News
Please join me on PBS Hawaii tonight, 4/8 at 8:00pm to discuss affordable housing in Hawaii.
The show will be streaming live on PBS Hawaii’s Facebook page or at the link below:
https://www.pbshawaii.org/should-i-stay-or-should-i-go-the-lack-of-affordable-housing-in-hawai%ca%bbi/
North Shore businesses please join our webinar on Wednesday, April 7 to learn more about resources and services available for your business. Please register at http://bit.ly/kgefcu for more information.
Today was the 22nd Caucus Easter Basket Drive here at the Capitol. The Women's Legislative Caucus organizes this event every year to collect and donate Easter baskets filled with essential items for families in need. Mahalo Rep. Branco and Sen. Lee, who were our Easter Bunny and Easter Duckling respectively, and to everyone who donated.
If you'd like to make a virtual donation, they are being accepted at domesticviolenceactioncenter.org, ihshawaii.org, pacthawaii.org, and at hawaii.salvationarmy.org
SCHEDULE FOR PUBLIC ACCESS TO KUHIO HIGHWAY IN HANALEI
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) will open Kuhio Highway (Route 560) on the north shore of Kauai at mile marker 1 approaching Hanalei Bridge (“Hanalei Hill”) for scheduled public access beginning Saturday, March 20, 2021.
The schedule for public access will be:
Saturday, March 20 through Friday, March 26
• Morning access: 5:45 a.m. to 7:45 a.m.
• Afternoon access: 1:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day except Wednesdays
• Wednesday afternoon access: 12:45 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
• Evening access: 5:45 p.m. to 10 p.m.
• (Note, afternoon access was planned around Hanalei School schedule)
Saturday, March 27 and Sunday, March 28
• 5:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.
During access hours the highway at Hanalei Hill will be open to single lane, alternating traffic for passenger cars and light trucks. These vehicles will be escorted through the work zone by a pilot vehicle.
A detour for heavy trucks (e.g., those with payloads exceeding ¾ ton such as Ford Super Duty F-350, Ram 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and GMC Sierra 3500 or larger) has been established via Ka Haku Road, Lei O Papa Road, and Hanalei Plantation Road. Heavy trucks will not be allowed at Hanalei Hill until further notice due to concerns with loads on the highway near the landslide.
On March 29, the contractor will be on a 10-hour workday, six days a week. Public access will continue to follow the morning, afternoon, and evening schedule posted above. On Sundays, when there will be no work at the site, access will be from 5:45 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The public access schedule will ensure safety, efficient single lane alternating movement through the area, and necessary construction hours for the emergency repairs and long term mitigations.
Updates and the public access schedule will be posted at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/2021-hanalei-hill-landslide/
Chelsea Davis, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - A new proposal aims to help police with parking enforcement in Hawaii.
House Bill 601 would allow any county employee to cite people for traffic violations along state highways.
House Transportation Committee member Rep. Nadine Nakamura introduced the bill. She said the idea stemmed from parking problems at Haena State Park on Kauai’s North Shore.
"What this bill does is it allows the police chief to use non-police officers to cite cars that may be illegally parked or have other traffic violations," said Nakamura.
Nakamura said illegal parking along state highways is an issue all over the state, naming Laniakea Beach on Oahu’s North Shore as another example.
"Uh, where are the no parking signs?" asked Laniakea Beach surfer Apollo Fleming.
Fleming said it is as if the warning signs don’t exist at Laniakea Beach on Oahu’s North Shore.
"I don’t think people really abide by the no parking signs because no one seems to enforce it," said surfer Lucas Godfrey.
HB601 would authorize police chiefs to designate other county employees to issue citations.
Bicycle enthusiasts like Chad Taniguchi said it’s a great idea.
"Following the rules of the road is super important for safety and when people park the wrong way or in the wrong place, they actually create a safety hazard because if you’re walking or biking, you might have to go around the wrong parked car and then you might get hit," Taniguchi said.
The largest public worker union in Hawaii, the Hawaii Government Employees Association (HGEA), said writing tickets is not a daily function for positions outside of law enforcement and said only law enforcement officers have the skill set to enforce violation. They also said it raises issues of liability.
"I feel like the state really needs to give us better options than that and not just try to restrict us and ticket us," Godfrey said.
View the full news broadcast here
Affordable Homeownership; Revolving Fund.
Provides homeownership opportunities for low-income families by establishing the Affordable Homeownership Revolving Fund to provide loans to nonprofit community development financial institutions and nonprofit housing development organizations for the development of affordable homeownership housing projects. Authorizes monies in the revolving fund to be used for loans for affordable for-sale housing units. Appropriates funds. HB79 HD1
Rental Housing Development; Low-Income Housing Tax Credit; Partners; Members.
Makes affordable rental housing developments more feasible to build by clarifying how the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit may be allocated among partners or members of a taxpayer, amending the amount of tax credit a taxpayer may claim for the first year under certain conditions, specifying the application of certain tax provisions with respect to low-income buildings placed in service after December 31, 2020, and extending the applicable period for claiming the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit to December 31, 2027. HB80 HD1
Rental Assistance; Low-Income Household Renters Income Tax Credit.
Helps individuals and families needing rental assistance by increasing the amount of the tax credit and adjusted gross income eligibility thresholds for taxpayers claiming the Low-Income Household Renters Income Tax Credit and providing for inflation increases every three years based on the Consumer Price Index. HB131 HD1
Rural Districts; Dwellings; County Ordinances.
Increases opportunities for more housing density in rural areas of the State by authorizing the counties to determine the appropriateness of allowing dwellings on each quarter acre of lands in rural districts; provided the dwelling is consistent with the county general plan and community development plans. HB502 HD2
General Obligation Bonds; Affordable Housing; Rental Housing.
Supports efforts to address the critical shortage of affordable housing and low-income rental housing in the State by authorizing the issuance of general obligation bonds and appropriating funds to be deposited into the Dwelling Unit Revolving Fund and Rental Housing Revolving Fund. HB606 HD1
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is updating on continued closures of Kuhio Highway (Route 560) on the north shore of Kauai at mile marker 1 approaching Hanalei Bridge (“Hanalei Hill”).
Emergency access for responders continued today and was coordinated with construction activities to prepare the highway for opening to vehicular traffic. As a reminder, access is currently limited to emergency and essential vehicles as authorized by the County. Details on the plan for public access will be finalized after a site visit and coordination activities tomorrow. Current target for limited public access based on work production is Saturday, March 20.
Construction activities included:
Completion of installation of the chain link fence on top of the mauka barriers. The fencing will be backed by plywood to reduce loose soils falling on the roadway. The plywood backing is halfway completed.
Ground survey of the slope monitoring system was completed. This system will alert responders to potential movement of the slope and will serve as an advance warning system while the long-term mitigations are being constructed.
Trimming back of vegetation on the slope to facilitate tie in to anchored mesh system.
Preparation of the slope for initial soil nail installation to stabilize the slope.
Monitoring of the road above the Hanalei Hills landslide, Kuhio Highway between Kolopua Apartments and Hanalei Plantation Road, will continue and HDOT will maintain this closure until the automated GPS monitoring is completed.
Daily updates and photos will be posted at https://hidot.hawaii.gov/2021-hanalei-hill-landslide/ until highway access for the communities of Hanalei, Wainiha, and Haena is restored.
MARCH 16 UPDATE:
An emergency access lane for responders will be opened Tuesday, March 16. This will be for emergency access for the County to provide critical services – sanitation, potable water, fire suppression, first responders, etc. This emergency access period could last approximately two days. The emergency access list will be coordinated with the County and checked at security check points on either side of the slide. HDOT crews will be working on a plan to provide public access after that period that will restrict access during construction hours and ensure efficient single lane alternating movement through the area.
UPDATES, MARCH 15, 9:00PM:
The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) is updating on continued closures of Kuhio Highway (Route 560) on the north shore of Kauai at mile marker 1 approaching Hanalei Bridge (“Hanalei Hill”).
Work today, March 15, involved installing barriers, rock fence, and a side barrier on downslope. A GPS system to provide real time alerts of any slope movement to traffic control personnel, KEMA, and our staff was also installed. Approximately two dozen contractors and HDOT employees worked to address the roughly 15,000 cubic yards of debris from the March 9 and 11 landslides.
An emergency access lane for responders will be opened Tuesday, March 16. This will be for emergency access for the County to provide critical services – sanitation, potable water, fire suppression, first responders, etc. This emergency access period could last approximately two days. The emergency access list will be coordinated with the County and checked at security check points on either side of the slide. We will be working on a plan to provide public access after that period that will restrict access during construction hours and ensure efficient single lane alternating movement through the area.
Monitoring of the road above the Hanalei Hills landslide, Kuhio Highway between Kolopua Apartments and Hanalei Plantation Road, will continue and HDOT will maintain this closure out of an abundance of caution.
Engineers were ferried to Kuhio Highway at mile marker 4.5 near Waikoko. A single lane closure remains in place for this section of road.
Hawaii State Capitol-Room 439, 415 S. Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI, 96813
