Report Title:

CIP; Kauai County

 

Description:

Authorizes capital improvement projects for waste management on the county of Kauai.

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

851

TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2001

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS AND MAKING AN APPROPRIATION FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR THE COUNTY OF KAUAI.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $5,510,000 or so much thereof as may be necessary, to be appropriated for fiscal year 2001-2002, for the following projects for the county of Kauai:

FY 2001-02

A. SOLID WASTE FACILITIES $1,340,000

(Plans, new disposal facility $840,000)

(Land acquisition – auto recycle center $500,000)

Planning for future solid waste disposal capacity

Phase II of the Kekaha landfill opened for operation on October 8, 1993 with a design capacity to take an approximate 536,000 tons of waste. Although the county of Kauai is actively engaged in waste diversified efforts, such as recycling, by September 1996 Kekaha phase II was filled to approximately seventy-eight per cent of the design capacity. Hurricane debris composed forty per cent of the waste landfilled up to September 1996. Vertical expansion within the existing landfill footprint is expected to add another four to five years' capacity.

Landfilling is the primary means of solid waste disposal on Kauai. With the implementation of Subtitle D of the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, costs and liabilities associated with landfilling have escalated significantly (approximately $118 per ton of waste disposed).

The proposed planning study will examine the costs/benefits of continued landfilling versus development of alternative disposal methods and recommend a specific course of action for having a new disposal capacity online when Kekaha phase II landfill reaches capacity. Included will be a siting study to identify and evaluate sites suitable for the selected disposal capacity, considering such factors as regulatory requirements, centroid of waste generation, hauling distance, environmental protection and socioeconomic considerations. Once a suitable disposal capacity is identified and legislative approvals are received, an environmental assessment will be conducted with land acquisition, design and construction to follow.

Construction of the new landfill will be phased. Initial construction will include necessary infrastructure to commence landfill operations including initial capacity for solid waste liner and leachate management, scales, office area, maintenance facilities, etc. New cell construction will be phased every four years to provide additional capacity for MSW. The planned phased landfill will have ultimate capacity for thirty years of refuse, considering current and anticipated intake volumes.

Project Anticipated Expenditures Year

Study $ 840 2001-2002

Site acquisition 6,000 2002-2003

Design and construction 8,400 2003-2004

Future auto recycling center

Kauai’s population produces approximately one thousand four hundred junk vehicles each year or approximately four junk vehicles each day. At this accumulation rate, there is an urgent need for an economical solution for disposal of Kauai’s junked vehicles. State law has prohibited the disposal of junk vehicles and white goods in landfill operations; therefore junk vehicles must be shipped off island to metals recycling companies by the safest and most economical methods.

Junk vehicles must be processed in order to be shipped or transported off island. Processing includes, but is not limited to, removal of the junk vehicles’ gasoline, oil, and battery. Masterworks, Kauai’s only facility permitted to accept and process junk vehicles, white goods and scrap metal, was shut down in late January 1996. Since Masterworks shut down, there has been a rising occurrence of illegal dumping of junk vehicles island-wide. Junk vehicles, which are usually illegally dumped or abandoned, contain the battery, gasoline, and oil.

There is an urgent need for a permanent facility to constantly process junk vehicles generated on Kauai. Accumulation and intermittent processing of junk vehicles is an adequate long-term method of handling Kauai’s junk vehicle disposal needs. The state department of health temporary junk vehicle storage site permits also require progress on the establishment of a long-term junk vehicle processing site, or temporary storage permits will be revoked.

The county plans to develop an "auto recycling center" to serve as a permanent site for processing of junk vehicle, white goods and other scrap metals. The facility will exemplify recycling and enable an efficient and economical means to ship junk vehicles, white goods and scrap metals to off-island recycling companies.

Site selection and construction of necessary infrastructure is complete. Breakdown for anticipated expenditure is as follows:

Project Anticipated expenditure Year

Auto recycling center $500,000 2001-2001

B. WAIMEA SEWER SYSTEM $200,000

(Update facilities plan and upgrade

effluent quality for reuse)

Hawaii Administrative Rules chapter 11-62 (department of health) requires that public wastewater treatment works initiate facilities planning work when the actual flow at the treatment plant reaches seventy-five per cent of the design capacity. The wastewater flows to the Waimea wastewater treatment plant is nearing ninety per cent of the design capacity. The county received an unsatisfactory rating from the department of health for violation of its administrative rule. Another urgent need is to plan for disposal of the additional effluent by upgrading the effluent quality for reuse through Kikiaola's proposed master plan land use change.

Existing collector sewer lines within the Waimea area will need to be inspected and repaired as necessary. Since a high ground water table is encountered in this area, excessive infiltration will cause additional plant capacity problems.

C. KAUAI CIVIC CENTER – PHASE IIIB $1,920,000

(Renovation plans, construction)

For fiscal year 2001-2002, $1,920,000 will be utilized for phase III-B of the civic center renovations. Phase III-B will provide office space for county agencies.

For fiscal year 2002-2003, $600,000 will be utilized for phase III-C, improvements to the historic county building to provide offices for council services and the council chamber.

For fiscal year 2003-2004, $300,000 will be utilized for a master plan, and design for a total Kauai civic center (phase IV). As conceived by this master plan, a civic center for Kauai will eventually encompass all state and county buildings between Hardy and Rice streets, and Kuhio highway and Umi street. Site and facilities development designated in the master plan will incorporate site improvements within the entire complex, including a new parking layout, extensive landscaping, traffic pattern renovations, and utility improvements. Facilities to be improved will involve the Lihue shopping center structure, the historic county building, and the county building annex I. This project also includes construction plans and construction cost.

For fiscal year 2004-2005, $1,000,000 will be utilized to complete the construction for phase IV.

Estimated costs and proposed funding

State

Required – phase III-B $960,000 design/construction

Required – phase III-C $1,300,000 design/construction

County

County phase III-CIP $960,000 design/construction

D. LIHUE SEWER SYSTEM $900,000

(Rehabilitate anaerobic digester,

upgrade Marriott pump station,

chlorination system upgrade, Kapaia

pump station odor control)

In keeping abreast with stringent department of health regulations regarding the safe operation of wastewater treatment plants, the rehabilitation of the secondary anaerobic digester, upgrading the Marriott pump station and plant chlorination system, and implementation of odor controls for the Kapaia sewer pump station must commence soon.

With the expansion of the Lihue wastewater treatment plant to 2.5-mgd capacity in 1996, collector sewer lines must be installed in non-sewered residential and commercial areas. The expected increase in population in the Lihue district will necessitate the eventual increase in plant capacity; this will require updating the facilities plan in conjunction with the island’s general plan update.

Anticipation of additional department of health regulations on the island’s wastewater treatment plant operations will require a larger modernized chemistry laboratory for sampling and testing the treated water to comply with federal regulated standards on effluent discharges into the environment.

E. HANAPEPE STADIUM SPORTS COMPLEX $500,000

(Roadway/parking improvements,

relocation of little league field,

parking, irrigation for soccer field)

The Hanapepe sports complex is comprised of fourteen acres and serves as a regional facility for west Kauai. Adults, high school, and youth organizations utilize the various sports fields at this complex. Recently, six acres of the sports complex was cleared of overgrowth and was grassed. The proposed improvements called for in the next six years will complete the implementation of the sports complex master plan.

Estimated costs are:

2001-2002 Design/construction roadway/parking $500,000

Roadway/parking improvements (includes relocation

of little league field and irrigation system for

soccer field)

F. WAILUA/KAPAA SEWER SYSTEM $350,000

(Relief sewer line to WWTP,

Wailua system odor control)

Immediate needs are to provide a relief sewer line leading to the Wailua wastewater treatment plant to eliminate raw sewage spills. Pursuant to the State of Hawaii department of health’s policy on effluent reuse and to ensure R-2 quality water for the county’s Wailua golf course, the plant’s effluent filter system must be upgraded or replaced.

In addition, a new Wailua-Kapaa wastewater facilities plan, in conjunction with the county's general plan update, must be programmed and implemented for the near future. Accordingly, plans and construction to collect sewers for the non-sewered sub-areas of Kapaa town must continue. The Coco Palms SPS and the Wailua wastewater rapid-bloc plant must also be upgraded and rehabilitated to accommodate the increased sewer capacities.

G. DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN $300,000

(Kapaa/Wailua area)

The county’s comprehensive zoning ordinance requires the development of a detailed drainage master plan to supplement the general plan. With the completion of the master plan, a sound capital improvement program can be formulated. Also, the master plan will be useful for various agencies in their review of new subdivision and building developments. The drainage master plan will include boundaries of watersheds one hundred acres or larger, stream capacities, limitations on existing channel capacities, proposed channel modifications, and new drainage facilities and appurtenances.

First order of work on developing a drainage master plan is to prepare and develop ortho-photo maps for the urban areas of Kauai. Ortho-photo mapping for the major urban areas, namely Kealia-Kapaa, Wailua; Hanamaulu-Lihue-Nawiliwili; Kalaheo-Lawai-Koloa-Poipu; and Kekaha-Waimea-Hanapepe-Eleele are completed. The use of the ortho-photo maps is immeasurable. The maps facilitate design work for improvements to roadways, drainage, sewers, and water facilities. Comprehensive planning for these facilities cannot be completed without adequate mapping that provides ground topography. The necessity of these maps was demonstrated by the participation of the State of Hawaii department of transportation highways division for mapping the areas.

Second order of work is to develop a drainage design manual to replace the storm drainage standards in use today. The purpose of the manual is to establish county storm water management objectives, principles and design consideration. The manual will provide objectives and principles to handle the infrequent storms for protection of property and life and the frequent storms to minimize inconveniences or disruption of activities. The manual will provide design considerations for hydrologic and hydraulic reporting including criteria and methodology for developing detention basins.

Once the drainage manual has been developed and accepted by the county, the next order of work will be to develop the master plan of drainage and flood control systems for the urban areas of Kauai. The master plan will be developed for the urban areas of Kapaa, Lihue, Poipu, Kalaheo, Hanapepe, Waimea, and Kekaha.

Preliminary cost estimates and proposed schedule

1997-2000 drainage manual $ 300,000

2001-2002 Kapaa-Wailua drainage master plan 300,000

2002-2003 Hanamaulu-Lihue-Puhi master plan 300,000

2003-2004 Poipu-Koloa master plan 250,000

2004-2005 Kalaheo master plan 300,000


2005-2006 Hanapepe-Eleele master plan and

Waimea-Kekaha master plan 400,000

TOTAL $1,850,000

SECTION 2. The appropriation made for the capital improvement projects authorized by this Act shall not lapse at the end of the fiscal year for which the appropriation is made; provided that all moneys from the appropriation unencumbered as of June 30, 2004, shall lapse as of that date.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated shall be expended by the county of Kauai for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2001.

INTRODUCED BY:

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