Smoke Testing For Hanalei Hill Landslide Project Scheduled For Thursday, April 15

The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) informs Kauai residents of smoke testing planned for April 15 on the water tunnel exposed by the March 11 landslide on Kuhio Highway (Route 560) near the intersection of Hanalei Plantation Road.  To locate the entrance(s) to the tunnel, large quantities of smoke will be blown into the tunnel by jet fans to force smoke out of any upstream entrance(s). Historic maps from the 1800’s suggest that the water tunnel was connected to systems in the Princeville area.

The smoke test will use non-toxic, odorless, white, or gray smoke. During the test, drones will be flown to assist with spotting smoke exiting the tunnel.  If you see smoke during the smoke testing operation, please call (808) 220-4226.  Once the water source(s) feeding the tunnel is found, work to cut off the water source will take place to improve the stability of the highway.

All work is weather permitting and will not affect the scheduled access on Kuhio Highway at Hanalei Hill. For the access schedule and latest updates visit https://hidot.hawaii.gov/2021-hanalei-hill-landslide/.

Women's Legislative Caucus Assembles 22nd Annual Easter Basket Collection for Families in Need

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

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Update on Kuhio Highway Closures: Friday, March 19, 2021

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/

Representative Nakamura's HB601 Featured on Hawaii News Now

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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

Chair Nakamura's 2021 Housing Committee Overview & Mid-Session Housing Bill Highlights

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

Hawaii State Capitol-Room 431, 415 S. Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI, 96813

Representative Nadine K. Nakamura