UPDATE 7/15/13. See the answer below in comments. Mahalo for the tips. We did get MPD confirmation that this is a high tech traffic monitoring device.
UPDATE 6/28/13 And just like that the box appears now affixed to a tree along Kenolio (mauka) just north of the Kaiola intersection, seemingly confirming it has no relation to MECO. But the completely unidentified rectangle is moving around North Kihei. What do you think it is?
UPDATE: This morning (6/21/13) this very mysterious box has been removed. In spite of both email and phone call requests to MECO, we have no response, and thus no information.
This week,we observed this new container fastened to a MECO support pole (no electrical lines on it, just cables running to pole across the road) on Ohukai, makai of the Highway in Kihei. It has no visible lines or wires, and minimal marking, save the notice about water leak prevention. We called MECO, who advised sounded nothing of theirs, but since it was on their poll, very interested, advising they would check it out and call me back. No call. Do you know what it is ?
Don’t know what it is, but Googling the label content shows something similar in a blog from 2004. They note a similar box, which they said was put up by their local police. I can’t vouch for the blog or their info, just sharing.
http://thousandyearoldegg.blogs.com
Today is July 1st and I just drove by the box this morning. Has anyone Inquired with the Kihei Police department?
Thanks to ISA’s astute on line observation, we have now inquired, & are awaiting a response from MPD. Stay tuned!
I just talked to someone in our County Public Works Dept.- Highway Division. The box you see is there to track traffic flow data including speed of cars, number of cars during peak hours and other data. Kenolio Rd is scheduled for repaving.
MAHALO, Kenneth. The mystery solved. Apparently the technology has progressed beyond the black soft tubing that would run across a street that vehicles would overrun to be “counted.” Yes, DPW Director Goode advised us some time back the Kenolio was next in our area for repaving, as we reported back in January https://www.gokihei.org/news/kenolio-road-to-be-repaved-in-kihei. In addition, as the now identified box was first noted on Ohukai, which was to be monitored for vehicle speeding, with proposed potential mitigation by traffic calming devices, one might expect that data has been recorded for the speeding study.