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Residents and governor’s representative press DOE to finish cleanup at and around 22nd Avenue site
Summary
Neighbors said Department of Education crews cleared debris at the 22nd Avenue site but left the project "halfway done," pressing DOE to complete stump grinding, erosion control and plantings; Patty Jetty (governor’s representative) said DOE will return and staff will share photos and schedules.
Residents urged the Department of Education on Jan. 14 to move beyond initial clearing at a fence‑line site on 22nd Avenue and complete longer‑term erosion control and plantings so the area does not revert to overgrowth.
Patty Jetty, the governor’s representative to the meeting, said maintenance work continued after the board’s November meeting and that "Island Ohana Tree and Landscaping Services completed the removal of cut branches" on Dec. 2. She told the board she will circulate photos of the completed clearing and promised to follow up with DOE contacts.
Randy Port, a neighborhood activist who coordinated community updates, presented before‑and‑after slides and urged a prompt Phase 2: "This project is halfway done," he said, noting mud, regrowth and stump issues six weeks after the initial clearing. Port asked DOE to involve neighbors in selecting long‑term plantings, watering schedules and erosion controls so the cleared strip does not deteriorate again.
Lorna of the Board of Water Supply and other officials in attendance supported keeping pressure on the agency and volunteered to help circulate information. Board chair Christian Decavedo and other members thanked residents for sustained advocacy and accepted an offer from a local business to donate a native‑plant landscape design for the site if DOE commits to implementing it.
Patty Jetty said DOE staff had reported that stump‑grinding equipment was under repair and that the contractor would return to grind visible stumps when the grinder was fixed; she pledged to report back at the board’s next meeting and to share the neighborhood slides with DOE staff.
What happens next: residents asked DOE to provide a clear Phase‑2 plan and to include the neighborhood in design and scheduling. The neighborhood board said it will track DOE’s commitments and invited the community to provide suggestions for plantings and erosion control measures.
