HomeMy WebLinkAboutCOM 0868.003 2018-2020 i
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Mon 4/20/2020 5:23 PM
WRITTEN TESTIMONY: Committee on Public Works& Mass Transit on April 22, 2020-BILL 157
To: Council Testimony
Aloha Office of County Clerk:
Mahalo for your kokua in transmitting my Written testimony for the
upcoming PW&MT Committee meeting.
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Ref, date APR 2 2 2020
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PUBLIC TESTIMONY SUBMITTED VIA E-MAIL TO:
Councilwoman Susan K. Lee Loy, Chair
Committee unPublic Works and Mass Transit
Re: Bill 157, heard onthe agenda ofApril 2J, 2OJ0
April 20,2020 From: Lei|ani Bronson-Cre||y, Hawaiian Paradise Park resident
Aloha Chair Lee Loy and Honorable Committee Members:
Maha|mfor this opportunity to submit a written testimony opposing proposed Bill 157 on your agenda. | consider the
language of this bill to be vague and deficient and describe it as a gate-opener that will impact many private
subdivisions' roadways, and as such, have unintended consequences. While the language of this bill today cites only two
routes in lower Puna, it leaves open the opportunity to pursue other potential road way takings.
Has staff met and spoken with the boards and residents of each of the subdivisions that will possibly be affected by this
bill?With the current Covid-19 pandemic, how have these residents been informed of this bill's proposal?
What funding or legal measures, including buy-outs, eminent domain or takings is the County prepared to assume?The
draft language of this bill points out that this ordinance is to "require" the County to acquire these roadways. That's
strong wording. Does this requirement also define the order and process of these acquisitions? In other words, will the
County "acquire" and "dedicate" these roadways FIRST, and then LATER (or eventually), improve and bring them up to
necessary standards?
You can certainly expect road widths and other build-out requirements and standards — depending on federal or state
funding assistance—to greatly vary the cost of these roadway improvements.
Beyond the roads in this version of the bill, will the County be raising property taxes or diverting fuel tax revenue to pay
for these acquisitions and road improvements? If this bill is passed by the Council and codified, do we have it in our
coffers to take ownership and handle maintenance of these two routes and potentially other similar roads?
What process will be in place to address the residents in these private subdivisions who oppose the roadways fronting
their homes being acquired ordedicated tothe County?
Section 2, (c) (3), of Bill 157, refers to proper signage that will clearly identify a specific roadway's usage. The bill is also
deficient in language that defines when and for how long an alternate route, a connectivity route, an evacuation route, a
mass tovuii route, or a combination route is to be used or available. Could there be potential police citation for
incorrectly using one route for another purpose, or during an inappropriate time?
Lower Puna subdivisions including Hawaiian Paradise Park "opened" its private roadways during Tropical Storm |oe||e
(2014) and the lava f|mm of the same year; OoNd|and "opened" 0o'a and 40m Avenue during the August 2019
"[armuggedon" (a result of H|DOTs nyst/iping of Highway 130 on the fourth day of the school yea/); and, Aino|oa and
Hawaiian Acnes "opened" Aina|oa Boulevard and Road 8 (Moho) for the same incident. My point is that when we Puna
residents need tonnn/onnoeach other,vveall just doit.
Perhaps, until the County is fully prepared to assume the ownership of these hundreds of miles ofsub'standard
roadways, itshould proceed with caution.
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