September 9, 2005

Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

CONTENTS

The County does not have the authority to control the price of gasoline. The State Legislature on the other hand did set a cap on the maximum price at which wholesalers can sell regular, premium and super grades of gasoline.

This state law does not control the retail price of gas. The retail price will remain a function of what the market will bear. In other words, how much consumers are willing to pay at the pump.

No. The gas cap law was intended to help level the playing field between what Hawai`i consumers and mainland consumers pay for gasoline.

Whether prices within the state continue to rise will depend on many factors. Each week the State Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will issue a notice stating the maximum price wholesalers may charge. These figures will be derived from the average market price of gasoline in Los Angeles, Gulf Coast and New York, plus adjustments for location, marketing margin and zone price adjustments.

Each Wednesday, you may access the price cap that will go into effect the following Monday by visiting the PUC’s website at http://www.hawaii.gov/budget/puc/gascaps/ and click on the date of your choice. Look for Zone 7 for the Hilo area and Zone 8 for Kona and then check the price caps listed in the box on the right.

For the near future, the federal government and most analysts believe prices will be high due to the disruption of oil production in the Gulf Coast and delivery of products through the Mississippi River.

The federal government is working to ease some of the price jumps, which occurred last week by approving loans of 38.5 million barrels of oil from the Federal Strategic Petroleum Reserves to be made available oil refineries. Also international support has been pledged with a loan of 2 million barrels of oil. These actions and other will help to minimize the possible disruption of fuel supplies and price hikes.

It is true that rising gasoline prices are going to impact those on limited budgets.

There are many things you can to cut back on fuel consumption and save your family money. Here is a short list:

• Go the speed limit. It will maximize your mileage.
• Inflate tires to the recommended level of pressure and change sparkplugs as recommended.
• Share a ride. If you cannot everyday, make a commitment to sharing a ride 2-3 times per week.
• Ride the Hele-on Bus. Call 961-8343 for details and schedules.
• Ride a bike.
• Have the kids ride the school bus to and from school and activities.
• Organize your shopping trips. Shop once a week rather than multiple times throughout the week.

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With the ever increasing service delivery demands and the continued expansion of the role and mission of the Fire Department, it has become very apparent that many of our facilities can no longer effectively support our operations. The current Pahoa Fire Station is a prime example of this.

Built in 1969 at a cost of approximately $35,000, the station was designed to house one mid-sized fire apparatus or fire engine, staffed by one fire fighter. The mission or service provided at that time was primarily fire protection.

Today’s mission and service delivery requirements of the Pahoa Fire Station include Emergency Medical Services or ambulance services, fire protection for both structural and wild land fires, and first responder support for hazardous materials incidents.

The station is equipped with a 1,500 gallon per minute pumper apparatus that carries a minimum of 1,000 gallons of water and over 1,200 feet of fire hose. The apparatus is also equipped with fire suppression foam and the appliances to mitigate petroleum or liquid fuel fires.

The station also has one brushfire tanker and an advanced life support ambulance unit. The personnel staffing has gone from one fire fighter per shift or on duty to a complement of five per shift or on duty at any given time.

Needless to say, the demands on the Pahoa Fire Station resources will continue to grow and evolve given the rate of construction, development, and diversity of activity in the area.

The proposed new Pahoa Fire Station will incorporate a number of facility enhancements such as larger apparatus bays, larger living quarters, a training classroom, a repair room or work shop, and meet ADA requirements. The building will also be designed and constructed to meet current seismic and wind or hurricane standards and to support operations during times of natural disaster.

The site for the new station was acquired through an executive order requested by Mayor Harry Kim and approved by the State Land Board. As the site of a former anthurium farm, it is level and cleared of large trees which should facilitate ease of development.

This project is currently in the Special Use Permit review phase, which is scheduled to be completed by Friday, September 2, 2005.

From there, the Fire Department will be working with the Department of Public Works on the plans review, permitting, and consultant selection and contracting process with groundbreaking shortly thereafter.

We are hopeful that groundbreaking will commence before the end of this fiscal year, which runs till June 30, 2006.

At present, all hazardous material incident response is provided primarily by the Fire Department with the exception of incidents within federal properties. This island-wide service is supported by a dedicated Haz-Mat unit based out of the Kaumana Fire Station in Hilo. Needless to say, this results in significant delays with addressing and mitigating Haz-Mat incidents in West Hawaii.

Recognizing this shortcoming, we have been pursuing the establishment of a Haz-Mat response team in West Hawaii.

Deputy Fire Chief Desmond Wery along with members of our East Hawaii Haz-Mat unit have been exploring every avenue to secure funding and equipment as well as coordinating the complex and technical training for our staff.

Deputy Chief Wery has been successful in securing funding through the Office of Domestic Preparedness grant via the Department of Homeland Security for the purchase of a Haz-Mat response vehicle (approximately $460,000) and some of the very costly and necessary diagnostic and analysis tools and devices.

At the present time, the new Haz-Mat response vehicle is near completion and tentatively scheduled for delivery sometime in October. In addition, most of the equipment needed for response has been identified and acquired.

The Fire Department also recently completed a Haz-Mat Technician Training Course to certify a number of prospective unit members.

If all goes as planned, we hope to establish the West Hawaii Haz-Mat Unit in early 2006 and base it out of one of our existing stations until such time that a new station is built.

This addition to our fleet and resource inventory will greatly enhance our ability to effectively serve our community.

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Residents can once again recycle many of the same types of items that they used to bring to the now-closed Community Recycling Center on Railroad Avenue in Hilo.

At the Hilo Transfer Station (just beyond the HI5 Redemption Center), residents can now recycle the following:

• Cardboard and brown paper bags
• Newspapers and magazines
• Glass (mayo jars, wine bottles, etc.)
• Aluminum (pie tins, etc.)
• Plastics #1 & #2 (milk jugs, detergent bottles, etc.)
• Office paper (white, ledger, colors – no brights)

Note: Tin cans can be taken to the scrap metal yard just opposite the chutes of the Hilo Transfer station.

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The purpose of the report is to provide the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with information on the financial and physical development status of each CDBG-assisted activity within the County.

The proposed report will be available for public review and comment from September 6, 2005, at the following locations:

Copies of the draft CAPER may also be obtained by calling the OHCD at (808) 961-8379.

Individuals who wish to comment on the draft CAPER must submit their comments in writing to the OHCD, 50 Wailuku Drive, Hilo, Hawaii 96720-2484, or fax your comments 808/961-8685 by 4:30 p.m. by September 20, 2005.

The OHCD will consider any written comments and views expressed by citizens on the draft CAPER and may modify the reports, as deemed appropriate.

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The Planning Department has announced that Wilson Okamoto Corporation of Honolulu has been selected as the consultant to conduct the North and South Kona Community Development Plan (CDP).

The consultant has put together an exciting project team offering national-recognized expertise to help with various aspects of the planning process; including the Environmental Simulation Center – New York, ACP – Visioning & Planning, Ltd. – Ohio, Harrison B. Rue – Virginia, Charlier Associates, Inc. - Colorado, David Paul Rosen & Associates, California and Will Allen – North Carolina.

Recognizing that rapid growth is occurring in the Kona area, there is an urgent need to develop a long range plan to manage growth for the North and South Kona districts.

In conformance with the General Plan requirements, the first step is to develop a North and South Kona Steering Committee. The consultant will be required to work with this volunteer steering committee to ensure that the planning process is inclusive and reflects a broad-based public involvement process and that the CDP document is prepared in the best interest of the health and welfare of the community.

Steering committee members will be asked to attend steering committee meetings, participate in training, attend community workshops, and be a source of information about the CDP process for individuals and community groups. Other responsibilities will evolve as the committee begins its work.

The Planning Department is accepting nominations for the steering committee. Interested persons may also nominate themselves. According to the General Plan, the steering committee members shall be appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the County Council.

Deadline to submit applications is Monday, September 26, 2005 at 12:00 noon.

Applications are available at the County of Hawaii Planning Department – Kona and Hilo office or by calling 327-3510 or 961-8288.

Forms can also be downloaded from the County of Hawaii Planning Department web site at http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_plan.htm.

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The community is cordially invited to a Communities Working Together Conference, aimed at providing information and access to resources at the federal, state, and County level to make your neighborhood a safer place to live.

There will be presentations and workshops on:

• Identity Theft
• Project Safe Neighborhoods
• Changing Environmental Design to Prevent Crime
• Planning Effective Public Meetings
• Disaster Preparedness at the Neighborhood Level
• Conditions of Bail, Classes of Crime and Community Input on Sentencing

During the lunch session, you will hear success stories of how community-oriented prosecution works, from representatives from the Islands of Oahu, Maui, and the Big Island.

Lunch will be provided free of charge.

To register, please contact Kona Prosecutor’s office at 81-980 Haleki`I Street, Suite 150, Kealakekua, HI 96750 (808) 322-2552.

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With the Pacific hurricane season now upon us, it is very important for all of our Hawai`i residents to be familiar with hurricane preparedness measures.

The County of Hawai`i’s Civil Defense Agency reminds the community that all areas of our Island of Hawai`i can be prone to hurricane hazards.

Residents must be aware that all parts of Hawai`i Island could be exposed to hurricane hazards, despite a common belief that our mountains of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa shield parts of the island from hurricane winds.

We hope our residents will take the time to familiarize themselves with hurricane preparedness measures by reading the County of Hawai`i’s Hurricane Preparedness Guide.

The Hurricane Preparedness Guide is now available on the County’s website . To access the Hurricane Preparedness Guide, click on http://co.hawaii.hi.us/cd/hpg/main.html . There is also a link to the Civil Defense page http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_defense.htm .

If you’d like a hard copy of the Hurricane Preparedness Guide, copies will be available from the Civil Defense Agency after July 1.

For further information, contact the Civil Defense Agency at 935-0031.

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The County of Hawai’i’s beverage container redemption sites have new hours of operation beginning August 1. There is a new site that recently opened in Hawi on Saturday, August 20. Hawi now has official certification and is open Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am-4:30 pm, closed from 1-1:30 pm for lunch.

Qualifying Beverage Containers:

What’s IN: Eligible (redeemable) beverage containers include: soft drinks, soda, water, juice, tea and coffee drinks, and low alcohol content drinks (beer, malt beverages, wine coolers, mixed spirits) in metal, glass or #1&#2 plastic, 64 oz. or less.

What’s OUT: Ineligible (unredeemable) containers include: milk, wine and liquor containers.

Qualified beverage containers may be redeemed for cash at the following locations:

**Transfer Station centers closed daily from 1:00-1:30pm for lunch.**

Please contact Atlas Recycling LLC at 935-9328 (Hilo) or 329-6868 (Kona) for further information about additional scrap value paid on aluminum cans and their mobile redemption sites in rural communities.

Certified redemption centers are now accepting flattened aluminum and plastic HI5¢ beverage containers.

Flattened containers are weighed at redemption sites to determine deposit payment. The public is reminded that reverse vending machines will not accept flattened or crushed containers.

Please call the Recycling Specialists with the Department of Environmental Management, County of’

Hawai’I, at 961-8527 or 961-8549 for information about the HI5¢ program or visit:

DID YOU KNOW...that every ton of paper recycled saves more than 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space (www.paperrecycles.org ).

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The County of Hawai’i Department of Environmental Management, Wastewater Division will be renovating the Kailua Harbor Sewage Pump Station (formerly known as the King Kamehameha Sewage Pump Station) located at the corner of Ali’i Drive and the Kailua-Kona Harbor Access Road fronting the King Kamehameha’s Kona Beach Hotel.

This work commenced in January 2005 and is expected to be completed by September 15, 2005. Work is taking place between the hours of 8 am and 5:30 pm during week days and possibly Saturdays.

This renovation project will add capacity to the pump station resulting in better ability to accommodate the increasing number of future developments in Kailua-Kona. As an added benefit, renovation of the King Kamehameha Sewage Pump Station helps with preparing for future abandonment of the Queen Emma Sewage Pump Station located at Emma Square. This should enhance the area for nearby businesses as maintenance activities by Wastewater Division personnel will no longer be required in Emma Square.

During the construction period of the renovation project, businesses along Ali’i Drive can anticipate uninterrupted sewer service and conduct their business in a normal fashion.

Pedestrian traffic will be safely re-routed around the construction area at the King Kamehameha. There will be very little impact to vehicular traffic.

Some construction work will take place at the Emma Square location while giving consideration to pedestrian traffic. This work may include minor improvements to the rock wall and concrete walkways with the intent of making the area safer for pedestrians.

The public is welcome to direct any questions or concerns during construction to the Construction Manager, SSFM International, Inc. at 933-2727. General questions may be directed to the Wastewater Division at 961-8338.

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The Department of Water Supply is experiencing drought conditions around the island and is requesting our customers to conserve drinking water. Due to continuing dry weather conditions, water consumption in the affected areas has increased to a point where water sources and water distribution systems are strained. Drought conditions may last for some time, and the Department is requesting all our customers around the island to use water wisely.

This Water Conservation Notice is a request to reduce your daily water usage by 10%.

The following areas are under WATER CONSERVATION:

1. SOUTH KOHALA - Waimea Town.
2. HAMAKUA - Ahualoa, along Kahaua Drive, Kalopa State Park, Kapahu, Paauilo Mauka, and Pohakea.

Listed are some ways to conserve water to reach the 10% goal:

• Wash full loads of laundry only.
• Wash full loads of dishes only.
• Serve drinking water only when requested.
• Do not let the faucet run unnecessarily.
• When bathing, use water only to wet and rinse off.
• Do not fill up the bathtub.
• Use a glass to rinse when brushing your teeth.
• Do not flush toilets unnecessarily.
• Stop lawn sprinkling.
• Stop car and boat washing.
• Stop dust control watering.
• Use drinking water wisely.

Agricultural users shall irrigate only at night from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. This measure will reduce water loss due to evaporation and minimize water system drain during peak demand.

For more information, please contact Daryl Ikeda at the Department of Water Supply at 961-8790.

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Due to ongoing dry weather conditions, exceptionally large water consumption, and repairs being done at the Hualalai and Kalaoa Wells, the Department of Water Supply would like to remind customer in North Kona that they are under Water Conservation.

The Water Conservation Notice is a request to reduce your daily water usage by 10%. (See above article which lists some ways to conserve water to reach the 10% goal.)

Agricultural users should irrigate only at night from 8:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. This measure will reduce water loss due to evaporation and minimize water system drain during peak demand.

If this trend of large consumption continues, the next water conservation action will be mandatory reduction. Please conserve water.

For more information, please contact Daryl Ikeda of the Department of Water Supply at 961-8790.

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Construction work to widen Kuakini Highway, from Palani Road to Hualalai Road, commenced on November 8, 2004.

Kuakini Highway will be widened to four lanes for automobiles, including two through-lanes in each direction, and a pocket lane for left turns where appropriate. In addition, there will bicycle lanes on both sides throughout most of the project. The construction will last 18-24 months.

One lane will be open at all times from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. while construction is in progress. Outside of these hours, one lane in each direction will be open.

The contractor, Hawaiian Dredging, will work with the adjacent businesses and residences to assure that a reasonable access to the businesses and residences will be maintained throughout the construction period. However, motorists traveling in the area should drive with caution.

We are most grateful for the public’s patience and apologize for any inconvenience caused.

The public is invited to a weekly update on the Kuakini Highway, Palani Road to Hualalai project every Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. at the Kona Mayor’s West Hawai`i Office conference room at Hanama Place. Light refreshments will be served.

Representatives from the contractor, Hawaiian Dredging, and the County, Public Works Department are available at the meetings. Everyone is welcome at these informal "talk story" sessions.

A large project map and a complete set of plans are available for reference at the Kona Mayor's office.

The Tuesday morning updates will continue, and information will also be available via the County website.

For more detailed information on the construction, please contact Hawaiian Dredging Contracting Co., Inc. at (808) 483-4270. You can also call Pete Hendricks, Deputy Managing Director at 329-5226.

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Or call our 24/7 Job Hotline: 961-8618

Click on employment opportunities to download all of the forms.

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Join the Kona Crime Prevention Committee at the "Officer of the Year" Luncheon on September 14, honoring the Officer of the Year (July 2004 - June 2005).

Where: Royal Kona Resort

When: September 14, Noon

Cost: $15.00 per person

Call Liz Holey for reservations or Mary Huebner at 895-6301.

The purpose of this organization is to encourage community involvement in aiding and supporting the Hawaii County Police Department, Kona District in their efforts to prevent crime, deter potential criminals and enforce the law.

Did you know...the Kona Crime Prevention Committee hosts the luncheon for all of the Officers of the Month who are candidates for Officer of the Year. If you can help with acknowledgments, please contact Liz Holey or Mary Huebner at 895-6301.

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The community is invited to "Facilitating Extraordinary Accomplishments of Hawaii's Youth," a conference on building youth activities organized by Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) Big Island and the County of Hawaii.

WHEN: Friday, October 7 Registration: 8:00 am, Workshop: 8:25 am to 4:00 pm

WHERE: Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, South Kohala

FEE: $20.00 fee covers breakfast, lunch and conference materials

To facilitate extraordinary accomplishments in Hawaii's youth by implementing a systematic plan composed of community recommendations, continued involvement and collaboration supported by character education.

Two panels, one of high-achieving youth and the other of program administrators and parents, will discuss their successes and program building for the future.

Presentations about "Achieving Health and Fitness through Partnerships" and "Bully-Proof Sports" will be presented by Hawaii specialists.

A Positive Coaching Alliance training workshop for parents and a proposal writing and funding resource workshop will be offered in the afternoon break-out sessions.

PCA Big Island board members, advisers, and other community supporters of Positive Coaching Alliance programs on the Big Island of Hawaii, educators, and others.

Please register by Monday, September 19, 2005. Registration forms are available from the County Parks and Recreation's Recreation Division at 799 Piilani Street, Hilo, HI 96720. Phone: 961-8740.

For further information, call Sports Line Hawaii at 969-3633 and leave your name and telephone number or email PCABigIsland@verizon.net  

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FREE MULCH is now available at both the Hilo and Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Transfer Stations. At the present time, no loading fees are being charged, although the public is advised to ask the operator for loading assistance. There may be a short wait time if the operator is busy.

The public may drop off green waste at either facility between 7:00 am and 5:00 pm seven days a week. Loading assistance is available at the Hilo and Kailua-Kona processing sites Monday through Saturday.

Residents are encouraged to contact any of the local trucking firms to arrange for delivery of large loads of mulch to their homes or places of business. Although there is no charge for the mulch and loading fees are waived, the public will need to pay their own delivery charges as negotiated with a local trucking firm.

EKO Composting Systems has assumed the operations of the County of Hawaii’s green waste drop-off and pick-up areas at the Hilo and Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Transfer Stations as of July 1, 2005.

The County is working on the development of a composting facility at the materials recovery area of the West Hawai`i Sanitary Landfill, which will also include receiving bays for used cooking oil and grease trap waste. When the new composting facility is completed, EKO will commence the production of high quality, U.S. Council certified, compost.

In addition, EKO Composting Systems along with partner company Pacific Biodiesel will be initiating the capture of waste oils for the production of biodiesel.

The public should be aware that there are size requirements that must be met in order to drop off residential and commercially hauled green waste at the processing facilities at Kailua-Kona and Hilo green waste yards.

These size requirements must also be followed for any green waste dropped at the Keaau Recycling and Reuse Center, as well as for any green waste disposed of at one of the County’s 21 residential solid waste transfer stations.

At this time, no pallets may be delivered to the green waste processing facilities although the County intends to begin receiving pallets for chipping starting next year.

If loads delivered to the green waste drop-off sites and/or County transfer stations do not meet these criteria, the other option will be to dispose of the load at either the County’s South Hilo or West Hawai’i Sanitary Landfills. Green waste loads that do not meet acceptable requirements will be charged a special handling fee of $85/load in addition to the tip fee of $65/ton IF taken to either County landfill.

For further information, please contact the County’s recycling coordinator at 961-8942.

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Kona Outdoor Circle is offering the Fall 2005 Julie M. Ellison Master Gardener Scholarship, a full scholarship for the Master Gardener Certification Program offered by KOC, in cooperation with the University of Hawaii.

The scholarship is for $250, and enables the recipient to complete the two series of classes offered annually. To complete the requirements for certification as a Master Gardener, students must participate in the two series of classes and pass the tests at the end of each series. They must also put in volunteer hours.

To be eligible for the scholarship, the applicant must be accepted into the Master Gardener Certification Program and state his or her intention to complete the certification process. Students who have already completed one or two series of classes are eligible, as well as new students in the program.

The application form for the Fall 2005 scholarship is available online at konaoutdoorcircle.org . The deadline is September 15, 2005. For further information or to request an application form, call Kona Outdoor Circle at 329-7286.

The scholarship is in honor of the late Julie Ellison, a renowned landscape designer and two-time winner of Kona Outdoor Circle’s Beautification Awards who died in 2002.

Following her death, donations were made to the Kona Outdoor Circle in her memory and the Julie M. Ellison Fund was established. The fund is used to provide scholarships for individuals participating in the Master Gardener Certification Program.

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(All project schedules based on weather permitting.)

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We encourage everyone to use web-based calendar links. Please add your own events to the respective calendars so others can get the word and not conflict with your plans.

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Hawai‘i County ... a nice place to live.