KAILUA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD NO. 31

KAILUA WATER QUALITY PSPHCD SUBCOMMITTEE
MEETING AGENDA
Thursday, February 12, 2026 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
In-person at the Kailua District Park Arts & Crafts Room or District Meeting Room with ZOOM option:
ZOOM LINK:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83811818024?pwd=AOrnYqpGcWRwaSTUfRtt6qSdi1TLNh.1
Meeting ID: 838 1181 8024
Passcode: 877336

Chair: Levani Lipton levani.knb@gmail.com Members: Kelli Ann Kobayashi, Kate Righter, Steve Trecker, and Gary Weller.

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of Minutes

3. Announcements/Stay Informed on Water Quality Impacts!
a. Sign up for water quality and ocean condition alerts on the City & County of Honolulu’s HNL Alert App. https://www.honolulu.gov/dem/hnl-alert/
b. Kailua Shoreline Water Quality Data – Honolulu City and County Department of Environmental Services Wastewater Treatment Plant operates a water quality data dashboard. Visit: https://www8.honolulu.gov/env/kailua-water-quality-data/.
c. Sign up for brown water advisories with Hawaii State Department of Health: https://eha-cloud.doh.hawaii.gov/cwb/#!/landing . Brown water frequently occurs after storm events. For your safety, it is recommended not to enter the waterways, ocean, or streams if they are brown or after a storm. If you have an open wound or cut, avoid the water until you are healed.
d. “FOLLOW THE DROP” is a mobile app that collects data on how much stormwater is being generated on a property and provides types and sizes of stormwater capture solutions. Schedule a free rainwater assessment at: https://rainwaterhawaii.com to learn how you can use the app to minimize stormwater runoff from your property and reduce pollution entering our waterways. Free assessments are being done by Windward nonprofit Hui o Ko’olaupoko.
e. Monitor water quality results along Kailua beach with Surfrider Foundation’s Blue Water Task Force. Visit: https://oahu.surfrider.org/bwtf . Look for trends. If a particular spot consistently tests high for bacteria or poor water quality – it is best to avoid it until the water has cleared.

4. Resident and Community Concerns

5. Old Business:
a. Storm drain maintenance
b. Culvert and channel cleaning maintenance schedule
c. Bacterial effluent exceedance in Kailua Bay & protocols
d. Stormwater Utility (now SWOOSH)
e. BMP violations
f. Mangrove removal
g. Cesspool conversions in Kailua
h. Kapa’a Quarry impacts on water quality
i. Street sweeping schedule & parking restrictions for pollution reduction
j. Kaelepulu Pond TMDL status
k. Street sweeping

6. New Business
a. Presentation: Update on Kaelepulu Stormwater Infrastructure Projects – Research and Community Proposal Evaluation and Follow up by Brown and Caldwell
7. Ongoing Discussion:
a. Sustainability of our natural resources: What steps can we take now to keep Kailua Bay and waterways thriving in the future?
b. Who are our allies in this effort?
c. What community outreach and events are happening to promote awareness?
d. What steps can the public take to minimize pollution and maintain small footprints?

8. Adjournment

Kailua Water Quality PHPSCD Subcommittee
January 2026 Meeting Report
Chair, Levani Lipton

1. A hybrid meeting was held on January 8, 2026 chaired by Levani Lipton and attended by subcommittee members Kelli Ann Kobayashi and Kate Righter, KNB member Bill Hicks, and residents Bob Bourke, Greg Colbert, Linda Jenks, Charles Laidley, Leonard Lepine, Cindy Turner, and Carmella Vizza.

2. Discussion:
a. Community members expressed frustration at the lack of concrete information and time lag with respect to next steps for the community proposals for Kaelepulu Infrastructure projects.
b. Questions for the consulting team hired by the city include: What questions do consultants have for community members about water quality issues faced by our community? Are there questions, concerns, challenges that the consulting team is facing? What is the timeline? The results were shared in November 2025 about the priorities but we (the public, community) are still in the dark about next steps and what is causing the delay in the evaluation of projects to address water quality in our watershed. What can we expect from the consultant team and the city departments to help address this serious issue of water quality? What are the City’s priorities and how does it match the community’s needs and goals?
c. Subcommittee member Righter asks: 1) How do we work together (with the City and the consultants) to achieve the goal of clean water? 2) Can the City and consultants provide us with more details about the proposed projects – so that a decision can be made? And 3) What is the planning process?
d. Request to consultant team: What are the top three projects and how do they translate into implementation and BMPs?

To view agenda and minutes, visit our board website.

Event shows physical location; however, other options of participation may also include WebEx and phone.  If available, instructions for WebEx and phone can be found at the top of the agenda.