Author: Kahala Board

We are the board of directors for Kahala. We volunteer our time to ensure our owners and guests have the best possible experiennce.

Board Update – August 2022

Posted on by Kahala Board

It is awesome here. I hope you can visit soon!

The Lanai Replacement Project is nearing completion.  Our contractor is now working on Buildings 8 and 9. The light at the end of the tunnel is visible. The two last buildings also have the most structural damage. Should be done early next year.

For those of you who may have units with storage lofts now converted to a bedroom, this is a friendly reminder that unpermitted modifications are illegal.  The PKA sewer system is 40 years old and operating above its capacity.  A one bathroom unit should be rented to two people, not four. 

Another concern your Board of Directors has is fire. Our wiring, outlets and circuit breakers are also 40 years old in a damp, salt laden environment, and are starting to experience failures and causing fires in other nearby condos. Please have your electrical panels and wall outlets checked regularly by your maintenance representative or electrical contractor.  Also remember the air conditioner rules and the NO instant-on water heaters.

Our budget preparation meetings were very challenging, and we look forward to the October 17 Kahala Board Meeting to discuss with the owners. Some of the challenges we encountered, is that many of the upcoming “planned“ projects that were identified by previous Boards budgeted far less than what it will actually cost in upcoming years.  Other Poipu condo associations have found roof replacement, exterior painting, and other major projects are costing far more to complete. The dues will be going up. (Please don’t kill the messenger.)

—

Gordon LaBedz 

808 634 8535

President’s Message June 13, 2022

Posted on by Kahala Board
By now all of you should have received the voting information and the written consent form authorizing the Kahala Board to borrow additional money to complete the Lanai Replacement Project.  Please take the time to review the materials, vote, and respond by July 8.
 
We are now zeroing in on completion of this important project.  Building 9 will start this month and Building 8 starting in October.  We are planning to have all the work completed this year, including railings, gutters, cleanup and restoration of our parking areas and landscaping.  We currently are forecasting to spend a total of $2.6 million to fund the complete replacement of the lanais including all dry rot damaged wood.  We were fortunate to have pre-purchased all major materials like tile, finish plywood, copper for the gutter fabrication, fabricated railings early in the project, and avoided the price hikes and material shortages seen during the past two years.
We realize that the requested loan amount is for $1 million, in addition to the $2 million loan we previously acquired at the start of the project.  We do not intend to spend the entire loan amount, only what we need to complete the work and get the lower lanais squared away as well.
 
We hope most of you have had an opportunity to see the completed work in person, and Mahalo to everyone for their patience during this very challenging project.

Fixing Plumbing Issues at Kahala

Posted on by Kahala Board

“Any water heater over nine years old must be replaced.”

plumbing issues

In March of 2021, the Kahala Board hired a plumber to inspect all our units. Here is a link to the report. If your unit has a red square, you need to pay attention to those items. 

The only required change is your water heater if it is over nine years old. 

If you have updated information, please let the Poipu Kai office know along with the Board and we’ll update this spreadsheet. 

 

Board Update May 1, 2022

Posted on by Kahala Board

We just wrapped up the annual meeting and annual potluck at the pool. Thanks to all who sent in your proxies to give us a quorum.

Here is the update:

The present Board was re-elected. Thanks to our amazing hands-on Board and our honest and super competent property managers, Scott and Marlene and our super competent Hawaiiana money manager, Whit, we feel like we finally have a good handle on things. A few years ago, we were pretty much out of control.

The construction is going very well. The last three buildings that have most of the dry rot are taking longer. Building One is half done. Building Nine is next (July) and finally Building Eight. We took out the loan when the interest rates were 3%, we bought the wood and tile long before prices went up and we were able to finish the most noisy and disruptive part of the project during the Covid clampdown when no one was here. We saved a ton of money. Dumb luck.

The Board is still very concerned about flooding and worried that we will lose our insurance if we have another flood. Most floods come from old water heaters at the end of their life. Please check our website (Www.KahalaOwners.org) to see if your unit is out of compliance. Ice maker pipes to refrigerators are also a problem. All the locks will be synchronized in June so we can enter quickly in an emergency. We are cleaning the indoor drains and the sewer drains on a regular basis and we want to remind you of something that you may have not read in our rules when you bought your property:

Every unit needs an on-island property manager. THIS IS STATE LAW. The on-island representative needs to be able to handle any problems with your property. A cleaning service or an old surfer buddy who lives in Hanalei doesn’t do the trick. They also better have the key to your car in case it needs to be moved for some reason. Call me if you need help on this.

REMINDER: Our electrical system is not modern and cannot take more than one air conditioner per unit. To upgrade our electricity would cost millions. NO TANKLESS WATER HEATERS. If you have one, it is a fire hazard and must be removed immediately.

Financially we are doing quite well and the reserves have actually grown, in spite of the $200 thousand in unbudgeted insurance claims, the doubling of our insurance rates and the $85 thousand cost when the county made us install new back flow valves.

The Board is watching Po’ipu Kai Association closely on plans for the tennis courts and proposed pickleball. We are strongly opposed to adding pickleball because of the noise and we don’t want to see a massive construction project at the courts that will make our neighborhood unrentable.

There is a bill in front of the county council to mandate electric charging stations in all parking lots with a hundred spaces. We are going to have to figure something out quickly if it passes.

If you missed the meeting, again thanks for your proxy. It is gorgeous here, come back soon.

 

Board Update 3-21-2022

Posted on by Kahala Board

Tourists are back in full force. Beach parking lots are full. Weather is perfect. Masks are coming off, restrictions are ending.

Building four is done except for the gutters. Our gutter contractor has been having trouble getting workers, so we are behind on gutters in most of the buildings. Building One is under demolition now, next is Nine, then Eight. Each building takes about three months plus or minus.

We have spent our two million all ready and we are about to search for another line of credit before interest rates go sky high. Our landscaping has taken a beating with construction and we still need funds for the downstairs patios.

To prevent flooding and to get quick emergency access, we will be changing and standardizing all the locks in early June.

We look forward to a face to face meeting this April! There will be an owner’s potluck at the Kahala pool at 5 PM on meeting day April 29.

Kahala Update 3/2/2022

Posted on by Kahala Board

It is March 1 and work on building one has started. Building one, nine and eight have had the most dry rot and that’s why they are last to be fixed. The average has been three months per building.

I want to again thank all the owners who have cooperated with this project and note that this project has been a very difficult for our Board members. We have experienced several delays and unnecessary added costs where we have not had full cooperation and coordination from owners, but overall the construction has gone amazingly smoothly when you consider everything.

We are getting ready to start the urgently required security upgrades that will require re-keying all the locks so that our security team can immediately respond to emergencies like a flooding unit. That project is being manager by our property managers at Po’ipu Kai. If you have questions, call them!
The kitchen drains are being cleaned again and we will do this regularly.
We finally got someone to wash the windows again.
Tourists are back with cheap airline fares even though we have the strictest state Covid rules in the nation.

Kahala Update February 2, 2022

Posted on by Kahala Board

Our best, most experienced Board member at Kahala, Dick Fogel, just recently died of cardiovascular disease. It is a huge loss for the Kahala community. Dick was the one who put together the lanai repair project and he followed Kahala’s finances with expertise that was truly amazing. A true heartbreaking loss for Carol, his family and all of us.

John Hagen will take over Dick’s role as treasurer. The Board has appointed Scott Dahl. Scott has been a great volunteer helping Board member Shawn Cohen do volunteer repair work at Kahala. Scott lives here half the time, so does Shawn.

Building one will be worked on in March, April and May.

We are trying to figure out how to deal with the huge costs of floods in unoccupied units. The plan is to get all units on one key so security can enter immediately. We have cleaned out all the main sewer lines and we are going to clean the kitchen sink lines again. We hope everyone remembers to replace their water heaters after eight years and to put hair trap screens in their bathtubs. Ice makers are another cause of floods.

It looks like the April members meeting will actually happen this year. Hope to see you all!

Gordon

Kahala Update January 14, 2022

Posted on by Kahala Board

Watching the long lines for covid tests, the island residents seem to be gripped with omicron anxiety.The visitors, on the other hand, are coming back in droves. The mayor has calmed down with his restrictions, everything is open again, new businesses replacing old ones. You are supposed to wear a mask indoors, but that’s about it.

 
Building four is halfway done. Work on building one will start in March on the makai side of the building. Then building nine, finishing with building eight.
 
Looks like our April 29 owner’s meeting is a go without restrictions. You never know.
 
Please remember to replace your old water heaters.
 
Another reminder, Kahala unit owners, not the association, own the windows, front door, sliding glass doors and outside lights. 
 
More and more owners are wanting to bring cars here and there are no more reserved spots. The visitor spots are for the construction team. The Board will have to figure out the parking situation when all this construction is done. 
 
Hope to see ya’ll in April!

Board Blog Update 12-13-2021

Posted on by Kahala Board

Kahala made it through the storms with no problems. We had hoped to get the tree trimming done before the winter, but there is a huge labor shortage on the island and everything is going slower than the normal slow. The Board decided that we need to find another way of cleaning our gutters other than walking on our forty year old roof. Our investigation of gutter guards turned up negative. We are still trying to figure it out. 

Building Four construction is about one third done. Building One will probably start sometime in March.

We are building some railings for the stairs on Building Nine. The rains have made it clear that the slippery steps are not safe. 

We have had a couple more floods. We have started a regular process of sewer line maintenance. Here is what we are learning: upstairs units need to have full water flush toilets, all bathtubs and showers need little filter traps to catch hair in the drains, signs not to put tampons in the toilets would be helpful  and, of course, replace your water heater every seven years. PLEASE NOTIFY YOUR ON-ISLAND REPRESENTATIVE!

If you have a car in the reserved spots (or if you leave your car your assigned spot while you are gone) be sure your on-island representative has a key in case it needs to be moved.

It is beautiful here! Happy Holidays!

November 15 2021 Kahala Owners Update

Posted on by Kahala Board

The balcony project is progressing well.  Building four is presently under construction. They are finding more rotten wood and overcoming balcony support beam issues. It will take time. Building one is next. February?     

There are many rules in our bylaws regarding what is allowed on our lanais that haven’t been enforced.  (Only outdoor furniture, potted plants and certain umbrellas are allowed.) Prior to this massive refurbishment on all the balconies, the owners were responsible for their care and upkeep.  This is now the responsibility of the Kahala homeowner’s association. The Board is asking that all potted plants be removed from upstairs balconies once the new floors are installed. Potted plants retain water during rains. Dirt and moisture build up underneath them. The weight, moisture and dirt combination over time can damage our balcony/lanais. Please make sure that all furniture on the balcony and lower lanais have either plastic or felt feet on anything that touches the tile surface so as not to damage the new tile. 

Most of these units are on the short term rental market. Kahala competes with hotels. Appearance is everything. Please be aware of your balcony/lanai’s appearance to others (especially if your lanai is in view of visitors)  Please take surfboards, bicycles, exercise bikes etc. off your balconies and keep it tidy. 

There is currently a waiting list for reserved parking spots. Please don’t buy or send a car to Kauai unless you have a place to put it. Remember, each unit has ONE parking spot. Visitor parking is used for the occasional visitor to your unit (not a second car from someone who is staying with you for months.) Visitor parking is used by maintenance workers and housekeeping workers, also gutter contractors, railing contractors and our structural maintenance team.  Unfortunately, there are also several Po’ipu Kai Association (PKA) owners who use our lot to access the PKA pool and tennis courts. Kahala Association is currently creating a parking program to identify all cars that are going to be parked in the parking lot, both short term and long term.  Once the majority of the lanai repairs are done, the parking spaces will be re-organized for better Kahala usage (note- your spot to your unit will not change) .

Hope all is well during the holiday season and Aloha from Kauai