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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0203.036 2024-2026Testimony in Support of Bill 38 Submitted by: Patti.Pinto Phone: (808) 430-1777 Email: pintonian(a)gmail.com Aloha Council Members, COUNT Y CLERK COUNTY OF HArWAH 2025 SEP (b An it: 22 P Counci I 5i1138 CONK.203 I am writing in strong support of Bill 38, which I believe is a crucial step toward addressing long-standing issues in non -conforming subdivisions across our county. This bill offers a practical, equitable, and forward -thinking approach to improving road infrastructure, enhancing public safety, and promoting stronger, more resilient communities. Bill 38 will serve several important purposes: Begin addressing the public safety risks posed by deteriorating or substandard roads in non -conforming subdivisions. Allocate a portion of property tax revenue to support road maintenance in these communities — roads that are publicly accessed yet privately maintained. Create a meaningful incentive for Community and Road Associations to professionalize their operations. Encourage subdivisions that currently lack the authority to levy mandatory road maintenance fees to pursue the legal processes needed to establish those rights. Significantly increase the number of road miles that can be repaired or improved each year. Provide financial relief to property owners who already pay both property taxes and road maintenance fees. In our subdivision, transitioning to mandatory road maintenance assessments was a complex and resource -intensive process. It required a majority vote of property owners, followed by a civil action in the Third Circuit Court. While that process ultimately set a precedent for other subdivisions, it underscores how difficult it is for communities to take on this responsibility without support. Bill 38 provides that support. It is a practical solution to a problem that has long been considered unsolvable: how to ensure safe, reliable access on roads that serve the public but fall outside the scope of county maintenance. Improved roads will allow for safer and more reliable access for first responders, school buses, and public transportation. In turn, this will lead to increased property values, improved quality of life, and stronger community cohesion. urge you to pass Bill 38. It will benefit not only individual subdivisions but also the County as a whole. Comm. Ref. To: Ref. Da*'a1a72 0 55