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REPORT OF THE <br /> COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS AND <br /> INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS <br /> <br /> DATE: October 30, 2006 RE: Comm. No. 1144/Bill No. 357 <br /> <br /> PLACE: Council Chambers <br /> <br /> TIME: 11:00 a.m. <br /> Council Chair and Members <br /> Hawaii County Council <br /> Hilo, Hawaii 96720 <br /> Your Committee on Public Works and Intergovernmental Relations, to which was referred <br /> Bill No. 357, reports as follows: <br /> Bill No. 357, transmitted by Hawaii County Council Member Dr. Fred C. Holschuh, via <br /> Communication No. 1144, dated October 17, 2006, amends Chapter 24, Article 10, Division 8, <br /> Section 24-293, Schedule 41, Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended). <br /> The purpose of this bill is to amend Chapter 24, Article 10, Division 8, Section 24-293, Schedule <br /> 41, Hawaii County Code 1983 (2005 Edition, as amended) regarding vehicles and traffic, to <br /> restrict the use of Waipi`o Valley Access Road to four-wheel drive vehicles. <br /> The County Council finds that residents of the Waipi`o Valley azea are concerned that All-Wheel <br /> Drive (AWD) vehicles enter the valley but are unable to exit the valley's extremely steep slope or <br /> are incapacitated in the lower portion of the valley. <br /> According to research conducted by the office of Council Member Dr. Fred C. Holschuh, the "all" <br /> part of all-wheel drive is a bit misleading since the majority of AWD vehicles use the front wheels <br /> primarily, and only direct power to the rear wheels when a sensor detects front-wheel slip. There <br /> are also many derivations of AWD vehicles currently on the market. Some may be better equipped <br /> to deal with the harsh steepness of the valley, but lack the full capacity to deal with the many <br /> adversities encountered when traversing the road down into, and perhaps more importantly, up and <br /> out of Waipi`o Valley. Furthermore, there are other severe conditions within the valley itself, such <br /> as high water areas, muddy and rocky roadways, fallen trees, etc., that require true Four-Wheel <br /> Drive (4WD) to be successfully navigated. <br /> Multiple signs posted at the entrance to the valley indicate that one must have a 4WD vehicle to <br /> traverse the road into the valley. It is recommended that the Code be amended to reflect that only <br /> vehicles equipped with Four-Wheel Drive be allowed into the valley. It must also be noted that our <br /> Code, as it is currently written, restricts vehicles to all wheel drive vehicles only and does not <br /> allow for four-wheel drive vehicles to traverse the Waipi`o Valley Access Road. All-wheel drive <br /> does not encompass and include four-wheel drive vehicles. <br /> Your Committee heazd testimony from two members of the public regarding the proposed bill. <br /> Mr. David Anderson testified in support of Bi11357. He stated that we must protect the cultural <br /> <br />