Kona KTSC Weblog

Comments are requested on the proposed County Ordinance:

AN ORDINANCE RELATING TO ESTABLISHMENT OF DISTRICT HIGHWAY SAFETY COMMITTEES_______________________________________________________

BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I:

SECTION 1. Findings and Purpose: The purpose of this measure is to establish, by Council District, District Highway Safety Committees. Prior to the enactment of Section 286-6, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, in 1993, the Big Island Traffic Safety Council provided advice on traffic safety issues to the County. The Big Island Traffic Safety Council established and supported District Traffic Safety Committees, which would provide factual and advisory input to the Big Island Traffic Safety Council.

The Big Island Traffic Safety Council has for some years ceased to operate, but at least four District Traffic Safety Committees (South Kohala, Kona, Puna and Hamakua) have continued to meet, take testimony, and provide input to the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council, which was established pursuant to Section 286-6, HRS. Such input by the District committees has been very helpful to the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council in its role as advisor to the Mayor on highway safety.

The purpose of this ordinance is to authorize council members to appoint voluntary district highway safety committees, to serve as forums for gathering of testimony and other information regarding local highway safety issues on a district and county-wide level, and for networking of individuals and organizations for providing facts, suggestions and other input for consideration of the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council. The intention is not to create official boards with mandated duties subject to Chapters 91 and 92, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, but simply to create informal but County-recognized district committees for information gathering, networking, and local input to the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council.

SECTION 2. Chapter 24 of the Charter of the Hawai‘i County Code is amended to include a new Article 12, as follows:

Article 12. District Highway Safety Committees
Section 24-___. District Highway Safety Committees.

(a) Creation. There shall be and are created district highway safety committees, one per council district (hereinafter, “district committees”). Each district committee shall consist of any number of persons who have an interest in promoting highway and traffic safety within their district and the county. Said committees shall serve as public forums for discussion of facts, ideas and issues relating to district and county highway safety, for providing, from a district perspective, input to the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council to assist said Council in its role as advisor to the Mayor on highway safety.

(b) Appointment. The members of each district committee shall be appointed by the council member for that district, and shall be residents of that district. The term of such members shall be coterminous with that of their appointing council member. Members may be reappointed without limitation on the number of terms they may serve. Members shall serve on a volunteer, unpaid basis. The Police Department shall provide administrative support for the district committees.

(c) Duties: The district committees shall not have any specific mandated duties, and are not intended to be subject to Chapters 91 or 92, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, but shall be free to informally gather information, hold local discussion on highway safety, and provide input to the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council. The Mayor may, but need not appoint any member or officer of any local committee to the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council.

(d) Procedure. The district committees shall not be required to take official action or operate by quorum or majority vote, but shall be free to employ such informal procedures as may be conducive to gathering, analyzing and discussion of information and issues, and forwarding input to the Hawai‘i County Highway Safety Council. To the extent reasonably feasible, the district committees shall provide, along with their input, a record of the district committee members supporting the input, and a record of any contrary views as well.

(e) Organization. The district committees shall not be required to have any formal organizational structure, but may elect such officers and use such organizational methods as may be consistent with their duties and procedure as set forth in this Article.

SECTION 3. If any provision of this Ordinance, or the application thereof to any person or circumstance, is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the Ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end, the provisions of this Ordinance are declared to be severable.

SECTION 4. This ordinance shall take effect upon its approval.

SECTION 5. The Clerk of the County of Hawai`i is directed to insert the effective date of this Ordinance in any section of the County Code which requires reference to this date.

INTRODUCED BY:

_______________________________________
COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNTY OF HAWAI‘I

Hilo, Hawai‘i
Date of Introduction:
Date of 1st Reading:
Date of 2nd Reading:
Date of 3rd Reading:
Effective Date:

Harold Murata has fowarded a newsletter link related to traffic calming. Traffic Logix provides references to traffic calming methods.

The link is posted in the “Links” list as Traffic Calming.

http://www.trafficlogix.com/