Call to Order

The meeting was called to order by President John Wilson at 5:30 p.m. in the Kula Elementary School Library.

Attendees

Members present were: Gerri Hestand, Alan Kaufman, Elliott Krash, Dick Mayer, John McDonald, Cathy Ross, Mitch Silver, Steve Sutrov, and John Wilson.

Members excused were: Sue Guille, Brian Jenkins, and Tom Jewell.

Members absent were: Erwin DePonte, Ben Keau, and Henry Lau.

Others present were: Kula Community Police Officer, Ernest Soares; and members of the Solid Waste Task Force, George Correia, David Goode, Lee Guthrie, Andy Hirose, and Terryl Vencel, Chair of the Task Force.

Treasurer's Report

Treasurer John McDonald reported the previous balance of 2 February as $1319.86 With revenues of $633.55 ($555 from dues, $36 from T-shirts, and $42.55 from refreshments) and expenditures of $707.47 ($662.20 for newsletter printing and mailing, $5 to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs for non-profit business license renewal, and $40.27 for administrative expenses) the current balance is $1245.94. On a motion by Mitch Silver, seconded by Alan Kaufman, the report was accepted subject to audit.

Secretary's Report

On a motion by Alan Kaufman, seconded by Mitch Silver, the minutes of the 4 February Board Meeting were approved as amended.

Senators Chun-Oakland and Iwase: Memo transmitting ambulance petitions and stating KCA's support for 24 hour ALS service based in Kula.

Munekiyo, Arakawa & Hiraga, Inc.: Letter stating KCA's concerns that the construction of the Kulamalu water lines could disrupt traffic and create dust on Highway 37 in front of King Kekaulike High School.

Mayor Apana: Letter thanking KCA president for testimony at the Budget Hearing.

Dorothy Pyle: Invitation to the KCA to send a representative to the February AHEM meeting.

David Craddick, Director, Department of Water Supply: Letter requesting KCA recommendations for the DWS CIP budget for fiscal year 2000.

Michael Folkes, President, Maui County Paramedics Association: A note on his membership form offering to assist with the ambulance issue. (See "Committee Reports - Safety".)

Committee Reports

Water: Elliott Krash reported for Tom Jewell: she and Tom Jewell are attending the Upcountry Water Advisory Committe monthly meetings and will give a full report at the April Board Meeting; and the Upper Kula Agricultural Water Line legislation for $100,000 in each year of the biennium is progressing through the legislature.

Communications: John Wilson requested Board Members to review the Upcountry Plan and bring to the next Board Meeting a list of specific projects and topics that they would like Mayor Apana and his Directors of Parks, Planning, and Public Works to address at the May General Meeting. In addition, responses from the KCA newsletter survey will be used in developing the list of topics. (See "New Business".)

Safety: Elliott Krash reported on the status of the legislation for 24-Hour Ambulance Service in Kula. The bill passed easily in the Health and Human Services Committee and on second reading in the Senate, but was not yet scheduled for hearing in the Finance Committee to which it was referred. The Department of Health supports the intent of the bill, but not the cost ($492,000), so final passage is unlikely. Elliott Krash offered to contact Michael Folkes of the Paramedics Association for assistance.

Membership: Gerri Hestand reported that there are 76 paid members, but this does not not include the forms received in the mail in the past week (approximately 30). Following a brief discussion on whether to purge membership lists of those who have not renewed, it was decided to leave everyone on the list for at least five years. The list indicates when dues payment was last made.

Unfinished Business

There was no unfinished business.

New Business

Terryl Vencl introduced the Solid Waste Task Force members. She explained that the Task Force has been working for over a year and its recommendations will be forwarded to the County Council in April. David Goode gave a slide presentation on the Task Force findings and recommendations that addressed the following: Task Force policy recommendations; current services and fees; Task Force recommendations for residential collection; current status of recycling in Maui County; DPW plans for refuse collection changes; and rationale and suggestions for citizen support of the Task Force recommendations. There was general support for the Task Force recommendations to encourage recycling and structure fees to to reflect the cost of services. Specific questions and concerns raised by KCA Board Members included:

- Green Waste: Sites for disposal should be conveniently located in/near residential neighborhoods.

- Fee Equity: Fee schedules should be reviewed to ensure that residential and commercial customers share costs in proportion to use.

- Enforcement: Vigilant enforcement and incentives will be necessary to ensure that citizens do not dump illegally in gulches or on private property instead of paying the tip/dump fee.

- "Uku Pau" System: Under the current labor contract, refuse collectors are paid for an eight hour day but actually work fewer hours, thereby inflating the cost of current services. This problem will be partially addressed by revised routes under the proposed automated pickup system.

- Fee Payment: Under the proposed universal, mandated collection plan with higher rates than currently paid, some households may have difficulty paying or refuse to pay.

Announcements

Board Meeting: 1 April, Kula Elementary School, 5:30 p.m. Agenda: General Meeting program.

General Meeting: 27 May, Kula Community Center, 7 p.m. Program: Focus on Kula - Mayor Apana and Directors of Parks, Planning, and Public Works

Adjournment