HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWC 253 05/24/1988 1984-1988 REPORT OF THE
Lui'lMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS
DATE: May 24 , 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 . 1580 and its attached Bill No . 536 , reports as follows:
Bill 536 proposes to amend Chapter 27 of the Hawaii County Code 1983 ,
relating to flood control . At one level , the purpose of the bill is
to comply with new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rules
to continue the County 's participation in the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP) and eligibility for future federal financial
assistance for flood-prone areas . At another level , the purpose of
the bill is to provide for greater safety in flood zones by making
stricter requirements for new construction and substantial
rehabilitation .
Your Committee on Public Works has reviewed Communication 1580 from
the Chief Engineer which highlights the amendments and comments that
the practical applications of the amendments are not considered
significant or overly burdensome . The letter summarizes the changes
as follows:
A more stringent level of criteria must be demonstrated in
granting of variances - "the hardship must be exceptional ,
unusual , and peculiar to the property involved . "
Explicit prohibition of machinery or equipment , which services a
building, below the designated flood elevation .
Sturdier structural support system resulting from building
components designed and constructed to resist concurrent wind
and wave forces in Coastal High Hazard or Tsunami areas .
Specific design criteria for breakaway wall construction , also in
Coastal High Hazard or Tsunami areas .
Other extraneous revisions for specificity or clarity purposes .
The letter also states that a draft of Bill 536 was submitted to FEMA
for advice and consent .
Your Committee understands that the bill has been developed to comply
with FEMA National Flood Insurance Program and Related Regulations as
revised on October 1 , 1986 .
PWC REPORT :LO . 253
ADOPTED : JUN 11988
PWC-253 Page 2 May 24 , 1988
On April 26 , 1988 your Committee heard Robert Yanabu, Engineering and
Survey Division head , testify as follows:
1 . The draft bill was submitted to the FEMA regional office in
San Francisco and to the Department of Land and Natural
Resources , Division of Water and Land Development .
2 . FEMA approved the bill .
A Committee member commented that the [ flood insurance] law requires
people who want to build in a place designated as a flood zone to
hire an engineer to do surveys to show there is no flooding prior to
obtaining a building permit .
Robert Yanabu testified that most of Hamakua, especially Honokaa, is
designated zone A, subject to flooding of undetermined height and
this causes a hardship. At the request of the Department of Public
Works , the Feds and the State have conducted further studies of
Honokaa, Waimea and parts of Hilo. These studies have reduced zone A
in the more populous areas to the confines of streams or areas
adjacent to streams . The Department plans to ask for additional
studies in Honokaa, Waimea and Hilo .
The Deputy Chief Engineer stated that the Council could budget funds
for the [ flood elevation] study rather than have individual land
owners pay for engineering studies .
A Committee member asked about the status of flood plain studies and
if it is possible to channelize water in Kona to protect some areas .
The Deputy Chief Engineer replied that North Kona has five major
drainage ways between Kailua town and Keauhou and the only
improvement is Hale Halewai Channel . The Corps of Engineers did a
study for Kona but concluded that the cost of between $100 million
and $105 million per mile to channelize streams was too high for the
benefits and the projects wouldn 't be justified under a federal
program.
The Deputy Chief Engineer stated that the Department addresses the
problem of flooding by trying to keep developments out of flood areas
and river beds .
The Committee Chairwoman noted that the bill needs to be fine tuned
later . Your Committee understands that any changes to the bill will
have to be approved by FEMA and that there is not enough time to
improve the bill , get FEMA approval of the improvements and still
meets FEMA' s deadline for compliance .
On April 26 , 1988 your Committee recommended passage of Bill No . 536
on first reading by the County Council .
•
* PWC-253 Page 3. May 24 , 1988
Your Committee Chairwoman brought Bill 536 back to the Committee for
discussion of staff concerns on May 24 , 1988 . Staff testified that
Bill 536 is stricter than the FEMA regulations regarding variances;
lacks any reference to the October 1 , 1986 FEMA regulations; has no
purpose section and has some typographical and other minor errors .
Staff also testified that making the bill stricter then the FEMA
regulations seems to be a policy decision for the Committee staff
noted and that people in areas of flooding of undetermined elevation
already have a hardship.
The Chief Engineer testified that he is aware of legislative staff
concerns; will take the concerns into consideration; will prepare
another amendment to the flood control ordinance; will submit the
amendment to FEMA for approval; and will present the approved
amendment to the Committee .
Your Committee on Public Works agrees with the purpose of compliance
with the FEMA regulations to qualify the County for Federal Flood
Insurance and Federal funding and guarantees . Your Committee
therefore recommends passage of Bill No . 536 i its present form on
first reading by the County Council .
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M—LE K. LAI , CHA` +'AN
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S . KOKUBU , VICE CHR. FRANK DE LUZ III , MEMBER VAL
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TA —SHI DO INGO, MEMBER S RWOOD R. H. GREENWELL, MEMBER
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