Hawaiian Shores -- New Water Billing

WATCHDOG © 2011

By now, if you do not pay your water bill in lump sums [quarterly; annually] you've received the hot pink flyer informing you of the new billing cycles adopted by the Board as a 'cost' cutting measure. To determine when your 2 months cycle begins you must figure out if you are in the 'Mauka' or the 'Makai' box. Mauka [the Watchdog's box] is everyone from Aama St Lot 75 to Lai Street lot 736. Those who live in the Mauka box must budget in the month of August for a double billing amount! Instead of paying $50 dollars they now have to pay $100 in August for Sept and Oct service. The Makai box has an additional month to organize their personal finances to accommodate the increase to their 'water' payment. 

Those who are conspiracy minded will likely not miss the point that the ones who live down in the area who serve on the Board and their supporters, the ones who have consistently belly ached about the water costs, have an additional month to get their 'personal finances' in order. The conspirator would automatically understand the Makai box being given an extra month to prepare will cut down on the squawking that would reverberate through the by ways of the Makai box area.

Every other month billing is something many people who move here from the Mainland are used to. And obviously, since the county water is billed every other month it is a practice that is not unique to HSCA. 

The costs saved is likely not going to be sufficient enough to countermand the comments by those who will not support this. It is however a chance to remind members if they really want to have any say in their lives and how this Association affects them they need to start making it to the Committee and Board meetings regularly or they will be caught unawares more and more.

The Watchdog supports watching the bottom line and making what changes can be made to lesson the burden of operations from a financial standpoint. Just hope this does not become one of those issues that further divides the community. Out of concern for those who have difficulty paying their water bill monthly the question was asked if the member could still pay monthly to cut down on the financial burden and the president responded yes, the member can pay monthly but 'it is up to them to manage their personal finances'. [sic] So there!

As in all things, if this creates more havoc than it controls reverting to a monthly payment system should be optional. It just takes a little while for the ebb and flow of change to become the norm. Perhaps in a few months after the natural discomfort of change has worn off this may be the best thing to have happened. Time will tell...or people will have their water shut off and that might be the worst nightmare any Board would have to contend with...an uptick in water shut offs due to lack of payment. The Water Board Rules should be reviewed by all members immediately to see when the office will now shut someone's water off. Please continue to check back on the official website to read the 'revised water service rules & regulations' as of this writing they are not yet posted though the flyer clearly directs the water consumer to the official website. Next question, will they be posted in Japanese?