This is interesting, supposedly the first newsletter pertaining HRRMC during it’s founding about 20 years ago.

An advertisment from 1970 for land in Ranchos

FORMATION

The January 1992 newsletter for the Hawaiian Ranchos Community Association (HRCA) announced that it had formed a new road management corporation to maintain and manage the roads in Hawaiian Ocean View Ranchos (HOVR).  Exeter Corporation, the developer of HOVR turned over approximately $400,000.00 to the the community association to devope a road maintenance corporation. the association in turn misused $80,000 of those funds thru personal use and only gave road maintenance $320,000 to start what is called HRRMC, who in turn is considered a sister corporation to HRCA. Thru our deeds HRRMC has all the authority and HRCA is just a name. The money was in a trust and to be used for road maintenance.  The HRCA board was concerned about the lack of road maintenance for several years and the status of the trust fund.  The new corporation, Hawaiian Ranchos Road Maintenance Corporation (HRRMC) was organized with the same officers as HRCA. 

The first officers and board members were:
Don Nitsche, President
Ann Freeman, Vice President
John Delaney, Secretary-Treasurer
James Otterson, Board member
Betty Perriea, Board member

Copies of the Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation and a ballot to accept (or not) the formation of the HRRMC were mailed to HOVR property owners by the HRCA as part of the January 1992 newsletter.

HRRMC sent out notice for an annual meeting to be held at the Hawaiian Ocean View Estates Community Center on September 20, 1992.  The purpose of the meeting was to receive the Annual reports of the Officers and Directors of the Corporation, elect six members to the Board of Directors, vote on amendments to the Articles of Incorporation, vote on amendments to the By-Laws, vote on the Fall 1992 Preventative Maintenance Budget, vote on a Budget for 1993, and approve the Board employing a Managing Agent.

THE EARLY YEARS

In 1994 chips were received for “chip sealing” of Prince Kuhio Blvd. and Kohala Blvd.  They were stockpiled on the ends of three roads.  The Board was unhappy with this arrangement and was unable to make satisfactory arrangements to lease space for storage.  It was decided to purchase a lot from the Ranchos developer.  It was described as a “good deal” at $15,000.00 versus the assessed value of $43,200.00. 

It was reported that all road right-of-ways had been sprayed with herbicide, pot holes patched and fog sealing had been completed on all Blvd. and Drives including the Easement roads.

The cost of using a management company was more than expected and it was felt an office with part time employee would operate less expensively.  This was put into place in July and consisted of renting a portion of another office, having a desk, answering machine and a computer.

A report from the annual meeting was sent out November 1994.  Five directors were elected:  Warren Brooks, Martie Nitsche, Maurice Tepea (all 3 year terms), Larry Hulce and James Otterson (both for 2 year terms).  The 1995 Budget with $95.00 Assessment and road Maintenance Plan were approved (Yes 93%, No 7%).

The following were elected officers for 1995:
President – Warren Brooks
Vice-President – Karl Schaupp
Secretary – William Harris
Treasurer – Leonard Hill

The Trust Fund of $320,000.00 was deposited into 3 different CDs and an operating account of $42,438.13 was in a checking account at American Savings Bank.

In April 1995 it was reported that a CPA audit had been completed by Personal & Business Management, Inc and copies were available for a fee of $4.00.    1994 road maintenance activities were reported and 1995 road work was delayed until August 1995 in order to have ample time to advertise for bids, equipment rental and supervisor.  Income and expenses for 1994 was provided: 
Budget Income $175,520.00  Actual $174,618.00
Budget Expenses $175,520.00 Actual $155,352.00

The September 1995 newsletter reported that a gate was installed across the south end of Maikai Blvd. by individuals from the Ranchos and not by HRRMC.  It was installed to prevent access to a gated dirt road that leads to the beach.  According to the newsletter “one of the main objections to the establishment of this third entrance/exit for the Ranchos is that it is used by outsiders who are not required to pay for the maintenance of our private roads which they must use to come and go.

It was reported that total chip seal work was now at 13.7 miles.  The Ranchos was reported to have about 54 total miles so chip seal completed was about 25.4%.

LEGAL BATTLES

The next several years saw the HRRMC involved in a number of legal battles questioning its existence and operations.  Board members and officers were replaced, assessments questioned, road work suffered.  New board members and officers came and left.  Turmoil was commonplace.  It was a contentious and acrimonious period of the HRRMC and HOVR community.  Long held beliefs and feelings about the HRRMC and its board continue into the present, both negative and positive.  However, due to this challenge the existence and operations of the HRRMC was legally established. 
Especially noteworthy in the September 1995 newsletter was a discussion of the legality of road maintenance assessments and a Ranchos Roads background.  This part of the newsletter is reproduced in its entirety.

In March 1996, Bob Barry, Board President updated the community on road maintenance progress and activities.  He also reported on a petition received demanding the removal of several members from the Board of Directors.  A Board meeting was held to discuss the petition after notifications were sent to HOVR residents.  None of the petitioners apparently attended.  He reported that several petitioners had requested that their signatures be removed from the petition which resulted in rendering the petition invalid.

This is a particularly contentious period of the HRRMC and parts of the newsletter are included:

The September 1996 newsletter included a discussion of how the HRRMC operates according to the Articles of Incorporation and the By-laws.  The Presidents Message included a discussion of several lawsuits that involved the HRRMC and a description of six standing committees.  Included are several pages from this newsletter:

A special membership meeting was held on September 13, 1997 and a new Board of Directors and officers were elected.  It was a culmination of legal action taken against the HRRMC and was overseen by a court appointed master/receiver.  HRRMC sent out notice for an annual meeting to be held Evangelical Church on November 8, 1997.  The purpose of the meeting was to vote on the proposed 1998 Budget, the proposed and 1998 Road Maintenance Plan.  A look at the newsletter from March 8, 1997 gives a picture of  this important period of the HRRMC history:

The September 1998 newsletter included a discussion of a strategic plan for road maintenance (copied in part):

Finally, the newsletter had a brief statement concerning overdue assessments and the Board considering legal action against delinquent Ranchos landowners.

The March 1999 newsletter described the Board’s follow up action concerning delinquent landowners.  It also discussed the Board’s policy regarding easements along the shoulders.  Once again due to the precedent setting described in the newsletter it is reproduced below:

In the September 1999 newsletter Bob Barry, Board President reported that the class action lawsuit filed by HRRMC regarding its legal right to collect assessments was upheld by a July 1999 Third Circuit Court Declaratory Judgment.  The board decided to place on the ballot to determine if Ranchos owners wanted to pursue a class action lawsuit against all who have not paid assessments.  (The March 2000 newsletter reported that the Ranchos voters did not approve pursuing this lawsuit).  There was also a discussion of the monies turned over by the Ranchos’ developer several years earlier as follows:

A copy of the Declaratory Judgment was included as part of the newsletter and is included here:

As previously mentioned the community voted against pursuing a class action lawsuit against all who have not paid their assessments.  The March 2000 newsletter also mentioned that the community approved the purchase of a tractor/mower.  Board President Bob Barry also reported that the Board had purchased a storage container which would be moved to the HRRMC base lot.  Items and supplies stored at the president’s property would be stored in the container.

SECOND DECADE

HRRMC and the Ranchos community decide to build a gate on Kohala Blvd.  In 2001 a letter was sent to the residents asking for a yea or nay to the idea of putting a gate on Kohala Blvd. just below Hwy. 11.  The response was in favor of it (73 of the 85 submitted).  The gate was proposed in order to reduce traffic, speed and trashing on Maile, as well as to increase security by having only one entrance/exit for the Ranchos.

By the first quarter of 2003 the HRRMC made two changes to its operations.  These were due in large part to external factors.  HRRMC hired its own part-time maintenance person as volunteerism had taken a “serious drop” as stated in the March 2003 newsletter.  This was apparently due to health problems with the person who had been providing “about 90%” of the help.  Volunteers from the community have provided hundreds if not thousands of hours to maintain the Ranchos road system.

HRRMC was also aware that HOVE’s road maintenance organization had decided to build its own office at its base lot.  HRRMC had rented office space from HOVE and it was felt this would be a good time to plan on the Ranchos having its own road maintenance building.  The HRRMC could use its own base lot for the building and store its equipment in it rather than the storage container as well as have its own office.  HRRMC decided to put the idea to the Ranchos community in the March 2003 newsletter.

The September 2003 newsletter included 3 major issues.  The first was the plan to install a gate on Kohala during the upcoming year.  The second was the construction of HRRMC’s office/storage building.  Lastly was the issue of placing liens on properties when the owners failed to pay their assessments.  Included below is the HRRMC’s position on liens from this newsletter:

The March 2004 newsletter mentions that the Kohala gate project had fallen behind schedule but it was thought that it would be completed that year.  All materials were on the island and volunteers would be helping with the construction to help save costs.  HRRMC’s longtime office secretary (Jeannie Wilkinson) moved back to the mainland (Nov. 2003) and a new office manager was hired.  The September 2004 newsletter mentions that the Kohala gate project and office/storage building construction projects were proceeding.

The September 2005 newsletter explains that due to a difficulty in getting a financial audit done in a timely manner the normally March newsletter would be combined with the fall newsletter.  Bob Barry, Board President also mentioned that HRRMC had gone through 3 office managers plus computer problems.  Construction of the office/storage building was delayed due to permit problems with the County.  The Kohala gate would be installed after the office/storage building was finished as it would house the computer controls.  Road maintenance costs would be adversely affected due to higher material costs after the only plant in the state that manufactured the asphalt emulsion used in the chip seal process was closed by the EPA.

By the time of the September 2007 newsletter, long time board member, Don Nitsche was elected President.  The Kohala gate and office/storage projects had been completed.  The gate was out of commission due to vandalism and a security camera system was to be installed.  A new storage shed was constructed to hold the flammable materials.  Health problems required that the HRRMC hire a new office manager.  About 4.4 miles of road was left to be chip-sealed after 16 years!

HRRMC reported in September 2008 that there continued to be problems with working on two streets (4.4 miles) due to availability of materials and getting reliable contractors.  The mower/tractor had to be replaced with a new John Deere mower/tractor and mowing was scheduled to be done 4 times per year.  The Board proposed a special assessment on landowners responsible for heavier usage of the roads and placed it on the ballot for approval/rejection by Ranchos owners (see below).

The Board instituted a higher rate for certain commercial landowners after the 2010 annual meeting.

Board President, Bob South, reported in the 2009 newsletter that due to the high cost of chip sealing work was being limited to Tapa Drive (2.2 miles).  Minor repairs such as potholes and mowing would continue throughout the year.  The Kohala Gate was being upgraded to resist vandalism with rock walls on either side of the gate and a galvanized 24 foot rolling gate would be installed.

Major changes to the operation of HRRMC occurred during the ensuing year.  Board President, Dick Hershberger reported in the 2010 newsletter that the Board had decided to eliminate all employees and out-source accounting as a cost-saving measure.  Prince Kuhio Blvd. was resurfaced at the entrance to the Ranchos and Macadamia was scheduled to be done in two phases.   The Board intended to employ a part-time person to do the mowing and minor repair/maintenance.

Interim President, Galen Lutz was elected President for 2010-2011 at the Board session after the annual meeting in October 2010.  The annual meeting included several members from the Ranchos who questioned the Board’s decision to eliminate its employees and out-source accounting.  Rancho’s members complained about the lack of apparent road maintenance activities.

Galen Lutz, Board President, reported in the September 2011 newsletter that great progress had been made.  Several committees had been formed to divide the workload of the Board and had been quite successful.  The following were discussed: Kohala gate was operational and had a security camera system, past due assessments were being collected, fixed/repaired/replaced signage, repaired potholes, restructured finances, hired a part-time road maintenance specialist to mow and do routine maintenance, looked into the swap meet at Pohue Plaza and its effects on the roads/shoulders, and institute a HRRMC website.  HRRMC was planning on fog-sealing all Ranchos roads in the upcoming year (55 miles).

The September 2012 newsletter reported on the continued operation of the Kohala gate, routine maintenance and major projects.  The swap meet continued to be a concern (HRRMC painted additional striping/no parking on the shoulders in the areas of the swap meet).  The Board decided to employ a part-time office person and an in-house bookkeeper.  President, Galen Lutz, reported that the Board has had to remove/replace employees but current employees were doing well.  The annual assessment was raised for first time in 12 years to $130.00.

The road maintenance report is included:

Road maintenance report
Year end 2010, the Road Maintenance Corp. completely rebuilt the major thoroughfare in Ranchos: HWY 11 down through Prince Kuhio and onto Maile, complete with striping
and road signs. This was the most complete roadwork rejuvenation project accomplished in many years. 2011 and 2012 saw a great deal of continued Road Maintenance activity. We chip sealed the entire length of the Frontage Road, 1.5 miles, fog sealed and centerline striping the entire length of 10.5 miles of our main roads: Kohala, Maile, and Prince Kuhio. Currently, many intersections are getting fog seal and center/stop lines painted.
The Board has established a five year plan to fog seal and center line stripe all 55 miles of our roadway system. This plan will add many years to preserving our road system. While the upper roadways are in good condition, the lower roads need to be evaluated and addressed.
The Road Corporation is maintaining on a daily basis the mowing of road shoulder vegetation, pothole repair, sign replacement, and intersection cleaning of loose debris.

PART TWO

A Brief History
2013-2017

The 2013 newsletter highlighted several changes to HRRMC during the previous year.  A new president, Mats Fogelvik, had been elected and four new board members were added.  The office lost its secretary/office manager and Mats’ wife, Maira was hired on a temporary basis.  She worked out well that she was hired on a permanent basis by Board approval.  The president excused himself from any supervision/decisions regarding the office manager and the Board Treasurer and Secretary were named as supervisors.  The Board was able to bring all bookkeeping in-house between the Treasurer and Office Manager, saving the expense of hiring an outside service.

The president also highlighted some of the past years accomplishments:

• Kohala gate updated with better emergency access and safety features
• A 20’ storage container obtained for safe storage of fuel, flammables, and other items
• Upgraded security cameras at the office after some theft incidents
• A paving company was under contract to fog seal and stripe all remaining unsealed roads.  Most intersections had been done.  A mature CD was cashed in to be able to lock in prices.
• The swap meet parking was an ongoing issue.  HRRMC has no intentions of having it shut down, but the event managers are responsible for parking.  HRRMC does not accept parking/vending on the No Parking zones.  Negotiations with property owners and county official was on-going.

The road maintenance report included:
Over the past year there were three major road maintenance projects.  All three projects were awarded to Triple K Trucking. The first project included fog sealing 9 miles of roadway as well as 42 intersections.  This project also included painting centerline stripes for the roads and stop bars for the intersections.  The second project focused on Menehune Drive plus all subdivision roads to the South.  For this job, chip and fog sealing was accomplished on Menehune Drive.  Additionally, fog sealing all the roadways and painting stop bars at all intersections south of Menehune Drive was accomplished. 
The last project is fog sealing nineteen miles of roadways which is ongoing.  This project also includes painting a centerline strip for the roads being sealed. Fog sealing is very much like a thick coat of paint. It protects the surface from the elements. Chip sealing includes an aggregate of materials that provides a foundation to the roadway.  The total cost of these projects for the first, second and third project was 82,000, 145,000, and 150,000 dollars, respectively.
Also of note:

• The office manager’s report stated that there had been a good response from adding Pay Pal to the HRRMC website as an alternative payment option.
• The Board hosted a meeting for Ranchos residents and Solar Hub/Ohana Solar about a proposed solar power project involving 18 lots the company had purchased.  Many concerns were raised and for updates check the HRRMC website or:  kaunewsbriefs.blogspot.com/2013/06/thursday-june-6-2013.html   http://westhawaiitoday.com/sections/news/local-news/oahucompany-launching-ka’u-solar-project.html
• Lastly, Bob Barry, a longtime member and president of the HRRMC Board passed away on July 15, 2013. He served as president for ten years through some of the most tumultuous periods of the HRRMC.  He brought his engineering and leadership skills to Ranchos Subdivision and he designed the HRRMC Board. 

The 2014 newsletter reported that three board members had left, including longtime member Wayne Greenwood and Galen Lutz.

Highlights of the past year:

• Kohala gate has an emergency battery backup and will open and remain open if grid power is down.  Also, there is an optional radio remote control for the gate for $50.00.
• Fog sealing and striping continues.
• Successful in collecting from many past-due accounts and released their liens.
• Working on repairing drive way approaches, the area between the roadbed and landowner’s property.

Road maintenance report stated that 19 miles of roads had been oiled and striped.  All roads should be pitched, oiled, striped and intersections marked for safety stops by the end of July.  A gate was installed at the dead end on Menehune to prevent trespassers using it to access the road to the beach.  Other dead ends have been blocked with boulders.

Finally, the newsletter featured a farewell to Galen and MaryAnn Lutz:

Galen Lutz has been a vital part of our Hawaiian Ranchos Community for 14 years.  He served as a director on the Hawaiian Ranchos Road Maintenance Corporation Board for 13 years.  He was president for 3 years and vice president for 1 year.  He was instrumental in restructuring our board and establishing compliance with Roberts’ Rules of Order.
Galen and his wife MaryAnn were also involved on the board of the Home Owners Association for seven years.  To each of their commitments they brought a strong knowledge and background on conducting business and establishing leadership principles.  Galen and MaryAnn are grateful for all the friendships and opportunities that they experienced in the Ranchos and are now ready to begin a new chapter in their lives.
We are grateful for their outstanding contributions and we will miss them as they embark on this new adventure in Costa Rica.  Mahalo Nui Loa Galen and MaryAnn!

The 2015 newsletter reported that there were two new board members, stop bars and stop signage were being repainted, road crew actively pruning back plant growth on easements due to last year’s rain and that the fog sealing contract was finished.  The whole subdivision was reported to have been fog seal coated within the last few years.  It was also decided not do any more yellow lines at this time as the contractor was not able to paint straight lines.

It was also reported that the drive way approaches were being repaired and that the office should be contacted if repair is needed.  An additional part-time maintenance person was added to the staff.

In other items of interest were:

• Possibility of making the Ranchos a gated community.  This was placed on the ballot for community input.  If a majority voted YES, then the Board would research costs, operation, and financial issues.
• Solar photovoltaic update:  The original company Ohana Solar was defunct and taken over by Calwaii Power Holdings LLC, `a subsidiary to SPI Solar Inc. They own 18 lots in Ranchos, and the plan is that each lot will be bulldozed about 2 acres, and rack mounted PV panels, inverters and transformers will be installed, all surrounded with a barb wire fence. A sub-station will also be built along HWY 11, for the transmission line tie-in, at the corner of Kohala/Easement roads.

The 2016 newsletter and president message touched upon several issues.  Included below is the president’s message in full:

September 2016 From The President’s Desk

Aloha Ranchos Property Owners,
It’s that time of the year to let you know how we are doing as a board and update you on issues in our community. As a voluntary board member, this is my fourth year as a president for HRRMC.  It is not always an easy job.  There are often challenges to find a balance between what needs to get done, how much time I and other board members can spare, and how much money is in the budget.  Here are some highlights of this year’s activities:

We have finally found a reliable paving contractor. As a pilot project we had his company start with paving a ½ mile of chip seal on both Maile and Jacaranda, plus a few intersections on Jasmine. We are pleased with the results and are now negotiating further chip sealing for this year and next.  Big thanks to our board member Tom Kraft for working on getting this contract going.

 Our road crew has been actively pruning back trees and bushes growing on the easements. Last year’s rain has really accelerated growth and the mower alone cannot keep up.  The pruning is important for improving visibility at intersections and drive ways.

 We have purchased a new mower attachment for our tractor.  It is a flail mower. This type of mower throws a lot less rocks than the old one did and mows a wider pass on the easements.

I have also found a cheaper source for the radio remotes for the Kohala gate.  They are now $30.00.   It’s a pleasure to pass the savings onto you.

We have a new board member, Gabe Hechler. He is a retired Marine and a great new asset to our board. You will see him on the ballot along with other members who are up for re-election.

There has been some tensions and confusion in Ranchos lately.

Starting with the proposed industrial size Solar power installations on 18 lots.  It is before the Public Utilities Commission. The press and the Consumer Advocate have taken Rancho’s side and HELCO has taken the side of the developers, SPI Solar and another.  A big Mahalo to all who have send letters to the PUC docket number 2015-0029, objecting to the overhead transmission line.  If you like more information on this subject, please contact Ann Bosted at 808-315-2196 or email her at bosted@earthlink.net.  She has done a lot of research on the subject.

Earlier this year, you may have heard rumors that I was planning to raise the road maintenance fee to upwards of $400.  It was just a misguided rumor!   I have no such intention or powers to do so.  The proper procedure is for the HRRMC board to discuss the budget and annual fees, then propose a budget for you, the members, to vote on and approve or not.  See the article “Budget and maintenance schedule” for more details.

There have been several letters and newsletters sent out this past year from Hawaiian Ranchos Community Association, HRCA.   Many property owners have confused our Corporation, HRRMC, with HRCA which has a voluntary membership.  Please be aware of who is who and what each is about.   We are two different organizations operating with different goals.   For more information regarding HRCA updates, please check their website, www.hawaiianranchos.com (*this website is now defunct, as is HRCA, Aug 2018 edit*)

Meanwhile, lets enjoy all the beauty in Ranchos and all the wonderful friends and neighbors that do live here.

Thanks for letting us serve you for a better community.

Mats Fogelvik, President HRRMC

The Road Maintenance Report and Work Plan included:

• New contractor, Kahalana Contracting completed a pilot project of one mile of chip sealing.  The Board was pleased with their service and negotiations regarding another 4 miles was taking place. 
• A new part-time road maintenance worker was hired.

The Board also included information regarding the budget and road maintenance schedule which is include in its entirety below:

Budget and Road Maintenance Schedule

We at the board have put a lot of thought into a realistic road maintenance schedule for Ranchos. We do have a limited budget and many miles of roads. It is important that they are being maintained on a regular basis in order to hold up well. We do have a proposal for our members, please let us explain with some numbers:

We have 1227 members, our annual fee is $130, which gives us a total theoretical income of $159,510.  After our payroll for employees for road maint. and office, utilities, insurance, etc, we have about $110,000 available for paving contractors.  Our latest chip seal contract was priced $82,000 per mile. We have 52 miles of roads. With our current budget we can chip seal 1.34 miles of road per year. It will take us 38 years to re-pave all the roads on this schedule. This is obviously too long of an interval, a good chip seal is estimated to last 7-10 years.  It is not only the traffic, but mainly the sunlight which breaks down the oil in the pavement, making it brittle. We cannot afford to re-pave every 7-10 years, but we would like to be able to do it every 25 years, which means 2 miles per year.

To be able to chip-seal 2 miles per year, we would need an additional $54,000 per year, $45 extra per member and we have to raise the annual fee to be able to achieve this.

Nobody likes to raise fees, but the reality is that we are falling way behind the current real road maintenance cost.

What we propose to do, is to raise the fee $20 for 2017 to $150, and an additional $25 for 2019 up to $175. This is of course a budget item which the members have to vote on and approve.

It is noteworthy to mention as a comparison that our neighbor subdivision, HOVE, charges $140 annually per ONE acre lot.  They have roughly 11,500 lots and 157 miles of roads. That is $10,255 per mile per year.  HRRMC only has $3,067 per mile per year available.  Please consider the well being of our road network and its importance for your property value and vote yes to approve our budget.

The HRRMC board.

The 2017 newsletter included several issues confronting the road corporation and subdivision.  Parts of the newsletter are included below:
NEWSLETTER
September 2017

From the President’s Desk

Aloha neighbors and Ranchos members,

Another year has gone by with many challenges and road work that has gotten done.  Our board has successfully voted on contracts for several miles of roads and approximately 35 intersections to chip seal.   These contracts were completed late 2016 and early 2017.  Thank you to the great team/board who voluntarily work to make sure you have better roads to drive on.  It takes time, effort and your dues!  

Six years ago I attended a HRRMC board meeting for the first time, as a guest.  I had recently moved here from Maui, and I was curious.  I could immediately see that the HRRMC board needed help.  They were discussing the need for a web site, and I raised my hand, saying it’s not that hard.  I single handedly created our web site, for free, and before I knew it, I was a board member.  I have implemented the PayPal program for making online payments.  I and other board members have made numerous on-going trips to Kona for materials, road signs, shelving, plumbing and other items needed for the shop, office, our mower tractor and roads. 

I have dealt with the Kohala gate, trouble shooting and making repairs on numerous occasions, and have also ordered radio remotes for members’ easy access at the gate.  I have updated the security system at the office and was there to help with carpentry skills when needed.  When the old metal shack blew over years ago, I personally went to Hilo to find and order a 20 foot container for storage of hazardous materials.  Upon its arrival, I painted it and had electricians install lights and power.  Over the course of years, I and other board members have had several meetings with contractors for the roads.  We have driven the roads several times to inspect and be sure contracts have been completed.  I have also consulted with our attorney regarding legal matters as needed.  I believe, I have given a lot of my energy and time to this corporation & community over the past six plus years in a multitude of diverse arenas.  That being said, we are always looking for good people willing to contribute to the
HRRMC community needs.  If you think you have something to offer to HRRMC, please let us know.  I could not have done all this without the teamwork of the HRRMC board, but we are all volunteers and we do need “new blood” now and then.


Recently…  a “Demand” was brought into HRRMC office for Board Meeting minutes going back 10 years.  I have now posted all Board minutes on our web site going back to January 2011 for transparency, and for all members to view.  

On a final note, the HRRMC’s main objectives are to maintain the Ranchos roads.  I, this board, and its employees over the past several years have worked with integrity to keep the Ranchos roads in good repair!  If you have security concerns, please contact the police and/or neighborhood watch. We are not a security office. 

Many Mahalo for taking the time to read this and for  your support. 

Mats Fogelvik, President, HRRMC

In Response to Allegations…

As some of you may have noticed, there have been some letters, petitions and/or rumors circulating around the neighborhood and/or mail, containing  critically inaccurate information and/or falsely  misleading accusations.  We, the HRRMC board, ask you to check the details and accusations for yourself before signing anything. Please do your own research before believing any accusations and/or signing any petitions, as it can be held as defamation. Enough said!  Many of us came to HOVR to live a peaceful life.  Let’s get back to that, and move forward.  

Aloha, the HRRMC Board

Road maintenance report

2017 was noteworthy for road maintenance in Hawaiian  Ranchos.  It was noteworthy because two major contract  projects were started and completed.  In both cases, these projects were completed by Kalahana Contracting, the same contractor we used in 2016.  Moreover, the amount of surface chip sealing and intersection repair completed in 2017 is worth highlighting. All the contract repairs were completed in the first six months of the year. This included chip sealing four half mile and six quarter mile sections of road, and repair to 30 individual intersections.  

The large network of roads in Ranchos make the prioritization of repairs a challenging task. Obviously, some surfaces like Maile, Prince Kuhio and Kohala have more traffic. Maile has received the most attention for surface repair, Prince Kuhio both surface and intersection repair, and Kohala had several intersections repaired. Roads less traveled but in need of chip seal attention were Lanikai, Lauhala and Bougainvillaea Drive. The focus for surface chip sealing in the subdivision has generally worked its way from East to West. For individual intersection repair, we have worked the entire subdivision with a lot of repair in the South. 

The large amount of repair for 2017 was not without some growing pains.  For the 2016 project, Kalahana leased their equipment from HOVE Road Maintenance. For this past year, they acquired their own equipment from a variety of sources on the mainland and here in Hawaii. Shipment of this equipment from the mainland and Honolulu created some delay in starting the year’s first project. Additionally, this equipment (ie. oil distributor, spreader and dump trucks) is used and needed a certain amount of preparation and tuning. So like many startup operations there were some hiccups, but nothing too severe that could not be readily solved. In any event, like any skilled endeavor, the longer the team at Kalahana works at it, the better they get. This was particularly evident on the last chip seal project on Lanikai, Lauhala, and Bougainvillaea.
The roads and intersections are not the only enhancements to the subdivision by our new contractor. Numerous owners have used Kalahana to improve the thoroughfares on their personal property as well. In sum, I would say we have made significant improvements to our subdivision because of these recent road maintenance contracts.

Tom Kraft

Road Work Plan for 2018:

• Continue road repairs as needed.
• Pruning of shrubs and trees infringing on road easements.
• Complete stop bars at all intersections.
• Ongoing mowing of road shoulders.
• Inspect and prioritize roads and intersections in need of repairs
  

The newsletter also included an update on:

• Hawaiian Ranchos Community Association status.  Some information can be found at www.hawaiianranchos.com
• Ranchos solar farms.  In August 2016, Ranchos residents, Peter & Ann Bosted, filed a formal complaint with the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) concerning the project.  The complaint docket is number 2016-0224.  If you would like to get involved in the movement to stop solar farms industrializing our neighborhood and devaluing our homes, please contact Ann Bosted at bosted@earthlink.net.
• The passing of Don Nitsche, in October 2016. His commitment and knowledge were a great asset to HRRMC and will be missed.
• Office manager retired and new manager now on staff

This history was compiled by Lester Lowe, thanks!