HomeMy WebLinkAboutREP PWC 182 08/11/1987 1984-1988 REPORT OF THE
COMMITTEE ON PUBLIC WORKS
DATE : August 11 , 1987
PLACE : Councilroom
TIME: 1 : 30 p.m .
Chairman and Members
Hawaii County Council
Hilo, Hawaii 96720
Your Committee on Public Works to which were referred Communication
Nos . 1088 and '1088 . 1 , reports as follows:
Communication 1088 from Council Chairman Yamashiro requests a
committee review of a schedule of improvements which was sent to the
County Council by the Chief Engineer as part of a proposal to
increase taxes on fuels .
Communication 1088 .1 is an assessment of Communication 1088 from the
Public Works Committee Chairwoman Lai which recommends that the
Public Works Committee go on record to support the establishment and
maintenance of: 1 ) the Highway Fund as a self-supporting fund; 2 ) a
Highway Fund equipment replacement program; 3 ) a resurfacing and
rehabilitation program for County roads; and 4 ) a 10 : 10 : 80
distribution formula for additional revenues allocating funds between
operations , equipment replacement , and resurfacing and rehabilitation .
Your committee has accepted the testimony of the Department of Public
Works in support of the proposed fuel tax for maintenance programs .
Your committee has been advised, based on a March 1986 Public Works
Department study of the Highway Maintenance Program, that a staff of
201 people and an annual budget of approximately $13 ,500 ,000 is
required for the Highway Fund . Present departmental staffing is 150
or 75 percent of required personnel and the annual $6 ,000 ,000 Highway
Fund budget is less than 50 percent of the recommended financial
needs of the program.
As additional testimony in support of the need for a fuel tax
increases , the Department of Public Works has pointed out that
revenues to the Highway Fund have remained relatively constant over
the years and have not kept up with inflation , resulting in a
decrease in the department ' s purchasing power and ability to provide
services . Approximately 75 percent of its $6 ,000 ,000 Highway Fund
represents fixed costs leaving less than $1 ,500 ,000 annually for
materials and services for repairs work .
PWC REPORT 9 . 182
I\DOPTED : SEP 2
PWC-182 Page 2 August 11 , 1987
Should Highway Fund revenues remain constant, the Department of
Public Works anticipates that: 1 ) roadside mowing activities will
begin to decline, mainly due to equipment breakdowns; 2 ) drywell
maintenance activities would likely decrease, causing drainage
problems; 3 ) the guardrail replacement program will decline;
4 ) resurfacing of roads , except where Federal assistance is
available, will cease; and 5 ) the County ' s capability and
accomplishment of heavy construction maintenance will decline because
of aging equipment .
In contrast to the State and other counties , your committee has been
informed that the State , maintaining 950 miles of roadway, collects
11 cents per gallon; City and County, maintaining 1,300 miles of
roadway, collects 11 .5 cents per gallon; Maui County, maintaining
536 miles of roadway, collects 8 cents per gallon; and Kauai County,
maintaining 247 miles of roadway, collects fuel taxes of 4 cents per
gallon . Hawaii County, with 1 ,000 miles of roads to maintain,
collects fuel taxes of 5 cents per gallon .
The Department of Public Works , aware that this committee is
supportive of a plan whereby additional fuel tax revenues are
allocated at a predetermined ratio among the districts , has submitted
as part of its testimony, a fuel tax district apportionment formula
which considers both district vehicle weight tax contributions and
the number of miles of County roadway in each district . This
district apportionment formula illustrates the allocation of an
anticipated $1 ,300 ,000 over nine districts and its immediate effect
on total highway rehabilitation needs which exceed $10 ,000 ,000 . Your
committee has found this apportionment formula to be generally
acceptable .
Your Committee on Public Works also acknowledges receipt of two
additional testimonies - from Mr . Herbert J . Perreira, Chairman of
the Big Island Labor Alliance (C-1063 .4) and from Mr . Jack Konno,
Hawaii Division Director of the United Public Workers (C-1063 .5 ) .
Your committee believes that these testimonies, addressed to the
Public Works Committee , should also be considered with the fuel tax
itself .
Your Committee on Public Works recognizes that there is a need to
increase the revenues of the Highway Fund to carry on the highway
maintenance program. Once additional revenues are generated and
designated for allocation , more specific project appropriations can
be identified . Your committee is aware of the Public Works
Department 's willingness and ability to phase its projects to insure
district distribution .
PWC-182 Page 3 August 11 , 1987
Your Committee on Public Works thus recommends that
Communications 1088 , 1088 . 1 , 1063 .4 , 1063 .5 and the proposed fuel tax
district apportionment formula for highway rehabilitation fund
distribution be submitted to the Finance Committee for use in its
deliberations in providing additional reven6-s for the Highway Fund .
MERLE K . LAI , CHA 'WOMAN
/ / J• ILA
,
SSELL S. KOKUBU VICE CHAIRMAN FRANK DE LUZ III , MEMBER
TAKASHI DOMINGO, M B2R ROBERT N. HERKES, MEMBER
LA/GM