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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCommunication Number 2018-03 South Kohala Traffic Safety Committee Minutes DecemberCommunication No. 2018-03 Minutes of the SKTSC Meeting - 12/12/2017 The meeting was called to order at 4:01 PM at the Waimea Civic Center Conference Room. Officers present: James Hustace & Marianne Falkner Minutes of the October meeting were approved with a motion by Ken Block and a 2nd from Frankie Pang. Vote was unanimous. Announcements from the Chair: 1. Spent the last two months trying to find new potential meeting places for SKTSC. Took up most of Chair's volunteer time dedicated towards SKTSC and traffic related issues. Lots of back and forth with DAGS to come to a conclusion about the Waimea Civic Center Conference Room and all the past use of the space by SKTSC. Reached out to numerous places in the Waimea area for possibilities. Will discuss further under New Business. Treasurer's Report: 1. Marianne reported a balance of $134.46. 2. Donations are greatly appreciated. Subcommittee Reports: County: 1. Chair reported: a. Mana Road to Mud Lane: i. Was discussed and explored in depth at the November SKTSC meeting. ii. Initial bid solicitation round was canceled. iii. Second bid solicitation to begin towards the end of December and conclude in January. b. Recognized Ron Thiel for his work on the LED street lights. Reminded the committee of Mr. Thiel's recent award for his effort on this work, and the naming of an asteroid in his honor. 2. Ron Thiel reported: a. Iona Court to Mana Road: Boundary striping has been completed. Shoulders to be paved at a future date. b. Ala'Ohi'a Road; Parker Ranch WTCP: Still waiting to receive reply addressing committee comments. c. Lindsey Road delineators: Delineators have been removed. Motorists have been calling DPW, explicitly saying that if the delineators are replaced that they will keep hitting them. Either the motorists exclaimed that they didn't like them, or that it interfered with their vehicle maneuverability on that turn. County looking for other alternatives for this area to help protect motorists turning out of Lindsey Road. i. A solid 8 -inch white line allows motorists to cross, but with caution. ii. Two 4 -inch parallel white lines should not be crossed at any time. iii. An EA should be requested to investigate this intersection and Kawaihae Road. iv. Officer Lee stated that Parker School is in support of the delineators. Request to paint the double white lines, so that motorists can be cited for crossing over it. d. Request from James Kong to remove a school zone sign near the now vacant Montessori school adjacent to the Brewhaus. State: 1. Chair reported: a. Donald Smith was unable to attend. Communication No. 2018-03 b. Waiaka Bridge: There have been concerns from the community about plant growth in and along the stream. Visibility has become more limited. c. No new updates on other projects. Police: 1. Officer May Lee reported: a. November traffic statistics i. No fatalities, 9 major accidents, 211 speeding violations, 4 abandoned vehicles, 82 moving violations, 197 regulatory violations, 9 DUIs ii. Challenges and issues with abandoned vehicles across the island. Difficulty securing a towing company for County work. iii. Attempting to map accident hotspots. Most accidents in November were occurred along Mamalahoa Highway. iv. Question from Bill Sanborn as to the main reasons for accidents. Officer Lee replied that from November, these accidents were DUI related. b. DUI checkpoints will appear throughout the holiday season. Old Business: New Business: 1. Officer Elections: a. No other community members were nominated for vacant positions b. Approval from meeting attendees to install nominated persons i. James Hustace - Chair ii. Marianne Falkner - Treasurer c. Need to fill vacant positions 2. Future meeting location of SKTSC: a. DAGS required SKTSC to carry liability insurance to further cover and indemnify the State, and to use the Waimea Civic Center Conference Room for meeting purposes. With the current SKTSC budget, the committee does not have the capacity to purchase insurance. b. The Chair reached out to numerous agencies to help identify SKTSC as a valid quasi - governmental group. i. The Hawaii Island Traffic Safety Council is standing vacant at the moment. SKTSC was a part and a member of this island -wide board in the past. c. Overwhelming qualms and concerns from meeting attendees that SKTSC is not being recognized by governmental agencies. d. Offer from Bill Sanborn and WPA to become affiliated with Waimea Preservation Association. e. The Chair looked into public venues that met ADA standards. f. Potential sites: i. Waimea Community Center ii. Lily Yoshimatsu Senior Center iii. Kahilu Town Hall iv. Thelma Parker Memorial Library v. St. James Church - outdoor pavilion vi. Waimea School - cafeteria, classrooms vii. Tutu's House viii. Hospital meeting rooms ix. WPA building - affiliation with WPA g. Most sites in Waimea had a cost that would be unsustainable for long use. Thelma Parker Library was the only new site that was willing to waive a fee for community - related meetings. h. Thelma Parker Memorial Library was ultimately decided upon as the future meeting place for SKTSC. Communication No. 2018-03 i. If policy changes with DAGS, or SKTSC becomes recognized by the County in some capacity, the committee will revisit the use of the Waimea Civic Center Conference Room. 3. EA for County portion of Kawaihae Road a. Motion from Ken Block. 2nd from Marianne Falkner. b. Chair will draft a letter to DPW Acting Director Allan Simeon requesting an EA be completed for County portion of Kawaihae Road. c. Lindsey road intersection and merge into Kawaihae road needs an overhaul. d. Letter will mention the following issues, as suggested by the committee: i. Center turning lane needed to address traffic backlog along Kawaihae Road ii. Too many driveways iii. Longs entrance causes a constant stopping of vehicles. Should never have been allowed without proper turning lanes. iv. Traffic issues mostly seen at AM and PM peak times v. Crosswalks vi. Bike lanes vii. Opelo Road intersection viii. Sidewalks e. Unanimous approval from committee to submit a letter. Announcements: 1. Next meeting will begin at 4pm on January 9th in the Thelma Parker Memorial Library Conference Room. 2. Happy Holidays! Meeting was adjourned at 4:50 pm. Minutes submitted by Chairman, James Hustace.