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Record of Proceedings

Kauai County Council Meeting Summary - January 22, 2026

County Council & Committees — Thursday, January 22, 2026
BodyKauai County, Hawaii
SessionCounty Council & Committees
DateThursday, January 22, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Transcript — Verbatim
0:08

I thought we were here for somehow.

0:10

No, no, good.

0:11

Morning, everyone, and welcome to uh the county council meeting.

0:14

Today's January 22nd.

0:16

Um, Mr.

0:17

Bulosan is absent, and Miss Holland is at a prior engagement.

0:21

She'll be here um a little late.

0:23

So with that, I'll call a meeting to order.

0:25

Roll call.

0:26

Councilmember Cavalio.

0:28

Here.

0:29

Councilmember Cowden.

0:30

Here.

0:31

Councilmember Holland is running late.

0:32

Councilmember Conishiro.

0:34

Present.

0:35

Councilmember Kulii.

0:36

Present.

0:37

Council Chairposal.

0:38

Here.

0:39

Thank you.

0:40

Can I have a motion to approve the agenda, please?

0:42

So move and second and any discussion or public testimony.

0:46

Seeing none, all in favor say aye.

0:47

Aye.

0:48

Motion carried.

0:49

Next item, please.

0:50

Sharon P.

0:51

This is an interview for the fire commission for Jenny Chahanovich for a term ending 1231 28.

0:58

Thank you.

0:58

With that, I will suspend the rules.

1:00

Ms.

1:00

Ching.

1:02

Miss Hanovich.

1:04

Chahanovich.

1:16

Morning.

1:16

Happy New Year.

1:17

Same to you.

1:18

Ellen Ching, Boards and Commissions Administrator.

1:21

Today I'm pleased to introduce Jen Chahanovich.

1:24

Jen was born and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina.

1:28

She attended elementary and high school in the neighboring town of Ellery.

1:33

Upon graduation, she married and followed her military husband to Ogden, Utah, and attended Weber State University, earning a bachelor's degree in respiratory and health care administration.

1:45

At a subsequent deployment, Jen continued her education at Western International University in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated with a master's of business administration in marketing.

1:57

Jen started her career working as a health care director of respiratory therapy at Vencor Hospital in Phoenix.

2:05

While there, she was appointed by the governor of Arizona to the respiratory therapist licensure board, where she also served as board chair.

2:14

In 2002, she was recruited and hired as director of respiratory therapy and rehabilitation care at Capiolani and Polymomy.

2:24

In short order, in 2004, she was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Polymomy and later to see to as a CEO in 2013.

2:35

Under her leadership, Polymomy grew into a respected regional medical facility.

2:41

Following the closure of Hawaii Medical Center West in 2011, Polymomy responded to the need for emergency care by expanding its services.

2:51

This dedication to patient care and enabled the IAA-based hospital to be ranked among the top 10% of health care facilities in the nation for outstanding patient experience.

3:07

In June 2015, Jen became the CEO of Wilcox Medical Center and Kauai Medical Clinics in LL Kapah Koloa and the Urgent Care Clinic in Lihui.

3:18

She's brought the same drive for excellence and focus to patient care on Khoai.

3:24

In 2019, she quadrupled the Kapah Medical Center Medical Clinic, renovated the emergency department and trauma center, and is upgrading the imaging center.

3:36

In her free time, she loves to read books on improving health, and is the proud mother to her son Ryan and three white lab labradors, Makai, Yuki, and Melly.

3:48

She loves to travel anywhere with a beautiful beach.

3:51

One of her favorites is Bora Bora in Tahiti, where she's visited three times.

3:56

The continuum of care typically starts at dispatch, fire, police, the ambulance, and the emergency room.

4:05

As an experienced leader of large complex service organizations, I'm grateful for Jen's willingness to contribute her time and talent, and I look forward to her contributions to the fire commission.

4:19

Thank you.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Pending Litigation██████████████████18%
Wildlife Management██████████████14%
Procedural█████████████13%
Parks and Recreation██████████10%
Public Safety██████6%
Legal Review██████6%
Budget Equity Analysis█████5%
Wildfire Management█████5%
Procurement█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

Kauai County Council Meeting Summary - January 22, 2026

The Council convened January 22, 2026, with Councilmembers Cavalio, Cowden, Conishiro, Kulii, and Chair Posz all present; Councilmember Holland arrived slightly late, and Councilmember Bulosan was absent. The meeting proceeded with agenda approval and moved through a series of communications regarding budget updates, equipment purchases, and fire commission appointments. Significant deliberation occurred regarding indemnification clauses and the management of county funds in light of a reported surplus.

Consent Calendar

  • Received communications C2026-12 (Department of Finance report on excess revenues) and C2026-22 (Director of Finance equipment purchase statement).
  • Council approved to move C2026-13 from the consent calendar for discussion regarding the Department of Finance's report on unassigned fund balance exceeding reserves by approximately $13.7 million as of June 30, 2024.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Mr. Lance Thomas (Mr. Lance's Steam): Provided testimony and presented a proposal regarding the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle (CRB). He expressed a position of deep concern regarding the lack of follow-up on beetle reports and the potential destruction of the island's agriculture. He offered a position of full support for his steam sterilization technology as a non-toxic solution, citing his personal investment and volunteer work as a resident and former NBA player.
  • Mr. Lonnie Cykos (Councilmember Cowden's constituent): Expressed concern that the County did not previously spend its own $200,000 to purchase the air curtain burner and requested clarification on why private green waste cannot be treated similarly to the proposed fire curtain. He strongly supported Mr. Lance Thomas, stating that if his steam technology can eliminate invasive grasses and beetles, "you can burn all of that for the money you're going to get."
  • Mr. Bruce Hart: Acknowledged the concerns regarding the helicopter indemnification clause, supporting the move to delay the vote for legal clarification.

Discussion Items

  • Fire Commission Appointment: Councilmembers Cavalio and Conishiro expressed full support for Jen Chahanovich's appointment, citing her 100% commitment to public service and her relevant executive experience with hospital logistics and finance. Councilmember Holland noted that Chahanovich's background provides an excellent crossover between fire dispatch and hospital emergency care.
  • Fire Commission Term: The Council agreed to accept the appointment, with a vote to be held at the next meeting.
  • Finance Department Audit (Excess Surplus): Councilmembers Cowden and Conishiro expressed concern that the audit report for fiscal year 2024 was received so late to be useful for the current budget. Councilmember Cowden stated that they do not know the 2025 overage and requested a spreadsheet or forecasting document to estimate current burn rates and available funds, arguing that it is "better to not be over taxing people."
  • Police 911 System Upgrade: Sergeant Andrew Morocco clarified that the $39,220 grant is for a refresh of the existing High Ground logging recorder system (software version update) rather than new hardware, as the current system is at end-of-life.
  • Electric Bus Chargers: Councilmember Holland questioned the lack of battery disposal protocols, expressing strong hesitation to support the purchase of electric buses if toxic batteries cannot be safely disposed of on the island, noting that the state also lacks a process.
  • Drones and Data Privacy: Public testifier Mr. Cykos raised concerns regarding data ownership, specifically opposing any third-party ability to sell or utilize county aerial data. Councilmember Holland agreed, stating her constituents are worried about a "surveillance society," and requested confirmation from the County Attorney that the data remains in-house and is not sold.
  • Helicopter Purchase (C2026-21): Councilmember Cowden expressed strong opposition to the indemnification clause in the Davenport Aviation agreement, specifically the phrase "regardless of cause or fault," stating she would not vote for it without changes. She requested a delay of two weeks for the County Attorney to review the legal implications. Councilmember Holland supported the delay, citing a trend of industries removing liability protections.
  • Indemnification Clarification: After a recess, County Attorney Tyler Seito explained that the clause is standard industry language and does not release the seller from liability in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct, as detailed in a later paragraph of the contract. He confirmed that the county would not be liable for the manufacturer's negligence.
  • Air Curtain Burner (CRB): Councilmember Holland clarified that the portable air curtain burner is to be used alongside Mr. Lance's steam technology to manage green waste for future bait trap stations, noting that while the steam kills the beetles, the burner is necessary to dispose of the treated green waste to prevent re-infestation.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: C2026-13 (Finance surplus report), C2026-14 (Police 911 funding), C2026-15 (Transportation software indemnification), and C2026-16 (Transportation electric bus chargers).
  • Approved with Conditions: C2026-17 (Police Drone Software) approved following reassurance from the County Attorney that data remains in-house.
  • Approved: C2026-24 (Donation of steam treatment services) and C2026-26 (Receival of minutes).
  • Deferred: C2026-02 (Rural property tax ordinance) moved to executive session for legal consultation.
  • Delayed: C2026-21 (Fire Department Helicopter purchase) tabled until a future meeting after the County Attorney provided clarification that the indemnification clause does not waive rights against manufacturer gross negligence.
  • Committee Referrals: Bills regarding the Auditor's change order ($130,000) and the Kapahi Park land purchase ($800,000) were approved on first reading, scheduled for public hearing on February 18th, and referred to the Finance and Economic Development Committee and Parks/Transportation Committee, respectively.
  • Bills Adopted: First reading approved for bills amending ordinances B 2025-905 and B 2025-906 regarding the operating budget, property tax inspection powers, and the Kapahi Park purchase.
  • Executive Session: The Council held an executive session regarding pending and denied claims.

Meeting Transcript

I thought we were here for somehow. No, no, good. Morning, everyone, and welcome to uh the county council meeting. Today's January 22nd. Um, Mr. Bulosan is absent, and Miss Holland is at a prior engagement. She'll be here um a little late. So with that, I'll call a meeting to order. Roll call. Councilmember Cavalio. Here. Councilmember Cowden. Here. Councilmember Holland is running late. Councilmember Conishiro. Present. Councilmember Kulii. Present. Council Chairposal. Here. Thank you. Can I have a motion to approve the agenda, please? So move and second and any discussion or public testimony. Seeing none, all in favor say aye. Aye. Motion carried. Next item, please. Sharon P. This is an interview for the fire commission for Jenny Chahanovich for a term ending 1231 28. Thank you. With that, I will suspend the rules. Ms. Ching. Miss Hanovich. Chahanovich. Morning. Happy New Year. Same to you. Ellen Ching, Boards and Commissions Administrator. Today I'm pleased to introduce Jen Chahanovich. Jen was born and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina. She attended elementary and high school in the neighboring town of Ellery. Upon graduation, she married and followed her military husband to Ogden, Utah, and attended Weber State University, earning a bachelor's degree in respiratory and health care administration. At a subsequent deployment, Jen continued her education at Western International University in Phoenix, Arizona, and graduated with a master's of business administration in marketing. Jen started her career working as a health care director of respiratory therapy at Vencor Hospital in Phoenix. While there, she was appointed by the governor of Arizona to the respiratory therapist licensure board, where she also served as board chair. In 2002, she was recruited and hired as director of respiratory therapy and rehabilitation care at Capiolani and Polymomy. In short order, in 2004, she was promoted to Chief Operating Officer at Polymomy and later to see to as a CEO in 2013. Under her leadership, Polymomy grew into a respected regional medical facility. Following the closure of Hawaii Medical Center West in 2011, Polymomy responded to the need for emergency care by expanding its services.

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