SB2670

Report Title:

CIP: Maintenance for Public "Roads in Limbo"

 

Description:

Authorizes $6,000,000 for improvements to public "roads in limbo"; requires dollar-for-dollar county match with a maximum of $1,500,000 per county.

THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	2670
TWENTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2002
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

relating to improvements to public "roads in limbo".

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature finds that jurisdictional disputes over public road ownership have resulted in decades-long conflicts between state and county governments in Hawaii. In the 1960s the State of Hawaii awarded jurisdiction of certain government and homestead roads to the counties, the vast majority of which were previously under the jurisdiction of the state government. These public "roads in limbo" were never improved or upgraded before being transferred to the counties, nor was funding provided for maintenance thereafter.

The legislature further finds that for the county of Hawaii, the department of public works has established an inventory of these roads so that it can properly identify and determine the cost of needed improvements to them. The county of Hawaii is proposing an ongoing partnership program with the State to address the issue of maintaining and upgrading these public "roads in limbo", with annual contributions from both the State and county to resolve the long-standing problem of ownership and maintenance.

The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds – to be matched dollar-for-dollar by the counties – for the maintenance of public "roads in limbo", those public highways as determined by section 264-1, Hawaii Revised Statutes, where the lack of clarity regarding ownership and jurisdiction between the State and the counties is an issue.

SECTION 2. The director of finance is authorized to issue general obligation bonds in the sum of $6,000,000, or so much thereof as may be necessary, and the same sum, or so much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated for fiscal year 2002-2003 for the purpose of the maintenance of public "roads in limbo", those public highways where the lack of clarity regarding ownership and jurisdiction between the State and the counties is an issue; provided that the sum appropriated shall be matched dollar-for-dollar by the county for a maximum of $1,500,000 per county.

SECTION 3. The sum appropriated for the capital projects in section 2 shall be expended by the department of transportation for the purposes of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2002.

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________