KEKAHA — The first step proved to be a difficult one as six groups vying for money from a special community fund presented their plans Monday evening at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center. The Kekaha Host Community Benefits Citizens Advisory Committee
KEKAHA — The first step proved to be a difficult one as six groups vying for money from a special community fund presented their plans Monday evening at the Kekaha Neighborhood Center.
The Kekaha Host Community Benefits Citizens Advisory Committee held its first of two project presentation meetings for organizations seeking support for proposals to benefit projects for the community. It is the first year of an annual application process.
The County of Kaua‘i established the Kekaha Host Community Benefits Fund in 2008 to compensate that community for hosting the island’s landfill. Projects that receive committee approval are to be forwarded to the county for the mayor to review and approve funding.
For this first phase event, presenters offered an abbreviated short-form written application with an oral summary. The committee provided recommendations and feedback before tallying scores that will determine which projects move forward at a meeting Saturday.
Projects requesting $5,000 or less are only required to complete the short-form. If approved, those asking more go on to complete a long-form application due in March.
The three-hour presentation included public input that produced some heated exchange about process and community good taking precedence over technical issues. By the end of the evening, however, both the committee and the 50 people in attendance were exchanging accolades about overtures to ensure project ideals were upheld.
Some objected to the committee’s 6-to-2 vote to accept at least two proposals that were postmarked by the Nov. 25 deadline but not received until Nov. 28. Some committee members recused themselves from discussion on projects where they had some involvement with the organizations.
A community member spoke at length about supporting projects that provide a public good and would not benefit one person or organization more than the community.
Fine arts, hula
Steve Sullivan presented for Kanaka Aupuni A Ni‘ihau Aloha. It is their goal to build a hula and fine arts facility to support hula, music and language education programs and to benefit community groups during evenings and weekends.
It would be built on the site of the KANAKA public charter school, a privately owned property at 8315 Kekaha Road. Some expressed concern that a lease agreement would place the public project at risk of becoming privately owned if the terms were not maintained.
Sullivan said the arrangement with Wray Enterprises has worked well with the nonprofit charter school for a decade, and would expect the same with the fine arts facility. He said KANAKA does a lot of work with grant management and business start up projects and is capable of sustaining the art center and additional parking.
The need for the center is to provide a permanent facility for an established Hawaiian culture, dance and singing group to train and record. He said it would be available as a community center on nights, weekends and holidays.
Sullivan said leasing from a private owner is preferable to ownership or using public land because the owner provides insurance and oversight while the project provides infrastructure and facility operations. He is also concerned the project have proximity to the KANAKA school.
‘Trashology 101’
Boys & Girls Club of Hawai‘i Regional Director Keith Cruickshank presented the Zero Waste project for Kekaha’s keiki.
The waste management educational curriculum project is designed for Kekaha Elementary School students in grades 3 to 5. “Trashology 101” is also community based through outreach to families, youth organizations, recreational clubs and faith-based organizations.
Cruickshank said they hope to engage some 60 Kekaha youth in a two-year project starting in July. The four-phase program focuses on awareness, education, incorporation and taking responsibility for the environment.
The largest line-item in the budget is for a part-time coordinator and educator position. The $43,500 half-time position would essentially be responsible for the program.
Micro food forest
Dianne Shoemaker, director of the Kekaha Community Garden, presented the “Many Hands, Light Work” project that would add a micro food forest for shade and fruit production. The $48,000 request would also offset $35 monthly membership fees with a sliding fee scale, offset porta-potty fees, build a gazebo, benches; and install a sump to decrease water costs.
As a nonprofit with a six-member board, the 6,500-square-foot garden is open to the island’s residents, but 90 percent of its 35 communal gardeners are Kekaha residents. Much of the organic produce goes to Nana’s House and West Kaua‘i Interchurch.
The garden has a library of environmental publications, tools and materials. The project would offset seed costs, encourage the growth and use of medicinal plants, establish nutritional workshops, and provide compost bins for local residents.
Shoemaker emphasized the need to support organic gardening projects that give back to the community. It is an affordable alternative, she said, to the consumption of cheap and accessible unhealthy foods that are the source of an epidemic of obesity, hypertension and diabetes.
Renewable energy
for school
The St. Theresa School renewable energy project was presented by principal Mary Jean Buza-Sims, Darlene Patricia Muraoka and Peter Martin. It would install a photovoltaic system for the K-8 school complex to decrease electricity costs.
Buza-Sims said the economy has led to declining enrollment from 167 to 113, and electricity is a large and rising operating expense. An electrical audit encouraged solar energy as a way to cut energy costs and provide an example to student on how to minimize a carbon footprint to preserve the planet and its resources.
The project is timely as school grants make the expansion of technology possible. They hope to offset costs with a green energy plan.
One concern of the committee was for the project to have an inverter to be able to feed into the grid at times when KIUC power is down.
Photovoltaics
for residents
Dennis Eguchi, Wayne Ayudan and Garrett Agena presented the E Ola Mau – Kekaha photovoltaic project for deserving residents. It is their goal to install solar water heaters and decrease the cost of electricity for long-time Kekaha homeowners.
The project has alternatives of 63 full or 160 partial photovoltaic systems. The savings each year would be used to keep adding more systems and to local charities.
The committee questioned the eligibility criteria for a project targeting people who have lived nearer the landfill for the longest periods. A point system calculates the number of years a person or family has resided in Kekaha, in the area or a particular residence, whether they own or rent, and then on to vacation residence and short-term occupancy.
With approximately 900 homes in the Kekaha area it presents a long-term challenge, but the ambitious project hopes to help offset costs for low income residents to install solar water heaters.
There were questions about whether a nonprofit would qualify for state or federal solar tax credits. Others asked about other sources of funding.
Home renovation
Kaua‘i Habitat for Humanity Development Director Anne Dimock presented the Repair and Renovation Service Program. The project helps homeowners earning between 30 to 80 percent of median income to make critical home repairs to improve living conditions and extend the life of a house.
Habitat has built 106 homes on Kaua‘i, with 107 more planned on 24 acres of the Ele‘ele Iluna affordable housing subdivision by the end of the decade. In the meantime, Dimock said there are 1,600 families interested in homes during a time of housing shortage.
The project offers zero-interest loans to help low-income homeowners repair and update homes. Habitat absorbs costs in the process and need sources to replenish funds.
The program has many Kekaha applicants and the first to complete a renovation plan was Melanie Kaneapua this past summer.
The Committee members include Bruce Pleas, chair, Jose Bulatao, Jr., vice chair, Evelyn Olores, secretary, Robert Jackson, financial officer, Myra Elliott, A. “Big Boy” Kupo, Jr., Glenn Molander, and Thomas Nizo. Diane Zachary, President and CEO of the Kaua‘i Planning & Action Alliance, serves as the Committee director.
The second group of presentations will be given at 6 p.m. today. Visit www.KekahaHCB.net, or contact Diane Zachary at 632-2005 or dzachary@kauainetwork.org for more info.
