HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWC 279 09/27/1988 1984-1988 REPORT OF THE
CL. JIITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS
DATE: September 27, 1988
PLACE: Councilroom
TIME: 1 : 30 p.m .
Chairman and Members
Hawaii County Council
Hilo , Hawaii 96720
Your Committee on Public Works to which was referred Communication
No . 1723 and its attached Bill No . 601 and Communications No . 1723. 1 ,
1714 , 1714 . 1 , and '1764 , reports as follows :
Bill No . 601 proposes to amend the Hawaii County Charter by adding a
new article relating to the Kailua Parking Authority . The purpose of
the bill is to initiate an amendment that would propose a parking
authority for Kailua .
Your Committee on Public Works has reviewed Communications No . 1723,
1723 . 1 , 1714 , 1714. 1 , 1764 and Bill No . 601 .
Communication No . 1723 is a transmittal letter for Bill No. 601 to
the Council Chairman from Karl Kawahara, Legislative Assistant , which
states the following :
1 . The bill incorporates the proposal presented by Frank J.
Zuzak and Associates and has not been altered to reflect any
substantive changes .
2 . According to the provisions of the Charter relating to
• charter amendments , there is not enough time for the measure
• to appear on the November 8 , 1988, General Election ballot .
Your Committee heard testimony from Frank Zuzak on Bill No . 601 on
July 26, 1988 in response to another item on the agenda, regarding
parking problems in Kailua , namely, Communication No . 1714 from
J. Curt Tyler . Mr . Zuzak stated that the idea of a village tram was
submitted to the County in 1970 ; he had submitted a proposal too late
for the Committee ' s agenda ; the proposed Kailua parking authority
would purchase equipment such as a tram; 13,050 vehicles could be
parked on present asphalt at Old Kailua Airport park ; and people
could ride or walk from the parking lot to Kailua Village .
Your Committee heard testimony from the Director of Parks and
Recreation that the County is asking the State for the Old Kona
Airport land for a park and Mr . Zuzak wants that same land for
parking .
A Committee member stated that if Mr . Zuzak ' s proposal can ' t make the
September 9, 1988 deadline for placement on the ballot , the proposal
can be considered next year under the Charter review .
•
PWC REPORT ;;J , 279
ADOPTED : OCT 19 1988
PWC- 279 Pages 2 September 27 , 1988
Your Committee referred Bill No . 601 and Communications No . 1714 and
1723 to the administration for comments and recommendations .
Communication No . 1723 . 1 from John Wagner , Corporation Counsel ,
states that Bill No . 601 was submitted for the purpose of creating a
public corporate authority and that the proposed charter amendment
stated in Bill No . 601 is improper because of the following:
1 . There is no enabling state legislation which permits the
County to create a parking authority which could issue bonds
to finance the construction and maintenance of parking
facilities .
2 . The bill would allow the authority and the developer to agree
on a "fee in lieu " of providing parking spaces , without any
standard or reference to the impact of the proposed
development . The assessment of a fee would amount to an
unauthorized tax by the County, and because the County is not
granted the power to tax in this manner by the State , it
would be illegal .
Communication No . 1714 . 1 from Mayor Dante Carpenter provides the
following comments on Bill No . 601 and Communications No . 1714 and
1723 :
1 . The in-lieu fee is an impact fee but it won ' t hold up in
court because it would fail the rational nexus test .
2 . The administration will soon release two Requests for
Proposals (RFP) , one for a privately operated , non-subsidized
shuttle between the Old Kona Airport and Kailua Village and
one for construction and operation of a multi-level parking
structure on the existing County parking lot .
Your Committee considered Bill No . 601 on September 27, 1988 .
Your Committee heard testimony from Mr . James Thomas of the West
Hawaii Committee and J. Curt Tyler in support of Bill No . 601 .
Your Committee heard testimony from the Corporation Counsel as
follows :
1 . The County can 't create a parking authority unless the State
first authorizes it .
2 . The County can address the parking problem in Kailua without
a parking authority .
3 . Although the County doesn ' t accept liability for cars on its
present parking lots, it might have to provide security in an
isolated location like the Old Kona Airport .
M
PWC - 279 Page 3 September 27 , 1988
Your Committee heard testimony from the Deputy Planning Director that
at a recent presentation of the in-lieu fee to the Kailua Village
Urban Design Review Commission , the Commission opposed pay parking and
thus opposed Bill No . 601 and a multi-level parking structure . The
Commission also wanted pedestrians , rather than cars , to be attracted
to the village core and opposed a parking structure in the village for
that reason . The Deputy Director also stated if there is no response
to the RFP, the County could do a pilot project to see if people will
use parking at the Old Kona Airport park . He also stated that
permission from the State would be needed to use the Old Kona Airport
Park for parking as well as a park .
Your Committee concurred with the Chairwoman 's recommendation to
receive and close the file on Bill No . 601 .
Your Committee on Public Works recommends tha t e County Council
receive and close the file on Bill No . 601 .
AP
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M • LE K. LAI, CHA OMAN
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1
(ABSENT AND EXCUSED)
SSELL S . KOKUB N, VICE CHR. FRANK DE LUZ III, MEMBER
(ABSENT AND EXCUSED) d
TAKASHI DOMINGO, MEMBER E RWOOD . H. G EENWELL, MEMBER
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