Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWC 284 10/24/1988 1984-1988 REPORT CF THE CL. ,►lITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS DATE: October 24 , 1988 PLACE : Councilroom TIME: 9 :00 a .m . Chairman and Members Hawaii County Council Hilo , Hawaii 96720 Your Committee on Public Works to which was referred -Communication No . 1690 and its attached Bill No . 587 , reports as follows: Bill No . 587 proposes to amend Chapter 24 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 by adding new material related to tow or tow-away zones in four separate' articles . According to Section 1 of Bill No . 587 , the purpose of the bill is to create tow-away zones , speed zones , bus stops and parking meter zones within the County of Hawaii in order to better manage traffic conditions . Your Committee on Public Works has reviewed Communication No . 1690 from the Chief Engineer and Bill No . 587 . Communication No . 1690 states that: 1 . The bill will allow the Police Department to remove vehicles illegally parked along the roadsides and will also make it easier to remove abandoned vehicles from roadways designated as tow-away zones . 2 . The bill establishes tow-away zones within the Kona Industrial Subdivision in Kailua-Kona which has vehicles left on the shoulders of County roadways for extended periods of time . Chapter 24 , Article 1 , Section 24-3 , relating to definitions concerning vehicles and traffic, would be amended by adding an item that defines "tow or tow-away zone" as a street or highway or part of street or highway where parking, stopping, or standing of vehicles is prohibited entirely or during certain hours . Chapter 24 , Article 2 , Section 24-8 , relating to council to exercise certain functions by ordinance , would be amended by adding speed zones , parking meter zones , tow or tow-away zones and bus stops to subsection a, paragraph 2 , which is a list of classifications related to traffic which the Council is authorized to create, define , redefine, eliminate or change . This is a housekeeping measure . Chapter 24 , Article 8 , Division 1 would be amended by adding a new section related to parking prohibited in tow or tow-away zones . The purpose of this section is as follows: PWC RE?CRT ;';o , 284 A NO DOPTED : " 1' PWC- 284 Page 2 October 24 , 1988 1 . Prohibit parking in tow-away zones which have signs designating tow-away zones; 2 . Authorize the Chief of Police to remove a vehicle from a street or highway to a storage area; 3 . Mandate the Chief of Police to promulgate and adopt such rules and regulations needed to carry out the removal and storage of vehicles; 4 . Authorize the County to contract the towing and storage of vehicles; 5 . Specify a procedure for the police to notify the owner of a vehicle which is removed from a tow-away zone; 6 . Authorize the Director of Finance to dispose of vehicles taken into custody by the police and provide a procedure for disposition; 7 . Mandate erection of appropriate signs or markings giving notice of tow-away zones; 8 . Mandate the towing away of unattended vehicles parked in tow-away zones; and 9 . Make the registered owner of the vehicle responsible for towing and storage expenses . Chapter 24 , Article 10 would be amended by adding a new section relating to tow or tow-away zones to the traffic schedules . This section prohibits stopping, standing or parking on streets between the hours specified . This section is broken down into subsections for each district and only the district of North Kona has paragraphs listing streets , all of which are in the Kona Industrial Subdivision . The tow-away zones are effective between the hours of 2 :00 to 5 :00 a .m. Although the bill adds tow-away zones, speed zones , bus stops and parking meter zones to Section 24-8 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 , it creates only tow-away zones . Your Committee considered Bill No . 587 on July 12 , 1988 and found that the title and purpose are not appropriate for the contents of the bill . Your Committee referred Bill No . 587 to the Administration for revision and deferred action on Bill No . 587 pending a response from the Administration . Your Committee considered Bill No . 587 and Bill No . 587 Draft 2 on October 24 , 1988 . Your Committee Chairwoman stated that Corporation Counsel had prepared Bill No . 587 Draft 2 at the request of the Chief Engineer and that Draft 2 has a more accurate title and purpose describing the content of the bill . Your Committee understands that by the deletion of three words in the title of Bill No . 587 , namely, "the creation of, " Draft 2 has a title that more accurately describes the body of the bill . Your Committee also realizes that the reference to "refuse dump" under Subsection g in Section 4 of Bill No . 587 was changed to "landfill" in Draft 2 . PWC- 284 Page 3 October 24 , 1988 Your Committee is aware that Section 1 of Bill No . 587 Draft 2 states that the purpose of the bill is as follows: 1 . To allow the council to regulate traffic by creating tow-away zones , speed zones , bus stops and parking meter zones . 2 . To set forth procedures to be followed in the towing of vehicles to protect the interests of the public and the vehicle owners . Your Committee heard the Chief Engineer testify that the bill is geared to the industrial section of Kona, where vehicles needing repair have been parked within the right of way . A Committee member noted that U-drive companies are using the shoulders of the roads for storage . He stated that the Kailua industrial area required less parking than a commercial area and suggested that, in light of the present commercial uses , the parking requirements should be increased. Your Chairwoman stated that the parking requirement was under the Planning Department 's jurisdiction . Another member asked if the County would be responsible for the cost of towing vehicles . The Traffic Services Division Chief testified that the owner of the vehicle will pay; if the owner can 't be found, the Finance Director can sell the car at auction; and any car worth less than $100 can be taken to a dump. The Chief Engineer testified as follows : 1 . Costs [not recovered from the owner of the vehicle] will be borne by the abandoned vehicle program . 2 . On Oahu, the police have set up contracts with towing companies so that the police cite the vehicle parked in a tow-away zone and contact the towing company; the towing company tows the car away ; the driver calls police to find out the location of his car; the police refer the driver to the towing company; and finally , the driver pays the towing company in order to get his car back . Your Committee concurred with the Chairwoman ' s recommendation to approve Bill No . 587 Draft 2 . Your Committee on Public Works is in accord i h the intent and purpose of Bill No . 587 Draft 2 and recommends ' ts pa- -age on first reading by the County Council . ,RLE K. LA , C' RWOMAN 4 I ' • h •USSELL S. KOKUB N, VICE CHR. " ANK DE LUZ III , MEMBER 10,1 C- t?0-e T KASHI DO INGO, MEMBER SHERWOOD R. H. GREENWELL, MEMBER LA/TW