Maunawili Community Association

Maunawili Community Association Minutes December 3, 2002

Maunawili Community Association Minutes December 3, 2002

Maunawili Community Association
Regular Meeting: December 3, 2002
Maunawili Valley Neighborhood Park

Present: Jim Corcoran (Director); Virginia Fine (Director); Clifton Gadsden (Staff: Rep. Pendleton’s Office); David Laeha (President); Michelle Simafranca, Regina Zsupnik, (Boys’ Home); Linda Ure (Secretary).

The meeting was called to order by President David Laeha at 7:00 p.m.

Approval of Minutes for November 5, 2002 Regular Meeting:
Correction: Page 3; David Laeha, will be at the park the first Sunday of each month from 3-5 p.m. and [in reference to publication in the MUSE] offers an opportunity for families to get together. Correction: all occurrences of misspelled Presedent changed to President. Minutes of November 5, 2002 were approved as corrected.

Elected Officials: Clifton Gadsden (Staff) for Rep. Pendleton reported Rep. Pendleton has been chosen as Assistant Minority Leader of the House and will address issues of Transportation, Labor and Judiciary in the upcoming Legislative Term. Community members are invited to attend the Legislative Open House on January 15, 2003. Rep Pendleton will give priority to decentralization of the Board of Education, Business and economy and work closely the new administration The Legislative Package will contain 1) Annual Capital Improvements Projects to improve Education, 2) closing loop-holes in the Date Rape laws; 3) consideration of legislative election runoffs as brought forward by the Kaneohe Neighborhood Board, 4) address the standards of laws, updating for an accurate cost of adjudication sine 1994; the serious lack of manpower in HPD Discussion followed: 1) that citation monies might be returned to the C&C to fund HPD. 2) The State budget is only by line item and details are unavailable to interested persons. 3) State Contracts may still be awarded by relationships and not by either bid process or merit process. 4) Transference of Special Fund, such as Transportation and Hurricanes are of great concern. 5) The MCA want to be placed on record as required detailed record keeping for the line items of spending and Budget for the New Legislative Session. 6) Of concern due to multiple government agency involvement it was noted that the Bus Stop on Kal Highway at Auloa Road (Marsh Side) is in the 2003 CIP Budget with the City and that a CIP request funds the Community Side Bus Stop has high priority for the same or subsequent City budget year. However, the Mayor has told Vision Teams and Neighborhood Boards to cut by ½ the CIP projects for the 2003 year. The land for such bus stops are privately, state and city owned. 7) The need for a Federal Post Office Drop Box in the Maunawili Community due to continued mail theft from home mail boxes. Mr. Gadsden suggested working directly with the U. S. Postal Service and US House Representative Ed Case to secure such assistance as necessary to affect the placement of a post office drop box in Maunawili. Letters will be written by the MCA to USP and Rep Ed Case, C&C and State Reps to offer several locations for the box in the request for such box. A) The triangle entrance to Maunawili, B) the Bus Stop area on Maunawili Road and C) on the grassy area next to the Neighborhood Park;

Boys’ Home in Maunawili: Regina Zsupnik, and Michelle Simafranca (Program Administrator: Youth Residential Care Programs) of Child and Family Service attended. Ms Zsupnik informed the Board that Ms McNalty has recently taken another position within the agency. Ms. Zsupnik, among her duties with the Boys’ Home also processes the referrals to the Girls’ Home in an adjacent community. Ms Zsupnik would like to
Maunawili Community Association, Regular Meeting: December 3, 2002, Page 3

receive the Minutes of the Kailua Neighborhood Board as they also contain information concerning the Boys’ home. Such additions to the mailing list of the KNB # 31 will be requested by the Secretary of the MCA through the Neighborhood Commission for Ms. Zsupnik and MCA President, David Laeha. It was suggested that the MCA send their own minutes to Ms. Carol Matsuoka to request, in writing, the verbal assurance that no HYCF youth will be placed in the Maunawili Boys’ Home for verification of such statement and to help stave off future concerns between the community and the Boys’ Home. A general statement was made by Ms. Zsupnik that Felix-identified youth should not be housed at HYCF in relation to mental health issues as other facilities are available with CFS. Currently the Boys’ Home has 6 Felix-identified youth, one of which was referred from DOH, having been at HYCF. An appropriate statement of re-clarification will be made in the MUSE for the community concerning the residents in the Boys’ Home.

MUSE: Baby Sitter Bulletin Board will have a new addition: Kaylin Laeha, 261-2419, and she is Red Cross trained.

Halloween Event for 2003: Julie Hahn and Barbara Gomes have agreed to work on the project, but neither wish to Chair the event.

Holiday Gathering: Theme, your choice: Dish to Share or Pupus. Invite the returning and newly elected officials: Mayor, Governor, City Councilmember(s) State Representatives and Senators. Tentative date will be January 11, 2003.

Report on Kailua Neighborhood Board – Jim Corcoran. 1) Randy Fujiki is no longer with the City. Pat Nekoba is replaced with Mr. Silva as representative to the KNB # 31. 2) According to David Laeha, Property Taxes collected from Maunawili are reported to be $1.5 Million and may not be considered reciprocal in services from the City due to the nature of the budget spending requirements. Therefore, the issue of the Windward Regional Park, with the back 900 acres encumbered for $4 Million (2002) and the Conservation Easement offer for $6 Million (2002) needs to be reexamined for how the council voted to, or not to, condemn the Easement over the Golf Course Property to gain access to the Windward Regional Park. Currently Weinberg/HRT is requesting a quit claim of the Old Government Road for consideration of certain amenities as reported in last month’s minutes. 3) Coqui Frogs are still a concern for Windward residents and it is of note that the EPA had approved, as of November, 2001 to November 2002, the use of Caffeine; however that approval has lapsed and needs to be renewed. Other options are being examined for effectiveness, such as citric acid (lime water).

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:50 p.m.
Submitted by Linda C Ure, Secretary







Maunawili Community Association, Regular Meeting: December 3, 2002, Page 4

Memorandum For Record: December 5, 2002

Corrections of the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Kailua Neighborhood Board, November 7, 2002.

Page 9, Para. 4: After “Discussion followed:”
Correct Item 2) Suzanne McNulty, from Child and Family Service, clarified the following: Child and Family Service is a private, non-profit organization that operates Hale Holopono, which is located in the Maunawili community under a contract with DOH. The youth served by CFS at this group home are identified under the Felix-Class status and referred by DOH. The group home provides service for boys between the ages of 12 and 18 and the average length of stay is 6 to 9 months.
Correct Item 3) Linda Ure, Secretary of the Maunawili Community Association (MCA), explained that the residential home has been in operation in Maunawili since the early 80s, however, during that time it had previously been a Girls’ Home and later a Boys’ Home that received youth furloughs from OYS; currently known as HYCF. Ms. McNulty attended the July, 2002, MCA meeting and told the MCA Board that CFS’ contract with OYS to accept boys who are furloughed from HYCF terminated in 1999 and that the contract is currently with DOH where all referrals originate. . However, a current referral by DOH, and identified as a Felix-Class Youth had previously been at HYCF as reported by Maunawili residents. Because of prior difficulties, including disruptive behaviors, lack of supervision, break-ins and thefts with the youths furloughed to the Girls’ Home and later to the Boys’ Home, the community was quite distressed to learn that a current referral, in September, was from HYCF. In July, upon learning that the contract was for Felix-class youth, awarded to CFS by DOH, the community expressed a willingness to work with the home so as to make the transition of the Felix-class youth successful. The community has recently engaged the youth in community service projects to offer community support. The MCA, along with Representative David Pendleton wrote letters to CFS and DOH to have this problem rectified. The MCA Board expressed concern that HYCF youth may be a risk to the community and to the other youth already in the home. The MCA has received verbal assurance on November 5, from Carol Matsuoka of the DOH that, in future, no HYCF youth will be referred to Hale Holopono, which is located in the Maunawili community. However, the MCA opposes violent offenders or sex offenders being placed in group homes in residential communities.
Submitted: Linda C. Ure, Secretary
Maunawili Community Association