HomeMy WebLinkAboutMIN PCPWMT 2025/10/08 (2024-2026) Policy Committee on Public Works
and Mass Transit
611 Session
Hawaii County Building
25 Aupuni Street
Hilo, Hawaii
October 8, 2025
CALL TO The regular meeting of the Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass
ORDER: Transit was called to order at 9:30 a.m., in the Council Chambers, Hilo, by
Mr. James E. Hustace, Chair.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Mr. James E. Hustace, Chair
Ms. Ashley L. Kierkiewicz, Vice Chair
Ms. Michelle M. Galimba, Member
Mr. Holeka Goro Inaba, Member
Ms. Jenn Kagiwada, Member
Mr. Matt Kaneali`i-Kleinfelder, Member
Ms. Heather L. Kimball, Member
Ms. Rebecca Villegas, Member
Absent & Excused: Mr. Dennis "Fresh" Onishi, Member
STATEMENTS The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business,
FROM THE Statements from the Public on Agenda Items.
PUBLIC ON
AGENDA ITEMS: (There were none.)
BILLS FOR The Chair directed the Committee to proceed to the next order of business,
ORDINANCES: Bills for Ordinances.
Bill 84: AMENDS CHAPTER 24, ARTICLE 10, DIVISION 7, SECTION 24-292,
SCHEDULE 40, OF THE HAWAI`I COUNTY CODE 1983 (2016 EDITION,
AS AMENDED), RELATING TO PARKING METER ZONES
Repeals the listing in subsection (c) relating to the eight-hour parking meter zone
at the Aupuni Center parking lot.
Reference: Comm. 501
Intr. by: Council Member Hustace (B/R)
PCPWMT-6 October 8, 2025
Motion to Approve: Mr. Inaba moved to recommend passage of Bill 84 on
first reading. Seconded by Ms. Kierkiewicz.
CHR. HUSTACE: Any questions or discussions from the members on Bill 84?
We are joined by Acting Director Azevedo. Director, do you want to just provide
insight into this coming from your office and removing this language from the
Traffic Schedule. Please,just want you to give an overview, Director.
(Note: At this time, Public Works Acting Director Neil Azevedo,
came forward to address the members of the Committee.)
MR. AZEVEDO: Good morning, Acting Director Neil Azevedo, Public Works.
For our Aupuni Center, we're adjusting the parking stalls. We're moving all the
County vehicles to the Kilauea Avenue area. So, we're removing from those 38
parking stalls, parking meters.
This will adjust for the public. You know, when there're parades, at least those
stalls will be wide open. And during any evacuations, as least our cars will be
almost out of the zone. We don't have to move them all. After the last tsunamis
we had, we looked at everything and readjusted the parking stalls to make it so
that we don't have to come back and move cars, and everybody would be safe out
of the zone. And we're pretty much coming down with our list too for how many
guys were on the waiting list for the parking stalls.
So,that too, with the public parking stalls, we're striping it all differently to make
it easy for the public. So, red is going to be County vehicles only; yellow is
employees, and white is going to be for the public to park inside. So,that way, at
least everybody can see where to park and it's easier for everyone.
CHR. HUSTACE: Thank you, Director. Any questions for Acting Director
while we have him here? Council Member Kdneali`i-Kleinfelder.
MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: I think it worked. There's a lot of County
vehicles, where are they going to go?
MR. AZEVEDO: On Kilauea Avenue. Kilauea Avenue parking stalls facing
mauka.
MR. KANEALI`l-KLEINFELDER: The ones in the parking lot?
MR. AZEVEDO: In the Parking lot. So, right there too, we looked what cars are
moving. Whatever cars aren't moving, we've towed them out and took them
down to Automative to see what's wrong and cleaned that up.
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PCPWMT-6 October 8, 2025
We're monitoring what's moving and what's not, to get more stalls in there and
making sure our employees have parking stalls.
MR. KANEALI`I-KLEINFELDER: Okay. Thank you, Mr. Azevedo.
CHR. HUSTACE: Council Member Kagiwada.
MS. KAGIWADA: Thank you, Chair. We were just talking about this. But I
just wanted to mention that we have had experience before where we, you know,
put parking meters in; took parking meters out; then people want the parking
meters back.
I'm wondering if for now, we want to just do something that, like you said with
like the painting or something to indicated without actually, taking all the meters
out while we try this new setup; make sure that it's definitely something we want
before taking them all out. We've had that experience before and I would hate to
waste the taxpayers' money that way.
So, and I do think it would be cool to maybe just put something on those meters.
They are right along Kilauea Avenue. So, it might be interesting. I've mentioned
maybe I'd reach out to one of the art centers that works with kids to try to design
something that they get put on there. And that way, it would be something fun for
them to do. Is that something that might be okay to try?
MR. AZEVEDO: Yes, always okay. So, my main concern is, I mean we bag it
and just cover it up for now. You know, we'll remove it in the near future, but
not right now. Thank you.
MS. KAGIWADA: Okay, alright, great. Thanks. I yield.
CHR. HUSTACE: Thank you, Council Member. Any other questions?
Alright, seeing none, all those in favor of forwarding Bill 84 with a favorable
recommendation to Council, please say, "aye." Any opposed?
Vote on Bill 84: The motion to recommend passage Bill 84 on first reading
(Approved) was carried by the following voice vote:
Ayes: Committee Members Galimba, Inaba, Kagiwada,
Kdneali`i-Kleinfelder, Kierkiewicz, Kimball,
Villegas, and Chair Hustace— 8.
Noes: None.
Absent: Committee Member Onishi— 1.
Excused: None.
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PCPWMT-b October 8, 2025
CHR. HUSTACE: And with that being the only item on the agenda, we are
adjourned at 9:35 a.m. Thank you everyone.
ADJOURN- There being no further business, Chair Hustace adjourned the meeting
MENT: at 9:35 a.m.
Approved:
r. J es E. Hustace, Chair {Date}
cy Committee on Public Works,
and Mass Transit
JEHIdt
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