HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0765.002 2008-2010Murashige, Laura
From: Deborah Chang [hkulaiwi @yahoo com]
Sent: Monday, April 05, 2010 9.14 PM
To: counciltestimony @co.hawaii.hi.us
Subject: Resolution Authorizing the Department of Public Works
Dear Hawai'i County Council Members:
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7.010 RPR 6 R19 7 97
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SUBJECT: Resolution Authorizing the Department of Public Works to Provide Road
Maintenance Materials from County -Owned Quarries for the Purpose of Maintaining
County Roads Inventoried as "Roads in Limbo"
While the proposed resolution is well- intentioned, it lacks essential details and leaves many
unanswered questions. I recommend that the resolution request the Department of Public
Works to •rovide details to the Council re.ardin. re•uirements that would need to be met in
order to accomplish what the resolution seeks.
There are significant concerns that would need to be addressed before entering into any road
maintenance partnerships or agreements with "communities." These concerns include the
following:
<! - -[if !supportLists] - - >1. <!-- [endif] - -> "Roads in Limbo" include old homestead roads that
may never have been engineered to avoid major drainages or to handle water run -off
properly. This means that environmental damage could occur should quarry materials
be spread by well- meaning residents, only to end up in our streams and /or offshore
waters. Re- direction of water and debris flows and Best Management Practices need to
be properly engineered before spreading such materials.
<!--[if !supportLists] - - >2. <!-- [ endif]-- >Another potential problem is that the routes currently
being used may not correspond to the actual legal location of the County road. The
County must perform a land survey prior to any road maintenance work.
<! - -[if !supportLists] - - >3. <!-- [endif]- - >What are the liabilities that might be incurred by the
County (the taxpayers) and the people doing the work?
!supportLists] - - >4. <!-- [endif] - -> "Roads in Limbo" are sometimes non - vehicular,
historic sites (i.e., cart and wagon trails created in the 1800s) and should not be cleared
and converted into vehicular use. It cannot be assumed that a road appearing on a
map as public, should be developed for vehicular use. There are old "roads" that are
more appropriately preserved for non - vehicular, recreational trail use. How will this be
assessed?
<! - -[if !supportLists] - - >5. <!-- [endif] - - >In any such agreement or partnership, it must be
clearly stated that the road shall remain open to public use. There are too many
examples of nearby residents gating, locking and posting "no trespassing" signs on
Roads in Limbo in clear violation of County and State laws.
In summary, too many important questions and issues need to be addressed before.it can be
determined whether the proposed resolution would result in improvement over the present
situation.
Mahalo for considering my testimony.
4/6/2010
Comm. No. — KO S, Z
Ref. To:
C
Ref. Date H 202 111
Deborah Chang
P.O. Box 202
Pa'auilo, HI 96776
(808)776 -1516
4/6/2010
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