CALL TO ORDER: Acting Chair Fred Madlener called the meeting to order at 6:50 pm.

Members present: Mark Heckman, Fred Madlener, Edward Laws, Toby Rushforth, and Christine Woolaway. There was no quorum.

Members excused: Jeffrey Harris, Alex Ho, and Kimberly Lowe

Executive Director: Sarah Young

CSF: Judy Nakamura.

Guests: Bob Bourke (Oceanit Laboratory) and Michael Ward (Surfrider Foundation).

COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY:

Michael Ward, from the Oahu Surfrider Foundation, gave a presentation on storm drain filter systems. He quoted some numbers reported by Eugene Dashiell, who worked on the Ala Watershed Project. On an average day, 250,000 vehicles drive through the Ala Wai Watershed. These vehicles drive over 1.6 million miles of streets and highways in the watershed each day. This works out to about 64 miles per vehicle per day. The emissions from the engines, the friction of brake pads on brake drums and wheels on asphalt release lead, chromium, cadmium, zinc, nickel, hydrocarbon residues and asphalt particles onto the streets and curbs. This forms a dust on the streets. When it rains this dust washes from the streets into storm drain catch basins and from there into the streams and channels that empty into the Ala Wai Canal and finally the ocean at Ala Moana. A light rain has a heavy concentration of toxins while a heavy rain will have a light concentration of toxins that flow into the canal and ultimately into the ocean.

Three storm drain filters are now in place in the Ala Wai Watershed with three additional sites awaiting approval before additional filters can be put in place. The foundation has been working with Dr. Eric DeCarlo to assess the different types of filters and levels of filtration. The State has appropriated close to $600,000 (which has not yet been released by Governor Cayetano) for the Ala Wai Watershed Improvement Project.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – Sarah Young presiding

A. Director Young summarized the following community liaison work:

	Relevancy to KBAC Activities
Met Carole McLean, Executive Director, Friends of Heeia State Park	Ms. McLean shared her vision for the Heeia state park and introduced me to the various research and stream restoration efforts conducted at the Heeia watershed. Hiked down the dirt path to lower reach of the park and noticed soil erosion along the path and mangrove overgrow. Four teenagers were walking along the trail. Left Ms. McLean the package for EPA’s environmental education grants and encouraged her to partner with the King Intermediate School for the grant application.
Talked with Piikia Miller, at the Hawaii Community Foundation	Briefed Ms. Miller on KBAC, programs, and Ms. Young’s background and functions as the Executive Director. Inquired about HCF’s grant giving processes.
Talked with David Higa, DLNR, Commission on Water Resource Management,	Mr. Higa shared with KBAC the Declaratory Ruling No. DEC-ADM99-S8. This ruling streamlined the Stream Channel Alteration Permitting process for specific routine maintenance activities, such as manual clearing, clearing of vegetation, rock, silt, and debris of artificially lined non-submerged portions of streams, etc. He also provided a copy of the Manoa Stream Maintenance Plan: (Kahaloa Drive to Woodlawn Drive). He has indicated that should communities in Koolaupoko be interested, a focused group discussion on specific issues such as how to best conduct stream maintenance work in Koolaupoko would be an effective educational process.
Kualoa Ranch Pavillion by Fish Ponds of Hawaii Group Discussion (Hakipuu Ohana)	Listened to the presentation by Dr. Clyde Tamaru on Hawaii’s Fishpond and gained further understanding on the function of traditional Hawaiian fishponds in trapping nutrients. Dr. Tamaru brought to focus the complex permitting process (17 federal, state, and county permits required) for fishpond restoration work. Efforts have been made to seek funding for a set blanket permits for fishpond restoration efforts from OHA. Hakipuu Ohana member expressed interest in approaching OHA.
Koolau Mountain Watershed Initiative Board Meeting (KMWI)	Shared with DLNR KMWI members KBAC’s August Newsletter and briefed the group on the paradigm shift, the DOH Unified Watershed Assessment Grant, and three community partnerships in the works, and the importance of coordination, collaboration and cooperation. The group inquired about getting portions of the DOH money for funding the KMW planning work to cover KBAC’s interest in the upper reaches of the Koolaupoko watershed, which overlaps with the Koolau Mountain watershed.
Met Dr. Kathy Ewel at USDA, Division of Forestry Services	Briefed her about the KBAC’s activities and expressed interest in working more on wetland issues.
Excursion for Grade 4 Children from Waiahole and Kahaluu Elementary Schools, Watershed Overview	Joined Ms. Amy Luerson at the H3 look out and listened to her introduction to the Koolaupoko watershed and watched her interactions with students.
Hawaii Geological Information Council Strategic Planning Steering Committee Meeting	The HGIC formed a strategic planning steering committee to iron out the blue print for the council. Joseph Lees from the Pacific Disaster Center gave a briefing on three types of nonprofit organizations, and shared his experience in organizational strategic planning and developing database for disaster relief in the Pacific.
Visited the DBEDT Planning Office GIS Group	Joined Mr. Lees, and two State GIS coordinators on their discussions on how to better communicate and disseminate GIS information through the web and other means.
Met with Ms. Steve Kubota and Lynette Cruz	Went over the MOA package, advised them that should they have legal questions, they need to consult their own council.
Met with Patrick Costales, the DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Oahu Branch Manager	Followed up with a meeting with the Board Meeting presentation. He shared with me the West Maui Watershed Management Plan and indicated that should KBAC needs to cover its area of interest, we can pursue the contract with additional funding, given by DOH to KBAC.

Community Groups or Individuals inquired about means for collaborating with KBAC. These include:

Malia Chow, HIMB

Carole McLean from Friends of Heeia State Park

Chris Winn from Hawaii Pacific University

Pohai Ryan from Kailua Neighborhood Board

Lanikai Elementary School and Learning Education Technology

Ms. Young thanked these inquirers for their interests in KBAC activities, and informed them of KBAC’s strategic planning efforts. Once KBAC comes up with a set of project criteria for future funding, individuals and entities are welcome to participate in KBAC’s activities.

B. Administrative

Recruiting Volunteer Coordinator

Met with Subcommittee Members for Recruiting the Volunteer Coordinator. The job description was finalized on October 29 and being publicized through: the newspaper, KBAC’s mailing list, UH Marine Option Program, and WRRC’s e-mail list. Individuals who expressed interest previously have also been informed through e-mails and faxes. KBAC and community members are encouraged to distribute the job descriptions.

Office Space

Visited Kailua Town and made a couple of calls. First floor space is very expensive. Assistance is needed from the community in finding a place that has:

500 to 1000 sq. feet, with ample free parking space, easy community access,

space for 2-3 office spaces desks, bookshelves, . . .

space for a display for KBAC’s activities,

a meeting room for up to six people.

Sharing the meeting room with another organization is OK.

Internet

Domain Name: Registered as: http://www.kbac-hi.org

Working with WCC to Resolve Web Server/Hosting Issues

KBAC’s new web site shall be designed to:

Disseminate KBAC database, including information on KBAC’s programs, watershed-related initiatives in Koolaupoko, and volunteer work announcements;

Achieve user friendliness, easy to upload and navigate;

Allow dissemination of static GIS map layers, including pictures; and

Ultimately, create a virtual clearing house for the Koolaupoko watershed-related data.

The web designer shall have experience in designing similar sites. Ms. Young will get a contractor in place in November/December.

Should KBAC Fund Toxicity Studies/Heavy Metal Tests?

Director Young talked with Dr. Barbara Brooks, at the Hazard Evaluation and Emergency Response Office, Department of Health. Dr. Brooks provided a report on Draft Screening Risk Evaluation for Consumption of Fish from the Ala Wai Canal (April 23, 1998) Study. Many volunteers were used for sample collection and the study was never finalized.

The HEER office will probably fund similar studies if a spill was reported and required immediate remedial action. The HEER office is usually focused on hazard evaluation and emergency responses. Researchers from the university have been interested in pursuing EPA funding for testing pesticides and heavy metals. KBAC is interested in establishing baseline for toxicity and heavy metals in waters of Koolaupoko. The questions were raised:

Are there existing data?

What additional studies would cost?

Decisions could not be reached until these questions are addressed.

C. Program Oversight

Volunteer Program

Obtained most recent version of the Stream Mapping from Donna Ashizawa. Met with Kimberly Anderson and discussed developing a display for the community GPS/GIS mapping projects. Need to make sure these maps and findings are shared with the EPA, State, County and DLNR or other entities and agencies and can be distributed through the internet.

Mini-Grants

For those who made no progress, Dr. Young has requested the return of KBAC’s money, so our fiscal agent can properly keep up with the book keeping.

KBAC needs to establish a payment schedule based on progress and will not dispense FULL amount upfront.

Contract Development

Contracts drafted for all three potential partners,

Waimanalo Health Center (WHC) is reviewing and will meet with Nancy Glover, representing Waimanalo Health Center, on Nov. 15, 1999,

the Ahupua’a Action Alliance has reviewed, and

Director Young is waiting to get back to Hui Ulu Mea Ai (HUMA) after input from KBAC’s subcommittee

 

 

DOH’s Unified Watershed Assessment Scoping Project

Director Young initiated contact and collaboration with DLNR Koolau Mountain Watershed Partnership project and community groups in coming up with an inventory of existing studies for the Koolaupoko watershed and is contemplating a progress report to the State DOH in the next two months.

ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS – Chair Fred Madlener presiding

Approval of October 12, 1999 minutes - Because there was no quorum, the five board members formed a sub-committee and voted to approve the minutes. The three board members who were excused will be polled by a fax vote.

Approval of the Annual Report – The five board members formed a sub-committee and voted to approve the annual report. The three board members who were excused will be polled by a fax vote.

EPA sponsored workshop – The EPA is sponsoring a watershed workshop to be held in Honolulu from January 14-15, 2000. After much discussion, the five board members voted to approve $1,000 for expenses to sponsor people from Koolaupoko to participate in the workshop. A fax vote will be taken for the excused members before Director Young approaches EPA.

Director Young will be off-island from January 21 – February 15, 2000.

The following are tentative KBAC dates for future meetings to be held at Windward Community College:

Dec. 14, 1999 Tuesday Hale Alakai #118

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned by Acting Chair Fred Madlener at 10:05 pm.



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