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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-27-2009-Doc15904 - :y s 1 • ~ MINUTE S PARKS/TRANSPORTATION COMNIITTEE May 27, 2009 A meeting of the Parks/Transportation Committee of the Council of the County of Kaua`i, State of Hawai`i, was called to order by Councilmember Lani Kawahara, Chair, at the Historic County Building, Room 201, Lihu`e, Kaua`i, on Wednesday, May 27, 2009, at 9:48 a.m., after which the following members answered the call of the roll: Honorable Tim Bynum Honorable Dickie Chang Honorable Daryl W. Kaneshiro Honorable Lani T. Kawahara Honorable Derek S. K. Kawakami Honorable Bill "Kaipo" Asing, Ex-Officio Member Honorable Jay Furfaro, Ex-Officio Member The Committee proceeded on its agenda items as follows and as shown in the following Committee report which is incorporated herein by reference: Bill No. 2149 A BILL FOR AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 19-2.1 AND ADDING A NEW AR,TICLE TO CHAPTER 19 OF THE KAUA`I COUNTY CODE 1987, RELATING TO CAMPING AT LYDGATE PARK [This item was deferred.] LANI T. KAWAHARA, Parks/Transportation Chair: I just wanted to...everybody has a copy of the request for deferral from the department and administration. So, what I'd... Councilmember Bynum moved to defer this item. DARYL W. KANESHIRO: Before we defer, I thought I saw a testimony, a written testimony or someone raising his hand that wanted to speak on this. Ms. Kawahara: Oh, anybody in the audience that'd like to speak on this bill? There being no objections, the rules were suspended. GLENN MICKENS: Thank you, Lani, for the record Glenn Mickens. I think this is deplorable that we're going to defer this thing again. It's only been going on since 2005. To keep on having things like this on the agenda without getting something, I think there's something radically wrong, but anyway, that's your business. You have a copy of my testimony. I'll go through it...go...go through it. Maybe you've got some answers or maybe you've got some questions you want to ask me. If I remember correctly the reasons that the campgrounds in Lydgate Park were not opened in 2006 were due to ADA compliance problems, not enough bathrooms for full campgrounds and probably incidents that would occur with the campers needing security to handle them. The ADA problem was discussed for hours at a committee meeting. 1 R ~ • r I still have Shaylene's copy of her eleven, I think there are eleven questions here, which were all outstanding questions about...basically about ADA requirements, the entire project and pointed out certain untruths that were told in her...in her testimony. I believe that Council Chair Asing more than made the case-and Kaipo, you certainly remember this-that there were not enough bathroom facilities to handle the people when the campgrounds are full or even near full. And I still don't know to this day, I don't think there's been any more bathrooms built down in that area for that amount of people that there's going to be. For me, especially the security issue, which Mel at that time so highlighted, is undoubtedly the greatest problem that needs addressing and solving. Let's not forget that the campgrounds that were in the same area about 20 years ago were shut down, mainly because they became drug hangouts and the proliferation of drugs, especially ice. This same problem is bound to happen again and you know, I...I keep seeing the...all our parks are...are infested with drugs more and more. So, the dru...the drug problem is...is...probably is great as or greater than it was at ' that stage of the game. As then Councilman Rapozo so wisely pointed out in 2006, security will be a major issue at these campgrounds and if it isn't drugs, then noise, fights, alcohol abuse will happen and will not be able to be addressed by our police since they have other major issues as top priorities. In fact, I believe that a member of KPD testified at that time about these campgrounds and he verified this fact. We went over and over that day-Kaipo, Daryl, Jay, I guess you...I think you were here-went over and over that fact about not having the enforcement after six o'clock or seven o'clock when somebody's got a boom box or something going down there and somebody starts a fight because... There's not going to be any enforcement down there to be able to take care of it. Again, the police are unlikely to be called and get over there. And what about needing more caretakers to look after these campsites? Has the budget been increased? I...I don't...I didn't hear about it. The three caretakers we have there now are doing a fine job. (Timer ringing.) Mr. Mickens: You want me to continue or you want me to come back for the next three minutes? Ms. Kawahara: How far are you down the list? Mr. Mickens: I'm down at the one, two, three, four, five, six...I'm down at the seventh paragraph, and I've got one, two, three more paragraphs. Ms. Kawahara: Okay, go ahead. Mr. Mickens: Thank you. What about need more...the three...the three care...carekers...caretakers we have there now are doing a fine job, but they can't physically handle more tasks in their workload. Remember that there are only two there at one time and not three, so the problem must be addressed. I believe the camping fees, which were an issue at the past meeting, were supposed to pay for increased maintenance. But what study was done to see how many people will pay to use these facilities and what that usage will be? With three more sports fields coming to this area which are still being mowed, but it's...they're 2 ti 0 • still not open over there, the budget to take care of everything we are putting in our place...plates. Our infrastructure is hurting now and until we can properly take care of what we have, and Jay, you remember bringing this up a long time ago, what level are we going to have our recreational areas taken care of. What makes anyone think that an added campground will be any better being able to be taken care of in this respect? Well, you know, you look at all our parks and recreational areas, they need help. They need help badly. Even the Governor has tried to put in more money, I presume, to try and do something about these areas. For me, this beautiful park is maxed out now and doesn't need campgrounds. And as usual our administration puts the cart before the horse and built these campgrounds without first addressing the many problems that have arisen and will arise. Like the bike path, start construction and then get bogged down in the problems instead of properly planning the total project first to be able to do it. So, you know, I...I...I look at these things and again, you guys look at the date on these things from 2005 and we sit here still talking about it. But it seems that some kind of resolution could be gotten towards this thing. Whether it's, hey, build it or don't build it, at least let's make a decision on the thing. But I...I...I am completely against Bill No. 2149. Lydgate Park for me isn't the proper place to be putting it. "Anini...some of the other areas...Wai...Wai...the end of the road, these places they got camping areas, that's okay, there's not that many people. But, you know, Lydgate Park is one of the most used parks on this island with that beautiful pond they've got down there. I think those ponds should be all over the island. I think it's...I think it's great, the place for it, but it's a...it's a picnic grounds basically. If you have any questions, I'll be happy to try and answer them. If not, why I appreciate your time, your information. Ms. Kawahara: Thank you. Just to give you an update, I believe , we have five park mana...park managers now, recreation managers. Mr. Mickens: Five fulltime people down there? Ms. Kawahara: Yeah. Mr. Mickens: Last time I was down there there were only two fulltime and one was down there helping. Ms. Kawahara: They hired them I think in the past three months...or past months. Mr. Mickens: In the past month? Ms. Kawahara: Months. Mr. Mickens: Months, okay. Ms. Kawahara: Yeah. I know they were going through training. Mr. Mickens: Okay, thank you. Ms: Kawahara: Thank you for your testimony. Mr. Mickens: Thank you. 3 ~ ~ . Ms. Kawahara: Do we have any other people in the audience that'd like to testify on this bill? I don't...seeing none, (inaudible) I'm calling the meeting back to order. There being no one wishing to testify, the meeting was called back to order, and proceeded as follows: ' Ms. Kawahara: And then...yes, yes, Councilmember Bynum. TIM BYNUM: Before I remake the motion to defer, we had a request from the administration to defer this bill. I concur with...with Mr. Mickens that it's been a long time coming. These campgrounds were built in 2003. So I think we can wait two more weeks at the request of the administration. And he adequately...he also points out that many questions were asked, and we all have access to the written answers that were provided. The one outstanding question in my mind that was significant was the ADA compliance and we have that clean document review since last July. So we can discuss this next time after the deferral. So... Ms. Kawahara: Can I make...oh, yes, Councilmember Furfaro. JAY FURFAR,O: Oh, I'm...I'm not a voting member of your committee, o if other committee members that want to speak first... Ms. Kawahara: Any committee members want to speak on this bill? Okay. Mr. Furfaro: Thank you. Madam Chair, you...you were correct that we have increased park rangers and supervisory role there. That was the correct assumption. I do want to point out that we have...I have a little bit of a...a concern and I'd like to get this disabilities communication from the State Access Board clarified. Mr. Bynum did note that we had approval since July of last year, but I want to read this and I'm a little confused: "As submitted, the documents review appear to meet the ADA requirements." I'm not...I'm not sure we didn't get another communication since that date that was subject to their final approval. I mean for me something appears to meet the standard versus you meet the standards, it's...it's maybe something that the administration wants to pursue in getting a...a definite approval. Ms. Kawahara: Okay, okay. When I read that I thought it was just their way of doing their legal mumble jumble. Mr. Furfaro: Then they should...they should get that clarified I think. Ms. Kawahara: Okay. So, can we send that, a message to the administration about that? Mr. Furfaro: You can send a communication from your committee. Ms. Kawahara: Okay. Can we...could we send a communication on clarifying the review appears to meet the American Disabilities Act? So I was going to ask to receive this, but I guess we're not. Mr. Bynum: Move to defer. 4 ~ • ~ ~ ~ Ms. Kawahara: So, I have a motion to... Mr. Furfaro: Oh, I had a. another item. Ms. Kawahara: Oh, okay. Mr. Furfaro: And just to clarify, the question that's always pending and I...I think I was confused by Mr. Mickens' testimony somewhat. I sensed he was in the beginning acknowledging we need to open campsites. Towards the end of the testimony I think he indicated he thought there was still some pending items. I know Mr. Rapozo in Parks is working on the appropriate staffings related to this, but I also want to point out that the expanded park sites are very necessary for camping because many of the sites we have right now, you know, the application for the appropriate space is...is full. And it would be to our benefit to • expand this opportunity but also note again, it is the administration administration that's requesting the deferral. Ms. Kawahara: Yes, it is. (Inaudible.) I too...I too just wanted to say that it seems like this has been a long time coming and to have another request for deferral, I just want to urge the administration to please honor this next meeting for June 10 to have everything available so that we can move on this whether or not we vote for it or against it. I want to...yeah, we want to get this done and taken care of because it's been much too long. Thank you. Any other discussion? Upon motion duly made by Councilmember Bynum, seconded by Councilmember Kaneshiro, and unanimously carried, Bill No. 2149 was deferred. CR-PKT 2009-01: on P/R,EC 2007-2 Communication . (3/15/2007) from Tim Bynum, Parks & Recreation Committee Chair, requesting that the Administration be present to provide the status on responses to . the January 19, 2006 follow-up questions regarding Bill No. 2149, Relating to Camping at Lydgate Park. [Received for the record.] There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:03 a.m. , Respectfully submitted, Wilma Akiona Secretary. APPROVED at the Committee Meeting held on June 10, 2009: Lani T. Kawahara Chair, Parks/'IYansportation Committee 5