TAKEAWAY FROM FROM MEMBERSHIP MEETING: CONTACT THE MAYOR ON TWO CONCERNS

9/20/17 #kihei
Last evening, there were a lot of items to address by a very busy KCA team of directors right from our punctual kick off at 6:30 PM, to educate, inform & induce to participate our community. (You could be part of that team in 2018; nominations opened last night!)

Everyone who has not already done so is encouraged to go to the extremely convenient tool at https://gokihei.org/noconcrete, sign your name & send it off to Mayor Arakawa.

To us it is senseless to install a series of inadequate box culverts at a single location on South Kihei Road (SKR) with official acknowledgment that the ultimate action will be a true elevated bridge. Skip all these money wasting actions, and make the next step the bridge.

Coupled with this, just up SKR at the intersection with Kaonoulu St, if needed, depending on development, plan for a roundabout, NOT another red light. Please speak up for our community now.

KCA directors Randy Wagner and Linda Berry each gave presentations on these two issues, and Linda expanded hers beyond the bridge to include how the County proposed draft stormwater drainage regional plan had serious flaws (NOTE: County public meeting at Community Center tomorrow (9/21/17) at 6:00 PM on this plan).

The meeting also included a presentation by David Sereda of Chris Hart and Partners (CHP) on a proposal for a linear park or greenway in land currently owned by their client who is proposing to give it to the County for this purpose. There are certainly some challenges as much of these parcels are the Kulanihakoi River gulch from SKR to the highway. After the presentation, the rep for the owners Allen Yap explained that the land owners do not have the resources needed to remove all the silt and growth that has accumulated over past decade or longer, which all contribute to the flooding issues in this area.

And like the man said, “WAIT, there’s more!”

Neil Rhoads offered an update on the study he and Mailea Miller-Pierce have been conducting this year to evaluate the quality of our near shore waters. While the study is not completed yet, Neil was able to offer some information as well as explain challenges encountered causing delays. The bottom line is that for almost all sites around the island where water samples have been taken for decades, the situation is getting worse with more days when the level of bacterial contamination exceeds state standards.

The next and last for 2017 meeting is November 21, as always the third Tuesday of the month.