Kauai County Council Meeting - November 26, 2025

The Kauai County Council convened on November 26, 2025, to review board nominations, approve grant applications, and deliberate on the transfer of Ha'ena Beach Park to the State of Hawaii. Council members engaged in robust discussions regarding fiscal due process, infrastructure funding strategies, and the long-term stewardship of community lands. The session concluded with unanimous approval of the park transfer resolution and several budget amendments.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda Approval: Unanimously approved the meeting agenda.
• Meeting Minutes: Unanimously approved the minutes from the October 15, 2025, council meeting.
• Receipts: Unanimously received and adopted receipts C2025-245 and C2025-246.
• Committee Reports: Approved reports from the Finance and Economic Development Committee (CRFED 2025-20, 2025-21, 2025-22) and Committee of the Whole (CRCOW 2025-07).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lonnie Sykes (Opposition):
  • Expressed strong opposition to the Ha'ena transfer process, arguing that the county admitted an incapability to manage parks by giving away a billion-dollar asset. He noted that the resolution contained a "factually incorrect" statement regarding unintended consequences, asserting the parking issues at Kapaa Park were an anticipated result of state access closures. Sykes emphasized that the transfer occurs without sufficient prior public outreach, noting neighbors were unaware of the item. He stated he is "utterly against" giving the park to the state and distrusts that future legislation will maintain the current agreement.
• Lonnie Sykes (Rebuttal on Due Process): Reiterated that the waiver of due process regarding the wastewater grant was a violation of civil rights and demanded that future transfers respect public notification laws.
• Clayton Kubo (Support/Concerns): Expressed support for the Ha'ena transfer as an improvement over current parking conditions but voiced hope that camping permits remain available. He highlighted increasing rescue incidents on the trails and committed to volunteer trail maintenance.
• Presley Wan (Support):
  • Expressed full support for the transfer as a necessary solution to the severe parking and access issues. She thanked the mayor for summarizing the problem and urged the council to move forward.
• Presley Wan (Rebuttal): Reiterated her support for the transfer as a solution to the "real real bad problem" of parking challenges.
• Billy Keeney (Support): Addressed concerns regarding the permanence of the management agreement. He expressed confidence that community co-management and relationships with practitioners would ensure the project's success, citing the history of the Hui Ku Aina and current stewardship by lineal descendants.
• Billy Keeney (Historical Context): Provided testimony detailing the historical lineage of the Ha'ena land from the Great Mahele to the 1960s condemnation of the Hui Ku Aina Ohana, emphasizing the community's long-standing role in stewardship.
• Presley Wan (Support): Expressed gratitude for the mayor's summary of the issues and urged the council to take the next step.

Discussion Items

• Board of Water Supply Nominee (Anastasia Perry):
  • Council members questioned Perry regarding her ability to attend virtual meetings while maintaining her engineering coursework. Perry expressed interest in serving as a voice for peers and connecting her background to the board's work. Councilmember Sykes warned her of the "existential threat" facing the county's water system and asked if she was willing to take on the challenge of underfunded infrastructure. Councilmember Holland clarified that this is a non-voting student position to support community engagement.
• Historic Preservation Nominee (Gerald Ida):
  • Councilmember Cowden praised Ida's background and experience, noting his career is "perfect for this." Ida confirmed his return to the commission for community service.
• Wastewater Grant Approval (C2025-247):
  • Due Process Violation: Councilmember Bolosan and Councilmember Cavallio criticized the Department of Public Works for applying for a $1 million state transit grant before obtaining Council approval. Bolosan stated this was a "violation of civil rights" and that the division failed to follow the charter requirement to seek approval prior to application. The Division of Wastewater acknowledged the "oversight" and promised to review grant application protocols to ensure future compliance.
  • Infrastructure Funding Strategy: Councilmember Cavallio questioned why the county is not aggressively pursuing larger federal grants for the 2050 cesspool conversion deadline. Councilmember Holland and others noted that while the EPA indicated small grants are available, the county has not prioritized lobbying efforts for large infrastructure funding, urging the administration to be more proactive in identifying federal funding pockets.
  • Planning vs. Management: Councilmember Sykes argued that the county lacks the resources for long-range system planning and that the grant is necessary to hire consultants for a 20-50 year plan. Councilmember Kuoli supported the grant but emphasized the need to provide specific requests to the state and federal representatives to secure larger funding amounts.
• Ha'ena State Park Transfer (Resolution 2025-42):
  • Community Support: Councilmember Holland, Councilmember Kuli, Councilmember Kanashiro, and Councilmember Cavallio overwhelmingly supported the transfer, citing the proven success of the Hui Maka'aina'aina O Ka'ena and Hanalei Initiative. They emphasized that the state partnership allows the community to retain management control and creates economic opportunities (55 jobs) for the North Shore.
  • Ownership vs. Management: Councilmember Holland clarified that the transfer concerns ownership, not management, and expressed confidence that the local community will prevent the privatization or monetization of the park, despite future legislative changes. Councilmember Kulii and Councilmember Holland discussed the risk of gentrification and the importance of retaining local economic benefits.
  • Legislative Concerns: Councilmember Cowden expressed concern over the lack of a formal, long-term legal conduit for the community's management role, questioning if a 10-year agreement would suffice against potential political shifts. She urged the administration to ensure that economic nourishment for the community is written into future contracts. State Parks Administrator Alan Carpenter and Councilmember Holland confirmed that the legislature is actively working on a better legal framework (co-management addendum) to replace concession agreements.
  • Lifeguard and Camping: Councilmember Holland confirmed that the County will retain responsibility for lifeguards and that camping will be determined by the future community master plan.
  • Process Defense: Council Chair Plaza addressed Councilmember Cowden's frustration regarding the lack of prior committee review, stating that the single hearing was sufficient given the overwhelming community support (excluding three specific emails) and the unique urgency of the situation, while clarifying procedural conduct regarding council member interactions with the Mayor.

Key Outcomes

• Appointments:
  • Council deferred the vote on the appointment of Anastasia Perry to the Board of Water Supply to the next meeting.
  • Council deferred the vote on the appointment of Gerald Ida to the Historic Preservation Review Commission to the next meeting.
• Resolutions & Ordinances Approved:
  • Resolution 2025-41: Confirmed the mayoral appointment of Noel Law to the Board of Ethics (Unanimous: 7-0).
  • Resolution 2025-42: Authorized the conveyance of two parcels of county land in Ha'ena to the State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources (Unanimous: 7-0).
  • Bill 2975: Approved the collective parking agreement for Bargaining Unit 12 (2025-2029) (Unanimous: 7-0).
  • Bill 2976: Approved the disposable body board reduction ordinance (Unanimous: 7-0).
  • Bill 2977 & 2978: Approved budget amendments for the Wailua Golf Course cart path operating budget ($445,000) and capital project (Unanimous: 7-0).
• Directives:
  • Wastewater Division instructed to review internal protocols to ensure Council approval is sought prior to any future grant applications.
  • Administration directed to pursue larger federal infrastructure funding for wastewater and cesspool conversion, specifically leveraging the lobbyist's role to identify pockets of money not currently on their radar.
  • State Parks and Council to collaborate on drafting a long-term co-management agreement that includes specific language protecting local economic development and history.