July 8, 2005

Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer

CONTENTS

The County Real Property Tax Division will be mailing out 2005-2006 real property tax bills by July 20, 2005.

In all likelihood, your homeowner’s real property tax bill for 2005-2006 will be lower than your 2004-2005 real property tax bill due to the following changes in our real property tax laws:

1. Providing an additional exemption for homeowners.
2. Maintaining a 3 percent growth limit on last year’s assessed value.
3. Allowing homeowners with home occupations to be placed in the Homeowner class.

About 39,000 homeowner class properties will be eligible for the first two benefits.

The County recognized that assessed values of real property on the Island of Hawai`i, especially in the homeowner class, have skyrocketed over the past three years.

The County administration wanted to address that, by giving homeowners some relief.

We currently base homeowner exemptions on a flat amount.

The new exemption is based on property values in consideration of properties in high-growth areas.

Therefore, we added another exemption, based on 20 percent of the property’s assessed value, up to $400,000 of assessed value.

Theoretically, a homeowner could get up to $80,000 additional exemption on his or her real property tax.

As an example, on a house and land valued at $300,000, the owner will get an additional $60,000 off their assessed value. That exemption would be in addition to whatever homeowner’s exemption they’re already receiving.

From this year’s tax year (2005-2006), starting July 1, 2005, properties will be allowed into the homeowner class even if a portion of the home is being used for a home occupation.

Properties that were previously denied eligibility into the homeowner’s class due to a home occupation now qualify for the homeowner’s class.

County government depends on property taxes to pay for an array of services, including police and fire protection, civil defense, parks & recreation, elderly activities, solid waste program, mass transit, economic development, flood control and animal control.

In tax year 2004-2005 property owners in Hawai`i County will have paid roughly $130 million in taxes. Property taxes account for 52 percent of the County’s overall revenues.

Note what your real property taxes do not pay for: Roads, highways and traffic signals/lights are funded primarily by your fuel taxes, state/federal grants-in-aid and private developers. In addition, water development and services are funded primarily by ratepayers and private developers.

Please be sure to have your real property tax payment POSTMARKED on or before the due date listed on the tax bill. If you are mailing your tax bill on the due date itself, please make sure that the post office manually postmarks it for you.

Please remit your payment with the bottom portion of the tax bill.

There is NO grace period. A 10 percent penalty plus interest will be added to taxes as prescribed by law.

All payments must be made with U.S. funds, in cash, money order or check.

(go to Contents)

Tests are given to help us measure the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities required to successfully do the job. As a tax-payer, you want to see these jobs filled by capable people. As a job seeker, you want to be given a fair chance to compete for jobs on an equal basis with other job seekers. Our department’s goal is to satisfy those aims.

The types of tests used to select County employees will depend upon the sort of job recruited for. For example, applicants for Clerk positions take a written test of clerical ability. Applicants for Police Officer positions take written tests of writing skills and the ability to understand written material in addition to taking a physical performance test.

Before any test is given, the Department of Civil Service analyzes the requirements of the job to determine what areas should be tested, then decides upon the best method of testing for that particular job. Understandably, for many jobs, a written examination is required.

First, review the recruitment announcement for the position you are interested in. It is the best source of information on what the test will cover. Compare your knowledge and skills with those needed to do the job. How do you measure up? If you feel you need refresher study or practice, start at once. Go to the library or bookstores for current materials and books on the subject.

The night before the test - Do not study for the exam. Plan some other light recreation or activity. Then, get a good night’s sleep.

The day of the test - Get up early enough so you won’t have to rush to the test. By allowing yourself a lot of time, unexpected delays won’t cause you to be late. Get to the test early, so you won’t miss any important instructions. Be sure to bring your admission letter with you. If you have a watch, be sure to bring that to the test. Your admission letter asks you to bring your own pencils. Bring two #2 lead pencils and carry some means of positive identification (such as a driver’s license) with you. And if you wear glasses for reading, make sure you have them with you.

Know the rules - The person in charge of the testing is called the Test Monitor. Listen very carefully when he/she reads the test instructions to the group. If you have any questions, ask the monitor before the test starts so you will not lose valuable time. Do not be afraid or embarrassed to ask questions. If you have any special problems, tell the monitor.

Budget your time - Here’s where your watch will come in handy. Look over the entire test, and decide how much time you can spend on each section, and on each question. Don’t waste too much time wrestling with a hard question, but move on to the questions you are sure of, and come back to the tough ones later. Budget your time so you won’t have to omit or fail to answer a lot of questions.

Read the questions carefully - Read all questions carefully. Don’t assume you know what the question asks after reading just the first few words. Read the entire question—always. Then go on to read all the possible answer choices. Your task is to pick out the best answer—and you can not pick out the best answer until you know all the choices—so read them all.

Look for the key words - Be certain you read every word in each question. There are often key words which can help you find the correct answer. Some common key words are listed below:

Be sure you don’t overlook these words because they may change the entire meaning of the question.

Eliminating wrong choices - If you are not sure which answer is correct, eliminate the choices you know are wrong. By narrowing down the number of choices in this manner, you increase your chances of answering the question correctly.

Check you answer sheet often - Before you start, check your answer sheet so you will know how the numbering system works. Ask the monitor for instructions if you don’t know how to mark the answer sheet. Check your answer sheet every few questions to be sure you are using the proper line and space to mark your answer. Be particularly careful to do this if you skip any questions.

Do your own work - Rely on your own knowledge and ability. Test takers caught cheating are disqualified. Besides, the person next to you may not know as much as you do!

Check your work - If you have time left after answering all the questions, go back and check your work. Have you answered all the questions you were supposed to answer? Is your answer sheet properly marked?

(go to Contents)

The County Department of Environmental Management would like to inform the public of a temporary change of traffic pattern for Kea’au Transfer Station effective July 12 through July 22, from 6:30 am to 6:30 pm.

Beginning on July 12, 2005, Tuesday at 6:30 am, all traffic will be routed via the Kea’au Transfer Station exit road while paving operations are being conducted at the Kea’au Recycling and Reuse Center.

Motorists are advised to use extreme caution and observe all signs and traffic controls provided by the on-site guards and KRRC site coordinators.

Access to the recycling facilities, including the Kea’au Redemption Center may be temporarily disrupted for up to two hours at a time during the grading and paving operations.

We apologize for any inconvenience this temporary measure causes.

For additional information, please call Recycle Hawaii at 969-2012 or the County Department of Environmental Management, Recycling Section, at 961-8942.

(go to Contents)

If you are helping someone with grocery shopping, paying bills, providing transportation to doctor’s visits, or cooking meals, you already are a caregiver. Time spent caregiving can range from less than an hour or two a week to round-the-clock care.

With careful planning, good self-care and knowledge of available resources, you can better prepare yourself to help your loved one. It’s important to realize that as a caregiver, you are not alone.

AARP, HMSA, Alu Like, Inc. and the Hawaii County Office of Aging have joined together to support the family caregivers on the Big Island.

A caregiver’s conference is scheduled at the Hawaii Naniloa Resort on Thursday, August 11 from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $15 for unpaid family caregivers and $20 for all others. This fee includes refreshments, lunch, workshops and resource exhibits.

A Resource Fair will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon. Local service agencies and organizations will provide information and products available with helpful tips and tools to assist the caregiver at home.

Local pharmacists will offer private consultations from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. to assess and evaluate all over-the-counter and prescription drugs a person is taking to avoid the danger of potential adverse reactions.

The morning keynote will feature Lee White’s Keeping Things Together Without Falling Apart – A Caregiver’s Story, about a family’s heartwarming and personal experiences of caring for a loved one.

Dr. Kalani Brady, who is featured on a weekly KHON (Channel 2) morning news segment, will present "Be an Empowered Caregiver! A Doctor’s View on How Caregivers can be Advocates for Themselves and Their Families" in the afternoon.

Twelve other sessions focusing on a wide variety of caregiver topics are offered during the day.

A special Alzheimer’s course will be available for caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. Another session addresses questions and concerns of grandparents raising grandchildren.

Other sessions include topics such as mental health, home safety, Medicaid vs. Medicare, financial preparedness and tax information and many others.

Scholarships are available for Native Hawaiians or unpaid family caregivers of Native Hawaiians through Alu Like, Inc. Respite care for older adults may also be available so caregivers can attend this conference.

Registration deadline is July 27 and you must be registered to attend. This conference was at maximum capacity last year, so attendance is on a first come, first served basis.

(go to Contents)

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.

(go to Contents)

Governor Linda Lingle recently signed HB 1015 into law allowing the flattening of metal and plastic beverage containers for deposit redemption. Following the Governor's signing, the bill became Act 206.

The law also exempts airlines and cruise ships with approved recycling programs from the requirements of the state's deposit beverage container program.

Certified redemption centers are now accepting flattened or crushed metal and plastic deposit 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.

The Hawaii State Department of Health (DOH) announced that the Deposit Beverage Container Program helped recycle over 77 million beverage containers during the month of June. This is more than double the 35,314,804 containers reported in May.

"The dramatic increase in recycled beverage containers is very encouraging. We are so glad that the Department's public education efforts and work with recyclers and retailers are paying off," said Laurence K. Lau, Deputy Director of Environmental Health.

"We appreciate all the efforts of recyclers, retailers and the public to help increase recycling; the Department will continue to work with the community to find ways to improve the deposit program," Lau said.

From June 1, 2005 through June 30, 2005, state certified redemption centers reported:

• 73,362,256 deposit beverage containers redeemed for deposits
• 4,430,062 un-labeled containers were also brought in for recycling
• 77,792,318 containers turned in for recycling in Hawai`i.

Since the Hi5 bottle bill was enacted January 1, 2005, more than 212 million containers have been turned in to redemption centers for recycling.

For more information on the State of Hawai`i's deposit beverage container program visit www.hi5deposit.com.

(go to Contents)

What’s IN: Eligible (redeemable) beverage containers include:

Soft drinks, soda, water, juice, tea and coffee drinks, and certain alcoholic drinks (beer, malt beverages, wine coolers, mixed spirits) in metal, glass, or plastic, 64 oz. or less.

What’s OUT: Ineligible (unredeemable) containers include:

Milk, wine, and hard liquor containers.

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

** Transfer Station centers closed daily from 1-2pm for lunch.**

Please contact Atlas 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.

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 HI 5¢ program or visit:

www.hi5deposit.com | http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_envmng.htm

(go to Contents)

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 July 31, 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.

(go to Contents)

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.

(go to Contents)

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.

(go to Contents)

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.

(go to Contents)

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

Click on employment opportunities to download all of the forms.

(go to Contents)

The next Solutions Task Force videoconference between the Kona Mayor's Office and the Hilo Prosecutor's Office will be on Monday, July 18, 2005.

10am on July 18^th: Solutions Traffic Task Force. The focus continues to be on speeding in our neighborhoods. All those interested in participating are encouraged to attend. For additional information contact Lil Beaufrere at 325-0039 or konalil@hawaii.rr.com

11:15am on July 18^th: Solutions Animal Control Task Force will have updates regarding the Animal Control Ordinance Bill 4 Draft 5: Where do we go from here? Also, Hawaii Island Humane Society will give a report on the citations that have been issued around the island during the past year. Everyone is encouraged to attend. For additional information contact Nancy Zorn at 328-9931 or nzzorn2@kona.net

For further information and updates, visit the website www.solutionsislandhawaii.com.

(go to Contents)

The Foundations of Jack Gifford and Betty Kanuha, in cooperation with the County of Hawaii Parks & Recreation Department, will sponsor the Kalae Iki Youth Baseball Clinic July 24-26 at the Kailua-Kona Regulation Baseball Diamond and adjoining playing fields.

This three-day clinic is free of charge and is open to boys & girls ages 7-17.

Several outstanding collegiate coaches have been lined up for the camp:

Present NCAA Division I head coaches Mark Marques (Stanford), Sam Piraro (San Jose State), Ed Sprague (Pacific), Mark O’Brien (Santa Clara), Ritchie Price (Kansas), Lindsey Meggs (Chico State), and Joey Estrella (UH Hilo), along with assistants Tom Kunis (Stanford), Chad Konishi (UH Manoa), Tom Myers (UC Santa Barbara), and former UCLA head coach, Gary Adams, and assistants, Glenn Mickins, Jason Green, and former major league pitcher Tim Leary.

The clinic will feature two sessions daily:

• 8:30 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. for the 7-11 year-olds
• 1 p.m.–4 p.m. for the 12-17 year-olds

Each participant should bring his/her own glove, batting helmet, bat, shoes, and appropriate baseball protective supports (as required by all youth leagues for participation) and water bottles.

Registration will be handled at the Parks & Recreation offices at the Kailua-Kona Permits Office (located by the Aquatics Center), Waimea Community Center at Parker Gym, Waikoloa Elementary, School F Bldg, and Parks & Recreation Division Office located at Aunty Sally’s Luau Hale in Hilo and at Sports Line in Hilo.

Each session will be limited to the first 200 applicants in their respective age group.

A Coaches Clinic for all youth and high school coaches will be held on Saturday, July 23 at 10 a.m. at the Hapuna Prince Hotel (Hau Lehua Room).

The clinic staff welcomes volunteer help for all drill stations. For more information, call coach Joey Estrella at 974-7700.

(go to Contents)

The FREE mulch giveaway was such a success that all available mulch is now pau at both the Hilo and Kailua-Kona (Kealakehe) Transfer Stations.

The County’s Solid Waste Division will be transitioning this month to a new operator, EKO Composting Systems, for mulching services at the County green waste sites. Free mulch should be available again to the public sometime after the middle of July. We will let you know when in this newsletter.

Green waste may still be dropped at the County’s permitted facilities and we ask the public’s kokua for any inconvenience during this transition period.

In other Solid Waste Division news…

• Composting facility under development at Pu’uanahulu

Meantime, the County is pursuing the development of a composting facility at the West Hawaii Sanitary landfill at Pu’uanahulu.

• Commercial Green Waste Tip Fee Approved

A commercial green waste tip fee has been approved by the Hawaii County Council and may go into effect within the next year.

When the commercial green waste tip fee goes into effect sometime after October 1, 2005, all permitted County facilities accepting segregated green waste will charge commercial businesses and haulers bringing in green waste.

The fee for commercially generated and/or hauled greenwaste is set at 25% of the landfill tip fee.

The recently passed ordinance allows for commercial customers to be charged based on a weight/volume conversion already established in the County code, thus commercial green waste may still be dropped at permitted facilities that lack a certified scale and fees will be assessed based on truck size.

(Note: Some permitted facilities, such as Kealakehe and Keaau Transfer Stations that currently receive green waste, are not equipped with a certified scale.)

(go to Contents)

UH Manoa College of Education is recruiting for three programs to be offered for West Hawaii residents via the UH Center, West Hawaii.

The three programs are the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education program 2006, the Bachelor of Education in Elementary Education program 2006, and the Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Special Education program 2006.

All three programs provide eligibility for initial teaching licensure. A public information session for these three programs is scheduled for Friday, August 12 from 7 p.m.–9 p.m. at the UH Center, WH, Building 4, Room 3.in Kealakekua.

Dr. Darlene Martin, on site Kona Coordinator for UHM COE with representatives from College of Education will provide additional information.

Interested applicants may contact the UHM Office of Student Advising Services at 808 956 7849 for application materials and check the COE web site for additional information http://www.hawaii.edu/coe/departments/outreach/ Prospective students are encouraged to apply immediately.

(go to Contents)

The Hawaiian monk seals are the most endangered seal species in the U.S, with only an estimated 1,300 seals remaining. Some of these rare mammals are right in our own back yard here on the Big Island.

The Hawai`ian monk seal is the subject of our latest in a series of free ReefTalks:

WHEN: Tuesday, July 19th, 6:30-8:30pm

WHERE: Thelma Parker Memorial Library, Waimea Elementary School

Justin Viezbicke of the DAR/HIHWNMS will be discussing the basic biology of the monk seal, recent pupping events and sightings on the Big Island, threats that are currently affecting the population and how we as community members can get involved in the conservation of this endangered seal.

(go to Contents)

The prevailing public sentiment indicates that every year there are fewer and fewer opihi, and there is some truth to this. However, commercial take of opihi has been relatively stable since 1960. No significant population crashes have occurred since the 1.25" size restrictions were implemented in 1978, but there has been no recovery either.

The opihi is the subject of our latest in a series of free ReefTalks:

WHEN: Tuesday, August. 23, 6:30-8:30 pm

WHERE: Kealakehe HS Library, mauka of Honokohau Harbor

Join Chris Bird to learn about the complex interactions among humans, opihi, haukeuke (shingle urchins), limu (seaweed), and other organisms that have impacts on opihi growth rates, reproduction and, ultimately, population size.

(go to Contents)

A conference on E ‘Imi Pono (best practices) in substance abuse treatment will be held at Hawai`i Community College July 17-21, 2005.

This conference is sponsored by Hawai'i Community College Substance Abuse Counseling and Administration of Justice Programs and the Office of Continuing Education and Training.

Among the internationally renowned presenters will be Terence Gorski, Stephanie Covington, Dennis Daley and Pualani Kanaka’ole Kanahele.

Topics of the conference will include:

• Adolescent and Adult Relapse Prevention
• Girls and Women in the Criminal Justice System
• Adolescents and Adults with Co-occurring Disorders
• Native Hawaiian Approaches to Substance Abuse

(go to Contents)

(All project schedules based on weather permitting.)

(go to Contents)

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.

(go to Contents)

(go to Contents)

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