KRCA Board of Directors
Homeowners Meeting
May 24, 2017 from 6:30 – 9:30 pm
Kilauea Neighborhood Center

KRCA has contracted with Hawaiiana Management Company who has a Kalihiwai Ridge website access code of:
hmcmgt.com/39484

Agendas and meeting minutes will be posted on this new site along with all our documents that can now be reviewed by the public.




My Impressions

The KRCA Annual Meeting was held last night and the three Board Members up for re-election ran unopposed, each to serve three year terms. As a result the seven member Board will stay the same.

Larry Lau 2018
Bert Lyon 2018
Dan Shook 2020
Bob Butler 2020
Richard Gonzales 2020
John Donatoni 2019
Jim Gair 2019

The 2017 Budget was approved with the KRCA Dues of $1,000 due on June 1, 2017. The percentage of unpaid fees has decreased to 8% by the end of 2016. This remains a work in progress. The goal of keeping delinquencies below the 10% threshold at which banks and lenders view the association unfavorably, making loans, and thus sales, more difficult is of serious consideration to the KRCA Board. There will be approximately $453,000 in the Lake Lot Reserve Account after the 2017 Association Dues have been collected. If two additional years of similar dues are assessed, by 2019 KRCA could have $667,000 in the Lake Lot Reserve Account to cover their 1/3 share of expenses for a Kalihiwai Reservoir Remediation to Full Pond.

The main three options for the Kalihiwai Reservoir were discussed in detail and a preliminary survey was distributed to the KRCA Membership and is due by May 20th to begin getting the collective guidance of the Membership as to their preferred solution in remediating or reducing the dam to hold at a level of 9’ 6” which current plans show would cost $1.5M, 11’ 6” $1.5-1.7M, or 14’ 2” $2M, sharing with the water users a 1/3 share if all parties agree on a preferred solution. It was pointed out by a member that there is only a $923 difference per 181 lot owner to have an aesthetically beautiful full pond recreational lake vs what we have now or two feet higher, which still does not allow for full recreational use. In reviewing DLNR data the estimated time required to remediate or remove a dam once a project is decided on by all parties concerned is approximately three years. This could mean by 2020 the KR could celebrate its 100 year anniversary as a safe remediated dam to serve the community for another 100 year cycle.

The Bridgewater Irrigation sale of Common Ground’s 46 acres may close with a new owner by May 1, 2017 and it will then be known whether water use easement rights have been transferred along with the terms of sale a 1/3 cost share of expenses going forward. Removal of the dam would not be approved of by the water users so the $1M cost would go entirely to KRCA if that option were to be presented as the preferred solution of the KRCA Membership. Sale or Transfer of the 58 acre Lake Lot 3 is unlikely.

The KRCA Board has recommended approval of the KR Remediation to Full Pond with a Higher Dam and 100’ wide Spillway, creating an unmanned lake level of 14’ 2” which offers KRCA Members full recreational use and greater aesthetic benefits. It is the only option which gives KRCA a full return on their investment and provides no loss of equity to the 24 Lake Lot Owners who also benefit from less maintenance of land to the water’s edge. A full pond also reduces their liability of unsafe mud conditions that currently exist on most of the lake front properties and public access to the other lake lots who now have extensive exposed land area vs water at their lake front, which has increased foot traffic and access to their homes by intruders on several occasions.

Extensive tree growth is also beginning around the lake as well as on what used to be an island area that needs to be attended to while easy access is possible and expenses for removal could be kept to a minimum. Nene continue to use the lake, dam, and nearby lake front lawns. A flock of 36 were last seen earlier this week swimming together by the face of the dam. A pair of Coots still live on the lake where there used to be 60-80 at any given season. They are now most likely living in the Hanalei taro fields, which has become a concern to the farmers there. Water quality is questionable and the fish population is now undetermined. In the past fishing was an ongoing recreational occurrence at lake side and in small boats for Peacock Bass, Small Mouth Bass, Tilapia, and Fresh Water Prawns. That recreational activity is no longer taking place. Boating itself is unsafe unless the lake is at least at or near the 13’ water level due to the mud conditions at shoreline and how shallow most of the lake area now is, so consistent recreational boating has also stopped since October 2014. For two and a half years the lake lot owners have not had the full use and enjoyment of their land and since September 2011 we have not had a full lake level for 4 of those past years.

Until we meet again.

Aloha,
Maggie Lea