Kauaians voiced opposing concerns about the management of public water yesterday at a Kaua‘i County Council-sponsored open hearing. The Kaua‘i County Council and Mayor Bryan Baptiste could do no better job of managing the island’s public water system than the
Kauaians voiced opposing concerns about the management of public water yesterday at a Kaua‘i County Council-sponsored open hearing.
The Kaua‘i County Council and Mayor Bryan Baptiste could do no better job of managing the island’s public water system than the semi-autonomous Kaua‘i County Water Department, some said.
Others said the island’s legislative and executive branches can do the job but only if they establish a special fund to cover incremental improvements to the island’s public water system.
“If the mayor and the council run the department with a depreciation fund, that is fine,” Hanalei resident Ray Chuan said before the meeting at the historic County Building. Chuan contends no such fund exists now, and without it, water consumers will continue to pay much higher fees at one time for the improvement.
But fellow Kauaian Richard Stauber spoke out against the proposed shift.
If the change occurs, the only difference is the mayor and the council, and not the Kaua‘i Board of Water Supply, will decide who the next water manager will be, Stauber said.
The council held the hearing to gauge public opinion on a resolution proposing a charter amendment to restructure the county Water Department and to put it under the control of the mayor’s office and the council. If the council approves the resolution, the charter amendment will be sent to the voters for the Nov. 7 general election.
But Stauber said the council would be misleading the public by acting on the resolution.
Quoting from a document, Stauber said chairman Kaipo Asing said the council would not be sending any charter ballot measures to voters this year.
With the council’s proposing the resolution, Stauber asked, “Is this board consisting of seven liars?”
Councilman Jay Furfaro said nothing could be further from the truth. He said Asing, who was selected as the chairman by his council colleagues, made statements reflecting his own thoughts.
“I believe you are speaking to the chairman, the chairman we elected unanimously,” he said. “Many of us, including myself, did exactly that. We made individual testimony at the county charter commission. I myself spoke about a revenue commission, which didn’t make it. I also talked about cost control modifications.”
He said Stauber should use caution when he calls county legislators “liars.”
“So be very careful, when you are on the camera and imply we said something we lied about,” Furfaro said.
Voicing his displeasure with Stauber’s comments, Asing said Stauber is “not a registered voter, but with our system, we allow people to talk.”
The proposed council resolution is driven in part by the council’s need to have water available for the development of more affordable housing projects on Kaua‘i.
Many councilmembers recently became perturbed when county officials recently reported four to six state-owned parcels could not be used for affordable housing due to lack of sufficient water.
Baptiste said while there might not be water on or near the parcels right now, the county will find water sources that will do the job.
Testifying at the council hearing, water board member Lynn McCrory said the water board and the water department are making adjustments in the department’s 2020 Water Plan to make sure those state-owned parcels have water. The water plan sets out to strengthen and improve the county’s water system.
“The affordable housing issue, I think, is moving forward, which was really a critical part for all of you and for all of us,” McCrory said. “We have contracted out the four projects in the 2020 water plan.”
McCrory, who was accompanied by water board chairwoman Josephine Sokei, water board member Bernie Sakoda and acting water department manager Wynne Ushigome, said her testimony was not approved by her board and reflected only her sentiments.
County planing director Ian Costa, a former member of the water board, said the water department recently received word of the availability of the state lands and is making adjustments to find the water.
“We have re-prioritize our projects in the water plan,” Costa said. “And there will be water.”
The water department currently finances its operations with fees charged its customers, sets its own rate through actions by the water board and does not keep the council informed of its operations.
• Lester Chang, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or lchang@kauaipubco.com.
