HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 1137.001 2006-2008
Pete Hoffmann Phone No. Hilo: (808) 961-8027
Council Chair ~t!'•'~;y~•'• Phone No. Waimea: (808) 887-2043
District 9 - North and .South Kohala Fax No.: (808) 887-2072
E-Mail: poffmann@co.hawaii.hi.us
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HAWAII COUNTY COUNCIL
County of Hawai `i
Hawai `i County Building Holomua Center
25Aupuni Street 64-1067 Mamalahoa iyagway, Suite C-5
Hilo, Hawar`i 96720 Waimea, Hawaii 96740
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MEMORANDUM c'.
TO: Council Members _ :3
Hawaii County Council o
Crn
FROM: Pete Hoffmann, Council Chair
DATE: April 18, 2008
SUBJECT: Proposed Amendment to Resolution No. 596-08
Requesting the Department of Public Works to Immediately Begin Environmental
Assessments for Those Recommendations Requiring an Environmental
Assessment and Implement Before September 1, 2008, Other Short-Term
Recommendations Not Requiring an Environmental Assessment Relating to
Infrastructure Improvements in Waimea, as Provided in the Final Report of The
Parsons-Brinckerhoff Waimea Traffic Circulation Study
Below for your consideration are four proposed amendments to Resolution no. 596-08,
requesting the Department of Public Works to immediately begin Environmental Assessments
based on the recommendations of the Parsons-Brinckerhoff Waimea Traffic Circulation Study.
The proposed amendments were requested by the Department of Public Works. For illustrative
purposes, these proposed amendments to the existing language of the resolution have been
bolded and ramseyered below.
1. Amend the third WHEREAS clause to read as follows:
"WHEREAS, the Waimea Traffic Circulation Study (WTCS), conducted by
consultants Parsons-Brinckerhoff, Inc. (now PB Americas, Inc.), was initially
presented to the Waimea community in December, 2006, and then supported by
the December, 2007, publication of a 94-page final report recommending a
number of improvements land short range ] to mitigate traffic problems
in the immediate area; and"
Gomm. No.~~! 37~
Serving the Interests of the People of Our Island Ref. To:eS L
Ref. Date. APRAPR 2
Hawaii County Is An Equal Opportunity Provider And Employer
April 18, 2008
Page 2
2. Amend the fourth WHEREAS clause to read as follows:
"WHEREAS, not all but some of these improvements would require
Environmental Assessments, such as the selected widening of Mamalahoa
Highway or the design and construction of either of the connector roads; and"
3. Amend the fifth WHEREAS clause to read as follows:
"WHEREAS, Environmental Assessments demand considerable lead times and
are mandatory before any final design or construction work can begin; and"
4. Amend the sixth WHEREAS clause to read as follows:
"WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii has yet to initiate any of the [these short
range] actions recommended in the WTCS, even though funds totaling more than
$9 million from the 2004 County bond issue are available to pursue one or more
of the actions contained in the report (with the exception of the implementation of
an intra-Waimea shuttle bus service which will not utilize the funds above); now,
therefore,"
A version of the resolution that incorporates these proposed amendments is attached. In this
attachment, new language is bolded for illustrative purposes.
PH/kf
Attachment
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS TO
IMMEDIATELY BEGIN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS FOR THOSE
RECOMMENDATIONS REQUIRING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND
IMPLEMENT BEFORE SEPTEMBER 1, 2008, OTHER SHORT-TERM
RECOMMENDATIONS NOT REQUIRING AN ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
RELATING TO INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN WAIMEA, AS PROVIDED
IN THE FINAL REPORT OF THE PARSONS-BRINCKERHOFF WAIMEA TRAFFIC
CIRCULATION STUDY.
WHEREAS, traffic congestion in Waimea has steadily increased over the past few years,
resulting in traffic travel times doubling at peak hours and substantial traffic jams at the main
Waimea intersections; and
WHEREAS, this traffic problem adversely impacts not only residents of the Waimea
community but all drivers attempting to travel from one side of the island to the other, bottle-
necking at the Mamalahoa Highway and Lindsey Road intersection; and
WHEREAS, the Waimea Traffic Circulation Study (WTCS), conducted by consultants
Parsons-Brinckerhoff, Inc. (now PB Americas, Inc.), was initially presented to the Waimea
community in December, 2006, and then supported by the December, 2007, publication of a 94-
page final report recommending a number of improvements to mitigate traffic problems in the
immediate area; and
WHEREAS, not all but some of these improvements would require Environmental
Assessments, such as the selected widening of Mamalahoa Highway or the design and
construction of either of the connector roads; and
WHEREAS, Environmental Assessments demand considerable lead times and are
mandatory before any final design or construction work can begin; and
WHEREAS, the County of Hawaii has yet to initiate any of the actions recommended
in the WTCS, even though funds totaling more than $9 million from the 2004 County bond issue
are available to pursue one or more of the actions contained in the report (with the exception of
the implementation of an intra-Waimea shuttle bus service which will not utilize the funds
above); now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII, that the
Department of Public Works implement at least two of the short-term recommendations that do
not require Environmental Assessments before September 1, 2008.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Department of Public Works immediately
begin the Environmental Assessments on at least two of the proposed improvements requiring
Environmental Assessments, as stated in the WTCS.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Department of Public Works submit within 30
days of approval of this resolution a list of the starting dates and proposed work tasks of all
construction projects, whether the project requires an Environmental Assessment or not.
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that the County Clerk shall forward certified copies of
this resolution to the Honorable Mayor Harry Kim and to the Director of the Department of
Public Works.
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