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September 15, 2006
Hawai`i County is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer
FEATURE ARTICLES
· Dept of Water Supply Announces New Exploratory Well Drilling in North Kona
· Don’t Forget to Vote in Upcoming Primary, General Elections
COUNTY BULLETIN BOARD
· Period for Filing Real Property Assessment Complaints is Sept 11-25
· Kahoa Street Closure at Honoli`i Beach Park Sept 18-29
· First County Senior Job Fair Sept 28 during Employ the Older Worker Week
· Puna Community Development Plan – Next Workshop Sept 30
· Police Seeking Information on Vandalism of County Vehicles
· County Seeks Information on Potentially Contaminated Sites for Cleanup
· County Elections Division Seeks Election Day Officials
· 10,0000-Year-Old Wooly Mammoth Tusk on Display at Aupuni Center
· Hawai`i County Resource Center Accepts Healing Our Island Grant Applications
· County Seeks Applicants for Cost of Government Commission
· Environmental Commission Seeks Applicants to Represent District 3
· HI 5¢ Redemption Centers – Locations and Hours of Operation
· HI5 Redemptions – Getting your Nickels Back by Count or Weight
COMMUNITIES IN ACTION
· State Seeks Public Comments on Ocean Resource Management Plan
· West Hawaii Fisheries Council Meets in Kona Sept 21
· Voices for Recovery – Family Fun Day Celebration in Kona Sept 24
· Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge Holds Annual Open House Oct 7
· Free Mulch Available at Kona Transfer Station
· Check Out our County’s Community Development Plan Website
TRAFFIC ALERT
· Need a Pothole Repaired? Call Public Works
· Realignment Work Starts on Kapoho-Kalapana Beach Road (Hwy 137)
FEATURE ARTICLES
Dept of
Water Supply Announces New Exploratory Well Drilling in
The County of Hawai‘i’s Department of Water Supply (DWS),
is announcing a new exploratory well drilling project for the
If successful, and once fully developed and dedicated to DWS, this well is expected to provide an additional source of high-quality water for the North Kona community and to further improve the reliability of the Department of Water Supply’s current water system.
A new major reservoir tank providing system storage would be included with the project and would be located near the well.
The well project is being initiated by private development, but it is being designed to DWS Standards and with regard to the County’s existing water system infrastructure.
Significant water capacity to be provided by this project
The project will provide significant water capacity beyond the needs of the private developer, which will benefit the general community.
What’s the schedule for the exploratory drilling?
Drilling of the exploratory well is expected to begin in mid-September. Hours of operation for the drilling will be from 7:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Mondays through Fridays. Occasional Saturday operations may be required to keep on schedule and to perform basic repairs, etc., to be ready for the normal work week.
Once the well is drilled and cased, a 96-hour continuous pump test will be performed to determine the well’s safe yield. The pump test is expected to occur in mid 2007. Equipment used at the site will be designed to minimize noise, such as sound-attenuated compressors, and engines will be equipped with industrial silencers.
Water Supply Department on stream with multiple projects over next five years
The Department of Water Supply is coordinating multiple projects to
be completed over the next five years. We hope to make great strides in improving
the water system infrastructure to better meet the current and future needs of
With the cooperation, understanding and support of the public we may continue to reliably provide safe, dependable, good-tasting water meeting all EPA standards at the lowest rates possible. Mahalo nui loa from your Department of Water Supply.
For further information, please contact the Department of Water Supply at 961-8060. Or you can check out www.hawaiidws.org or http://www.hawaiidws.org .
Don’t Forget to Vote in Upcoming Primary, General Elections
The 2006 Primary is on Saturday, September 23, 2006. The General Election takes place on Tuesday, November 7, 2006. Please exercise your right to vote by casting your ballot.
You may cast your vote either by absentee mail ballot, absentee walk-in voting, or by voting on Primary day at your designated polling place. Registered voters in Hawai`i County will have received a yellow postcard from the Elections Division informing them of the location of their designated polling place.
If you need information about your designated polling place
or have any questions, please contact the
***The Elections Division wishes to remind voters that the
The Hawai`i County Elections Division is accepting applications for absentee mail ballots for the 2006 Primary and General Elections. The deadline to request an absentee mail ballot for the Primary Election is 4:30 p.m. on September 16, 2006. The deadline to request an absentee mail ballot for the General Election is 4:30 p.m. on October 31, 2006.
Applications for an absentee mail ballot can be obtained from the
Elections Division at
Absentee Walk-in Voting:
Primary Election Absentee Walk-In Voting runs from September 11 - 21, 2006.
General Election Absentee Walk-In Voting begins on October 24 - November 4, 2006.
Hours of operation and venues are as follows:
Elections Division - |
Kona Mayors Offc Conf Rm, |
Waimea Community Center 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Monday - Thursday |
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Friday |
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. |
Pahala Community Center 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Monday - Friday |
1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. |
Please exercise your right as a
For further information, please contact the
Period for Filing Real Property Assessment Complaints is Sept 11-25
The Real Property Tax Division of the County Department of Finance
would like to inform the public that any taxpayer may file complaints against the assessed
value placed upon property in the
The complaints are for the purpose of assisting the Tax Board of Review in making additional notes for their report to the Mayor and the County Council concerning instances, which, in the opinion of the Board, the Director of Finance did not use proper methods in assessing real property for purposes of taxation. Since this session or period is not for appealing assessments but only for receiving complaints, the Board cannot change any assessment during the process.
The period for complaints should not be confused with the filing of assessment appeals. The April 10th appeals deadline against the 2006 assessments has expired.
Complaints may be filed only during the period from September 11,
2006 to September 25, 2006 with the Director of Finance at the
Improvements to Honoli`i Beach Park will make it necessary to close
Kahoa Street to all but local traffic and limit park access only to foot traffic September
18 through September 29, 2006.
The street closure is necessary to allow the County to complete septic system improvements at the beach park. The County asks motorists to use caution when traveling through this area.
For additional information, please contact Bruce McClure, P.E., Director of Public Works at 961-8321 or Noelani Whittington, Community Outreach at 557-6437.
To connect senior job
seekers with employers, the Senior Community Service Employment Program and the Workforce
Development Division assisted by the Big Island Workplace Connection and Keep Hawaii
Beautiful will host the first
Employers have been invited to participate in this fair to:
· recruit dependable, loyal, hardworking seniors to meet staffing needs now or in the near future,
· enhance their businesses by hiring mature, stable seniors who offer their commitment, experience and skills, and
· promote public support and goodwill for their businesses.
Employers will be invited to speak briefly about their businesses.
Seniors enrolled in SCSEP as well as other seniors referred by WDD and BIWC are expected to attend this fair. Admission is fee of charge. The public is welcome. For more information about the fair, please call Leonard Chow at 981-2860.
Low-income seniors who may lack current work experience, references and training can overcome these obstacles to employment through SCSEP placements in community service agencies where they can turn these weaknesses into strengths. SCSEP enrollees are fully expected and required to use their current work experience and current host agency supervisors' recommendations to compete successfully for job openings in the job market at large.
Enabling enrollees to advance themselves toward economic self-sufficiency is the ultimate goal. For more information about the program, call SCSEP at 961-8750.
Mayor Kim has proclaimed September 24 through 30, 2006 as “Employ the Older Worker Week” to encourage island employers to hire seniors.
Puna Community Development Plan – Next Workshop Sept 30
What did the more than 150 attendees of the first region-wide workshop say when asked, “Why do you live in Puna? What is unique about your community? What top three issues do you feel are of highest importance to be addressed by the Puna Community Development Plan (CDP)?” How do their responses differ from those received during the small group meetings that were held earlier this year? What similarities and differences exist, depending on where people live in the district? Come to the second regional workshop and find out.
The second workshop will be held on Saturday, September 30, at the Pahoa High School Cafeteria. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the workshop starting at 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon.
There will be presentations showing what Puna is likely to look like in the next 5 – 30 years, if current trends continue. Find out about growth management tools that are being considered by the Puna CDP. During the latter part of the workshop, Working Groups will begin forming and organizing around topics of special interest. Find out more about Working Groups and how these groups can effectively contribute to the Puna CDP. Together we will steer the course.
For more information, please go to the website www.hawaiiislandplan.com. If you have questions, please email us at puna@hawaiiislandplan.com or call Debbie Chang at 961-8288 or Alex Frost at 961-8012.
If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids or services to participate in the meeting, please contact the Planning Department at 961-8288 at least six (6) days prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.
Police Seeking
Information on Vandalism of
The County needs your help in apprehending the people responsible for
unlawfully entering the
The perpetrators entered the locked base yard and are suspected of attempting to drive away two County vehicles.
The first vehicle, a 2002 Chevrolet truck, appears to have been unsuccessfully hot wired. Damages to the ignition system and replacement of a broken window are estimated at $2,000.
A second vehicle, a 2005 Ford truck, was driven through the fence surrounding the base yard. County employees found the truck in flames in a macadamia nut field behind the Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory. This truck is irreparable and the cost to replace it is estimated at $35,000.
If you have any information regarding this crime, please call the Hilo Police Station, at 935-3311, or Stanley Nakasone, at the highway maintenance division of Public Works, 961-8349.
County Seeks Information on Potentially Contaminated Sites for Cleanup
Do you know of property on the
The Department of Environmental Management is working with the Environmental Protection Agency and property owners to identify and evaluate these potentially contaminated sites. This is not an environmental enforcement effort, but an opportunity to begin the process of cleaning up.
The intent of this project is first to identify all of the sites in the County. The next step is to select about five sites that have the best potential for redevelopment and evaluate their level of potential contamination.
There will be a preliminary evaluation (a phase one site assessment) of these five sites. The sites will then be reduced to three for a complete evaluation (phase two site assessment) that will include soil sampling.
These two assessments are necessary in order to begin the process of cleaning and redeveloping these sites.
It will provide potential users/developers with the information necessary to determine if redevelopment is appropriate now.
Additionally, completion of the site assessments is necessary to be eligible for federal cleanup grants and loans. The intent of the program is to encourage redevelopment of existing sites as a viable alternative to developing raw land.
One longer-range goal of this project is to develop a large inventory of properties, with substantial redevelopment potential, that we can work from for years to come.
While we will work towards a completed re-development of the most promising sites in the near-term, there will also be sites that are discovered through this process that have great potential in the future.
If you have any information about such sites, please contact Terin
Gloor of the Department of Environmental Management, Solid Waste Division at 961-8058.
Thank you for your kokua in making the
The Elections Division is currently seeking individuals who are interested in serving as Election Day Officials for the Primary and General Election.
However, we are experiencing difficulty in staffing precincts islandwide, especially in the districts of:
- North /
- North /
- Ka`u
- Puna
- Hamakua
***The
For information contact the Elections Division at 961-8277.
We are seeking individuals to serve as Precinct Chairpersons, Voter Assistance Officials and Precinct Officials. Please see the attached Fact Sheet on Precinct Officials for information on the qualifications, duties and stipend.
The Elections Division will provide the necessary training.
We are appealing to the citizens in the community to volunteer as
Election Day Officials, so that the voters in
Interested individuals may contact the Elections Division at 959-5126.
Serve as an Election Official – It’s fun and rewarding
Assisting your neighbors and fellow citizens to vote is a fun, challenging and rewarding experience. This is your opportunity to volunteer your services to the community, and at the same time gain first-hand knowledge and experience in the electoral process.
Need a fundraiser?
This is an excellent opportunity for your nonprofit organization. Not only does your organization earn money, you are getting involved and participating in the electoral process. Requirements to participate are:
- Each participant must meet the minimum qualifications.
- Each organization shall not be a political action committee or organized for a political purpose.
- A completed Tax Clearance Application for each organization.
- A signed Memorandum of Agreement for each organization.
- A completed recruitment worksheet for each organization.
When are the elections?
Primary Election: Saturday, September 23, 2006
General Election: Tuesday, November 7, 2006
How long will I be working?
The polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., however precinct officials start at 5:30 a.m. and end at 7:00 p.m.
What are the Minimum Qualifications?
Each precinct official must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be 16 years old on or before June 30, 2006.
- Be a registered
voter in the State of
- Able to read (i.e., 11 point font) and write English.
- Able to lift 25-35 pounds.
- Attend a training session and pass a certification exam.
Restrictions
No parent, spouse, reciprocal beneficiary as defined in HRS Chapter 572C, child, or sibling of a candidate may serve as a precinct official in any precinct where votes may be cast for the candidate.
No candidate for elective office may serve as a precinct official in the same election in which the person is a candidate.
No candidate who failed to be nominated in the primary or special primary election may serve as a precinct official in the following general election.
What will I be doing?
Each polling place consists of a Chairperson, Voter Assistance Official(s) (VAOs), and Precinct Officials (POs)
Precinct Chairperson’s Responsibilities and Duties:
- Manages the polling place and is responsible for the security and integrity of ballots issued and votes cast.
- Assists voters and administers special procedures such as spoiled ballots, mail-absentee ballots, voter registration update, curbside voting, language assistance.
- Organizes and supervises precinct officials and voter activity.
- Ensures that all election procedures are correctly followed.
- Receives the Supply Box before each election.
- Maintains inventory and control of all election materials.
- Completes all Election Day documents correctly.
What are the general qualifications for a Chairperson?
The Chairperson shall be the first named precinct official on the list prepared by the chief election officer.
- May belong to any political party or be nonpartisan.
- Experience in at least two (2) elections is desirable.
- Experience as a Voter Assistance Official is desirable.
- Meets all other minimum qualifications.
What are the responsibilities and duties of the voter assistance official (VAO)?
- Assists the Chairperson in managing the polling place.
- Operates the Voter Assistance Station.
- Assists voters and administers special procedures such as spoiled ballots, mail-absentee ballots, voter registration update, curbside voting, language assistance.
- Assists the Chairperson in completing all Election Day documents.
- Assists the Chairperson with miscellaneous duties.
General qualifications for a voter assistance official
- May belong to any political party or be nonpartisan.
- Experience in at least one (1) election is desirable.
- Meets all minimum qualifications.
What are the responsibilities and duties of the precinct official
(
- Operates the following stations at the polling place:
1. Information and Ballot Demonstration Station
2. Poll Book Station
3. Ballot Issuing Station
4. Ballot Box Station
- Assists voters with Election Day questions.
- Assists the Chairperson and/or Voter Assistance Official (VAO) with miscellaneous duties.
General qualifications for a precinct official
- May belong to any political party or be nonpartisan.
- Meets all minimum qualifications).
Standby Precinct Official
- May belong to any political party or be nonpartisan.
- Reports to Election Headquarters on election morning for dispatch to a polling place that requires additional staffing.
- Personal transportation required.
- Responsible for precinct official duties.
- If polling places do not require additional staffing, the Standby Official will still be compensated the full rate.
- Meets all minimum qualifications
Alternate
- May belong to any political party or be nonpartisan.
- Stands-by at home on election morning for dispatch to a polling place that requires additional staffing.
- May be contacted prior to Election Day to replace a precinct official that is unable to work.
- Responsible for precinct official duties.
- If the Alternate is contacted and works in a polling place on Election Day, he/she will be compensated at the same rate as a Precinct Official.
- If polling places do not require additional staffing, the Alternate will be compensated $5.
- If the Alternate is contacted to work but declines, he/she will not be compensated.
- Must meet all minimum qualifications.
Note: Pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes §11-72, all qualified political parties shall submit names to the Chief Election Officer by a statutory deadline. The recruitment deadline for the 2006 Elections was May 26, 2006, 4:30 p.m.
Precinct officials recruited by their respective political party and submitted to the Office of Elections by the statutory deadline have first priority when being assigned to a specific polling place. You are encouraged to call the political party of your choice to volunteer your services as a precinct official.
In the event that all positions are not filled by the political party recruitment deadline, HRS §11-72 gives the Chief Election Officer the authority to fill the vacancies with any qualified person, without regard to political party affiliation.
Mail outs to the past elections’ precinct officials, public service announcements, and presentations by election staff ensure the required number of precinct officials to fully staff the polling places on Election Day.
How will I know what to do on Election Day?
Everyone is required to attend at least one training session and pass a certification exam. Precinct officials will be instructed in the standard operating procedures for each station within the polling place.
The chairperson of the polling place will assign precinct officials to their workstation. Precinct officials rotate through all the stations during the course of the day and perform additional duties that may be required.
When is training?
Training sessions are held between June and November. The Precinct Operations staff will schedule you to attend a convenient training session in your area.
Where will I work?
State Law requires precinct officials to work in the precinct in which they vote. However, if no vacancy exists within your precinct, you will be placed in a precinct within your district. If no vacancy exists within your district, you will be placed in a neighboring district. The earlier you volunteer to work, the better your chances for working close to home.
Will I be paid?
Yes, the compensation rates for each election worked for the 2006 Elections are:
Chairperson – Rates are based on the unit size of the
polling place. The unit size is based on the registered voter count in each precinct.
• for one-unit precinct |
$85 |
• for two-unit precinct |
$100 |
• for three-unit precinct |
$115 |
• for four-unit precinct |
$130 |
• for five-unit precinct |
$145 |
Voter Assistance Official |
$80 |
Precinct Official |
$75 |
Standby Precinct Official |
$75 |
Alternate |
$5 |
Every vote counts and so does your help!
Contact the Precinct Operations Section for more information at 1-800-442-VOTE (8683) or 1-800-345-5915, TTY: 808-453-6150.
Due to a temporary transition in our recycler’s processing facility, the following Transfer Stations will be affected:
· Hawi
· Honokaa
· Keauhou
· Laupahoehoe
· Pahala
· Pahoa
· Puako
· Waimea
We WILL NOT be accepting the following recyclable materials in the mixed recycling bins ONLY.
NO Paperboard or boxboard (cereal or tea boxes, snack food boxes, etc.)
NO Plastics #1&2 (milk jugs, detergent and bleach bottles, etc.)
NO Metal cans (tuna and cat food cans, soup cans, etc.)
These materials can be taken to the Kealakehe,
Still accepted in the mixed recycling bins are:
YES for Newspapers and magazines
YES for Cardboard (flattened)
YES for Mixed office paper (No Brites) and
YES for Phonebooks
This is a temporary change until January 2007. Look for signage at your Transfer Station. Thank you for your kokua. For more information, please call 961-8554 or 961-8942.
10,000-Year-Old
Wooly Mammoth Tusk on Display at
The
The 10-foot tusk is on loan from the family of the late Toshihiko
Saiga of
Up to recently, the display was housed at the
Mayor Harry Kim agreed to display the tusk, which will return to the Saiga family at the end of September.
The display also includes a scale model of a wooly mammoth being attacked by Neanderthal hunters.
The Pleistocene-era tusk itself weighs approximately 152 pounds, and
was found in Siberia in what was then the
The
The Healing Our Island Community Fund is a mini-grant program that
awards grants of up to $2,000 to community groups and grassroots organizations
within
You may download the application by visiting the Healing Our Island website at www.healingourisland.com
For further information about Healing Our Island or other community
grant programs, please contact the
Thank you for helping to Heal Our
County Seeks Cost of Government Commission Member for District 8
Hawai`i County is currently recruiting a citizen volunteer to serve as commissioner to represent District 8 (Council member Angel Pilago's district) on the Cost of Government Commission.
The Commission serves for a period of 11 months only, and is empaneled one year after the Mayor is elected into office.
Their mission is to study and investigate present operations within
the
For further information, please contact Corporation Counsel Lincoln Ashida at 961-8251. Completed applications can be dropped off or mailed to Lincoln Ashida at the Office of the Corporation Counsel at the Hilo Lagoon Centre, 101 Aupuni Street, Suite 325, Hilo, HI 96720.
Application forms may be picked up in Hilo at the Office of Information and Complaints at Room 217, 25 Aupuni Street and in Kona at the Kona Mayor's Office at Hanama Place, Kailua-Kona. You may also find an application form on line at www.co.hawaii.hi.us .
Environmental Management Commission Seeks Applicants for District 3
The Environmental Management Commission will have a vacancy for a commissioner to represent District 3 in Hilo (currently Council member James Arakaki’s district) from January 2007.
Community-minded residents are encouraged to apply for this vacancy.
Members of the Environmental Management Commission advise the Department of Environmental Management on waste reduction strategies, recycling, litter control, community involvement, and other issues related to the functions of the department.
Under the Hawaii County Charter, appointments to the commission are made by the Mayor with Council approval. Commissioners serve 5-year staggered terms.
The commission is made up of nine members, each representing one of the nine Council districts.
To obtain an application, please contact the Office of Information and Complaints, Mayor's Office, Room 217, 25 Aupuni Street, Hilo. Phone: 961-8223 or at the Kona Mayor's Office, Hanama Place, 75-5706 Kuakini Hwy, Kailua-Kona. Phone: 329-5226.
For further information about the Environmental Management Commission, please contact the Department of Environmental Management at 961-8083.
Redemption Centers – Hours of Operation
The following is a primer on the State of Hawai`i's beverage container redemption program works, and the location of the County of Hawai’i’s beverage container redemption sites:
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 plastic, 64 oz. or less.
What’s OUT: Ineligible (unredeemable) containers include: milk, wine and liquor containers.
Reminder: ONLY eligible HI5¢ labeled containers can be redeemed.
Qualified beverage containers may be redeemed for cash at the following locations:
**Transfer Station centers closed
daily from 1:00-1:30pm for lunch.**
CURRENTLY OPEN |
DAYS/HOURS OF OPERATION |
OPERATOR |
Hawi Transfer Station** |
Saturday only: 8 am-4:30 pm. |
ARC of Hilo |
(Open Saturday only) |
(closed for lunch 1:00-1:30) |
|
Hilo, 30 Maka’ala Street |
Mon thru Fri: 8:00am-5:00pm |
Atlas Recycling |
(Old industrial area) |
Sat & Sun: 8:00am-3:00pm |
|
Hilo Transfer Station** |
M, W, F: 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Closed Tues & Thurs) |
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm |
|
Honoka`a Transfer Station (Weekends only)
|
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30 |
ARC of Hilo |
Kailua-Kona, Pawai Place |
Mon thru Fri: 7:00am-4:00pm |
Atlas Recycling |
(Old industrial area) |
Sat 8:00am-3:00pm |
|
Sun Closed |
||
Kea’au Transfer Station** |
M, W, F: 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Closed Tues & Thurs) |
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm |
|
Kealakehe Transfer Station** |
M, W, F: 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Closed Tues & Thurs) |
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm |
|
Keauhou Transfer Station** |
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Weekends only) |
||
Pahoa Transfer Station** |
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Weekends only) |
||
Puako Transfer Station** |
Sunday only 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Open Sunday only) |
(closed for lunch 1:00-1:30) |
|
Waimea Transfer Station** |
M, W, F: 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Closed Tues & Thurs) |
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm |
|
Waiohinu Transfer Station** |
Sat & Sun 8:00am-4:30pm |
ARC of Hilo |
(Weekends only) |
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.
DID YOU KNOW….that the Department of Environmental Management has an information line? Call 961-5044 for HI5¢ redemption, recycling, and other solid waste information. Or visit:
www.hi5deposit.com / http://co.hawaii.hi.us/directory/dir_envmng.htm
****Check out this new Recycle Hawaii website page for "special event" disposal bins for recyclable beverage containers:
http://recyclehawaii.org/HI5PurchaseRentBin.htm
HI5 Redemptions – Getting your Nickels back by Weight or Count
Certified HI5 Redemption Centers are required to pay out deposits by either count or weight. The program allows for these two methods of deposit redemption so that consumers have a choice on how they want to get their deposits back. There are pros and cons to both methods of calculation.
Counting:
Consumers may request that the recycler count their containers
- Recyclers must count loads of 50 or fewer containers, and many recyclers have been counting loads of up to 100 containers.
- Consumers with larger loads may ask the recycler if they are willing to count larger loads during a less busy part of the day.
Pro: Consumers get back the deposit on every container when they’re counted.
Con: Consumers spend more time in line while waiting for operators to count loads.
Weighing:
- Consumers may request their containers be weighed for redemption.
- A "segregated rate" is used to calculate deposits on weighed loads of containers.
- The segregated rate is the average number of containers per pound by material type (plastic, glass, aluminum) and multiplied by the deposit. The average will not convert each load's weight to a precise count.
Pro: Consumers can receive refunded deposits back quicker than by counting each container.
Con: Consumer may receive less of a refund than they expected.
For questions about the State’s HI5 weight conversions, call the State Department of Health at (808)586-4226.
Kuakini Highway Construction Update
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.
Here is the update for this week:
- Landscaping work along the corridor is in progress.
- Work on water valve box and manhole adjustment is ongoing.
- Miscellaneous work along the project corridor also continues.
For additional information, please contact Bruce C. McClure, P.E., Director of the Department of Public Works, at (808) 961-8321, or Noelani Whittington, Community Outreach, (808) 557-6437.
Information on project status will be provided via this newsletter, the County website at www.co.hawaii.hi.us and the Mayor's West Hawaii Office at 329-5226.
Mahalo nui loa for your support of this community improvement project.
Hawai`i County … a nice place to live. County of Hawai`i … a great place to work.
Consider employment with the County of Hawai`i because it offers: numerous positions, great benefits, provides valuable services, diverse culture, a beautiful island – not to mention warm and friendly residents.
Call the County of Hawai`i’s job hotline (808) 961-8618 or visit www.co.hawaii.hi.us to download an application packet.
For job postings, visit our website: http://co.hawaii.hi.us/civil_serv/civ_serv.htm
Click on employment opportunities to download all of the forms.
COMMUNITIES IN ACTION
State Seeks
Public Comments on Ocean
The state of Hawaii’s Office of Planning's Hawai`i Coastal Zone
Management Program will be conducting a series of public meetings on Hawaii Island and
elsewhere in the state to present the draft Hawai`i Ocean
WHEN: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
WHERE: Kealakehe High School cafeteria
WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 21, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
WHERE: State Office building, conf. rooms (A,B,C), Hilo
We welcome your comments at the public meetings.
The ORMP establishes a 20-year vision for ocean resources management in the Hawaiian archipelago and defines strategic directions and specific actions to be implemented by various agencies and stakeholders over the next five years. Key perspectives of the plan include:
· Integrated management of land and sea;
· Preservation of our ocean heritage and its cultural, economic and recreational aspects; and
· Collaborative governance and stewardship, including means of integrating principles of ahupua`a or moku-based management.
The draft ORMP will be available on the Hawai`i Coastal Zone Management Program website at: http://www.hawaii.gov/dbedt/czm/czm_initiatives/orm_pdf/Draft_ORMP.pdf or at public libraries statewide.
Written comments on the draft plan will also be accepted until October 13, 2006. They may be sent to the Office of Planning at P.O. Box 2359, Honolulu, HI 96813, Attn: ORMP or e-mailed to