Kaua'i County Council Meeting – July 29, 2026: Waste Diversion Resolution, Budget Items, and Special Olympics Recognition
Kaua'i County Council Meeting – July 29, 2026
The Kaua'i County Council held its regular meeting on July 29, 2026, starting with recognitions and then addressing consent items, communications, resolutions, and bills. The main agenda item was Resolution 2026-24 urging the administration to prioritize waste diversion, curbside recycling, and a materials recovery facility (MRF) as the Kekaha Landfill nears capacity. After extensive presentations and public testimony, the resolution passed 7-0 with an amendment requesting an implementation plan.
Consent Calendar
- Received Communications C2026-178 (Salary Commission appointment), C2026-180 (4th Q equipment purchases), C2026-181 (Quarterly settled claims report).
- Approved C2026-184 (Safe Routes to School funds, $4,188.40), C2026-185 (police ID printer), and C2026-186 (emergency management reimbursements for March 2026 Kona Low storms and Mauna Loa earthquake; response costs ~$82,000 for personnel and travel).
- Approved C2026-182 (police training ground lease at 1565 Haleukana St., Līhu'e) and C2026-188 (two dedication deeds for the Kīlauea Point Access Improvement project, correcting a 30-year-old oversight).
- Referred vehicle damage claims (2026-189, 190, 191) to County Attorney for disposition and report.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Waste Diversion Resolution (2026-24): Dozens testified in strong support, citing environmental stewardship, convenience, and the need to extend landfill life. Joanne Yukimura (Zero Waste Kaua'i) presented a petition with over 3,000 signatures. Many speakers (e.g., Michael Nakamura, Michaele Widener, Barbara Wheatner with children's letters) argued that curbside recycling would increase participation and reduce landfill burden. A few testifiers (Billy DeCosta) urged caution on costs and requested a balanced working group. All registered testifiers who spoke supported the resolution's intent.
- Other items: No public testimony on consent items, claims, appointments, or other resolutions.
Discussion Items
- Special Olympics Recognition: The Council presented certificates to Sergeant Jonathan Anderson and Kaimana McDermott for winning a gold medal in Unified Doubles bowling at the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minneapolis (total score 1,649) and a fourth-place finish in Unified Team bowling. Their achievements were celebrated as representing Kaua'i with excellence.
- Kaua‘i Seascapes Nursery Recognition: Councilmember Holland presented a certificate honoring the nursery's exemplary response to a little fire ant infestation. The nursery voluntarily halted plant sales, implemented quarantine and treatment, and maintained customer transparency. Owner Serena Markey underscored their commitment to pono practices.
- Resolution 2026-24 – Waste Diversion/Curbside Recycling: Solid Waste Division Chief Allison Fraley presented a detailed cost analysis: current diversion rate is approximately 43% (with 55% landfilled), achieved at $6.77M annually. An estimated curbside recycling program would cost $15.5M per year (including $5.7M debt service on a $57M MRF capital investment) and yield only ~2,500 additional tons diverted (2% increase in diversion). Councilmember Holland countered with a presentation on broader value—avoided extraction costs, energy savings, public health benefits, and landfill lifespan extension—arguing that public services like curbside recycling should be evaluated like fire or police departments (costs acceptable if delivering public value). Extensive debate followed on cost assumptions, the use of 2011 vs. 2025 data, and the importance of separating green waste from residential recyclables in calculations. Councilmember Cowden proposed an amendment requesting the administration to develop an operational and financial implementation plan with timelines, funding strategies, and staffing needs. This amendment was adopted.
- Collective Bargaining (Bill 3000): The HGEA Bargaining Unit 15 (Ocean Safety Officers) arbitrated award for July 2025–June 2029 was approved on first reading. Councilmember Cowden inquired about officer satisfaction; no representative was present to answer.
- Voter Service Center Workers (Bill 3001): A $50,000 budget amendment to fund temporary election workers for the 2026 Primary and General Elections was approved on first reading.
- Executive Sessions: Two executive sessions authorized (ES-1169 on pending claims, ES-1170 on opioid litigation settlement with Target Corporation) without public disclosure.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution 2026-24 passed 7-0 as amended, urging the administration to prioritize waste diversion, curbside recycling, and a MRF, and directing them to present an implementation plan covering costs, timeline, and resources.
- Resolution 2026-23 (confirming Duane Kalani Kaipo Keale to the Salary Commission) passed 7-0.
- Bills 3000 and 3001 approved on first reading (both 7-0), with public hearings scheduled for August 26, 2026.
- All consent items approved as moved.
- Two executive sessions authorized (7-0).
- Next steps: Administration to develop a roadmap for curbside recycling implementation; continued evaluation of alternative waste technologies and construction/demolition diversion.
Meeting Transcript
Morning everyone and welcome to our council meeting. Today is July 29th. Before we get started, we have a couple of things to take care of before we get into the official agenda. First of all, uh today is our county clerk's birthday, Jade Tony Galli. Happy birthday to you. Woo. Happy birthday. Happy birthday to you. She will kill me. All right, next up we are honored today to present a certificate to some very special people. So with that, I'll turn it over to Mr. Cavallio, who is sponsoring the certificate. So thank you, Chair. Yeah, this time we'd like to call upon uh Sergeant Jonathan Anderson and Caimana McDermott saw. So we're so thankful, you know, for you folks, of course, being here, and uh we're proud of you folks, and we have a certificate for both of you. So I'm actually gonna read it, and at the end, it kind of separates both of you on what your awesome, you know, times it has been. So I'm gonna read it right now, okay. So the country uh the council of the county of Kauai proudly recognizes Sergeant Jonathan Anderson and Caimana McDermott saw for their outstanding achievement in earning the gold medal in the United Doubles bowling at the twenty twenty-six Special Olympics USA games in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their dedication, perseverance, teamwork, and sportsmanship exemplify the true spirit of the Special Olympics and serve as an inspiration to our community. Through his commitment or through their commitment and hard work, they have represented the state of Hawaii and the island of Kauai with excellence, pride, and aloha on the national stage. In addition to the gold medal performance, both of them also contributed to strong fourth place finish in the unified team bowling division alongside teammates Herbert Taton Fong and Brandon Taton Fong. Further demonstrating their commitment to teamwork and unified competition. Now for Sergeant Jonathan, Sergeant Anderson's remarkable accomplishment is a testament to the power of inclusion, determination, and the belief that every athlete can achieve greatness. Through the power of inclusive sports and the sport of his united partners, he has gained confidence, discovered purpose, and found a community that celebrates his abilities. Okay, go. Being in Minnesota is very good to get a place where it stays warm. But the one thing in the worst part is cold. Like, oh, I'd be freezing it. Wow. Well, I love Millson and most. Wanting like a ball with Mills is kind of fun. You can chat around the whole area, right? The train go everywhere you go. The most fun like mod is the basketball team. They did very good as basketball team. They did very good. Especially track and fuel. And bowling too. For bowling. Three strikes in a row. I got a turkey. Four strikes, four banger on the last free. Oh! Okay. Anything else? Yeah, we need to think of this. We've got the evidence of the card in the card. Oh, no scores. Oh, he got the just in case uh you guys were wondering. Uh these are the score cards for me and Kaimana and our scores.
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