Ka‘ū News Brief Friday, March 30, 2018

KAʻŪ LEARNING ACADEMY COULD SHUT DOWN SOON, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, OR NOT AT ALL, according to discussions at the state Public Charter School Commission on Thursday. During the Commission meeting on Oʻahu, with no Kaʻū Learning Academy staff or board members invited, the Charter School Commission decided to confer with the state Attorney General for help in deciding what to do.
     The Commission concluded that late last year, four of six board members operated with conflicts of interest, having worked for the school or being related to those currently or formerly employed by the school. The rules allow for only 30 percent of the board to work for the school or have relatives working there.
       Current KLA Board Chair Jack Richard said today that one board member mentioned was the cousin of an employee, and resigned when the relationship became an issue. Three new community members with no relatives or jobs at the school have become members of the board, he said, with another expected to join the board soon.
     Conflict of interest can happen when board members try to help and sometimes draw in their families to improve the school. Richard himself is a general contractor and said that before he was named chair, he volunteered his labor by helping with permits, inspections, and other aspects of building handicapped restrooms. He said he was reimbursed for materials and that other persons working on the project were paid by the school. Nevertheless, he has asked for a waiver from the Commission to remain on the board.
     "We are working with the board and I am in contact with them every week and I think these things can be resolved," he said. "They have checks and balances and they have to follow them. We are here - all about the kids - and we are going to work to clear this up."
       Richard said minutes of board meetings, when new board members were named, minutes were recorded and turned over to the commission. 

     A report from the Charter School Commission administration is available online. 

     During the Commission meeting on March 29, the immediate closure of the school was discussed. Objections were made, contending it could be harmful to the students. A decision was reached to delay action until the Attorney General is consulted on the next steps with KLA. The next Commission meeting is April 12.

     Issues regarding the board were brought up after response was made by KLA about the audit last year. KLA board members were not asked to attend the meeting.

     The meeting is documented in an hour-long audio-only recording.

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Photo from Hawai‘i Public Radio

THE COUNTY WILL HAVE TO REMOVE ABANDONED VEHICLES ON PUBLIC ROADS WITHIN TEN DAYS OF NOTIFICATION, if state House Bill 2442 passes a final Senate vote. It made it through the Judiciary Committee March 29.

     Removing abandoned vehicles in Hawai‘i currently has no time limit placed on the counties.

     Currently, registered owners of abandoned vehicles are sent a letter by their county. Under the new law, owners would only be notified if the vehicle was reported as stolen.
     Once picked up from the side of the road, the counties dispose of abandoned vehicles at auction. The bill does not specify how these vehicles would be dealt once the new law is passed. The definition of an abandoned vehicle would change to include a vehicle owner not transferring title to their name within 30 days of notice to the county of purchase. Any vehicle not registered for more than a year would also be considered abandoned.

     William Kucharski, Hawai‘i County's Environmental Management director, stated: "Requiring (Hawai‘i County) to take all abandoned vehicles into custody within 10 business days of abandonment imposes a burden on us to meet this timeline, while juggling manpower and budgetary constraints."

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Camelia sinensis tea, grown at Ka‘ū Valley Farms.

     The tour includes visiting the water system being developed from the old Kahilipali and Kapuna Tunnels, from old sugar plantation days. The tour ends with a brief walk into the 85-acre Native Forest upon the lands. This forest area was never converted into sugarcane and provides a glimpse into original, pristine native Hawaiian forest.
     The tour costs $35 per person, and will include lunch and transportation through the property. Participants will meet at the Ka‘ū Valley Farms Nursery at 9 a.m. to park their private vehicles. To reach the site, turn mauka in Nā‘ālehu at Ka‘alaiki Road at the intersection of H-11 and Punalu‘u Bake Shop. Proceed up Ka‘alaiki Road to just beyond the County cemetery, and then follow the signs to the nursery. The tour is expected to finish back at the nursery by 2 p.m. at the latest.
     Reservations can be made by calling John Cross at 987-4229 or Brenda Iokepe-Moses at 731-5409.
    See more Ka‘ū Coffee Fest events at www.kaucoffeefest.com

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COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I MASS TRANSIT AUTHORITY MASTER PLAN community meetings being held in April. Public comments are open through April 30, and can be submitted in person at the meetings listed below, or online, where the full plan is available for view.
     The MTA is presenting for public review a plan whose goal is to improve transit and paratransit for the island, so that is it safe, reliable, and accessible to all users.
     Ocean View Community Center hosts the OV meeting on April 8, from 3 to 5 p.m. Other meetings are being held in Pāhoa on April 7, Waimea on April 10, Kona on April 12, Kea‘au on April 15, and Hilo on April 16.

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JAZZ IN THE FOREST for Saturday, April 14, will be celebrating the creative gifts of trumpet icon Miles Davis, and the different chapters of his amazing productivity which did so much to add to the history of American jazz music. Davis' compositions extend from the 40's with classics such as "Four" and "Round Midnight" , to the 80's when Miles followed - or led - more pop-oriented styles. He was a leader in most of the styles he chose.