5/14/18 #kihei
This afternoon, we participated at Chair Elle Cochran’s Infrastructure and Environmental Management (IEM) Council committee for item IEM-43 – our longstanding proposals and actions for a much less expensive yet improved action to replace the deteriorated box culvert in the Kulanihakoi river gulch. While the item examines the contract awarded to Wilson Okamoto Corporation of Honolulu for “Kulanhakoi Bridge Replacement.”, the focus of this portion of the meeting examined the Public Works Dept (DPW) plan, while hearing both KCA and the Kula Makai Aha Moku concerns.                     

The meeting began as usual with public testimony, and three directors offered our input in that manner. But after a total of five, including our trio, community members had their say, the meeting proceeded with first the DPW, then KCA and finally Kula Makai Aha Moku each offered a presentation to the Committee. Two KCA Directors Linda Berry and Randy Wagner jointly offered a ten minute presentation for us.

This unusual process was formulated to insure both volunteer community non profits located in South Maui had an improved opportunity to be part of the process, after over five years of following the proscriptive series of actions, which we felt were an exercise in futility.

The committee then discussed what had been presented with all entities remaining available to clarify any and all matters as resources.

Chair Cochran received no objections to holding the matter over to a near future IEM meeting shortly after 3:30 PM, to move on to another agenda item.

You can find numerous historical reports on the KCA website here:

https://gokihei.org/?s=Kulanihakoi+bridge&submit=Search