, our due diligence mandated that the matter be referred to the
county attorney for a complete review. As recently as three weeks ago, one of our
county attorneys contacted me and informed me that the most likely entity that
would likely file a constitutional challenge with this law was the American Civil
Liberties Union and information was received that they were not going to seek such
a challenge. And at that point it seemed clear, after all of our due diligence and
concerns, that we were safe in seeking implementation of the law. All four counties
have implemented Act 68. All four counties have slightly different versions of the
implementation. We did so in the absence of administrative rules. I am
comfortable that adequate due diligence was exercised so that the law is in place.
We will enforce the law.
COUNCIL MEETING -41- May 18, 2011
With regard to solicitations that will be impacted by these acts, we have
made an administrative decision to issue addenda for those three or four
solicitations that are currently pending bid receipt and we are going to inform all
contractors and all bidders that the law applies and they can apply the preferences
as the law does require. So we expect close adherence to the acts and that will be
part of our formal review and tabulation. If there is noncompliance, the bids may
not only be considered unresponsive, but there are consequences as you are aware
having reviewed the statute that are defined within the law.
Council Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum, I'm allowing to you run this meeting.
Mr. Bynum: Okay, anybody have any questions for Ernie before
I do? Councilmember Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, hi, thank you, Mr. Barreira, for being here. So
you said all four counties have an implementation plan or what did you call it?
Regulation?
Mr. Barreira: It is an implementation memo that essentially
conveys the content of the law, as well as policy and procedural descriptions as
needed for the employees to adhere to the law, and any attachments that are
pertinent. In the case of Act 68, we do have a certification form that has to be
completed every month by the contractor and submitted to the county to ensure
that they are complying.
Ms. Yukimura: Is that something you can make available to us or
is it a huge packet?
Mr. Barreira: I sent it to all of you yesterday actually and to all
county agencies.
Ms. Yukimura: Oh, okay, I saw that on the computer. Okay, thank
you.
Mr. Barreira: You're welcome.
Mr. Bynum: Other questions?
Council Chair Furfaro: I have one.
Mr. Bynum: Chair Furfaro.
Council Chair Furfaro: So this implementation memorandum, we have,
sent to us electronically?
Mr. Barreira: Yes.
Council Chair Furfaro: Does this review the components that you visit or
review their performance and their obligations monthly?
Mr. Barreira: Yes, that is contained within the statute itself, the
legislation, as well as in the memoranda that I provided to the county agencies.
Council Chair Furfaro: I appreciate you taking on that task, but so how do
you do that monthly?
COUNCIL MEETING -42- May 18, 2011
Mr. Barreira: The project directors, the Doug Haighs of the world,
the Bill Trujillos of the world, would be responsible to ensure that every month the
contractor provides and submits the certification requirements that has to be
notarized incidentally. So it is a once a month obligation that the county is
responsible to enforce.
Council Chair Furfaro: So the document gets notarized. How about other
things like signatory POS of the employees, specimen signatures, union cards? I
mean what other components are there?
Mr. Barreira: Actually, Chair, that's a very good point and a good
question. If you look at the definitions contained within the statute, the functional
definition of "resident" is very, very broad. I believe it makes reference to if you
intend to make Hawaii your domicile. I don't know what that means in particular,
but I know what it doesn't mean. It doesn't mean that you have to show evidence of
paid Hawaii state taxes for a given time. It doesn't mean you have to show proof of
residency by owning or renting a property. I imagine in the broadest concept it
would mean that if you're from Arkansas and wish to come and work for Unlimited
Construction, for example, and you commit to this as your domicile for the period of
the construction, I think it constitutes compliance with that law.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, so you've clarified mine. The process of
checking and so forth seems to be very weak.
Mr. Barreira: Yes, sir.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, there's no requirement as residency as it
relates to registering to vote, for example.
Mr. Barreira: No, it does not.
Council Chair Furfaro: Nothing.
Mr. Barreira: And one of the problems, Chair, with that is in the
25 years that I've worked for government, in all of those 25 years when the Hawaii
State Legislature has promulgated a new statute that requires implementation at
the county and state levels, we've asked for a deference of time to give us time to
develop policies and procedures and to train and prepare the staff to implement the
law effectively. And in 25 years that's happened very infrequently. So some of that
is the challenges that we face and no criticism intended for our leaders at the
legislature. They're faced with their own schedules. But it does make it more
difficult for us to do a good job in implementing the law.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, so basically I appreciate the extra work that
you've taken on, but under those conditions, it seems that there's not enough bite in
the state regulations that would give us good documentation. So it's kind of like to
the best of our ability.
Mr. Barreira: Yes, and that's essentially what the certification
will do.
Council Chair Furfaro: Mr. Bynum, thank you.
COUNCIL MEETING -43- May 18, 2011
Mr. Bynum: Okay, so I do want to acknowledge and appreciate
that we moved proactively. When I asked the questions, you had answers, which is
great, because sometimes with something like this it just kind of flies under the
radar and so I appreciate that being proactive. I also see that the definition of 80%
has to do with hours and that's really important in terms of compliance. You look at
the hours and not the number of bodies because somebody can have a sub that
works one day, and say, well that was a Hawaii resident. I thought that was
important. I've also seen the DAGS memos to implement on the state level and it's
similar where they want to know the total number of hours and then the hours that
were from local residents. And so I think this is government money and it's in the
public interest to have a local workforce employed on these projects. I understand
that there might be legal challenges, but thus far there haven't been. So I'm glad
that we have this law and it's being implemented. If I understood you correctly,
Ernie, the contracts that are currently out, you're going to do an addendum to?
Mr. Barreira: Not for matters that have already been contracted.
Matters that are pending bid submissions that are on the shelf.
Mr. Bynum: Okay, and then I would just encourage those
contractors who have contracts already to abide by the spirit of the law and look at
employing our local workforce, particularly in a time when there are a bunch of
individuals on the bench who aren't working.
Mr. Barreira: There's one functional caveat in the law of course,
and that is where federal funding might be jeopardized, the law does not apply, and
that applies to 68, and it's interesting. I think there was some discussion of
whether the counties needed to consolidate their efforts and see if we should work
with the federal agencies to see if it that applies. But at this point, in the letter of
the law, federal - funded programs are not bound by Act 68.
Mr. Bynum: And my final question is as this rolls out and we
see how it's working, if there's changes that are required to assure that we're
getting some level of actual compliance, that's something you can work on as well?
Mr. Barreira: Say again, I'm sorry, councilmember.
Mr. Bynum: As you're rolling this out and if we don't really feel
our managers are really getting the information that we need, we can tweak it in
terms of how they demonstrate components.
Mr. Barreira: Yes. As far as the implementation is concerned, we
have full jurisdiction on how we want to convey additional requirements. That is
true.
Mr. Bynum: Okay, I appreciate you coming and just explaining
this, what I think is an important law and it has to do with government projects or
county projects.
Mr. Barreira: Yes.
Council Chair Furfaro: I have one.
Mr. Bynum: Council Chair Furfaro.
COUNCIL MEETING -44- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: So but as we spea k
within terminology as the fulltime equivalent, there
being 80% of the fulltime equivalent? For example,
work. That is an equivalent of five members of the
law, four of them need to be Hawaii residents.
Mr. Barreira: Yes.
right now, what we know
is nothing that references it
this project has 200 hours of
workforce. To comply to the
Council Chair Furfaro: It's not even defined that well?
Mr. Barreira: Other than what Councilmember Bynum just
articulated and then you couple that with the broad definition of "residents" with
regard to the domicile issue, if it came down to a challenge, I'm not sure how it
would be ultimately interpreted. I'm just thankful that we have a county attorney
that we can turn to in the event there are questions that arise. It's going to be
subject to some significant legal interpretation.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, but at this point someone could employ ten
20 -hour a workweek employees, and what test do you comply against that to get the
200 hours? What test is there for you in purchasing?
Mr. Barreira: Actually, the test really is for the project manager.
Ultimately that is where the accountability lies, but your question is appreciated in
that how are they going to do it and we're probably going to have to consult when
questions arise and maybe seek legal clarification if that becomes necessary.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: And my point was just it's by hours. It says you
have 200 hours, 80% of those hours need to be worked by local residents.
Mr. Barreira: Yes, that is correct.
Council Chair Furfaro: But you saw my point too, Mr. Bynum? A
contractor can then hire everybody part -time under that definition.
Mr. Barreira: I believe the law would not restrict that activity.
Yes, sir.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. I just wanted to get my point across.
Mr. Bynum: And my last point, the reason I brought that up is
that I've seen this kind of analysis before where people say, hey, 70% of our
workforce is local residents, but it turns out all the fulltime guys aren't and they're
counting the subs that may have been on site for only a day or two, right? So I like
the way you chose to do it in terms of focusing on hours rather than bodies.
Mr. Barreira: When we looked at this law, I was curious and I
went back and looked at several of the construction bids that had been submitted,
and the overwhelming majority for government- funded projects, of course, contained
not only a local general contractor but local subs as well. So I'm hoping that the
spirit of the law is already in place. But I know there are nightmare examples that
I'm sure people could share where that did not occur. So we are happy to hold
ourselves accountable in making sure that we carry out the intent of this
legislation.
COUNCIL MEETING -45- May 18, 2011
Mr. Bynum: Thank you very much, Ernie.
Mr. Barreira: Thank you for your time.
Council Chair Furfaro: So, did you want to move to receive on this item?
Mr. Bynum: Yeah, public comment. Well we have a motion.
Council Chair Furfaro: I'm giving you the meeting.
Mr. Bynum: I'm done.
Council Chair Furfaro: You're done? Oh, you want to turn it back to me?
Then, fine. Is there anyone in the public that wishes to speak? Gentlemen, come
up.
GLENN MICKENS: Thank you, Jay, for the record, Glenn Mickens. I
just want to compliment Ernie. I thought that was one of the finest dialogues I've
heard coming from the administration. I thought it was clear, concise, easy to
understand. I really appreciate it. I'm sorry, as Jay said, that this law doesn't have
any real teeth in it. It sounds like there is a lot of leeway to be able to get around
the intent of the law, the 80% part. But it's too bad. But Ernie did a great job.
Thank you.
Mr. Bynum: Glenn, just let me comment. The law does
potentially have some teeth. The weak part is kind of the compliance side. But if
there's a clear violation, there is some consequence.
Mr. Mickens: I guess Ernie did say that somebody like
Doug Haigh, they're responsible for getting a notary - signed thing to make sure that
they are the enforcement mechanism.
Mr. Bynum: Whoever the project manager is. We have a
number of project managers in the county, so.
Mr. Mickens: Yeah, I was just echoing Jay's statement that there
are ways of getting around what the law actually states and I thought that was...I
don't know how it can be tightened, but I do appreciate that. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Glenn. Ken, please come right up.
KEN TAYLOR: Chair and Members of Council, my name is
Ken Taylor. I too want to thank Ernie for a well- presented presentation and being
able to answer questions that were raised. In the latter part of his comments he
raised one of the concerns I had was in reference to when federal moneys were
involved and that's been cleared up. That's good. But the other part of this whole
scenario needs to be looked at is that I used the example of a couple of years ago
when all the projects out in Po`ipu were approved. If they would have all gone
forward shortly after approval, it would have more than required county
employee ... the numbers of workers that we had available here on island, which
would force people to bring in others. And if the government at that same moment
came forward with projects, then that would even complicate the issue more so. So
I think somehow in the process we need to look at when and how we move these
projects forward so that we are, indeed, employing local workers and not setting up
a situation where there is no way in the world a general contractor could move
forward with a project because he can't get adequate employment from the local
COUNCIL MEETING -46- May 18, 2011
workforce. So there has to be some mechanism in the decision - making process as to
when do you move forward with some of these projects. I mean if everybody in the
construction industry is working today and the county puts out a big project to move
forward with, that creates a problem. And so, I'm not quite sure how you deal with
those kinds of things, but I think they're issues that need to be brought back for
discussion in the future so that we are able to space out projects so that we keep the
workforce locally busy constantly. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Ken. Is there anyone else who would
like to speak in the audience on this one? If not, just for your general information,
the next item, 144, deals with the planning department's project approval process
as it's interacting with this. And then for the audience, your general information, I
will be following the sequence on the peddlers and concessionaire bill after we finish
this work on 144. So do I have a county clerk that can read 144 when we're getting
up to bat next? Is there any further discussion on 143? If not, I will call the
meeting back to order.
There being no one else wishing to testify on this matter, the meeting was called
back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor on
this motion to receive?
The motion to receive C 2011 -143 for the record was then put, and
unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Can we go to 144, please?
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're on page 1 of the council's
agenda, communication C 2011 -144.
C 2011 -144 Communication (04/18/2011) from Councilmember Bynum,
requesting agenda time for the Administration to discuss the imposition and
enforcement of conditions relating to the employment of Hawaii residents on
projects approved by the Planning Department or Planning Commission.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Mr. Bynum, I'm going to
extend you a courtesy again since this was your communication, and when we get to
decision making I'll take it back.
Mr. Bynum: Okay, thank you very much. Again, this is a
related item. First we were talking about projects where government money is
being expended and my own view is that that's our citizens' dollars and to put
conditions in that benefit the community at -large and the workforce is reasonable.
Although I think we have that goal also in the private sector, those permits come
under the planning department and for some recent things that have happened on
Kauai the last couple of years, I became interested in, for lots of reasons, the whole
planning process, building permits and conditions. And so I want to read a
condition from a recent building permit or a portion of it which is I think in most of
our large private sector projects. It says "to the extent possible within the confines
of union requirements and applicable legal prohibitions against discrimination in
employment, the applicant shall seek to hire Kauai contractors as long as they are
qualified and reasonably competitive with other contractors and shall seek to
employ residents of Kauai in temporary construction or permanent resort - related
jobs." This happened to be for a resort - related job that's why it said resort. I won't
read the rest of the condition, but this I think is our planning department's attempt
COUNCIL MEETING -47- May 18, 2011
when developers are before us to say we really want to strongly encourage that you
employ a local workforce. And so I wanted planning to answer some questions for
us today about this condition which is common because I had complaints from
people in the community who said, hey, we got people unemployed at a high level in
the trades and I'm meeting these construction workers that came from the
mainland and are all being housed in a ... five or six individuals in a condominium.
What's up with that? I thought we had this condition, right? And so that's part of
the reason for this.
Council Chair Furfaro: Mr. Jung, would you hold on for a second so I can
suspend the rules and give the meeting back to Mr. Bynum. You wanted the county
attorney and planning together?
Mr. Bynum: I asked planning to come, but that's who came, so.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay.
Mr. Bynum: And I know this is our attorney assigned to
planning, so.
Ms. Nakamura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
Mr. Chang:
Move to receive.
May I have a second?
Second.
Ms. Nakamura moved to receive C 2011 -144 for the record, seconded by
Mr. Chang.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much.
Mr. Bynum: So, Mr. Crowell, Mr. Jung, thanks for being here
today. I was hoping you could just give an overview of this requirement or this
condition, say how it's used, and really does it have any legal force or is it just a big
request, and how does that come down at the planning department when an
applicant is before the planning department?
IAN JUNG, Deputy County Attorney: Deputy County Attorney Ian Jung for
the record. Good afternoon, Council Chair and Councilmembers. When you look at
conditions and whether or not to impose conditions, the intent of conditions are to
mitigate impacts that developments will have. So when you look at when conditions
can be imposed it's to affect the use of the land and not necessarily how things are
going to be constructed. So when applicants represent that they'll use a local
workforce, sometimes the commission will just put a non - binding condition in there
suggesting that they hire local contractors. But the key is it's an encouragement
and the reference in that particular condition you read was to seek to employ. So
we advise the commissioners that you cannot make mandatory conditions to that
effect. And if the applicant wants to represent that they'll hire local contractors,
they certainly can and the commission can impose a suggesting condition to do that,
but we would not make it mandatory that they do do that.
COUNCIL MEETING -48- May 18, 2011
Mr. Bynum: Okay, so in this particular one because some of the
J who brought this to my attention say, it says "shall," and we all know in
the legal world "shall" is supposed to be very hard and it's like not optional. But
this says "shall seek to hire," so it kind of gets qualified by the next thing. So the
answer is we can't impose this condition as a requirement, right?
Mr. Jung: We can't make it mandatory because it doesn't
affect the use of the land. It affects something that's going to be constructed on the
land.
Mr. Bynum: So we can't make it mandatory, but when an
applicant is before our county commission, that's the time that we can dialogue with
them about their intentions as well. Is that correct?
Mr. Jung: That has happened in the past, yes.
Mr. Bynum: Okay. So does this ever get dialogue or discussion
amongst commissioners? Is there ever a discussion about this? Is there an attempt
to say to the contractor, do you intend to do this and put them kind of on the public
record, so to speak?
DEE CROWELL, Deputy Planning Director: Dee Crowell, Deputy Planning
Director. This issue of hiring locals is not new. The condition you were reading
from was from a permit issued in 2007. But even as far back as well, that I can
remember is the `90s, when the planning commission had some union
representation and that representative tried hard to impose a condition that they
shall hire local contractors. We were advised by our attorneys at that time that
such a condition would be illegal and unconstitutional. So to my knowledge, that
position hasn't changed and from the looks of the 2007 condition, that appears to be
right. So we appear to be going on that same track.
Mr. Bynum: So it's similar to the second condition in this one
that says, the applicant shall consider LEED standards. It's kind of an
encouragement, a strong encouragement, right? And I think that was important for
some people in the community to know that if it's county money, maybe we can
impose those kind of conditions, but if it's private money, we can strongly encourage
and the accountability is going to come from the statements that contractors make
and whether they follow through or not, and also from the sentiment of the
community. Hopefully people who develop on Kauai are concerned about the
sentiment of the community as well. Have I got that right?
Mr. Crowell: Yes.
Mr. Bynum: Is there anything else the two of you would like to
add? Are there questions from other councilmembers? Councilmember Furfaro.
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes. You know, Dee, when I was on the planning
commission, and I was the at -large representative, that's ten years ago, we had
discussion about things that dealt with the objectivity of these conditions versus the
subjectivity. But have we not gone anywhere with the legal department on
saying ... I wouldn't go as far as saying union or nonunion, but I would say
comparing prevailing wages, for example, when somebody bids on a project. We
would like to see some objectivity and a range for carpenters and plumbers as this
contributes to the overall economy. And obviously, when they have to file for their
building permit, they have to disclose the net cost of the project. But have we gone
any further in some of that reasonable competitiveness as far as what our
COUNCIL MEETING -49- May 18, 2011
expectations are on objective things like wage, benefits? Has there been any more
discussion so we can be a little bit more objective than just saying, well, the legal
interpretation, it's very difficult to enforce this, but we should at least have some
parameters. I mean these guys come before us with a building permit. Have we
had any further dialogue on something a little more objective?
Mr. Crowell: Oh, well, having just gotten back to the county, no,
I don't think we have had that dialogue. I would hesitate to have the planning
commission impose that kind of conditions because then the planning commission
would have to follow up and verify the implementation of the conditions, which I
don't think they're equipped to do, much like Ernie, who leaves it up to the project
manager. Who does the planning commission leave that up to?
Council Chair Furfaro: Yeah, I guess I was looking towards and maybe I'll
ask the county attorney for their comment because we have these great
departments that produce information for us like the department of labor. They tell
us what salary ranges are in the State of Hawaii. They tell us what typical benefits
are in place. They tell us things that also deal with insurance, such as workers'
comp and so forth, that it all has to be in place. I'm just wondering don't we have
an avenue there somewhere to establish a little bit more objective criteria?
Mr. Jung: I did some research on this issue of how can we
control business decisions within permitting, and technically when you get on to the
nuances of how a business is operated, most of the time courts have annulled or
held invalid conditions that regulate the type of wage or those types of situations.
So I would always heed the caution to the commission that they should not impose
these types of conditions and look to the issues that affect the land use itself and not
necessarily how the business will be operated.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, let me restate my question so between you
and I we're very clear. I'm not talking about how they operate their business. I'm
not saying does a housekeeper clean 14 rooms or 16 rooms. What I'm saying is the
housekeeper paid a comparable wage? Does the housekeeper have an opportunity
in federal law to be able to comply for a medical benefit because they have children
at home? Okay? Two different areas. Compensation versus the operating of the
business. There is a difference
Mr. Jung: Okay and I think that's why we would have our
federal standards on the minimum wage and those types of avenues to look at
rather than looking specifically at what the use of the property is.
Council Chair Furfaro: So you would refer to the federal standard on
minimum wage versus going to the State of Hawaii Department of Labor showing
what the reasonable wages are for that purpose. We don't want just minimums.
We want people to have a livable and workable wage, and we just want to make
sure we're competitive in that area, especially in... and quite frankly we're talking
about government projects. I mean it's more difficult to impose it on private, I
understand that. But we're talking about government projects, you know? It seems
to me I'm back to the same question ten years ago when I was on the planning
commission versus the council. Don't we have an opportunity there to impose some
parameters?
COUNCIL MEETING -50- May 18, 2011
Mr. Jung: I could do the research, but as of right now looking
at what the case law does say, we have to focus on what the use on the land is and
not necessarily wages and whatnot that the operators of the hotel or the operators
of the specific use will get because I think it strays afar from what the planning
commission is there to look at.
Council Chair Furfaro: Well, you have legal training and I respect
everything that comes from the county attorney's office, but I just think we're going
around in circles here on objectivity. We need to have a little bit more and I'll send
you some correspondence directed at your boss. And if he assigns it to you, that's
great. But I would just like to ... because if not, this one is exempt and the feds say
that and the state ... it seems to me when they bid on a project, we say, hey, here's
the building of a new civic center for the county of Kauai. We have an opportunity
in those specifications to say, what our objective expectations are for the work. I
would think that. It's part of the building specs. But thank you both, gentlemen,
for answering my questions to best of your understanding and I'll continue to
pursue this in written form.
Mr. Bynum: Any other questions? If not, I want to thank you a
lot for coming and answering these questions. I would encourage and I've talked
and will talk to planning commissioners that when the applicant is before us, it is
our opportunity to dialogue. We can set conditions if they're legal, but we can also
dialogue with them about their intent because I think the strongest enforcement
here is public sentiment. Hopefully like I said, people who develop in Hawaii are
concerned about the sentiment of the local population and their reputation with
those people. If they make commitments at our planning commission and don't
follow through with them, even if we can't enforce those legally, we can hold them
accountable for the commitments that they make to the community. It's my view
anyway. So I would encourage the planning commissioners to ask those kinds of
questions, not impose conditions that are illegal and we have good advice about
what we can and can't do, but to engage in that dialogue with developers about
what their intentions are. Does that make sense? Okay. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Since the rules are suspended, is there anyone in
the audience that would like to speak on this communication?
KEN TAYLOR: Chair and Members of Council, my name is
Ken Taylor. I'd like to raise an issue that I don't know if it can be done, but I think
it's something that needs to be looked at where there's some sort of a fee put in
place as part of the approval process and depending on the rate of local individuals
being employed on that project, step -downs be facilitated so that if I turn in my
paperwork and show that I had 20% employment from local, I get a certain discount
from this amount. If I go up to 80, maybe I get 100% discount from this amount.
And it seems like there's a way to put a process in place where you can pay this
price and bring in everybody you want or you can deduct from it, depending on how
many local individuals you hire. I think something like that could be implemented
and it would work well at keeping local people employed. And I think it behooves
the county council working with administration to move in that direction. Thank
you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much.
Mr. Taylor: I'd like to just say, I know we don't have
development fees in place yet, but I know in communities that do have development
fees you have X number of dollars on a project for park and recreational activities,
but if they provide some of those activities within the project, they get those
COUNCIL MEETING -51- May 18, 2011
deducted from the amount that would normally be forthcoming to the county. So I
think this is what I'm talking about on employing local people as a similar kind of
situation. So I think it's worth looking into. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Ken. Is there anyone else who would
like to speak on this item? If not, members, I'm going to call the meeting back to
order. Mr. Bynum, I will recognize you for some dialogue before I call to receive the
communique.
There being no one else wishing to testify on this matter, the meeting was called
back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Mr. Bynum: I appreciate the council's indulgence on these last
two items, which I think are important especially in this time. Some of the
testimony was well, geez, if there are so many projects going at once that people
have to import labor, maybe we need some consideration for that. Well,
unfortunately that's not the case right now. The case right now is we still have high
unemployment in the trade sector, people looking for work, and so you know, this
really got driven home to me in the last few months as I got calls from friends and
acquaintances that work at the Sheraton Kauai who said, who are all of these
people from the mainland that are doing this work when my friends and family are
hurting and don't have work? And I thought that's a really good question because
when these developers like the Starwood Corporation, who I admire a lot, when we
were doing the housing bill, they were here dialoguing with us, telling us, well, you
don't need any requirements for housing for resort projects, and indeed our housing
bill doesn't have that exemption like other communities do. When we were looking
at comprehensive tax reform, those same people were here saying, hey, we really
want you to give us a renovation tax credit when we do renovation, which I actually
was willing to support because I think that's a positive economic development
stimulus. But their language was hey, we're `ohana, we're committed to Hawaii.
When we do work, we hire local people, we stimulate and contribute to this
economy. But in this down economy right now, we have mainland firms doing large
construction projects on Kauai while our guys and women are sitting on the bench,
and it just irritates me. I know we don't have the legal authority to require that as
we just heard from our county attorney. But we do have a responsibility to let those
people know when they want to talk to us about `ohana and they want consideration
for their business when they come before the council on other matters that what
goes around comes around. So thank you very much.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you and I think the other thing that's
important before I recognize anyone else is the parameters in this condition is
certainly about government projects. The fact of the matter is on the private side of
things, there is encouragement done at the planning department. I think we're
going to visit a few of these other opportunities. I might say to you, I had an
opportunity to visit the project at Sheraton Kauai with the mayor recently with
Councilman Chang and I was actually surprised at how many of the construction
workers there I actually knew as residents from Kauai and I was pleased. We had
a break and ate some stew, and we had a good conversation. So it is important for
us to follow up on those conditions, but I think it just needs to start at the planning
commission. And I want to thank Mr. Bynum for asking me to put this on the
agenda so we could have some dialogue in going forward. Is there anyone else that
would like to speak on this item? I'm going to (inaudible) Councilman Chang and
then yourself, Councilmember Kuah'i.
COUNCIL MEETING -52- May 18, 2011
Mr. Chang: Chairman, thank you. I also want to thank
Councilmember Bynum for putting these two items on the agenda, very
informative. But yes, we did have a tour. That was my second hardhat tour there
at the Sheraton. It was nice to see all local workers. However, I really would like to
see more. There are a lot of people out there without work and it saddens me to
have good, strong, able- bodies of our men and women that are out there that are
wanting to support their families and wanting to work and able to work the hours
and the days and even to do anything on a part -time basis, so 20, 30 hours a week.
I'm sure many of them don't mind, rain or shine, working overtime or additional
hours. So I'm glad that we're putting this on the forefront for future projects down
the road that there's nothing that we can do legally; however, I hope that those who
come in will first and foremost think about the `ohana here on Kauai and get our
economy going because it takes every sector of the industry, construction, hotel
visitor, what have you, it's all got to be a concerted effort all together to be 100% in
tune with moving forward, economically speaking. So again to Councilmember
Bynum, thank you for bringing these two agenda items up in front of us and in front
of the public. Thank you very much
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Councilmember Kuah'i, you have the
floor.
Mr. Kuali`i: I too want to thank Councilmember Bynum for
bringing this forward. I did miss a big part of the conversation earlier and when we
had testimony, as well. I just wanted to say that I am committed to working on this
further and I appreciate your passion. I heard your comments when I came back
into the room, Mr. Chair. I'm not 100% convinced that it's not legally possible and I
think we need to look into it further. And I just have to mention that it would be
wrong for federal law to say what we can or cannot do when they do it themselves.
And there are other ways. Maybe it's not just about residency. Maybe it's about
locally owned businesses, minority -owned businesses, affirmative action. There are
ways that I think we can address what the problem is, as Councilmember Bynum
has articulated. Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank y
signature format that we send over to
some criteria, objective criteria. I will
signature and mine, so. Okay, is the
Mr. Bynum, we have a motion to receive
please signifying by saying aye.
1u. And I'll be glad to make room on the
the planning commission querying about
be glad to share that inquiry with your
°e any further discussion here? If not,
and we have a second. All those in favor,
The motion to receive C 2011 -144 for the record was then put, and
unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Now, members, what I want to do is I
want to do some... Thank you planning and the county attorney's office. I want to
clean up a few housekeeping items here and then go to peddlers and
concessionaires.
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're on page 1 of the council's
agenda on communications for receipt, communication C 2011 -142 and C 2011 -145.
C 2011 -142 Communication (04/05/2011) from the County Engineer,
transmitting for Council consideration, a traffic resolution to repeal an existing
crosswalk on Rice Street fronting the Isenberg Memorial (vicinity of Haleko Road)
established by Resolution No. 68: Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -142 for the
record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and unanimously carried.
COUNCIL MEETING -53- May 18, 2011
C 2011 -145 Certification (04/21/2011) of the 2011 Real Property Assessment
List within the County of Kauai by the Director of Finance: Mr. Chang moved to
receive C 2011 -145 for the record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and unanimously
carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Can we go to page 2, Mr. Clerk?
Mr. Nakamura: On page 2 of the council's agenda, Mr. Chair,
communications for receipt C 2011 -146, 147, and 149.
C 2011 -146 Communication (04/21/2011) from the County
Engineer, transmitting for Council consideration, a traffic resolution establishing
no- parking restrictions at any time and tow away zone along a portion of
Weke Road in the vicinity of the Hanalei Beach Park Pavilion, Hanalei District:
Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -146 for the record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura,
and unanimously carried.
C 2011 -147 Communication (04/21/2011) from the County Engineer,
transmitting for Council consideration a traffic resolution establishing a school bus
stop on Lohe Road, Kukuiolono Estate Subdivision, K51oa District: Mr. Chang
moved to receive C 2011 -147 for the record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and
unanimously carried.
C 2011 -149 Communication (04/26/2011) from the Director of Finance,
transmitting for Council information, the Period 9 Financial Reports — Statement of
Revenues as of March 31, 2011, for Fiscal Year 2011, including the Statement of
Revenues — Estimated and Actual, Revenue Report, Statement of Expenditures and
Encumbrances, and Detailed Budget Report, pursuant to Section 21 of the
Operating Budget Ordinance (B- 2010 -705), County of Kauai: Mr. Chang moved to
receive C 2011 -149 for the record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and unanimously
carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you and we're going to take a break at
communication 150 and we're going to go to bills for second reading. Mr. Clerk?
BILL FOR SECOND READING:
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're on page 7 of the council's
agenda under Bills for Second Reading. This would be Bill No. 2406.
Bill No. 2406 — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND CHAPTER 23,
ARTICLE 3, SECTION 23 -3.2 OF THE KAUAI COUNTY CODE 1987, RELATING
TO PEDDLERS AND CONCESSIONAIRES
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. First of all before I suspend
the rules, I do want to make an announcement that the action that the county is
looking here is about regulating our parks activities. It is not about terminating
any possible recreation activity. I do want to let you know that we have taken it
upon ourselves to look at a number of new investments in our parks and recreation
areas that could be pretty substantial and at the same time we've identified the
need that our parks be for public benefit and activities that are in the park should
be under the guidelines of some regulating activity. This does not mean ending all
concessionaires and so forth. This means about regulating as we go forward. We
have spent in some of our parks, lands that add to our park areas. Recently in
Hanalei, we have an executive order on the accretion of land off the point off the
COUNCIL MEETING -54- May 18, 2011
mouth of the river mouth there at Kikiula. That is the appropriate name for the
river mouth. It references a red spring which is the water that comes from the
mouth. We've acquired that by executive order. And we have recently made a
purchase of some property along with the Hawaii Land Trust that has been
transferred to us for part of our park expansion. And we will continue to do so.
Those benefits in those areas also identified the possibility of improving maybe
100 parking stalls for park use. The fact of the matter is we would like to have a
better and more improved boat launch areas for the community there. But I wanted
to make sure before we go any further, this bill is about regulating activities
through a process determined by the parks department. We do believe that the
state is moving forward on similar issues along the shoreline and we want to be at
least in some effort of coordination, you might say, as we move forward. So on that
note, this is the second reading. I'm going to ask for a motion to approve.
Mr. Chang moved for adoption of Bill No. 2406 on second and final reading,
and that it be transmitted to the Mayor for his approval, seconded by
Ms. Yukimura.
Council Chair Furfaro: I believe we have two registered speakers and I do
know that we have our county attorney here with us present that if we cannot or
need to answer any questions, we will in fact make a reference to you coming up for
some testimony. We have Mitchell Alapa registered as our first speaker, followed
by Titus Kinimaka. The rules are suspended, gentlemen. You can come right up.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
MITCHELL ALAPA: Hello Members on the Council. Good afternoon.
I'm Mitchell Alapa. Thank you for letting me come here today and share a little bit
on this topic that we're talking about today. Growing up in Hawaii, I mean, I grew
up by a lot of the beaches in Hawaii, famous beaches, you know. And I feel that
regulating these things, it's come to the time where it needs to be regulated. I
understand that and hopefully this thing can work it out with all of us because
we're the last of the beach boys around here now. Being in Waikiki, growing up in
Waikiki, seeing all the beach boys in action, and now they're not there anymore, it's
kind of like a bummer. The only time you get to see them is when the Summer
Festival is on. So I know a lot of the kids growing up today they yearn to hear the
stories of how we grew up and get to see those beach boys in action, you know. And
it's kind of sad, like all those good beaches that we grew up, it's not like how it used
to be. You have to pay to go to the beach at Waikiki. Whether you like it or not as
soon as you sign up and register at the hotel, they already make your bill already.
You pay for the beach; you pay for your towel at the beach. Whether you went on
the beach or not, you still pay for the beach and the towel. And then you look at
your bill, you go, ho, I never go to the beach, I went to the shops. But they still had
charged you for the beach. And then my friend go, whoa, Mitch, I never even know
they charged me for the beach. I go, I know, as soon as you sign up at the hotel, you
got a week there, you're paying for the beach for the whole week. And all members
you take with you to the hotel, that's how much people they charge you for the
beach, whether you're at the beach or not. Usually we go to the beach or go
shopping when we go to Honolulu, right? Not to go to the beach. We got the beach
back here. But as soon as you go over there and stay in Waikiki, they charging you
for the beach already. So, you know, I don't want to see that happen over here. I
just want to see everybody is having fun in the ocean, doing what we do, showing
them like how it used to be, and it's all about having fun. That's all I want to share.
COUNCIL MEETING -55- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you for that, Mitch. I think we, too,
recognize your longevity there. Yeah, the history with the beach boys is extremely
important to the culture and the process. But I think you also said that we're
getting to a time that we probably have to regulate it through some kind of a
permitting process, so thank you very much. Does anyone have any questions for
Mitch? Councilwoman Nakamura.
Ms. Nakamura:
surf school up at Hanalei Bay?
Mr. Alapa:
yeah.
Ms. Nakamura:
Mr. Alapa:
Ms. Nakamura:
Mr. Alapa:
Ms. Nakamura:
Hi, Mr. Alapa. I have a question. Do you operate a
Yeah, I have a surf school out on the north shore,
And how long have you been operating this?
About 11 years over there.
Eleven years?
Yeah.
Are you one of the long- timers there?
Mr. Alapa: I'm there forever. You see, I grew up up in Ha'ena,
yeah. Growing up in Hd'ena, I got to learn how to play on the water with the
currents. And that's one of the heaviest places in Hawaii to grow up on the north
shore. Yesterday, people died yesterday and I was down there early in the morning
when that accident happened on the Na Pali Coast. I knew already as soon as I
heard the sirens coming down. I knew already it wasn't nobody surfing in the bay.
It was down the Na Pali Coast. The first thing I knew it was Na Pali Coast. It was
kind of like ... it was unreal that one of those boys surfed too. He jumped off the boat
to get the bodies. And the people on the boat were like ... they were freaked out, but
he did the right thing.
Ms. Nakamura: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mitch.
Mr. Alapa: Thank you.
TITUS KINIMAKA: Good afternoon and thanks for the opportunity to
come before you to speak. My name is Titus Kinimaka for the record. I'm speaking
for the Hawaiian School of Surfing. I was born and raised on Kauai. I'm an avid
surfer. I'm a Kauai boy, born and raised, and I surf. That's what I do. My whole
family are surfers. I come from a family of 16. Everybody in my family surfs. My
mom surfed, my dad surfed, my grandpas both surfed. We are all about Kauai. We
live and breathe Kauai. I've been an avid ambassador for Kauai for the past
40 years, surfing around the world, traveling everywhere. And I've conducted
myself as an ambassador of Kauai for all these years.
My family has been doing surfing here for about close to 50 years. My
brother started our surf school in 1960 at the Kauai Surf Hotel before the hotel
even was a 10 -story building there. I grew up with all the beach boys. When I grew
up here on Kauai, some of the popular beach boys at the time were Uncle Jimmy
Anakalea and guys like Squeaky Kealoha and Uncle John. I learned a lot from all
these guys. It was like to me some of the most famous Kauai beach boys I ever
COUNCIL MEETING -56- May 18, 2011
knew in my life. As I was growing up I spent time... my brother was my mentor and
he lived on Oahu as a Waikiki beach boy. He came back to Kauai, started our
school in 1960 and was a protege of Duke Kahanamoku. Our family, we had so
many kids, so Duke Kahanamoku took my brother in and raised my brother. And
my brother came back to Kauai and started his skills back here on Kauai and we
were a surf school, a beach concession at Kauai Surf.
So for those many years I can say that I was the original beach boy here on
Kauai with my brother and my family. And so till today we're still teaching
surfing, and it's really grown. Surfing has incredibly grown over the years and you
all know that already. It's popular. It's not going away. We are very much a part
of the fabric of Hawaii. On Kauai we represent Kauai as ambassadors, like I said,
and we are here to perform at the best that we can. We are on the frontlines. We
are in the trenches and we know the people personally. We meet them personally
and each year they come back. They want to come back to see us again and they
want to go. And we're in the business of having fun, making people have fun, joy,
laughter. And we are teachers, we are kumus. We're here to teach. I am a mentor.
I teach children who are just like me to be like me, a water man, surfer, water man
and knowledgeable in all 12 or 15 disciplines of surfing. And that's what I'm here
about. I'm a kumu, I'm a teacher, and this is what I'm all about. The surf school is
like myself on the north shore who are insured and we are serious about our
business. We take this very seriously.
I am an absolute advocate of water safety, always was. My brother was the
first lifeguard on Kauai that taught lifesaving CPR. When it was taught in the
beginning, nobody really even knew about CPR. They were doing this. Instead of
compressions, they were lifting the arms off the chest back in 1962 to no avail
because nobody was rescued by doing that. And now you know that CPR has come
a long way and compressions is all we need to do with air and breathe. So coming
all of this way from CPR lifesaving, I am an absolute advocate of safety. And the
schools that are insured in Hanalei, guys who've been doing it the longest, we instill
this in our students. And this is something that most people don't get anywhere.
This is for free because we want people to survive when they're surfing here. We
don't want to have anybody go back home with one less member in their family.
And so what we do is we try to instill knowledge in our students. While we're there,
we're teaching them how to avoid drowning, how to avoid getting hurt. And that's
what we instill in all our students. I think we're there for a reason, to teach our
tourists and have them know what's going on with the ocean. Without our
knowledge, without us being out there on the beach, I think we would have a lot
more accidents.
Mr. Nakamura: Three minutes, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Kinimaka: I think that we're here to help. We're here to be a
part of the solution and not the problem. And so if regulation is what we need to do,
then we're all for that, but in the guidelines of not being detrimental to my business
or our businesses. So with that said, I just want to say thank you so much for your
time and I appreciate this moment to have the opportunity to speak with the
Council Chairman and Councilmembers. Thanks so much.
Council Chair Furfaro: Before I ask other councilmembers, you know, I too
also, for both you and Mitch, do want to recognize all the investment you have made
J our community as it relates to water safety. Thank you very much.
Mr. Kinimaka: Thank you, sir.
COUNCIL MEETING -57- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro
people. Mr. Bynum.
But Titus, we have a few questions_ from some
Mr. Bynum: Mr. Kinimaka, thanks for being here today. I
appreciate it. I appreciate your written testimony we received because it has
important information that does clarify that you take your business seriously,
you're fully insured, your instructors have completed a rigorous state - sanctioned
training, and are certified. I've lived here only 20 years, but I know that it's the
water men and women on Kauai that have saved so many lives and that the
instruction you provide probably saves tourists' lives because you do it in the
context of what you do.
Mr. Kinimaka: We do it out of aloha and just our spirit. We're
from Kauai. We're real people. The people from Kauai are incredibly talented
people. I've mentored kids that have become world champions like Andy and Bruce.
These guys are kids that I've spent a lot of time with. They are reflections of
Kauai, as much as all of us right here in this room are today.
Mr. Bynum: Well, you expressed concerns in your letter and I'm
going to ask questions of the county attorney because I want to make sure that your
concerns are addressed.
Mr. Kinimaka: Thank you.
Mr. Bynum: And also, I just wanted to thank you for providing
this written testimony and being here and all you do for Kauai. And on a personal
note, thanks for the Kauai Boys CD, one of my all-time favorites.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Thank you very much.
Mr. Bynum, did you want me to bring up the county attorney?
Mr. Bynum: Yeah, I did.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, Mr. Trask, I'm sorry, Mauna Kea, if I can
indulge you for a few questions from Mr. Bynum first and maybe from some other
members of the council. Mr. Bynum, you have the floor.
Mr. Bynum: Mr. Trask, thank you very much for answering
some questions. In Mr. Kinimaka's testimony that he submitted, he's expressing a
concern that passage of this bill would put him out of business. And my
understanding of the bill is that's not the intention of the bill. It's to do what
Mr. Kinimaka says, do reasonable regulation of this industry to ensure public
health and safety, and that we don't have people operating that don't have the
integrity of some of the folks that have been here for a long time. Am I correct in
that assumption that this bill is not intended to shut down surf schools?
MAUNA KEA TRASK, Deputy County Attorney: For the record, Deputy
County Attorney Mauna Kea Trask. That is correct.
Mr. Bynum: Okay and so part of the testimony says that until
there's an understandable and readily available process for issuing required
permits in place, that ... they're concerned that that be in place prior to any
enforcement. Is that the intention of the administration?
COUNCIL MEETING -58- May 18, 2011
Mr. Trask: That is. And then we have like we spoke about in
the committee hearing. We have the rules drafted already. I went up to Hanalei
yesterday to speak with Dave Stewart. I also saw Uncle Mitch down there. And I
spoke with Uncle Mitch too about what we're looking to do. I drove down to Wai'oli.
I tried to find Uncle Titus, but I couldn't. But what we're looking to do is create a
system, a process that will address the very concerns that were brought up by
Uncle Titus, insurance requirements, water safety, and that's what we're looking to
do. We want to make sure that the appropriate operators are there, not only the
right people teaching surfing who know how to do it, but know how to do it in a
respectful way, that'll teach the rules of the lineup that we were all taught by them
when we were growing up.
Mr. Bynum: And this bill's not just about surf schools, right?
Mr. Trask: No, it's turned into kind of this surf school bill, but
it really is just for the regulation of the parks and any activity. I understand their
concern regarding their businesses, but this would also cover anything that will use
county parks, selling of puka shell necklaces, renting of non - cultural recreational
activities like whether it be kayaks or even those kind of ocean bikes, whatever it
could be, stuff that is not traditional or cultural. It would affect all of that, which I
think everyone would agree that it's a good thing.
Mr. Bynum: Well, I thank you for answering these questions
because my understanding is the intention is get the rules in place, work with the
community, not that we're going to pass this bill and go stop everybody doing what
they've been doing for years.
Mr. Trask: Correct.
Mr. Bynum: Okay, thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Vice Chair Yukimura, you have the
floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, thank you. I know our intention is not to put
people out of business, but part of the regulation will be to limit the amount of
commercial activities that can go on at the park, is it not?
Mr. Trask: Well, that's ... on the two - tiered process, the first is
to get the authorized activity and we would have to have a public hearing,
consistent with the requirements of the current ordinance. At that hearing, topics
that would have to be brought up and addressed to the director of parks and
recreation would be limits, if any, appropriate limits, if any; times of operation;
numbers; insurance requirements; water safety requirements. All those kind of
issues would come up at public hearing and that's when the operators, the long -time
surfers, the uncle and aunties, as well as the community, anybody would be...it
would be a public hearing, and they could all chime in. What government is
supposed to do is find something that everyone can agree on hopefully, if not,
everyone can live with. We're looking for that middle of the road.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. And that process will happen after this bill
is passed through a rules process that will be conducted by the parks department.
Is that correct?
Mr. Trask: Correct, pursuant to HRS Chapter 9.
COUNCIL MEETING -59- May 18, 2011
Ms. Yukimura:
a chance to give input.
Mr. Trask:
And what you're_ saying is that everybody will have
Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: But it is going to be a public process that tries to
balance how we use our parks for commercial uses, for recreational and individual
uses of all kinds?
Mr. Trask: Well, commercial specifically because of course we
can't regulate non - commercial.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay. But part of the reason for regulating
commercial is because it is affecting the regular park uses.
Mr. Trask: That's right. And I think you made a really good
point is that this affects our parks. This is not going to affect non - county land,
non - county park land.
Ms. Yukimura: The regulations will be limited to parks?
Mr. Trask: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: And will be tailored almost on a park by park basis
because you're looking at sort of the carrying capacity of each park.
Mr. Trask: That's correct and not only that but the
appropriateness. Uncle Mitch talked about Ha'ena and growing up in Ha'ena, and
the park in front of the dry cave over there, I don't think anyone's teaching surf
schools at Cannons or at Tunnels. So I don't know if that would be appropriate.
Hanalei, it would definitely be an appropriate place, stuff like that. One of the
determinations made is whether or not the designated activity, which parks it
would be appropriate at. So obviously we talked about before Wailua Homesteads
Park, Wailua Houselots, that wouldn't be appropriate. There's no water there.
Ms. Yukimura: So in the limitation, if necessary, of the different
kinds of activities, what you want to do is set the rules to make sure that those who
may be selected are covered by insurance, have the proper background and training,
and you could also give different weighting to the experience and the longevity of
experience at the site, possibly?
Mr. Trask: Every appropriate consideration will be made.
Ms. Yukimura: That will be addressed as a proposal in the rules
and people can come and address the proposal, right?
Mr. Trask: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: People can come and say, I don't think that's fair. I
think that's very fair. You need to consider this because you haven't mentioned it in
your proposed rules and so forth.
Mr. Trask: Correct.
COUNCIL MEETING -60- May 18, 2011
Ms. Yukimura: So what you're saying is there will be opportunities
for people to bring in their thoughts and their complaints if they want or whatever
in terms of the rules that are being proposed.
Mr. Trask: That's correct.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Mr. Trask. Councilwoman Nakamura.
Ms. Nakamura: Hi, Mauna Kea. I wanted to just echo my concerns,
voiced by Councilwoman Yukimura that really it's the rule- making process that will
articulate the criteria for selection.
Mr. Trask: Correct.
Ms. Nakamura: Of the surf schools that can operate and there will
be a limit to the number.
Mr. Trask: Well, the rule states... the only reason why I don't
want to state there will be a limit is because the rule states that one of the things
you consider is limits. Now, for example, if we go through this public hearing and
let's not talk about surf schools, let's talk about say kayaks. And the community
says, we think kayaks are great and we have no concerns about it. They don't have
engines; we don't (inaudible) emissions; they can have unbridled amounts of
numbers of people, whatever it would be. If that goes through the public hearing
and the director thinks that's appropriate, then there could be situations where
there would be no limits, but that's something that would have to be determined. I
don't think that's very probable, but there will be a process there and I don't want to
infer that there is a preordained result through that process.
Ms. Nakamura: Okay, it seems like the criteria that JoAnn
mentioned, longevity, experience and having a separate location where the business
is conducted, where the transaction occurs, and insurance, all of those seem like
good criteria to me. But, I guess, that will be hashed out in the public hearing
process.
Mr. Trask:
Ms. Nakamura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
Ms. Yukimura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
hasn't spoken yet, Kuali`i.
Correct.
Thank you.
Thank you, councilwoman.
One more.
I'm going to go to another councilmember who
Mr. Kuali`i: Aloha and mahalo, Mauna Kea. So I've heard some
citizens express concerns over native Hawaiian rights and customary and cultural
practices. How do you think this bill impacts that or does it?
Mr. Trask: Well, I don't think it does and, in fact, I'm certain it
doesn't. This is the very issue that's very important to me. It's something that I
work on with my office. It's something I do in my spare time. And just pardon me,
I'm going to recite some laws. Under the Hawaii State Constitution, this is
COUNCIL MEETING - 61 - May 18, 2011
Article 12, Section 7, the State_ of Hawaii reaffirms and shall protect all rights
customarily and traditionally exercised for subsistence, cultural and religious
purposes and possessed by ahupua`a tenants who are descendants and native
Hawaiians who inhabited the Hawaiian Islands prior to 1778, which in this case
both Uncle Titus and Uncle Mitch are, subject to the rights of the state to regulate
such rights. So the constitution says native Hawaiians have these rights and this
law would not abridge that. It would not affect that and that is because all rights
are subject to the right of the state to regulate such rights. And if you look at the
case law, this is because native Hawaiian rights and native Hawaiians have always
been subject to a regulation scheme, as you're familiar and I think everybody here is
familiar with. They had the kapu system. The law in Hawaiian is kind of
(inaudible) directly pertains to water and the first laws regulated water because it's
so important. The kapu system in the Hawaiian culture was probably one of the
most regulated cultures in history. They had regulations for taking of fish, taking
of resources, even gender distinctions, all that kind of stuff, eating distinctions.
And the kapu system was very strict, very strict. We're not looking to enforce those
kind of penalties, but what we're looking here is just reasonable regulation,
regulating the commercial aspect. We're not stopping surfing, we're not stopping
canoe paddling. In fact, we're just trying to regulate the commercial exercise or the
commercial use of those kinds of practices so that the traditional and customary
practice can be protected. If you have a reasonable amount of surf schools with the
right operators, that's great. If you have too many surf schools, and I think Uncle
Mitch and Uncle Titus —I don't want to speak for them but I think they would
agree. If you had all kinds of surf schools over there with people who weren't
experienced, people who didn't have the right training, then not only would their
business be hurt, but also the kids who are out there learning. Pro surfers are born
and raised in Hanalei. And we want to make sure that the kids can still go out
there, families can still go out there. We're not looking to end nothing, just regulate
it so that the right people at the right times can go.
Mr. Kuah'i: Mahalo, I think that really clarifies it for me. And
so stating that this is about regulating commercial activity and definitely not about
regulating any cultural activity, I think that's important, and making sure that we
protect the use of our people and our families. Thank you for making that
clarification. Mahalo.
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes, Mauna Kea, I want to thank you too for that
explanation as the kapu system is, in fact, sustainability in the Hawaiian worldly
approach to what is now referred to as western law. You know take care, preserve,
use only what you need, don't take he`e off the reef that's less than 2 pounds
because it has to reproduce itself at least twice in a season, don't over strip the
forest because in fact, you get one baby luau, but going to have many more luaus
after that, the area becomes kapu until it's replenished itself. And I just think I
wanted to say what a good job you did in reminding all of us that that kapu system
is about sustainability and thank you very much for that.
ALFRED B. CASTILLO, JR., County Attorney: Council Chair?
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes.
Mr. Castillo: Excuse me for the interruption, for the record
Al Castillo, County Attorney. I just want to, for the record, give one caution out
there, and I too have surfed from Polihale to Haena, but that's not the point right
now. What I want to say is that the fact that Titus Kinimaka and Mitchell Alapa
are here testifying and the fact that county attorney Mauna Kea Trask has called
them Uncle Mitch and Uncle Titus does not necessarily reflect any bias or
COUNCIL MEETING -62- May 18, 2011
partiality. I would want to say for the record that I consider it as a term of respect
and Mauna Kea Trask is assigned to this area because I want to make sure that
there is a sensitivity to native Hawaiian rights and to Kauai rights. The reason
why I say that is because we are going through the rule- making process, and
because there are other people out there, I want to make sure that everyone
understands that we at the county attorney's office, we practice impartiality and
fairness. So I just don't want anyone out there misinterpreting what Mauna Kea
Trask is saying when he calls Titus, "Uncle Titus" and Mitch "Uncle Mitch." It's a
term of respect and that's all, not bias or partiality. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, your comments about your attorney, not
taking that any further than it being a term of endearment, I'm sure you can speak
with your attorney when you're back at the office. My comments, Mauna Kea, I
think you did an excellent job in defining the value of sustainability as it relates to
the kapu system. And I think we all understood your term of endearment there, but
I have a daughter who's a land asset manager for Kamehameha School on the Big
Island; I have a brother who gave pro bono work on native Hawaiian land rights.
Those aren't the issues here. I think, again, I just want to reiterate thank you for
that summary about old traditional practices. It was very well received. As we
progress here, let me ask you, what is the process for the parks director in posting,
scheduling these rules because Mr. Bynum raised the question about we pass this
out today, it doesn't get implemented today. It gets implemented in some future
date and time when the public can participate in what are the ample numbers,
promoting water safety, hours of operation, activities in the park itself, and
balancing it with public enjoyment. When do you think something like that will
start to happen in the parks department?
Mr. Trask: As soon as this ordinance is passed, we're going to
submit to the small business review board; we're going to publish notice. This is top
priority and the mayor has made that clear. The administration has said we need
to get this done. The season is coming and that's just what it is, so as fast as you
know. Given what has happened, what always happens with rules, I don't want to
say a definite date, but I can assure you it's going to start. If it passes today, it's
going to start today.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, well, I appreciate you sharing that with us.
And if there are not any more questions of Mr. Trask, I'm going to see if there is
anyone else in the public who wishes to speak? Mr. Trask, I do want to thank you
for your focus in getting us to the point that we're at right now. I think I said that
last week, but your work on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Mr. Trask: Thank you, Chair, thank you, councilmembers.
Council Chair Furfaro: Is there anyone else who would like to speak to this
item before I call the meeting back to order? If not, I'm going to call the meeting
back to order.
There being no one else wishing to testify on this matter, the meeting was called
back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: I believe we have a motion and second. Did I hear
you say yes? Yes, okay. So councilmembers, is there any further discussion before I
call for the vote? Mr. Chang?
COUNCIL MEETING -63- May 18, 2011
Mr. Chang: Thank you, Chairman. To the Alapas and to the
Kinimakas, thank you. Robin, Maluhia, Titus, you guys were here early this
morning, but I just want to add when I first came to Kauai in probably the mid to
late `70s and of course professionally in the `80s I stayed at the Kauai Surf Hotel
where I met Laleo, Kaupena's dad, your brother. And I just want to say the
lifeguarding and the watermen techniques of the past have really accelerated
presently right now. You talk about CPR and the rigorous state - sanctioned
trainings and certified surf instructors, so I wanted to thank all of you folks because
you know when we think about the lives that we lose in the ocean, we have to give
those reports every year about those who lose their lives, whether they be in calm
ocean, rip currents, and what have you. I think we really need to appreciate the
people on the beach with ocean safety, the instructors, canoe paddlers, surfers
because there are a lot of people that get in trouble that are not necessarily saved
by lifeguards. They are saved by the watermen. When we think about the
traditional Waikiki beach boy, Kauai beach boy, it's an all around versatile... the
chair mentioned the he`e on the coral. Well, if you don't have the squid eye, you
don't see the he`e. You don't know how to fish, you don't know how to lay net. It's a
year -round cycle that you do different things throughout the different parts of the
year and I think that's really, really important. Mr. Kinimaka, you mentioned
people like Andy Irons. I remember when you told me when he was a kid, he was
going to be the world champ and of course he was a three -time world champ.
Bruce Irons, you know, the prestigious Eddie Aikau Big Wave Surf deal, so we got a
lot of great, great water people over here and as we mentioned, it's all about
regulation because Mauna Kea Trask talked about the affectionate surf bill, but it's
regarding a lot of things. If I'm not mistaken, it also even involves weddings that go
on on the beach. So you're not being singled out. We just want to make sure
everybody... there's room, people are safe. I think you'll agree with the regulators
because there are a lot of people that come here without the mana`o or maybe
without the aloha, and maybe not knowing the area, and everybody wants to be an
entrepreneur and start. But I respect the both of you and your long- lasting
Hawaiian families because I know for a fact that many, many of our visitors, year
after year after year, they want to see the same people. That's just part of the
tradition in the visitor industry. They like to see the same waiter. They like to see
the same surf instructor. They like Kauai as a whole, as an `ohana, so I wanted to
say that.
Lastly, when I mentioned about lifesaving, I remember being at Titus' house
years ago. Titus, you yourself got rescued in Waimea Christmas Day. Remember
when the femur ... yeah, you were there. That was you. And it was really funny
because it's a great, great story as the story goes I had a conversation with
Bogart Kealoha way back when when he was a firefighter at Sunset. Little did he
know when he rescued the surfer on Christmas morning at 20 -25 feet, I think 1989,
it was Titus. So now all of a sudden I'm with Bogart, I see Titus. Oh, Titus, by the
way this is the helicopter guy that picked you up. Bogart, this is the guy that you
picked up, and it all happened right here, full circle on Kauai.
So I appreciate you folks coming out over here and I believe that we're
moving in a long awaited process and again I want to thank Mauna Kea. You
mentioned the fact that not only are you very passionate and sincere about your
law, but you've spent a lot of your own time out there surveying the areas not only
on the north shore, but around this entire island. But you also are receiving a lot of
your mana`o from your family members up there on the north shore, so. I just look
forward to us moving on because I think this is going to be something that we
needed to have done a long time. So thank you very much, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Council Vice Chair Yukimura.
COUNCIL MEETING -64- May 18, 2011
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, thank you, Chair. I too want to thank Mitch
and Titus and their families for coming today. I mentioned how it used to be and I
would love to go back to how it used to be. But we are not there. The island has
changed and so we have to address some of these changes that have come to us.
And hopefully we do it in a really fair and compassionate way that respects those
who have really built the tradition. And Titus, I have to say you mentioned your
brother at Kauai Surf and Percy was one of my dearest friends and I miss him to
this day. And again, there's that tradition, the tradition of surfing and of aloha that
you folks have been responsible, really, for creating on this island. So for all of
those reasons, we really appreciate what you've done in the past and your presence
here today to help guide us as we think through this process. And as was said
today, the bill today is not going to make the details that we need to have to
regulate the park and that will be settled in the rules process, but all of you will be
able to participate and with someone like Mauna Kea Trask bringing the
parameters of law, as well as his consciousness about tradition and custom here on
Kauai, I am very hopeful that we'll find a fair framework for this. So thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilmember Kuali`i.
Mr. Kuali`i: Mahalo, Mr. Chair. Titus Kinimaka and
Mitchell Alapa, I support and celebrate you as native Hawaiians, as surfers, as
watermen, as kumu, as cultural practitioners, and as businessmen. Going forward,
if you have any problems with this bill and the resulting regulations, please know
that you can come to me and that I will help you however I can. Aloha.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, any more comments? I would like to
say something as this thing steps forward, Mr. Trask, I hope everyone exercises the
values that we hold so dear here on Kauai going forward in the process of the
parameters of the rules, the number of permits. It is so important that we practice
patience, - ho`omanawanui, mutual respect, also the value of kokua because what I
think we all share here as Kauai residents is the stewardship of places that we
have so much aloha for. And keeping that in mind, I think everyone will be doing
what they can for the overall benefit of the island. And you and the parks
department are tasked with living that kind of aloha to get us to the right place. So
thank you again for all your work, but on that note I'm going to call for the vote.
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're on Bill No. 2406.
The motion to adopt Bill No. 2406 on second and final reading, and that it be
transmitted to the Mayor for his approval was then put, and carried by the
following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Chang, Kuah'i, Nakamura, TOTAL — 6,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None TOTAL — 0,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL — 1.
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Gentlemen and family,
thank you for coming down and being part of today's discussion. Thank you very
much. I'm going to ask to take a 10- minute recess before we go through the rest of
our process here. Are you fine with that at the camera? We are in recess for
10 minutes.
COUNCIL MEETING -65- May 18, 2011
There being no objection, the meeting was_ recessed at 3:15 p.m.
The meeting reconvened at 3:30 p.m., and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: Aloha, good afternoon, we are back from a short
recess and caption break. And I see Mr. Isobe is in the audience, so I would like to
go to the charter item.
Mr. Nakamura: I'm sorry, Council Chair. We're on page 2 of the
council's agenda on communication C 2011 -150.
C 2011 -150 Communication (04/26/2011) from Chair Shiraishi of the
Charter Review Commission, requesting Council comments regarding the Charter
Amendment proposal to establish a permanent Charter Review Commission,
including the burden and cost to the County to support a permanent commission.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. As you can all see, this
particular communication was sent to us by the chairman of the charter review
commission, Mr. Shiraishi, and on that note, I'm going to ask to suspend the rules
and ask Mr. Isobe, the administrator, if he'd like to come up and give us a little
more of an overview on this particular request.
There being no objection the rules were suspended.
JOHN ISOBE, Administrator of the Office of Boards and Commissions: Good
afternoon. My name is John Isobe. I am the administrator for the Office of Boards
and Commissions. At this point, the charter review commission sent this letter
because they have received a request from a member or members of the community
inquiring whether or not the commission would consider making the charter review
commission a permanent commission, meaning that the sunset date would be
eliminated or put before the voters as a proposal to eliminate the sunset date, which
I believe currently the charter review commission would sunset in the year 2016
and thereafter go back to an interval of having the commission meet once every
10 years. So what they had wanted was comments from both the county council as
well as the county administration on whether or not you folks felt it was a good idea
or not.
Council Chair Furfaro: John, by chance, was this stimulated from the
members of the charter review commission themselves or this was stimulated by
testimony from the public to the charter review commission?
Mr. Isobe: It was testimony that they received from members
of the public that the commission consider making the charter review commission a
permanent body.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay and nothing of that request indicated
anything other than the commissioners themselves would remain volunteers?
Mr. Isobe: That is correct.
Council Chair Furfaro: It is just the cost associated with the maintenance
of regular meetings and any staff support that would be added for the purpose of
keeping the commission permanent?
Mr. Isobe: That is correct.
COUNCIL MEETING -66- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, members, do we have questions for
Mr. Isobe? Go ahead, Mr. Bynum.
Mr. Bynum: John, thanks for being here. Did the commission
themselves have a recommendation?
Mr. Isobe: Not at this point. This is very preliminary at this
point. They have not really gotten into a full discussion on this proposal, but at this
point felt that it may be prudent for them to solicit input from the government
itself, to find out how the policy- makers felt.
Mr. Bynum: You might have noticed that I came into a charter
commission meeting recently. I didn't stay very long because I ended up getting an
email. But I mainly came in there because I knew that you would have the agenda
available and I could get an overview of what they were working on. And I saw that
proposal, among others, that they were considering. So just off the top of my head,
at the time I thought the same thing I'm going to share right now is why not? We
now have this well run, in my opinion, boards and commissions operation
happening. I think it's paying dividends for citizen participation in our government.
And I never understood why there was a sunset date to begin with. But having said
all of that, I have a question. My assumption is that if the charter commission was
going through a period and they got a lot of things cleared up and there was a
period of time that there wasn't any important business, they're not required to
meet on a certain schedule, are they?
Mr. Isobe: Not at this point in time, no.
Mr. Bynum: Right because I thought there might be times it
would be dormant that there weren't issues that were really coming forward. But
rather than have to reconstitute the commission, if there were members, because
you have a good commission right now, it looks like to me. So my two cents would
be it seems to make sense that we make that part of our normal boards and
commissions that we keep intact. If there's not a lot of important business they
don't have to meet on a set schedule, right?
Mr. Isobe: Yes, but to that and again, I think all of you are
aware of this. There are basically three ways in which charter proposals can be
introduced to the voters. One is through a charter review commission. The other is
by citizens' petition, and the third is via resolution from this body. So even if the
commission were not active, that would not preclude charter amendments from
being proposed on the ballot.
Mr. Bynum: And if I could ask one kind of unrelated question, if
a charter is passed by the council as a resolution, does the charter commission get
involved in that process at all? Do they review it or have public hearings?
Mr. Isobe: No, typically once the council adopts it via
resolution it would go straight onto the ballot, unless this body asked the
commission to review it in addition to the review that was done by this body.
Mr. Bynum:
Council Chair Furfaro
Okay, thank you.
Vice Chair Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you. So the present wording of the charter
review section started 10 years commencing in 2007. Is that right? And so the
COUNCIL MEETING -67- May 18, 2011
thought was that for 10 years from 2007 this charter commission would be in
operation?
Mr. Isobe: That is correct.
Ms. Yukimura: And then presumably because it had gotten its
work done by 2017, then it would disband or a new commission would be appointed?
Mr. Isobe: Well, I believe both would occur. They would be
disbanded and 10 years after that a new commission would then be established.
Ms. Yukimura: And in those 10 years from 2017 to 2027, then the
opportunities for introducing charter amendments would be the other two routes
that you mentioned, the council or citizen - initiated.
Mr. Isobe: Correct.
Ms. Yukimura: Excuse my ignorance, but the citizen - initiated ones
would come to the council to get on the ballot.
Mr. Isobe; To the county clerk to ensure that there was a
sufficient amount of signatures on a petition.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay, so one of my concerns is the ad hoc nature of
charter amendments, especially as proposed by the public. They focus on one thing
and they don't always check on how it's related to something else in the charter.
That's what I mean by ad hoc, and piecemeal. And I thought the function of the
charter commission would be to do a more comprehensive, overall review of the
charter and I don't know if that's happening. That's a huge undertaking and would
really need a staff person that would be focused on it for several years, I would
guess. And maybe we did that in 2010 or I don't remember. The charter
commission suggested several amendments and then they were vetted with an
attorney to review them, right? Okay, because I think perhaps the most current
example of a need for charter change is the budget process right now. And we've
been experiencing the problems of the budget process that don't allow for the kind of
review that was intended, especially on the part of the council because our
calendars are so tight. So it's those kinds of changes that need a lot of thought,
shouldn't be done quickly and should be done really thoroughly and with a lot of
expert help. I'm thinking out loud what the best system would be for that and I
don't know what it would be, but that is something we need to address. How do you
do comprehensive charter changes that are needed and the need is evidenced by the
experience that we're having in following the charter?
And then my other concern is the ease with which charter amendments can
be put on the ballot. The charter is at the local level what the Constitution of the
United States is at the federal level. And I don't think it was designed to be
changed quickly or flippantly, i.e., without a lot of thought and process. And I don't
feel like that is built into the charter at this point. If you want to change the
constitution, you have to pass it through congress and then get three - quarters of the
states to ratify that and I'm remembering the women's right to vote and it took two
generations. And that was a very valid amendment, but it wasn't easy for the
amendment. And I don't think it should be easy to change a governing document.
So I guess I'm very thankful that the charter commission is asking for our input.
This feels like the first time we've actually been asked for input. So thank you for
that.
COUNCIL MEETING -68- May 18, 2011
And I guess my comments right now are off the top of my head. I'm sorry
that I didn't get to consider this more thoughtfully, but I'd like to put my comments
out there for other people to react to and think about. And I would like it if we
could have some time to digest our thoughts and share and synergize our thoughts
on this. So one option is to send it to committee, where we could do that, or to just
defer it in this body. Now there is an agendaed deadline on the charter
commission's part because there was ... 23rd? That's next Monday. What is that
deadline? A deadline for what?
( ?): That's just their next meeting (inaudible).
Ms. Yukimura: Oh, their next meeting. If it is not a rush thing and
I hope it isn't, if the charter commission could give the council a bit more time.
Mr. Isobe: Yeah, obviously I'm not a member of the
commission, but I'm almost certain that the commission would want a thorough and
complete discussion by this body. And as was pointed out, the deadline is just
indicating when they will be meeting again. And this particular proposal still has a
lot more work involved prior to it being placed on the ballot. So I'd be happy to
convey your thoughts to the commission at their next meeting and indicate to them
that the council will be considering it, but would like more time, so the review can
be a lot more thorough and the recommendations will be forthcoming from all of
you.
Ms. Yukimura: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilwoman Nakamura.
Ms. Nakamura: Mr. Isobe, I wanted just to understand some of the
background that led up to this. My understanding is that there were a lot of charter
amendment proposals that people felt needed vetting, further discussion, and we
moved from a 10 -year interval to a work on it for the next 10 years then go back to
the 10 -year review. Is that...
Mr. Isobe: That is my understanding.
Ms. Nakamura: Okay. And given that there are a lot of issues, I
think I like that approach because it says, hey, let's do a comprehensive review,
we're now four years into this or halfway through this period, we have five years left
of this charter commission. If that was the intent, then I think that the charter
commission needs the resources to do its job and do it well to have the type of
review that's needed to improve processes, or ways that the county does its
business, to do it more effectively. So I also agree with Councilwoman Yukimura
that our charter is something that is sacred, like the U.S. Constitution, like the
Hawaii State Constitution that once set, it is a very high standard for change. So I
think those issues need to be addressed in this process. And so I would like to have
further discussion with the charter commission about what it would take to have
that type of comprehensive review. We only had five years left in this process. My
preference would be to work within those five years to do what the voters set out
and then make it a... so my preference would be not to make it a permanent entity,
but to do our work in the next five years, do it well and make it meet every 10 years
thereafter. So that would be where I would want to go and I would like that
discussion and dialogue with the charter review commission on what it would take
to make that happen.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, Mr. Bynum, then Mr. Kuali`i.
COUNCIL MEETING -69- May 18, 2011
Mr. Bynum: I was trying to stick to the agenda item because
we've kind of talked about other things, which is fine. So if we're going to proceed
with this further, I would just ask that we post this a little more broad so the
discussion can include things like what is the standard to put something on because
I think right now the standard to put something on is fairly low in terms of the...
Ms. Yukimura: You mean to make an amendment?
Mr. Bynum: To make an amendment, right?
Ms. Yukimura: (Inaudible.)
Mr. Bynum: If you can get the votes here, you can put it on or if
you can get a relatively low number of citizens and I also have the concern that the
charter not be used for what really should be an initiative process and the initiative
process I know is one of the items that's being discussed there that I was very
interested in because we wouldn't want to make it super simple, but right now it's
almost impossible. So I think in the past citizens have looked at that, well, this is
really an initiative that I'm putting forward, but it's so hard to get that on the
ballot, let's make it a charter initiative and I think that's created problems for us.
So I like the idea of having more dialogue and engaging, but I'd like it to be broader
because even the things I'm saying right now, somebody could say that's not the
agenda item. It's specific to this one provision, right?
And my other thought is agreeing with Councilmember Nakamura that if the
task is to do a fresh look, like what if we started from scratch? Is this the way we
want to organize our government? They probably do need more resources than your
office could provide even, like a consultant, maybe? Those are just thoughts.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, Councilmember Kuali`i.
Mr. Kuali`i: Aloha, mahalo, John. So in the letter it says the
commission would like to know your thoughts and comments, including what the
burden and cost would be to the county if the charter review commission was made
a permanent commission. I have some basic things to learn just about how the
charter review commission operates and where it is housed, who staffs it, if anyone,
and what kind of cost is there now?
Mr. Isobe: Well, the cost is dependent on the complexity and
time that it takes to process amendments. Currently the oversight for that
commission rests in our office. We have very good support from the county
attorney's office. The commission meets once a month on a regular basis at this
point. And in fact, they are undertaking a conversation, if you will, or a discussion
about looking at a complete revamping of the charter. Now, the extent of that work
and the complexity of that work, I cannot gauge, but if in fact it is of that
magnitude, if you will, it would be a very complicated and complex process that we
would have to go through. Not only to have technical support, but also legal
support to ensure that the T's are crossed and the I's are dotted and the words
really say what was intended to be said. So it can be a very time consuming and I
wouldn't say costly, but it would require more than what we are currently capable
of doing within our office.
COUNCIL MEETING -70- May 18, 2011
Mr. Kuali`i: There is a difference between the basic costs for the
administration of the commission, just that they meet, but then depending on the
election, what's coming up, and how many charter amendments they have to
review, then that cost could change. And so there are attorneys involved, besides
the county attorney or hiring out attorneys and things like that?
Mr. Isobe: Well, in the past we've used contract attorneys to
help in supporting the commission just in terms of ensuring that amendments that
were being proposed. Because we receive amendments that are basically concepts
and then we try and reduce those concepts to technical words that relate then to the
charter. So we had contract attorneys on an as- needed basis to assist in that review
and possibly crafting of amendments. Once that work is completed, then we send it
up to the county attorney's office. They then do a review for the legal checks and to
ensure that those amendments are not violating the state constitution or any other
laws. And then from there, we bring it back to the commission. It's a matter of
them then reviewing it. Then we go through the process of needing to craft the
ballot question and that also takes a lot of thought because we need to ensure that
the question, to the best of our ability, in fact properly reflects what the amendment
means. And then you have the process of then going out and doing voter education,
which is another process then to ensure that what we are saying in the voter
education process is, in fact, what was intended in the charter amendment itself.
Obviously, we have the technical amendments for the charter, but for ease of the
voter, we try and take those technical amendments and reduce them to layman's
terms so it becomes easier for the voter to understand what it is that they're making
a decision on.
Mr. Kuali`i: So as far as the cost of the different amounts of
amendments, that would vary?
Mr. Isobe: It would vary.
Mr. Kuali`i: So as far as the commission being as it is, which is
not permanent or changing to being permanent, the difference would be whether
they are having that administrative support all the time, even when there isn't an
amendment or in- between in the downtimes or not?
Mr. Isobe: Correct. It would really be driven by the
magnitude of the ... as an example, if we were going to begin to undertake a
comprehensive review, which is something that I've heard potentially may be in
order. If in fact we were going to do a comprehensive review from page 1 to the end
of the charter that would require a lot of staff time and attorney time, in addition to
the time that it would take to have a full discussion on what does that mean?
Because in essence what you are doing is revamping your current form of
government.
Mr. Kuali`i: It would probably have to be drawn out over
several elections because if there are a lot of changes, a lot of amendments for the
voters to consider, you don't want to necessarily put them all on one ballot.
Mr. Isobe: Well, if you did a comprehensive review of the
charter, you would then rather than put out 180 amendments, it would be one
document, which would be a new charter. But as you look at the charter, the
charter is very broad. Again, I'm using this as an example, but it gets into terms of
the mayor, terms of council, districting for cou... It can run the entire gamut of
what this government would begin to look like and so what that is is really, I guess,
a matter of policy and decision and some of it is yes, very legal in nature, while
COUNCIL MEETING -71- May 18, 2011
others are going to be more policy - generated types of discussions. And obviously
this body would be intimately involved and impacted by what potentially could
happen or not happen as the case may be.
Mr. Kuali`i:
Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: You know, John, this kind of reminds me of
something that I think we should do. You know, when I played football at Waianae
I was an outside linebacker and on the jayvee I was the backup quarterback. But I
didn't get to get into the game too frequently and so forth because primarily I
played defense. I always got this play called 201 wide flanker right and basically it
was just a sweep. You send the flanker in motion and you're probably in the last
two minutes of the game. I never memorized all the plays and the coach knew, and
I think we need a lot more study here if we're going to do this because this is a first -
string requirement. I'd be glad to entertain in my committee maybe in four weeks —
let us get through this budget period —to put something on the committee of the
whole to begin this discussion because I've also been over time reminding members
how important it is not to expand their communication on a regular basis for
something that might come up on the agenda. So we need to meet and I guess for
the clerk, I'm saying I'm willing to take on the task in the committee of the whole in
about four weeks or so forth because I just don't want to run a 201 flanker right
sweep. This needs attention. And we have a challenge right now in a charter
provision right now. I think Council Vice Chair Yukimura mentioned everything is
so compressed for the budget where we should be, as Councilwoman Nakamura
mentioned, maybe in February we should be discussing strategies and not just the
numbers. Have a clear place that tells us how to strategically think on our
accomplishments and the county council can introduce those changes, but I think
we first need to start with an agenda item. I could entertain a motion like that if
you can convey that back to the commission.
Mr. Isobe: I will certainly do that.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilwoman Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: I just want to say that if we go with this route of
doing a comprehensive review, there's an issue of terms of the charter commission
members. Right now it's on the three staggered.
Mr. Isobe: That is correct.
Ms. Yukimura: And if you're going to do a comprehensive review,
you almost want to have all the members there for the period of the review.
Otherwise, you're having people come in and out of the process. They're learning
and relearning and people with knowledge are leaving. So that's another
consideration.
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes, it is. Councilwoman Nakamura.
The meeting was called back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Ms. Nakamura: I'd like to make a motion to refer to the committee
of the whole.
Mr. Kuali`i: Second.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much.
COUNCIL MEETING -72- May 18, 2011
Mr. Bynum:
Council Chair Furfaro:
you can quantify that.
Ms. Nakamura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
Mr. Nakamura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
the county clerk.
In four weeks?
I'd like to do that in about four weeks, so maybe
In four weeks.
Any further discussion?
Council Chair.
Wait a minute. Let me get something back from
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, my apologies. In four weeks we
actually moved the committee meeting because of HSAC. So it would be June 29th
committee of the whole.
Ms. Nakamura: On June 29th
Mr. Nakamura: Committee of the Whole.
Ms. Nakamura moved to refer C 2011 -150 to the June 29, 2011 Committee of
the Whole meeting, seconded by Mr. Kuali`i.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you for reminding that I moved the meeting.
Mr. Bynum, did you have anything more?
Mr. Bynum: Yes, please. I didn't know where this conversation
was going to go today, but I'm kind of happy it did. The one thing I'd like to add to
the comments you made, John, was not only the complexity, but anything has to
comport with the Hawaii State Constitution and U.S. Constitution, so there are
those overlays as well. So I'm glad we went to a... and I assume the posting in the
29th will be broader than this one, so we can have a broader discussion.
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes, and- since they're meeting on the 23rd, if there
are any enhancements that the commission would like to see us put on the agenda,
that would be the time from their May 23rd meeting.
Mr. Bynum: It would be just in time for the seven -day posting.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
Ms. Yukimura: May I ask of your office if you could give to us the
regular operating costs of the status quo if operating as it is now, what kind of costs
we're looking at? And then, also, some rough estimate of what kind of cost if we
would look at a comprehensive review over five years, what that might take? And if
you break it down, we can look at it and see if there's something missing that we
might think of or just kind of a framework for us to begin from?
Mr. Isobe: Sure. And just so I'm clear, the costs from our
office would be just specific to the time and effort that is involved on the charter
review commission and not for all the other commissions?
Ms. Yukimura: That's correct.
COUNCIL MEETING -73- May 18, 2011
Mr. Isobe:
Council Chair Furfaro:
Okay.
Yes, Councilwoman Nakamura.
Ms. Nakamura: Can I add to that list of something that would be
helpful in preparation for the committee of the whole meeting. Can we have a
laundry list of possible amendments to the charter that they're contemplating?
Mr. Isobe: I can do that, yes.
Council Chair Furfaro: Actually, it might also be worthwhile getting some
of the items that didn't make... from citizens that didn't make the charter
commission's review?
Mr. Isobe: Over what period of time?
Council Chair Furfaro: Since 2006. That's the cycle we're in.
Ms. Yukimura: Well, either from citizens or from the charter
commission itself.
Council Chair Furfaro: Yeah, from anywhere.
Ms. Yukimura: From anyplace, any source.
Council Chair Furfaro: I think you got the gist of it and I do want you to
know that I did know more than one play as the jayvee quarterback. The other one
was the quarterback draw. So whatever group, well - pointed out Council Vice Chair.
So, are we at a point here? I need to ask for public testimony. John, if we have no
more questions for you, thank you.
Mr. Isobe: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Is there anyone in the audience who wants to
testify on this? Ken, come right up.
KEN TAYLOR: Chairman and Members of the Council, my name is
Ken Taylor. Back when this 10 -year issue was put in place, it was from wrestling
with both the comprehensive review of the charter and at that time a discussion
that was going on about looking at management style of government. And it was
the decision of the commission at that time that both of those were very time -
consuming projects that would require time, and so they came up with the
suggestion of the 10 -year consecutive, so that the time would be there to deal with
these two issues. One of those issues is now behind us and the comprehensive
review process is left. And certainly in the next five years, that should be adequate
time to deal with this. And then going back to the once every 10 years, as you said,
the charter shouldn't be just changed helter- skelter along the way. So having a
review process... and I think when the 10 -year continuous process was put in place,
I think the commission dealing at that time they started out with, if I recall
correctly, something around 30 different possible amendments. And by the time it
got to a vote, it was down to 14 or 16, something like that. So they had a lot of work
in that period of time and you can understand why these larger activities could not
be dealt with in the timeframe in which they had to function. So I think that once
the major comprehensive review, although I'm apprehensive about going there, the
charter for the most part has served us well over the last 30 -plus years and other
COUNCIL MEETING -74- May 18, 2011
than some minor changes, I don't really see anything that benefits the community
in general, of any great changes. I know some of you have expressed concerns about
how the community has the ability to collect signatures and make changes to the
charter, but that's part of government. And when you really look back over the last
30 -plus years of the charter being in place, there has been very little, very little
activity from the public...
Mr. Nakamura: Three minutes, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Taylor: ...to move forward with change. So I don't see a
whole lot of problem with the current charter and I certainly welcome the idea of
bringing this to the committee of the whole and have some more discussion. But
when you really get down to it, the framers of the commission did one heck of a job,
just like going back in history with the federal constitution. In reading parts of that
today, I wonder in today's world whether we could ever come up with a constitution
as great as was done over 200 years ago. I find it interesting that when some of us
were pushing to have the management style of government considered, a frequent
argument was if it isn't broken, don't fix it. And I will say today of the existing
charter, if it's not broken, don't try to fix it. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. I just want to make sure we all
understand here this council in going into the committee of the whole is about the
request that came forward to us from Mr. Isobe whether there is incremental
privilege here to appoint the charter review commissions every 10 years or the
question as posed to us to have the consistent piece? Okay? This is not for us to be
reviewing all those past items. I want to make sure that's very clear. Getting that
information for us is an item that basically tells us what does come before this
committee over a period of time? Because the other part of Mr. Isobe's questioning
from the commission is are we willing to allocate additional sources? So I want to
make sure we're real clear. We're not trying to have it a situation where now we're
using this for the purpose of revisiting all of the past decisions and process which
was done quite well. The reality here is do we want this commission to be a
standing, ongoing commission, or are we prepared to budget them some more
resources based on reviewing the work? So I want to make sure that's real clear.
The only concern I have right now is what we experienced in my first leadership
through the budget, as Vice Chair Yukimura pointed out, our time seems to be
compressed where we're not getting time to think strategies, evaluate current
conditions and so forth. It's going right into the budget process and the staffing. So
your comments are well- taken. That wasn't a question. That was acknowledging
your comments. Thank you, Ken.
Mr. Taylor: Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Is there anyone else who wants to speak to this
item?
There being no one else wishing to testify on this matter, the meeting was called
back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: If not, we have a motion from Councilmember
Nakamura ... Yukimura about moving something to the committee of the whole.
Ms. Nakamura: Oh yeah, that's right.
Ms. Yukimura: Yeah, that was yours.
COUNCIL MEETING -75- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, you had me thinking I was running the
wrong play. Okay, so it was Councilmember Nakamura and I think we're at an
item that comes up on the 29th date - specific, 29th, date - specific. So, any further
discussion. before I ask for... Mr. Bynum?
Mr. Bynum: It's just that I want to thank you for clarifying that
this is not to revisit all of those charter amendment things.
Council Chair Furfaro: It's to understand the volume that they went
through since 2006.
Mr. Bynum: I had the same fear, so thank you for clarifying
that, Chair.
Ms. Yukimura: We're talking about the process, not specific items.
Mr. Bynum: Process, not content.
Council Chair Furfaro: That's what we want to review. Okay on that note,
this is to receive?
Mr. Bynum: No.
Council Chair Furfaro: This is to refer to committee of the whole
June 29th.
Mr. Nakamura: Correct.
Council Chair Furfaro: Am I right?
Mr. Nakamura: Yes and then...
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, so that's the motion. Refer to committee of
the whole on June 29th. All those in favor, please say aye?
The motion to refer C 2011 -150 to the June 29, 2011 Committee of the Whole
meeting was then put, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Now we have our roads
people here, Mr. Clerk. I just want to share with you folks that I will be asking that
we again defer this only for two weeks as Mr. Dill, when I made mention of no
flexibility we did not realize that he'd be actually on the mainland for his son's
college graduation. So gentlemen, I'm going to ask you to come up after we read the
item. I want to pose eight very specific questions to you, that I hope we can get
answers for two weeks from now and those responses be in writing. And then I plan
to defer this. That's what I would like to do, so Mr. Clerk can I have this item read?
Mr. Nakamura: We're on page 5 of the council's agenda, Council
Chair, on communication C 2011 -171.
C 2011 -171 Communication (05/03/2011) from the County Engineer,
transmitting for Council review, comment, and approval the Proposed Islandwide
Resurfacing List for Fiscal Year 2011 -2012.
COUNCIL MEETING -76- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. Gentlemen, I'm going to
suspend the rules. If you could both come up and I'll pose those questions to you
now and see if we have other questions from members in the public. I'm going to
ask you to introduce yourself first.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
LYLE TABATA, Deputy County Engineer: Chair, the rest of the council, Lyle
Tabata, for the record, Deputy County Engineer.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. The first question and if the staff can
focus on my comments here. As we're talking about the use of the MicroPaver
computer system to actually complete and manage data, could you give us some
narrative on that benefit, what we could anticipate in having this database in public
works for roads? That's question number one.
Number two, who is the responsible person that will be gathering that
information and maintaining it going forward? You know, who will be accountable
for the collecting and managing of that data?
Number three, what is the criteria for you actually deciding which roads get
the resurfacing? Is it time and use? Is it equitable rotation? You know, what
would be that?
Question number four, in the past it seems that to get us to 1.5" of asphalt
topping, we seem to have only been able to qualify 95 square feet of asphalt per ton
and yet the standard that has been brought to our attention seems to indicate that
we should be, by HAPI standards, we should be getting 108 square feet. What
might be the variances?
In reconciling the budget for this year, this is question number five, between
the total that we had in the budget of $5.4 million in the past reserve, it was
reconciled that we only had $5,158,000. So there is a difference of about $256,000.
Do we assume that because when we get the bids in front of us, that the tonnage
cost, there's a range from 235 to 260 because it's not an absolute number, depending
on the area of the island. Is that what made up that $256,000 difference?
And now that we have this cumulative total including this year's approved
$1.4 million, what can we anticipate as what total mileage can we resurface with
those combined dollars? If the net carryover was that $5.1 million and we added
$1.4 million this year, what is the anticipated amount we should be getting? We
have always based our resurfacing plan on trying to do 10 miles a year. It seems
with the most current statistics we have, at best we're only getting about six miles a
year. If we were to get 10 miles a year, what should we be planning in the future as
a budgeted amount if we're going to do 10 miles a year?
This next one can be just a really clear yes or no. Will we be using the HAPI
standards going forward?
This question came from Mr. Bynum. How are we going to handle the back
fill on the edges of the roads as we go to repave if we want to firm those shoulders
up? Is that simply an in -house cost of repair and maintenance?
COUNCIL MEETING -77- May 18, 2011
We have two roads, this is clearly one we have had heard from Mr. Mickens
before dealing with Kahuna Road. It's only 14 feet wide and it's been on our past
resurfacing list, but the county standard for a road should be no less than 16 feet
wide. How do we address those substandard roads? Is it your plan to use other
capital money and us not anticipate it being in the resurfacing?
Is there any —this is the second to last question —is there any additional
resurfacing that addresses county arteries, like Olohena, versus other interior
roads? Will there be a different standard on the major arteries?
This is a carryover from a long time ago, upper Waipouli Road where there
are several turns, that road too is actually substandard by 3 feet width. So is there
any particular plan to address these roads that are only 13 feet wide? I mean if the
answer is simply ... you know one of the things you're considering is making the road
one -way, then kind of tell us that, if you can. But if we need to put in extra bond
money to widen the road, please tell us that as well.
So I know I think that's eleven questions. If we can get some written
answers back in two weeks.
Mr. Tabata; I have 12, but we will. Yes, we'll do our best.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, I'm sorry. I had problems remembering 201
wide receiver flanker right. So maybe I missed the count on my own list here. So I
would actually like to get some responses in writing and so I'd like to defer this for
another two weeks.
Mr. Tabata: We've addressed many of these already.
Council Chair Furfaro: Oh, okay.
Mr..Tabata: And so we are prepared to answer.
Council Chair Furfaro: Good, so that's in two weeks. Vice Chair
Yukimura, you have the floor
Ms. Yukimura: I have a question, thank you. I just want to make
sure that the deferral is okay in terms of your timetable for going out to bid. We're
not affecting that negatively, are we?
Mr. Tabata: No. We are still moving forward with preparing
the procurement documents. And it will launch when approved.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay, right. Okay, that's very good.
Council Chair Furfaro: Excellent, excellent question, but I did check on
that before I agreed to, but an excellent question, thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: For the record, thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilmember Chang? No? Is there anyone else?
If not, we're going to see you in two weeks. That date is going to be...
Mr. Nakamura: That would be June 1st council meeting.
COUNCIL MEETING -78- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: June 1st council meeting. And we're very happy for
Larry being able to go up to see his son's graduation. So I'm going to call for a
deferral here.
Ms. Yukimura: So moved.
Mr. Chang: Motion to defer until, I'm sorry the date was
June...
Council Chair Furfaro: Wait a minute, do I see a gentleman in the back
who wants to give testimony? Okay, hold that right there. Thank you very much.
Glenn, I don't know if you heard the end here, but they're going to come back with
written responses June 1.
GLENN MICKENS Yes, for the record, Glenn Mickens. Thanks, Jay. I
appreciate your asking these questions, questions I've probably asked for 17 years
waiting for answers.
Council Chair Furfaro: You start to remember then easy, you know,
after ... but I've only been here for nine of those 17 years.
Mr. Mickens: Okay, Jay. I believe one of the most important on
the laundry list of question here, one of the most important you asked was are
HAPI standards going to be followed? Because as you know if we don't rip up that
sub -base, we don't cold plane and take those ... rip the cracked sections out, you're
going to come up with potholes and that's one of the things you didn't have on here,
potholes. Where they take this cold mix, I can still hear Ron Kouchi when he was
on the council years ago sitting here and saying all we do is dump cold mix in the
hole. We don't even compact it or anything. If you look at their code thing, it said
they'll cut a section out, put a sub -base down and properly put it in there. Go up by
the middle school. That road going up by the middle school, it's like the Burma
Road. All they've done is put cold mix, cold mix, cold mix. And this is the only way
they do it. But if we follow HAPI standards, all of these things are going to be
corrected. I guess that's the biggest thing. And it's a monumental job for Ed and
for Larry to go back and try and find out when these 300 miles of county roads that
we have, to actually find out what was wrong; drilling core holes to see if there was
any sub -base put down, as Joe Rosa so well said the last time he was testifying. So
you've got many, many things to consider with this thing and the other question you
asked, we're paving about six miles of road. And in their list, the other thing I don't
believe I heard you ask them, not giving you a yearly resurfacing list as was done in
past years, they've now come up with two or three years where they've accumulated
$8 million some dollars in the budget. Well, does that mean that they haven't been
doing any paving? I don't think so. But does it mean they haven't been doing any
paving and if they have, why didn't they bring this resurfacing list to you for your
approval as they've done year after year? So that hasn't been done and I want to
see why, and Tim's question about the shoulders not being filled in right. There are
many, many roads that have been paved for five, six years that still got the drop -off
on the thing. I believe in the latest budget, in the latest resurfacing thing, it has a
little thing in there saying that they, the county, will now pay for doing that. Prior
to that time, it always had in the contract that the contractor would be the one
to... no, I'm sorry. The county was the one to be doing it. The contractor did the
digging for the thing to be doing it. So I'm just wondering whether, again, we're
looking at roads five, six, seven years old. In that one section of road over there on
Kawai...you've driven up Kawaihau, I presume, all you ... I know you have, Tim.
Mr. Nakamura: Three minutes, Mr. Chair.
COUNCIL. MEETING -79- May 18, 2011
Mr. Mickens: I Kawaihau, up above where Ken Taylor lives up
there by Growing Green's Nursery. Just below that there's a section of road I think
Glover repaved Kawaihau Road all the way from St. Catherine's Church all the way
up to Kahuna Road, six, seven years ago. I don't remember how long it's been. Most
of it is still in pretty good shape, but there's one section there that's completely
ripped apart. It's horrible. I don't know if it wasn't paved or whether, again, there's
a spring under the road and then with that Olohena Road that you brought up, Jay,
that's a disgrace to this county to have barricades put out there saying "Caution,
potholes ahead." Don't fix the potholes, put a sign out. And that water is all under
the road, it's going to have to be fixed. It's going to cost money to go down there and
put a thing to drain that spring, I guess. There's a spring under the road there
right below Thronas' rental houses and stuff. But that place in there is just in
horrendous shape. But this place is along Olohena Road that hasn't been paved.
And it's not even on the repaving list now. So what are we saying? We're going to
go another year before the next repaving list comes up. If it is, I mean, we got
problems because that thing isn't going to last another year. Anyway, Jay, I
sincerely appreciate your keeping this on the agenda and I hope that Larry will be
back in two weeks. I gave Ed a copy of my testimony, which has questions maybe
you didn't ask on the thing. But let's see. Hopefully they will be able to get back
here and do that, okay?
Council Chair Furfaro: Well, Glenn, I appreciate you sharing your list, but
the 12 questions that I summarized, obviously, I'd like to see the responses in
writing.
Mr. Mickens: Right.
Council Chair Furfaro: At the same time we have to be very truthful and
honest with one another. Based on the money that we get and we only are able to
do seven miles of road, then we need to say hey, we need to be looking at more
money in there if we're going to get on any kind of schedule.
Mr. Mickens: You're 100% right.
Council Chair Furfaro: Well, let's give them in all fairness, let's give them
an opportunity, you know? And the question about HAPI standards is there and I
think the HAPI standards cover similar things that you questioned about the
potholes. If we're using the HAPI standards, then...
Mr. Mickens: That will be taken care of.
Council Chair Furfaro: It should be taken care of that way and we'll let
them have time to respond to that.
Mr. Mickens: And the roads are costing about $280,000 or
$300,000 a mile. So it's not to ... you're a math guy, Jay. You know that we can only
do so many roads and as the cost of oil increases, that cost is going to be more so it's
less. And by doing HAPI standards as Larry pointed out and as it has been pointed
out before, HAPI standards are going to cost more upfront. There is no doubt about
that. But if we can only do a half a mile, that half a mile is going to .last for 20 or
30 years as opposed to one year. So it's penny wise and dollar stupid by doing it the
way we're doing it now. So again, I...
COUNCIL MEETING -80- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Well, we'll see what we come back with in all
fairness to these gentlemen. It will come back in writing. What they can do within
the guidelines that are there, that are outlined, if we have to look to a little more of
an allocation each year, then that's what we'll do. But let's give them the chance for
the responses.
Mr. Mickens: I just want to acknowledge Dickie Chang.
Two years ago now, Dickie arranged a meeting with public works and we sat there
going over these things. Nothing ever came of it, but he was good enough to
arrange to meet. I think Dickie remembers being there, okay. So I do appreciate
the consideration. Thank you, Jay.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, Glenn. Ken, did you want to speak?
KEN TAYLOR: Chair and Members of the Council, my name is Ken
Taylor. We certainly can't put the blame of what has happened in the past on Larry
and Ed in their new capacities and what has happened in the past. But a couple of
things that concern me is that I believe, chair, you indicated that our goal was to do
10 miles a year. At that rate it would take 30 years to make the rotation. And I
don't think that in most cases in our climate, a road will last 30 years. So I think
we need to look at probably increasing that goal of 10, maybe to 20 -30 miles per
year versus 10. But again, that takes a lot of money. Where does the money come
from? Certainly it is a very difficult situation to deal with, especially in these
economic times. Again, as I've said many times, we're at the end of cheap oil which
we know that the cost of petroleum -based products are going to continue to increase
and increase and increase, and so we have some real dilemmas. I read in some
communities across the country because of these economic problems that they're
actually reverting some of the lesser -used roads in their counties back to gravel.
That may or may not be a consideration for us here. But if it is, since it is being
considered in other communities, it might be something in helping the budgets and
put the efforts into the more well - traveled roads. So there are ways of dealing with
the economic problems along with this.
It's funny that we've come full circle in the last 100 or so years when we went
from dirt /gravel roads back in the horse and buggy days into the early auto industry
and then to paving and now we're at a point where we're almost having to look at
going back to where we were 100 years ago. This is why it's so important to get the
automobiles off the road and more activity into public transportation...
Ms. Akiona: Three minutes, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Taylor: ...where we can have this activity and on the
flipside of that, the more and more people we put into public transportation, the less
tax dollars we generate for taking care of the roads. So it's a real knot that has to
be dealt with. And I'm not sure what the answers are. But we have to be realistic
about it and we have to realize that 10 miles, I don't think, every year is going to
cut it. I was sort of under the impression that we hadn't done any road paving in
the last couple of years. But I know Laipo Road that goes from Hauaala Road up to.
Kawaihau was paved either earlier this year or the end of last year. It's about six to
eight blocks. It is very narrow. I question whether it meets the standard width in
some areas of that road, but it was certainly in need of paving. But at the same
time Hauaala Road also was in need of paving and when the equipment was in
there, why wasn't Hauaala Road also repaved? There are a lot of things that are
happening or not happening, depending on how you look at it. These are questions
that people out in the community that I talk to raised and wondered. I think we
need some answers to some of it and I like the idea of moving forward with a
COUNCIL MEETING -81- May 18, 2011
program that has all this information in it. I think it's going to be a wonderful step
forward and in time it will sort of catch up with itself if we can figure out how to
budget for getting caught up with all of the years that have been neglected. So
thank you for your time.
Council Chair Furfaro: Ken, I need to correct the record a little bit here, so.
First of all, when I referenced the 10 years, that's what I was told. That wasn't me
saying that's the standard.
Mr. Taylor: I understand.
Council Chair Furfaro: And I think both you and Mr. Mickens need to start
realizing you're here speaking to us, the charter prevents us from directing them.
What we can do is allocate the appropriate money and so forth if we understand the
challenges and problem. So, if I took the money that they've done, they've only
averaged about six or seven miles of paving recently. Where did that money come
from? I think Mr. Mickens answered it himself where we made an allocation for
extra funds. They spent that money but didn't spend the regular money that was
going in each year that built up that $5.8 million surplus in the highway fund.
Number two, we're getting to a point that if we can understand their
challenges and we have something in writing, then it's up to this body to reconsider
allocating some additional funds or starting to have the dialogue about what you
wanted to do and I read that about western Illinois, where that part of the state
didn't get their fair share of stuff and they actually wanted to secede from the state
of Illinois because they were getting gravel for roads. So is that a real presentation
here because I don't think Kauai wants to secede from the state of Hawaii because
of a road issue. So I just want to make sure that we understand what I said.
Obviously if we decide we can do everything in 12 years, that means hey, we might
have to look at raising the fuel tax to have more money in the highway fund. But
that's not the discussion at the table here. The discussion at the table is please,
Mr. Dill, give us some information so we clearly understand what we need to do,
what the problem is. And I think when we get those back, then we'll be able to
digest it and I will ask them again to summarize for us what is the total mileage of
roads in the county of Kauai that we're responsible for. And we'll start from there
in two weeks. How's that?
Mr. Taylor: Thank you and I just want to say I really
appreciate the dialogue that's gone on over the last couple of months on this issue.
And I think the community in general is very appreciative of it. And it's these kinds
of discussions that allow the community to know and understand what is going on,
what are the problems and become part of the solution to the problem. Thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you and again, Ken, I don't want to assign
any blame to issues in the past. We want to go forward with this council body. We
want to go forward. Thank you very much. On that note, I will now entertain a
motion to defer?
There being no one else wishing to testify on this matter, the meeting was called
back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Ms. Yukimura: So moved.
Council Chair Furfaro: Can I have a second?
Mr. Chang: Second.
COUNCIL MEETING -82- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. All those in favor to defer this date
specific June 29th, please say aye?
Councilmembers: Aye.
Ms. Yukimura moved to defer C 2011 -71, seconded by Mr. Chang, and
unanimously carried.
Mr. Chang: No it's not June... was it two weeks from now,
right?
Council Chair Furfaro: Oh, I'm sorry. I was on the old date. My apologies.
Okay, so gentlemen, we'll see you in two weeks. Thank you very much.
Ms. Yukimura: My motion was just to defer.
Council Chair Furfaro: And I don't know if you caught the last question
about total mileage of roads? Thank you. Could we have the next item, please?
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, we're back on page 2 of the council's
agenda, on communications for receipt, communication C 2011 -151 and 2011 -152.
C 2011 -151 Communication (04/27/2011) from Councilmember Bynum,
transmitting for Council consideration, a proposal to amend Chapter 5A, Kaua`i
County Code 1987, as amended, relating to home exemptions: Mr. Chang moved to
receive C 2011 -151 for the record, seconded by Mr. Bynum, and unanimously
carried.
C 2011 -152 Communication (04/28/2011) from the County Engineer,
transmitting for Council consideration a traffic resolution amending Resolution
No. 2011 -34, which established no parking restrictions in the vicinity of the Grand
Hyatt Kauai Resort & Spa, to include a no- parking restriction at their main
entrance on Po`ipu Road: Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -152 for the record,
seconded by Mr. Bynum, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Was there any testimony from the audience? None.
Okay, next item.
Mr. Nakamura: On page 3 of the council's agenda on
communications for receipt, C 2011 -153, 155, 156, 157 and 158.
C 2011 -153 Communication (04/29/2011) from the Director of Personnel
Services, transmitting for Council information, the Second Quarter Reports
(January — March) relative to vacancies, new hires, reallocations, promotions, as
well as additional information,regarding positions established: Mr. Chang moved to
receive C 2011 -153 for the record, seconded by Mr. Kuali`i, and unanimously
carried.
C 2011 -155 Communication (05/03/2011) from Council Vice -Chair
Yukimura, providing written disclosure on the record of a possible conflict of
interest and her recusal on the Kapa`a/Lihu`e Boys & Girls Club Facilities Upgrade
Grant line item in Bill No. 2403, due to her position on the Advisory Board for the
Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii: Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -155 for the
record, seconded by Mr., Kuali`i, and unanimously carried.
COUNCIL MEETING 83 May 18, 2011
C 2011 -156 Communication (05/04/2011) from Councilmember Chang,
providing written disclosure on the record of a possible conflict of interest and his
recusal on the "Commercial Support — Kaua`i Marathon" line item under the "Other
Services" line item (Account No. 001 - 0901 - 512.30 -00) in Bill No. 2402, due to his
ownership of Wala`au Productions: Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -156 for the
record, seconded. by Mr. Kuah'i, and unanimously carried.
C 2011 -157 Communication (05/05/2011) from Councilmember Rapozo,
providing written disclosure on the record of a possible conflict of interest and his
recusal on C 2011 -132 (on the May 4, 2011, Council Agenda), a request from the
Prosecuting Attorney to purchase a 2003 Chevrolet Cavalier with VOCA grant
funds, because he was employed by the Prosecutor's Office and participated in the
appraisal of the vehicle: Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -157 for the record,
seconded by Mr. Kuali`i, and unanimously carried.
C 2011 -158 Communication (05/05/2011) from Councilmember Chang,
providing written disclosure on the record of a possible conflict of interest and his
recusal on ES -486 (on the May 4, 2011, Council Agenda) regarding a claim filed by
Garden Isle Disposal: Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -158 for the record,
seconded by Mr. Kuah'i, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on page 3 of the council's agenda, Council
Chair, on communication C 2011 -154.
C 2011 -154 Request (05/03/2011) from the Office of the County Attorney for
authorization to expend up to $90,000.00 to engage special counsel to assist with
the refinancing of approximately $27 million of County of Kaua`i's 2001A General
Obligation Bonds: Mr. Chang moved to approve C 2011 -154, seconded by
Mr. Kuali`i.
Council Chair Furfaro: Any discussion? Anyone in the audience wishes to
speak? Seeing no one, Councilwoman Yukimura, you have the floor.
Ms. Yukimura: Just a question for the county attorney.
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
Ms. Yukimura: While you're walking there and in the interest of
time, thank you, Mr. Castillo. The presumption here is that the refinancing will
save the county money.
AL CASTILLO, JR., County Attorney: Yes.
Ms. Yukimura: And so while we're expending $90,000.00 hopefully
that will be covered in the savings that we accrue from a successful refinancing.
Mr. Castillo: Yes, and for the record, Al Castillo, County
Attorney. Yes and from the last time, even the last time we asked for 90, we did not
spend that amount either.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay, thank you very much.
Mr. Castillo: You're welcome.
COUNCIL MEETING -84- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. And Councilwoman just to follow up on
your query, as I will be going up as part of the team to negotiate this refinancing,
we anticipate or hope to be saving $600,000.00.
Ms. Yukimura: Excellent, thank you.
The meeting was called back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro:
Mr. Nakamura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
signifying by saying aye.
Okay, did we have a motion to approve?
Yes, we have a motion, Council Chair.
Any further discussion? If not, all those in favor,
The motion to approve C 2011 -54 was then put, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much.
Mr. Nakamura: Now, Council Chair, if we can go to page 3,
communication C 2011 -159.
C2011-159 Communication (05/05/2011) from the Mayor, submitting his
supplemental budget communication for Fiscal Year 2011 -2012 and proposed
amendments to the budget bills, pursuant to Section 19.02A of the Kauai County
Charter.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Now it is my understanding as we
move to approve this, this would be creating a public hearing on May 25th?
Mr. Nakamura: Yes, Mr. Chair, the motion would be to schedule public
hearing.
Council Chair Furfaro: And that public hearing will be at 8:30 in the
morning?
Mr. Nakamura: At 8:30 a.m. on May 25th and also to refer it to the
Special Council Meeting of May 25th at 9 a.m.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. So I'm looking for a
motion...
Ms. Nakamura: I'd like to make a motion to schedule public hearing
at 8:30 a.m. on May 25, 2011 and refer to the Special Council Meeting at 9 o'clock on
the same day.
Mr. Chang:
Second.
Ms. Nakamura moved to schedule public hearing for C 2011 -159 on
May 25, 2011 at 8:30 a.m. and to thereafter refer it to the Special Council
Meeting on May 25, 2011 at 9 a.m., seconded by Mr. Chang.
Council Chair Furfaro: So there's a motion to approve. It was seconded for
the scheduling of a public hearing on May 25th.
Ms. Yukimura: Isn't it a motion to refer rather than to approve?
COUNCIL MEETING -85- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Refer, I'm sorry.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay.
Council Chair Furfaro: My fault. It's been a long day.
Ms. Yukimura: It has been.
Council Chair Furfaro: We started at 8:30 so. The motion is to refer. I'm
sorry. I retract what I said about the approval. It's a referral. Thank you, any
further discussion? Anyone in the audience that wants to speak on this one? No?
No, Ken? Thank you. Okay, all those in favor, signify by saying aye.
The motion to schedule public hearing for C 2011 -159 on May 25, 2011 at
8:30 a.m. and to thereafter refer it to the Special Council Meeting on May 25,
2011 at 9 a.m., was then put, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Next item, Mr. Clerk.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on page 4 of the council's agenda,
Council Chair, on items to receive, communications C 2011 -161, 2011 -162 and
2011 -163.
C2011-161 Communication (05/06/2011) from Councilmember Chang,
providing written disclosure on the record of a possible conflict of interest and his
recusal on the "Recycling Programs" line item (for operations with the Kauai
Recycles Program) under "Other Services" line item (Account No. 208- 2033- 641.30-
00) in Bill No. 2402, due to his ownership of Wala`au Productions: Mr. Chang
moved to receive C 2011 -161 for the record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura.
C2011-162 Communication (05/06/2011) from Councilmember Kuah'i,
providing written disclosure on the record of a possible conflict of interest and his
recusal on the "YWCA Family Violence Shelter" line item and the "YWCA Sexual
Assault Treatment Program" line item under "Other Services" line item (Account
No. 001 - 0901 - 512.30 -00) in Bill No. 2402, due to his employment with the YWCA:
Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -162 for the record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura.
C 2011 -163 Communication (05/06/2011) from the Director of Finance,
transmitting for Council consideration, a resolution approving the issuance of
General Obligation Refunding Bonds to refund all or a portion of outstanding
General Obligation Bonds, Series 2001A, previously issued by the County of Kauai:
Mr. Chang moved to receive C 2011 -163 for the record, seconded by Ms. Yukimura.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Any discussion? Anyone in the
audience wanting to speak on this? No? Thank you, Ken.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on agenda item, on page 4, C 2011 -165.
Ms. Yukimura: We have to vote.
Council Chair Furfaro: So this is 161, 162...
Mr. Nakamura: 163.
Council Chair Furfaro: And 163. All those in favor say aye.
COUNCIL MEETING -86- May 18, 2011
The motion to receive C 2011 -161, C 2011 -162, and C 2011 -163 for the record,
was then put, and unanimously carried.
clerk.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, now we're on 165. My apologies to the
Ms. Yukimura: Move to approve.
Mr. Chang: Second.
Council Chair Furfaro: Would you read the item, Mr. Clerk?
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, on communication C 2011 -164,
which is the briefing by the state legislative delegation, we had no motion or second
to receive this briefing.
Ms. Yukimura moved to receive C 2011 -164 for the record, seconded by
Mr. Kuali`i, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much. 165, then.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on communication for approval, C 2011 -165.
C 2011 -165 Communication (04/14/2011) from the Chief of the Building
Division, Department of Public Works, requesting Council approval to accept and
expend moneys from a Kauai Island Utility Cooperative grant, to upgrade and
expand the existing Energy Management System (EMS) at the Kapule Building in
the Lihu`e Civic Center Complex, in the amount of $56,000.00, which would
subsidize the County's $60,000.00 investment to fund this portion of the work:
Mr. Bynum moved to approve C 2011 -165, seconded by Ms. Yukimura.
Council Chair Furfaro: Is there anyone in the audience that wishes to
speak on this? No? Council Clerk, I want you to know that I'll be approving this
request, but I would like to get a briefing in my office. I just want to make sure that
if this energy management system is similar to the one that we have at civil defense
and I would like to know its final capability. So if you could arrange that for me?
And I will be supporting this item now, though.
Mr. Nakamura: So noted, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Councilwoman Yukimura.
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, I appreciate your follow -up on this and I'm
presuming here that it would subsidize the county's $60,000.00 investment means
that we would only pay $4,000 or does it mean that it adds?
Council Chair Furfaro: I read this as the system is $116,000.
Ms. Yukimura: Oh, okay.
Council Chair Furfaro: And that they're giving us 56 or the 116.
Ms. Yukimura: Okay, thank you for the explanation, too bad.
COUNCIL MEETING -87- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: And you're welcome to join me when they schedule
that, I'll have them contact you if you'd like? - -
Ms. Yukimura: Okay, thank you.
Council Chair Furfaro: We'll call for the vote.
Mr. Nakamura: There's a motion and a second to approve,
Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: All those in favor please.
The motion to approve C 2011 -165 was then put, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Next item.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on communication C 2011 -166.
C 2011• -166 Communication (04/21/2011) from the Chief of Police, requesting
Council approval to accept and utilize a vehicle acquired through the Asset
Forfeiture Program, that replaces a previously disposed vehicle that had been
assigned to Vice /Narcotics Unit and will be used for law enforcement purposes:
Mr. Bynum moved to approve C 2011 -166, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and
unanimously carried.
Mr. Nakamura: On the bottom of page 4, Council Chair, a communication
for approval from the fire chief.
C 2011 -167 Communication (04/25/2011) from the Fire Chief, requesting
Council approval to apply for, receive, and expend the 2012 State of Hawaii,
Department of Transportation, Highway Safety Grant, of $36,057.95 to purchase
necessary equipment for the firefighters to ensure scene safety and to safely
mitigate vehicle accidents: Ms. Yukimura moved to approve C 2011 -167, seconded
by Mr. Chang, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on the top of page 6, Council Chair, top of page 5,
my apologies, on a communication for approval, C 2011 -168.
C 2011 -168 Communication (04/27/2011) from the Prosecuting Attorney,
requesting Council approval to apply for, receive, and expend $8,990.00 of federal
Highway Safety funds from the State of Hawaii, Department of Transportation, to
be used for travel, internet access, and training: Ms. Yukimura moved to approve
C 2011 -168, seconded by Mr. Bynum, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Mr. Clerk, next item.
Mr. Nakamura: Next item for approval is communication
C 2011 -169.
C 2011 -169 Communication (04/27/2011) from the Director of Housing,
requesting Council approval to apply for, receive, expend, and indemnify
$133,000.00 in grant money for two Housing Choice Voucher Family Self-
Sufficiency Program Coordinators' salaries ($69,000 Specialist II and $64,000 -
COUNCIL MEETING -88- May 18, 2011
Specialist I) from the
Ms. Yukimura moved
unanimously carried.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development:
to approve C 2011 -169, seconded by Mr. Kuali`i, and
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Next item?
Mr. Nakamura: Next matter for approval is communication C 2011 -170.
C 2011 -170 Communication (04/28/2011) from the Director of Parks &
Recreation, requesting Council approval of the agreement between the County of
Kauai and First Hawaiian Bank, regarding the installation of an ATM machine at
the Wailua Golf Course, for the convenience of the golfers and patrons of the Wailua
Golf Course, the restaurant and the pro shop: Ms. Yukimura moved to approve
C 2011 -170, seconded by Mr. Kuali`i.
Council Chair Furfaro: Any testimony from the audience? Seeing none,
members, any testimony before I call for the vote? Yes.
Mr. Chang: Thank you, Chairman. I just wanted to say I
believe this ATM machine is long overdue and I'm not really sure if there ever was
an ATM, but this is certainly going to help the golf course with our efforts to attract
more visitors and the local residents. And I also do want to say the golf pro shop
looks great. I haven't yet been to the restaurant, but I understand that they're up
and going, so I believe that this ATM machine will be very, very good for the
location and I'm glad that we finally have it. I just wanted to make a little note
with Councilmember Bynum, our parks and recreation chair, and also note to the
administration when we do finally install it, I just want to make sure that we do
have it updated on our website just to let everyone know that the communication is
out there that there is an ATM there at the golf course. Thank you very much.
Council Chair Furfaro: I can go a little further if you'd like. I'll have them
contact you. You can be the first to use it in the event you may be wanting to buy a
little lunch or something, so.
Mr. Chang: My middle name is actually Alas - Kalas.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much for the recognition of the
upgrades at the pro shop. This should be very mutually beneficial for the shop and
any amenities bought for the golfers. Okay, on that note, all those in favor, signify
by saying aye.
The motion to approve C 2011 -170 was then put, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: We have completed the resurfacing list earlier.
Mr. Nakamura: Next matter for approval is a Legal Document,
Council Chair, attached to C 2011 -172.
LEGAL DOCUMENT:
C 2011 -172 Communication (04/18/2011) from the Environmental Services
Management Engineer, Department of Public Works, transmitting for Council
consideration and approval of the following from the State of Hawaii Agribusiness
Development Corporation:
COUNCIL MEETING -89- May 18, 2011
Right -of -Entry Agreement to the portion of property located
at Kalepa, Kauai, described as TMK: (4) 03- 009 -002
(portion), to the County of Kauai, to conduct an
environmental assessment related to the construction and
operation of a landfill, and to indemnify Agribusiness
Development Corporation as contained in paragraph no. 6 of
the Agreement
Mr. Bynum moved to approve C 2011 -172, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and
unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. We're going to go to claims now.
Mr. Nakamura: Next matter is a Claim communication C 2011 -173.
CLAIM:
C 2011 -173 Communication (03/29/2011) from the County Clerk,
transmitting a claim filed against the County of Kauai by USAA, as subrogee for
John Wetzler for damage to an Avis rental vehicle driven by the insured, pursuant
to Section 23.06, Charter of the County of Kauai: Mr. Bynum moved to refer
C 2011 -17 3 to the County Attorney's Office for disposition and/or report back to the
Council, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and unanimously carried.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. We're on to committee reports. I guess
for the first item, do we have to have a recusal here? Mr. Chang?
Mr. Chang: I will be recusing myself, Mr. Chair
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay, we'll call you back momentarily. Okay, you
want to read that for us?
Mr. Chang was noted recused for Committee Report No. CR -EDR 2011 -04.
COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Economic Development & Renewable Energy Strategies Committee
A report (No. CR -EDR 2011 -04) submitted by the Economic Development &
Renewable Energy Strategies Committee, recommending that the following be
approved on second and final reading:
"Bill No. 2404 - AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO.
B- 2010 -705, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE OPERATING BUDGET
OF THE COUNTY OF KAUAI, STATE OF HAWAII, FOR THE FISCAL
YEAR JULY 1, 2010 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2011, BY REVISING THE
SURPLUS AND APPROPRIATIONS ESTIMATED IN THE GENERAL
FUND (Kauai Marathon grant $150,000.00),"
Mr. Bynum moved for approval of the report, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and
unanimously carried. (See later for Bill No. 2404)
Mr. Chang was noted present.
COUNCIL MEETING -90- May 18, 2011
Public Safety & Environmental Services Committee
A report (No. CR -PSE 2011 -06) submitted by the Public Safety &
Environmental Services Committee, recommending that the following be approved
on second and final reading:
"Bill No. 2405 - AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE NO.
B- 2010 -705, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE OPERATING BUDGET
OF THE COUNTY OF KAUAI, STATE OF HAWAFI, FOR THE FISCAL
YEAR JULY 1, 2010 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2011, BY REVISING THE
SURPLUS AND APPROPRIATIONS ESTIMATED IN THE GENERAL
FUND (Kauai Fire Department rescue trucks $260,538. 00),"
Mr. Bynum moved for approval of the report, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and
unanimously carried. (See later for Bill No. 2405)
Finance/Parks & Recreation/Public Works Programs Committee
A report (No. CR -FPP 2011 -03) submitted by the Finance/Parks &
Recreation/Public Works Programs Committee, recommending that the following be
received for the record:
"FPP 2011 -02 Communication (05/02/2011) from Councilmember
Yukimura, requesting agenda time for Deb Hubsmith, Director of the
National Safe Routes to School (SRTS) partnership, to provide a briefing on
the Safe Routes to School Program,"
Mr. Kuali`i moved for approval of the report, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and
unanimously carried.
A report (No. CR -FPP 2011 -04) submitted by the Finance /Parks &
Recreation/Public Works Programs Committee, recommending that the following be
approved on second and final reading:
"Bill No. 2406 - A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND
CHAPTER 23, ARTICLE 3, SECTION 23 -3.2 OF THE KAUAI COUNTY
CODE 1987, RELATING TO PEDDLERS AND CONCESSIONAIRES,"
Mr. Kuali`i moved for approval of the report, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and
unanimously carried. (See later for Bill No. 2406)
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you, next item.
Mr. Nakamura: Next matter for approval are Resolutions. First
resolution is Resolution No. 2011 -54.
RESOLUTIONS:
Resolution No. 2011 -54, RESOLUTION REPEALING AN EXISTING
CROSSWALK ON RICE STREET FRONTING THE ISENBERG MEMORIAL,
LIHU`E DISTRICT, COUNTY OF KAUAI: Mr. Bynum moved to adopt Resolution
No. 2011 -54, seconded by Mr. Kuah'i.
Council Chair Furfaro: Any testimony from the public? No, thank you.
Members? If not, this resolution is a roll call vote, please.
COUNCIL MEETING - 91 - May 18, 2011
Mr.' Nakamura: Councilmembers...
Council Chair Furfaro: Excuse me.
Mr. Chang: You know I just noticed something and I may be
wrong, but is this the ... I know where the crosswalk is, but just for the purposes
of... is this the Isenberg Memorial or is that William Hyde Rice?
Council Chair Furfaro: You're talking about the memorial that we're
describing that we have the appropriate name on it?
Mr. Kuah'i: Rice is by Kip u ... Hyde Rice is by Kipu.
Council Chair Furfaro: The Rice Memorial is by Puhi?
( ?): Kip u-
Council Chair Furfaro: Kipu, okay.
Mr. Nakamura: Council Chair, just on the exhibit attached to
Resolution No. 2011 -54, that lot is shown as the Isenberg Cemetery lot.
Council Chair Furfaro: Okay?
Mr. Chang: Thank you.
(Inaudible.)
Council Chair Furfaro: There is duplicated language from a previous
resolution as well and thank you very much for the quick geography, gentlemen,
thank you.
Mr. Nakamura: Roll call, Mr. Chair.
The motion to adopt Resolution No. 2011 -54 was then put, and carried by the
following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Chang, Kuah'i, Nakamura, TOTAL — 6,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None TOTAL — 0,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL —1.
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro` Thank you, next resolution.
Mr. Nakamura: Next resolution is Resolution No. 2011 -55.
Resolution No. 2011 -55, RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING NO- PARKING AT
ANY TIME AND TOW AWAY ZONE ALONG A PORTION OF WEKE ROAD,
HANALEI DISTRICT: Mr. Chang moved to adopt Resolution No. 2011 -55,
seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and carried by the following vote:
COUNCIL MEETING -92-
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum., Chang, Kuah'i, Nakamura,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo
Mr. Nakamura:
Council Chair Furfaro:
Mr. Nakamura
Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Thank you.
On Resolution 2011 -56.
May 18, 2011
TOTAL — 6,
TOTAL — 0,
TOTAL —1.
Resolution No. 2011 -56, RESOLUTION ESTABLISHING A SCHOOL BUS
STOP ON LOHE ROAD, KUKUIOLONO ESTATE SUBDIVISION, KOLOA
DISTRICT, COUNTY OF KAUAI: Mr. Kuah'i moved to adopt Resolution
No. 2011 -56, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and carried by the following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Chang, Kuah'i, Nakamura, TOTAL — 6,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None TOTAL — 0,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL —1.
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Next resolution.
Mr. Nakamura: Next resolution for approval is Resolution
No. 2011 -57.
Resolution No. 2011 -57, RESOLUTION AMENDING RESOLUTION
NO. 2011-34 ESTABLISHING NO- PARKING AT ANY TIME ALONG PORTIONS
OF PO`IPU ROAD, KOLOA DISTRICT: Ms. Yukimura moved to adopt Resolution
No. 2011 -57, seconded by Mr. Chang, and carried by the following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Chang, Kuali`i, Nakamura,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Next item.
Mr. Nakamura: Next resolution for
No. 2011 -58.
TOTAL — 6,
TOTAL — 0,
TOTAL —1.
approval is Resolution
Resolution No. 2011 -58, RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE SAFE ROUTES
TO SCHOOL PROGRAM: Ms. Yukimura moved to adopt Resolution No. 2011 -58,
seconded by Mr. Kuah'i, and carried by the following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Chang, KuWi, Nakamura, TOTAL — 6,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None TOTAL — 0,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL — 1.
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
COUNCIL MEETING -93- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. - - - - -
Mr. Nakamura: Next resolution for approval is Resolution
No. 2011 -59.
Resolution No. 2011 -59, RESOLUTION APPROVING THE ISSUANCE OF
GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BONDS TO REFUND ALL OR A
PORTION OF THE OUTSTANDING GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, SERIES
2001A PREVIOUSLY ISSUED BY THE COUNTY OF KAUAI: Mr. Bynum moved
to adopt Resolution No. 2011 -59, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and carried by the
following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Chang, Kuali`i, Nakamura, TOTAL — 6,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None TOTAL — 0,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL —1.
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Mr. Nakamura: Next matter is a Bill for First Reading. This is
Proposed Draft Bill (No. 2408).
BILL FOR FIRST READING:
Proposed Draft Bill (No. 2408) — A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING
CHAPTER 5A, KAUA`I COUNTY CODE 1987, RELATING TO HOME
EXEMPTIONS
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura: Mr. Chair?
Council Chair Furfaro: I do want to say to the members that we're trying
to make this possible date more urgently expedited than what is reflected here, so
may i have a motion.
Mr. Bynum moved for passage of Proposed Draft Bill (No. 2408) on first
reading, that it be ordered to print, that a public hearing thereon be scheduled, and
that it thereafter be referred to the Finance /Parks & Recreation/Public Works
Programs Committee, seconded by Ms. Yukimura, and carried by the following vote:
FOR PASSAGE: Bynum, Chang, Kuali`i, Nakamura, TOTAL — 6,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST PASSAGE: None TOTAL — 0,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL —1.
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much.
Mr. Nakamura: Next matter is a Bill for Second Reading. This
would be Bill No. 2405.
COUNCIL MEETING -94- May 18, 2011
Mr. Chang: Mr. Clerk, excuse me. Do I need to recuse myself?
Okay, I'm going to recuse myself for this.
Mr. Nakamura: Actually, the Kauai Marathon vote, Council Chair,
we already took the vote on that one.
Mr. Bynum: We already did it.
Mr. Nakamura: Yeah, so we're on 2405. And you were recused on
the vote for the Kauai Marathon.
Ms. Yukimura: So this one is for the fire trucks.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on Bill for Second Reading...
Council Chair Furfaro: 2405 is what we're on for the fire trucks. Am I
correct?
Mr. Nakamura: Correct.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Mr. Nakamura: We're on Bill 2405, Council Chair.
BILL FOR SECOND READING:
Bill No. 2405 — AN ORDINANCE AMENDING ORDINANCE
NO. B- 2010 -705, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE OPERATING BUDGET OF
THE COUNTY OF KAUAI, STATE OF HAWAII, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR JULY
1, 2010 THROUGH JUNE 30, 2011, BY REVISING THE SURPLUS AND
APPROPRIATIONS ESTIMATED IN THE GENERAL FUND (Kauai Fire
Department rescue trucks $260,538.00): Mr. Chang moved to adopt Bill No. 2405 on
second and final reading, and that it be transmitted to the Mayor for his approval,
seconded by Mr. Bynum, and carried by the following vote:
FOR ADOPTION: Bynum, Chang, Kuah'i, Nakamura, TOTAL — 6,
Yukimura, Furfaro
AGAINST ADOPTION: None TOTAL — 0,
EXCUSED & NOT VOTING: Rapozo TOTAL —1.
Mr. Nakamura: Six ayes, Mr. Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Mr. Nakamura: Last bill for second reading is Bill No. 24... oh, I'm
sorry, we did ... I'm sorry, Mr. Chair, we're down to the executive session.
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes, I think if we could have the county attorney
up, please?
There being no objection, the rules were suspended.
AL CASTILLO, JR., County Attorney: Council Chair, councilmembers, good
evening, Al Castillo, county attorney. The next matter for your consideration is
ES -487.
COUNCIL MEETING -95- May 18, 2011
ES -487 Pursuant to Haw. Rev. Stat. § §92 -4 and 92- 5(a)(4) and (8); and
Kauai County Charter §3.07(E), the purpose of this executive session is to consult
with the Council's legal counsel to receive legal updates, overviews, and
recommendations for purposes of obtaining Council approval of proposed settlement
of a workers' compensation claim, and evaluate employees' ability to return to work.
This deliberation and/or decision making involves matters that require the
consideration of information that must be kept confidential as, inter alia, it
concerns significant privacy interests. The significant privacy interests relate to a
medical history, diagnosis, condition, treatment, or evaluation, and which, pursuant
to state or federal law, including Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act, are protected from disclosure.
The meeting was called back to order, and proceeded as follows:
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you.
Ms. Yukimura moved to convene in executive session, seconded by
Mr. Bynum.
Ms. Yukimura: Mr. Chair?
Council Chair Furfaro: Council Vice Chair?
Ms. Yukimura: Yes, I just want to commend the county attorney
for a very well written posting for executive session.
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you very much; On that compliment, I will
second it. This will come to a conclusion of our open meeting on May 18th and
members, I want to thank you very much for the attention and how we handled
items today. It was a very long agenda. But now...
Ms. Yukimura: We have to vote.
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes, okay, I understand. I just wanted to thank
everybody because we're going to go upstairs so I want to thank you all. On that
note, may I call for the... .
Mr.. Chang: Mr. Chair?
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes.
Mr. Chang: Can I just have a moment of personal?
Council Chair Furfaro: Right after we call for the vote, how's that?
Mr. Chang: Can we call for the vote?
Council Chair Furfaro: Yes. That's where I was at. Everybody is so
anxious with my deliberation here, so. Okay we are voting on this executive
session, ES -487.
The motion to move into executive session was then put, and unanimously
carried.
COUNCIL MEETING -96- May 18, 2011
Council Chair Furfaro: Thank you. Mr. Chang, we'll now recognize you on
a separate item as a personal privilege.
Mr. Chang: Thank you. I want to take this opportunity to
thank Councilmember Nakamura for this beautiful lei. I was admiring the lei that
she gave to our Lieutenant Governor and I kind of looked and said, wow,
something like that would match my shirt and I was having a pretty tough
morning. And so she gave that to me and lifted my spirits in the spirit of aloha here
at our council chambers and I would like to thank Councilmember Nakamura and
specifically to thank your neighbor for making this for you.
Ms. Nakamura: That would be Elaine Tamura.
Mr. Chang: Elaine Tamura, thank you, Elaine Tamura. And
also I just wanted to say, Chair, I agree with you it was a great day today as we all
were mentioning what a long day we had. Earlier in the day both Senator Kouchi
and Representatives Morikawa and Tokioka said that they normally, during budget
session, went till 5 a.m., so we still got 12 more hours to go if we were on that
schedule. Thank you, Chair.
Council Chair Furfaro: And on that note, I want you folks also to know
that frugal Councilmember Chang did buy me breakfast the other morning, so
thank you very much.
There being no objection, the meeting was recessed at 5:06 p.m.
The meeting was called back to order at 5:27 p.m., and proceeded as follows:
ADJOURNMENT.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 5:27 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
PETER A. NAKAMURA
/wa County Clerk
ATTACHMENT NO. 1
(MAY 18, 2011)
FLOOR AMENDMENT
Introduced By: Nadine K. Nakamura
Bill No. 2404, Relating to the Kauai Marathon Grant
Amend Bill No. 2404 to read as follows:
"SECTION 1. That pursuant to Sec. 19.10A and Sec. 19.07B of the
Charter of the County of Kauai, as amended, Ordinance No. B- 2010 -705, as
amended, relating to the Operating Budget of the County of Kauai, State of
Hawaii, for the fiscal year July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011, be hereby amended
as follows:
The sum of [$150,000.00] $100,000.00 by revising the surplus and
appropriations estimated in the General Fund, be and is hereby
appropriated for the following purpose:
KAUAI MARATHON GRANT [$150,000.00]
$100,000.00
SECTION 2. This Ordinance shall take effect upon its approval."
(Material to be deleted is bracketed. New material to be added is underscored.)
(V: \CS OFFICE FILES \RESOLUTIONS \2010 -2012 term \FA Bill 2404 Kauai marathon (Nakamura) 5- 18- 2011.doc)
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