w Editor’s note: Old-timers might still remember the introduction from “The Shadow” radio program: “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” Jerome Freitas, a retired state Department of Transportation worker who is now better known as Da Shadow, since 2004 has been meeting with government representatives about problems he has discovered or that have been reported to him, and reporting the county’s responses.
Many people approach me around the island at places like McDonald’s or at the grocery store with their concerns about public safety and other county-related issues on Kauai.
These community members
often praise me and wonder how
I am able to do all of this work
by myself.
The short answer is, I do not do it alone. Though I am around the island keeping my eyes and ears open for concerns from the community and enjoy looking out for the safety of the public, I have the assistance from many dedicated public servants at the county who assist me in getting this information out to the public in The Garden Island.
First and foremost, I would like to thank Council Chair Mel Rapozo, who has taken the time to meet with me a couple of times a month to identify and address the concerns that have been brought to my attention.
Next is the dedicated staff of the Office of the County Clerk, Council Services Division, most especially Yvette Sahut, Wilma Akiona and Scott Sato, who work with me to schedule my meetings with Rapozo and assist me in getting my questions answered.
Last, but not least, is Sarah Blane from the Office of the Mayor and the administrative department heads who provide the answers and action to many of the public’s concerns.
We often criticize many in government for the speed at which things get done (myself included), and so often forget to show appreciation for the many services and initiatives that our public servants provide on a daily basis.
I wanted to take this time to thank those who are working hard to get things done in our island community, as working together is the only way we can keep Kauai the best place to live.
Now, on to this week’s questions and answers.
Islandwide
How does the county use the Beautification Fee assessed on Motor Vehicle Registrations?
The Beautification Fee has been on the books for about 40 years. It is required by Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) 286-51.
The purpose of the fee is to fund highway beautification projects and “other related activities of primary highways.”
It also is used to pay for dealing with abandoned or derelict vehicles and is used to pay for hauling away vehicles junked with their owners’ permission.
Currently, on Kauai, the fee is $5; $1 of that must be sent to the state for Department of Transportation purposes, while the remaining $4 is used for the purposes listed above on Kauai.
What county expenses can the new 0.5 percent General Excise Tax Surcharge be used for?
Pursuant to Hawaii Revised Statutes (HRS) §46-16.8, “each county with a population equal to or less than 500,000 … shall use the surcharge for: 1) Operating or capital costs of public transportation within each county for public transportation systems, including public roadways or highways, public buses, trains, ferries, pedestrian paths or sidewalks, bicycle paths; and 2) Expenses in complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with respect to paragraph (1).”
In the Mayor’s Fiscal Year 2019 proposed budget, which was submitted to the County Council in March, he intended to use a bulk of the GET revenues for road resurfacing, while also using a portion of those funds to support the operating costs for the Transportation Agency. The County Council is currently deliberating on the proposed budget, which we anticipate will be finalized by the end of May.
To view the council budget meetings, visit www.kauai.gov/
webcastmeetings
Lihue
Who would be responsible for installing and maintaining a crosswalk on the road between The Home Depot and Costco? Would this be a county initiative or is there a private landowner responsible for this?
The vehicular access road between the main parking lots of The Home Depot and Costco is a private roadway, not county.
However, the county is looking at installing a crosswalk along Nuhou Road, which is a county roadway adjacent to The Home Depot and Costco. This initiative would require County Council approval via a council resolution.
Kealia
There is a rock wall bordering a portion of Kealia Road. How far up past the wall is the county’s responsibility for maintaining overgrown brush and shrubbery? When does it become the abutting landowner’s responsibility?
More information is needed to respond to this question. Please provide an address or nearest landmark to help us determine the specific location of this wall.
•••
Jerome Freitas can be reached at theshadow96751@gmail.com or 635-3528. Visit his website at http://theshadow96746.tripod.com
