Family seeks return of dog
Girly is a 45-pound beagle mix. She is a companion animal that helps me. She’s extremely friendly.
She was last seen in the yard at home on Dec. 3 on Kawaihau Road near Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital. She is microchipped but, unfortunately, her collar was not on her.
My family and I are all extremely saddened by her disappearance, and are hoping the community at large can help. Please let me know if you can help. My email is beth.boring215@gmail.com and my number is 314-517-0022.
Beth Boring, Kapa‘a
Community input, outreach critical to new waste plan
Recently, the County of Kaua‘i’s Solid Waste Division presented the final draft of the 2021 Integrated Solid Waste Management Plan to our County Council for their review and approval. The plan was presented by staff and their consultants on Nov. 17, 2021, at their regular meeting.
The council was asked to adopt a resolution in support of the work of the solid waste program team and their consultants in updating the county’s ISWMP.
The lead consultant from Jacobs Engineering, along with county solid waste staff, presented to our council, and members had numerous questions and comments regarding the content and details of the plan.
Staff and consultants provided requested information and consensus was found on the urgency of updating the ISWMP. A motion to defer for two weeks was made by Council Vice Chair Mason Chock and was unanimously supported by all members present.
The last plan was adopted by the county in 2010 and, as noted in the Jacobs presentation, included some hallmark features that helped to modernize our waste-collection system. It ushered in several successful strategies such as “Pay As You Throw” (PAYT), a flat fee for household collection; cardboard and green-waste bans for the landfill; source-reduction of plastic bags. Waste to energy, curbside recycling and a materials-recovery facility were items given great consideration during the development of the 2010 ISWMP.
As a member of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee for the 2010 ISWMP I learned that engaging the public is a crucial aspect of the planning process for a successful ISWMP.
Due to COVID-19, the ability to host public meetings was greatly impacted, and the development of the 2021 ISWMP undoubtedly was affected by COVID-19 restrictions. Having more community input along with increased outreach and education for local stakeholders is critical in moving forward with an updated ISWMP.
Public testimony from residents and others was received in support of our county’s efforts to increase recycling opportunities through curbside collection as well as the development of a MRF.
In addition, support for composting activities to address methane-gas reduction (as well as creating a valuable soil amendment) was submitted by the public, along with suggestions for targeted source-reduction strategies for items like construction debris, food waste and plastics.
Some of the public testimony offered at the most-recent council hearing pointed out the plan’s lack of clear goals, priorities and objectives regarding diversion rates and timeframes. An amendment from Chock to the proposed ISWMP resolution attempted to address that issue, and was unanimously passed by his colleagues.
Discussion from councilmembers ranged from the quantity and quality of testimony provided as well as the obvious expenses associated with improvements to our waste-management systems.
It was pointed out by several members of the council that the updated plan will need to make financial sense and will require additional resources from the county for its implementation. It was also noted that the need for a new landfill has only increased since the last plan and that the updated plan should prioritize the siting of a new landfill.
In conclusion, the council has now passed Resolution No. 2021-47 with the acknowledgment that Mayor Derek Kawakami and his solid waste team will need to plan accordingly during the upcoming budget process.
As Acting County Engineer Troy Tanigawa suggested at the Dec. 1 meeting, “The adoption of this plan will help us get started performing the real work.” Let’s hope this is the case, as anything less will amount to kicking the can down the road.
James Trujillo, Kapa‘a
