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Home My WebLink AboutMIN PCIA 2024/04/16 (2022-2024)CALL TO ORDER: ROLL CALL: Policy Committee on Infrastructure and Assets 101" Session West Hawaii Civic Center 74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Highway, Building A Kailua-Kona, Hawaii April 16, 2023 The regular meeting of the Policy Committee on Infrastructure and Assets was called to order at 1:00 p.m., in the Council Chambers, Kailua-Kona, by Ms. Galimba, Acting Chair. Present: Ms. Cindy Evans, Member Ms. Michelle M. Galimba, Member Ms. Jenn Kagiwada, Member (via videoconference from Hilo) Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member (via videoconference from Hilo) Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Member (via videoconference from Hilo) Ms, Rebecca Villegas, Member Absent & Excused: Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Member Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz Ms. Susan L. K. Lee Loy, Chair STATEMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON AGENDA ITEMS: BILLS FOR ORDINANCES: The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, Statements from the Public on Agenda Items. (There were none.) The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business, Bills for Ordinances. Bill 147: AMENDS CHAPTER 24, ARTICLE 10, DIVISION 5, SECTION 24-279, SCHEDULE 27 OF THE HAWAI`I COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION, AS AMENDED), RELATING TO PARKING ON PAVEMENT PROHIBITED AT ALL TIMES Adds a provision prohibiting parking on pavement at all times for a portion of the east side of Government Road in Ka`fi, near its junction with Ninole Loop Road. Reference: Comm.803 Intr. by: Ms. Lee Loy (B/R) Motion to Approve: Ms. Kimball moved to recommend passage on Bill 147 on first reading. Seconded by Ms. Kagiwada. PCIA-10 April 16, 2024 ACTING CHR. GALIMBA: Council Member Evans. MS. EVANS: Thank you. We have Mr. Pause in the audience here. Mr. Pause, please. (Note: At this time, Public Works Director Stephen Pause came forward to address the members of the Committee.) MS. EVANS: So, this bill is kind of a standard way we do things where people write a resolution, seeing that they need to have some traffic code, be it a sign, striping, or whatever. Could you tell us what the —is it just someone brings it to your attention and then you just send out Traffic Safety Division to concur that maybe there is a problem? I'm curious what your process is. MR. PAUSE: Sure. Steve Pause, Public Works Director. You used the word standard. I'm not quite sure if there's anything that's standard when it comes to application of traffic rules. But yeah, so this issue was raised by members of the community, and I also believe members of the HOA (Homeowners Association) as well, the Black Sand Beach, LLC, where they had identified parking on the shoulder along the access road to the beach. And it had become an issue with respect to access to the beach, and I think there had been a recent situation where there was, not because of the parking, it made it difficult for EMS (Emergency Medical Services) access. So, the original complaint if you will, we became aware of in January, and as you said, we directed our Traffic Division to go out and investigate. As a result of their investigation, this is the plan that they came up with. The original complaint, if you will, asked to do things like put rocks in the side of the road to prevent people from parking there. It also mentioned to be able to maintain an area available for vendors. So, we have to kind of call through with being asked. Rocks aren't a very good idea; instead, we came back with no parking signs to enforce parallel parking as well so that the cars are off the pavement. Then of course, we do not allow vendors on County rights -of way, so, that really wasn't an issue at all. So yeah, this plan is a direct result of folks making us aware of a situation that they wanted to rectify, and again, I think we probably addressed it quickly because of the concerns over EMS and access to the beach. MS. EVANS: Yeah, because your process of due diligence is going out and talking, but some of the people in the neighborhood may not know, so have you found that this is in Sue Lee Loy's district, does she —do you have a — ACTING CHR. GALIMBA: It's in my district. Page 2 PC1A-10 April 16, 2024 MS. EVANS: Oh, in your district. Sorry. But do you have a —my question is would you have a community meeting before it happens, or do you work through it, and it happens? MR. PAUSE: I don't think for something like this, we would necessarily have a community meeting. You know, I probably should have done a better job of conferring with Council Member Galimba prior to today, but I think we have to kind of just measure what is the likely impact to the community and what would be the downfalls and what would be the benefits of doing something like this. So, when you say typically, I'm not quite sure how it's been handled in the past. I think you've heard me say that hying to be transparent and communicate more frequently is something that we try to do, but in this particular case, I would tell you that no, we have not had a community meeting or done anything here. MS. EVANS: Okay I'd --- MR. PAUSE: But I guess just to add, the fact that the original request came in through the local community association, I think a lot of times that's helpful because you've already got folks that are banded and having those discussions and looking for solutions. MS. EVANS: Good, I think that's good. It's nice to have a Council Member involved. I only say that because we don't want to get in the middle of any neighborhood fights over parking, and parking is always a big deal. So, I will yield and follow the lead of my colleague from KAV Thank you, I yield. ACTING CHR, GALIMBA: Thank you. Council Member Villegas. MS. VILLEGAS: Yes, just a quick comment here. Thank you, Director Pause for including this photo. Essentially, there's a great map here of Ninole Loop Road and it really shows —I mean when I took at this and how this is an entrance to, it looks like a beach park area, that the area that's being affected, it's rational that there would be no parking there. But there's room for lots of parking in other places once you get past this narrow corridor that if people parked there, you would have poor visibility and much narrower clearance for cars to go back and forth, So, my point being, thank you for including the visual. It's always very helpful for me, when I'm not familiar, especially with the place that happens to reside in my colleague's district that I can see the common sense on this. Thank you also to my colleague for your sensitivity for the need for parking, but I do even see from this visual that there is parking available right close to that. So, we should be all good. So, with that, I yield. MR. PAUSE: Thank you for that, and I'll make sure that feedback gets back to the Traffic folks. I think they have been upping their game; lots and lots of Page 3 PCIA-10 April 16, 2024 requests and I think as you indicate, visuals are really helpful. So, thank you for that. ACTING CHR, GALIMBA: Anyone in Hilo? MS. KIMBALL: We're all good, thank you. ACTING CHR GALIMBA: Okay, thanks. So, yes, I do definitely agree with this no parking, and something that isn't on this is actually, there is a parking lot further up Ninole Loop Road, further away from the beach. I actually don't really like that people are parking in this —and I don't think there's supposed to actually be parking on the beach, but yeah. So actually, I did have that question. I mean, this says no parking, and technically, the road does go around there even though it's sand where those cars are parking. So, it's sort of treacherous to some degree. Would this mean that parking over here where there are cars parked, that's okay, technically? MR. PAUSE. Yeah, I think there's designated parking areas. I think one of the biggest challenges and it's almost becoming a thing, we had a conversation here recently, is just getting folks to not park on the pavement to disrupt the flow of traffic on the paved road. So, I think that enlarged measure is what's being done here, to get the cars off the pavement to allow free traffic flow. ACTING CHR GALIMBA: Great. Okay. Thank you very much. Seeing no further lights, all in favor? Vote on Bill 147: The motion to recommend passage of Bill 147, on first (Approved) reading was carried by the following roll call vote: Ayes: Committee Members Evans, Kagiwada, Kaneah' i-Kicinfelder, Kimball, Villegas, and Acting Chair Gal imba — 6. Noes: None. Absent: Committee Members Inaba, Kierkiewicz, and Lee Loy — 3. Excused: None. Page 4 PCIA-10 April 16, 2024 ADJOURN- There being no further business, at 1:11 p.m., Acting Chair Galimba adjourned MENT: the meeting. Approved: Ms, tsar L. K. Lee y, 1 ' (Date) PDEG?Committec on lnha4RAure and Assets SL/jm Page 5