RES 506 Draft 01 2018-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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JNYY'Of COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII RESOLUTION NO. 506 ZO A RESOLUTION URGING THE MAYOR AND THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE U. S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS TO DEVELOP A PLAN FOR REVIEW TO MITIGATE SURFACE WATER IN PUNA. WHEREAS, Section 5.5.1 of the Hawaii County General Plan (February 2005, as amended), states that most of the Puna district receives over 100 inches of rainfall per year, and has a record of severe flooding; and WHEREAS, according to the National Weather Service, 24-hour precipitation totals for the areas of Kulani and Glenwood in the Puna District measured 9.71 inches and 7.89 inches, respectively, beginning January 9, 2020; and WHEREAS, the National Weather Service also reported that on August 23, 2018, Hurricane Lane brought up to 35 inches of rain to some areas of the Big Island in 48 hours; and WHEREAS, the Fourth National Climate Assessment indicates that rising air and water temperatures and changes in precipitation are intensifying droughts and increasing heavy downpours across the country; and WHEREAS, a large percentage of subdivisions in Puna are private subdivisions that were created before 1966 and those subdivision residents may lack the financial ability to properly mitigate drainage and flooding in a manner that satisfies the requirements to dedicate private roads to Hawaii County as noted in Section 23-86, Hawaii County Code 1983 (2016 edition, as amended); and WHEREAS, the U.S. Census data for the District of Puna reported a total of 31,335 residents in 2000 and 45,326 residents in 2010, forecasting a 45 percent increase in population based on the previous two population counts, which would equate to a current count of approximately 65,723 residents; and WHEREAS, as communities grow and homes are built, the increased clearing of land will lead to less uptake in water into natural ecosystems and create increased flooding and hazardous conditions; and WHEREAS, the existing lack of connectivity between subdivisions in Puna reveals large population bases at risk of being land -locked during floods; and WHEREAS, educational material for a July 2015 Hawaii County Department of Public Works Flood Insurance and Mapping Workshop described a draft flood study as a flood study that is intended for review by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), but which