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for the traffic benefit or network for all of Kona, that it will be the first step that we’ve got to do
<br />right now anyway. So it’s like a, well, it depends who you ask, but you know, finally maybe
<br />Public Works is doing something ahead of time as opposed to, you know, waiting till the hatchet
<br />falls and then we start scrambling. But, I mean, you know, we’re pretty scrambling right now.
<br />But anyway I think it has worked to the public’s benefit to invest the money; and we do have
<br />funds available right now to implement the short-term measures. The long-term ones we have to
<br />kind of go through a CIP program and get those funded later, and also our environmental process
<br />too. So to me it is worth the investment to do that now. And I agree with you, Mr. Woodward
<br />about the investment short term, the temporariness of the improvements to Yamagata.
<br />WOODWARD: Well, I think, as a follow-up I think what you’re doing for Hokulia Road
<br />or the road from the Bypass up to Mamalahoa is going to have long-term benefits for the
<br />residents. The other thing it looks to me as though there’s going to be a significant, and Mr. Rho
<br />brought up the question of, well, there’s going to be more traffic; no, it’s just going to be
<br />rerouted. Some of them are going to go Mamalahoa, some of them are going to go up the other
<br />road. But the same number of cars, unless something else changes, should still be at that point
<br />up to Napoopoo junction. I don’t think that’s going to affect the amount of traffic on that
<br />remaining section of Mamalahoa, is that correct?
<br />SUMADA: That’s correct. The one change that we just became aware of, and I am,
<br />don’t quote me, and I don’t know if I’m getting it right, but there’s going to be a referral of court
<br />cases from Judge Strance’s court to the drug court location. So there will be an increased
<br />amount of traffic on Halekii Street from that change within the State Courts system.
<br />WOODWARD: Oh, great.
<br />SUMADA: So, anyway, to me it just means more that those concerns about traffic
<br />safety and speeding and whatever, you know, it justifies the short-term measures even more.
<br />So -.
<br />WATANABE: Okay. Are there any further questions? Okay, can we keep it short then,
<br />Mr. -. You know why, I have a number of people that have been waiting to testify that need to
<br />leave in a bit so -. No, I, you may go ahead and ask but let’s be concise, please.
<br />DOMINGO: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Sumada, you know, you made reference
<br />to long-term measures that will be taken by the Department. How long-term and how many
<br />years would that be translated to?
<br />SUMADA: The permanent improvements that we proposed on the slides, we
<br />anticipate to take three to five years. We have to go through an environmental process that takes
<br />some time, also the design and to be able to bid out those improvements. Hopefully we’ll beat
<br />that schedule. In the past we have not totally been successful but, you know, the three- to five-
<br />year timeframe for the type of improvements we’re making to me seems reasonable.
<br />DOMINGO: You know, my concern here is the time that we’re taking even to so-called
<br />catch up with the infrastructure needs on the island-wide basis. And I think the County Council
<br />had expressed that concern by coming up with several concurrency bills. Because if we go for
<br />the amendment to this bill, you know, things will be happening in a much faster pace than it
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