Um and then when that's when we realize it's a problem. So, we need constant monitoring, research, and funding to be dealing with Hawaii's invasive species. Right. Well, what we need >> is that the you know, Hawaiian Invasive Species Council and the what are the various island invasive species we have early detection and rapid response. Um and a number of these species don't get to this point. You know, the fact that you don't hear about, you know, more QLBs, you know, happening is >> Yeah, but you know, not today, but you will hear it about maybe tomorrow. >> No, no. What I'm saying is that there there are, you know, a number of weeds and insects and whatnot that have, you know, that are being addressed, you know, soon after they come or even before they come. And so, it's just that this one, unfortunately, is is, you know, beyond that that of being early detected and eliminated before it becomes a significant problem.
So, in that uh first two, three weeks, we're practicing those employability skills. Then, they're going to get placed into their internship. We will continue getting support uh some evaluation pieces. Is this working? Do we need to transition some of these pieces? What does it really look like? The big thing with this is we want the right candidate. We want the perfect student, but the perfect student doesn't always look like our AP kids. We might have kids that going into the trades. We want people that represent BPS 101 the best way possible. Our passionate kids, our kids that really want to go into this career field are the students we want in this. So, when we're looking towards this program and and what it looks like in the future, we want to build a lot of bridges. We don't want to burn any. So when we're working with these kids, our big goal is to start building these employability skills so they represent our district well so we can continue this program and build upon the successes that we have.
If you can try turning down your speaker, um, then we should not have that feedback as long as we can still hear your mic. >> Is that better? >> That's >> Oh, yeah. It's still weird, but it's better. >> My speakers are off and my phone is off. You're good now. You're not echoing. You're clear. >> Okay. Um, for the record, Jeff Angler, I'm the applicant from SLV Ashland. Um, Mr. Chairman and members of the board, we we understand um your concern relative to the RAM plan and the overall uh condition of the site. I I think one thing that my LSP, Mr. Campbell did not communicate clearly enough is that D will not entertain an updated RAM plan until we are closer to moving soil around the site. And I can assure you under no circumstance will we be ready to begin construction here probably until September or October of 2027.
Well, and that's the point. The point is when we when we first see it and then we monitor it and then we need to then be proactive instead of reactive, which is what happens. We wait till it reaches to this point and then it costs so much more to eradicate. Well, and the the other thing is that, you know, in its home range, QLB is not an issue, which is, you know, which is, you know, partly because it's, you know, got natural enemies there. And so, the fact that it is an issue here is you know, it it is unique, you know, in in the world because >> Well, did it come in on some plants? We don't know. Well, it had to come in somewhere. So, what would be best guess? Oh, it probably came in on, you know, logs or something like that.
>> Ask a question. >> Yeah. >> I don't want to break up your flow. >> I mean it's real good. >> You guys are good. >> Uh so I just understand. So I mean this is all very exciting. So when we get to the fall with the boot camp >> Yeah. >> Um and you're going to be you know working on these 10 skills. uh we're going to be working to create those partnerships. So like they're not literally going to have to go out and find all internships. It's going to be kind of queued up like here's some opportunities, what's a fit, but you have to go out and get it. It's nothing's guaranteed. Is that accurate? >> Yes, absolutely. >> Okay. >> So like we're trying to present like this could be an opportunity for you. You can apply for it, but you're the one that still has to go interview with them.
Thus, the ram plan cannot be completed for some time. However, with that said, Mr. Chairman, I understand the concern of the commission and between the ram plan status report. We can also talk to um we've not selected a general contractor but we have somebody that has great experience with this type of thing and we can provide some sort of you know strategy and approach um to the soil removal to the stockpiling and to the various handling uh of the contaminated soils. Uh and we'll do that and we'll see if it's adequate or if more detail. However, at this time, we do not know the full extent of everything in the in the in the ground. We do know there are things that don't need to be removed if we're going to be paving over it or it's under pavement. Um, if it's exposed or, you know, durosed outdoor recreation space is, we're going to need to uh remove that.
Yeah. So, we're not doing good enough job in in uh preventing these kinds of things from coming into the state. Our agricultural farms, our agricultural um detection is not working. Right. And you know, the biosecurity, you know, should there be, you know, organic materials coming into the state, there should be certain uh things that we do, you know, to say, you know, maybe they need to be sterilized before they get here. Well, but then that's why we look to you guys for these recommendations or these measures to come before us so we can be proactive because none of us are experts in this field. None of us knew about this beetle in 2009 or 2013 or even in 2019. So, those are the kinds of things that, you know, that's why we have the departments and we have the heads of the department so that you folks can be the ones to be proactive and tell us, "Hey, we need this to happen." and not wait till the last minute.
We're not guaranteeing that that placement's made, but we're giving you the opportunity to meet with real business like professionals and personnel in our community to hopefully secure that placement. >> Thank you. >> Yeah, Mike. >> And and just one more thing with that is we we want to build those opportunities uh for all students because some of those opportunities might have only been open to a student in the past if their dad had a business or, you know, they had a neighbor. So, us being able to build those partnerships is really powerful to create opportunities for all students with that. So >> when we've talked with other districts like it's other districts that are further along than us, we can learn from them. And one of the things that was what they communicated is like allowing the business's choice is important too. So that they have choice in so if they have one internship position open and three or four of our students apply to it, they might take one, they might take two, they might prefer certain candidates over others.
Where exactly that goes, we cannot tell you yet because we do not know um what that soil is. But depending on what is in that soil, it will need to go to uh you know a variety of different distribution centers or excuse me not distribution but centers that accept such soil and depending on quote unquote how nasty it is that's where it gets taken to. So, we can lay all this out for the benefit of the commission and continue to have a discussion, but we are not going to have an official ram plan during the course of this hearing. Um, because not because that that's the way D wants it and they've told us that specifically and we can get that in writing if it pleases the board. So, with that said, I I've heard your concern. We will do our best to address that.
I mean, not just the last minute, but wait to the point where it's going to be devastating or could be devastating. Well, that and we also need cooperation from our federal partners who uh have various levels of >> But then you guys got to let the legislative body know so we can go ahead and make sure we have the cooperation. So, do you understand that? That's what we're looking for. We're looking for you folks. Now, if you're ringing the bell and we're ignoring it, then it's on us. Right? So, if but if you're not ringing the bell, then we have no way of knowing this needs done. And you folks ring the bell, but you guys ring it too late. I shouldn't say too late, but you you you ring the bell, but it's like it's getting out of hand already. Right? >> I don't know exactly what happened back then.
like that's all part of the natural, you know, work progression that all of us have been through that we need to help students get ready for. So, we've had experiences, maybe me more so, where students sometimes misperceive what's going on and they show up and they're like, I'm ready for you to just hand me my internship. Where am I going tomorrow? And it's like, well, that's not quite how it works. Like, it's there's a matchmaking process. And part of our job, we'll talk about later, is making sure we have enough of those potential matches on the board for all of our students. Um, so that was kind of the neat thing. We were kind of shocked by the number of requests from students. So that's their voice telling you how interested they are in this. Um, but I as kind of the administrator have to kind of rein that back a little bit for you.
We will say, and somehow this keeps getting lost, under no scenario will this site be less clean in its in its finished condition than it is now. It will be more environmentally friendly when we are done than it is right now. Yet somehow we seem to be getting taken to task for our approach here, but in no case will it not be in in a better environmental condition. So, with that said, Mr. Chairman, I'll shut up. I' We've heard your comments. We'll roll up our sleeves and see what we can do to begin to address some of these concerns. >> Okay. Thank you, Mr. Angler. >> Greg. >> Yes, Jean. >> I I I kind of I mean, I echo Carl's concerns about the site and what's been pro prepared and submitted to us. This soil uh abatement measure status report uh dated January 26th um was prepared for Ashlin Properties LLC, not for the applicant.
Maybe they did I mean, I'm just trying to be fair to everyone, but Yeah, okay, but then why don't you research it when you come to us and say, you know, back in 2019, we got a bill through the legislature and you guys didn't do anything. You know, cuz so if you can do your homework and, you know, help us, so we know what what the problems are. And then also there have been several committees that have been formed due to invasive species like the Oahu invasive species committee. I mean, there's multiple per multiple. So, has anybody even at least started the work out of good faith to get ahead of it or do you need to do a study to pass a bill and get funding? Excuse me, hold on 1 second. Please let me get my um thought out. Uh is because when I first asked you folks if there were any solutions, you said no, um that you're just learning about it.
So give you a little bit perspective. Uh, our biggest challenge I see going into next year or toughest challenge is how do we calibrate and scale our capacity properly for next year? Um because we love to see that level of interest and some of the stories we'll show you a little bit later on are awesome, but like this is incredibly hard work and slow work. This is not thing work that gets done quickly. So for example, when Neighborville North and Central High Schools, so two different high schools launched together, they had less than 10 students in internships their first year. Uh and it took them up to their fourth year to get up to about 90. Um, so again, this is not as awesome as those numbers are, that's a lot of work yet. Um, and they have two full-time teachers and a district administrator kind of managing that to get to 90 students.
Correct. I don't know what this project is that this was prepared for, but it does not seem to be have been prepared for this project. And yet this was given to us as the RAM report. And there's very little information in here about what soil is being removed and where it's coming from and where it's going. >> These are the things that we need to know. And yet you can't tell us this. >> Well, first of all, we're not the owner of the site. The ramp plan gets prepared for the owner. We are not the owner of the site. So, I'm not sure what the commission's confusion is for that. >> Moreover, the site is the site and the soil. me if I'm wrong, but a ram plan should reflect a project, not just a site. You're doing things that the land owner isn't going to be doing.
Oh, okay. You did not. Correct, Deb. You did. Okay, so so we already have committees that should be in front of all of these invasive species. Um so, again, I feel we're delaying the solution by creating a study to therefore create um a bill, appropriations, then do we have to create another department? I mean, somebody should be getting in front of all this. So, can Oahu invasive species committee and other affiliated organizations like them can they just do the work without the appropriations uh without having it be specifically targeted to that, but just encompassing? Well, definitely the Big Island Invasive Species Committee has been paying attention to this. Um and you know, with the Hawaii Invasive Species Council have, you know, funded them to do, you know, some of that work. Uh and that's been ongoing and they've of course been working with University of Hawaii Hilo uh um in order to address the issue.
Um, we've been in conversations with the Wheaten High Schools. They got uh a real interesting grant of about $200,000 from their county's ONET program, which is not an acronym on the sheet. I can share that some other time. But their charge was for this spring to find 12 lowincome students in need of an internship at each of the two high schools. So their round one is only going to be 24 students total. Um again our challenge is what is the right scale? What's the right calibration for us that we're successful? Don't dive in too deep but also don't come up short. It's very difficult for us to listen to the students stories, their internships, their wishes, their desires, and then have to refine it down and tell some of them like sorry like I I don't have room for that or I don't know if I can do that.
And you need to take precautions in doing those activities. And yet, that should be in this report, I'm assuming. >> Am I wrong? Am I wrong? I I understand the commission's concern and and your purview for reviewing soils and where the water's going on the site. I I I feel like we're going in a circular argument about the procedure with the ram process. If there's specific items, I would suggest if there's specific things you're looking for that we haven't provided, >> um maybe append that comment letter >> like to add a soil management plan. Mr. Campbell said we can we can prepare that. If there's other items in there that you would like to see, please provide it in comment form and we can look at it as a team and hopefully respond appropriately to. I think that's the the best method. We're not looking to hide anything here.
But, you know, having >> they have solutions? Right. That That's the That's That's the nematodes that they have right now. Um uh that's the the closest that we have at this point. Uh but, if we can have, you know, further funding and research to figure out, you know, more about what, you know, could potentially control them, you know, that would get us beyond the point that they have right now, which is, you know, a very time and labor-intensive way of trying to address the issue. So, if we can figure out something else easier, that would be great. >> You're asking for how much money now for this study? I think it's a hundred thirty No, they added back in in the the the like last uh S A D something something. What I saw >> when would the study start and when would it end?
Um we believe and maybe we're a little naive in this too that we have capacity to do more than we think in the first year. We have some advantages that some of those other schools did not have. They did not have a link program. typically this was their first foray into internships whereas we're building off of a foundation that exists already. Um they also don't have some of the different internal pieces we have where we talk about the bulldog media team or some of the other opportunities that have been built. Um, we've had a manufacturing cohort that hasn't always gone successfully with Wabanzi, but we've had some opportunities to make connections with local businesses and Matavia and have conversations about structured internship opportunities there that are not just sweep the floor and clock in and clock out type things with Suncast with Betavia Container where they're thoughtful, well-designed internship opportunities for students.