Sagum concerned about lack of progress at Kikiaola

State Rep. Roland Sagum, D-16th District, has called on officials to move the Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor project forward.

“I am deeply concerned about the lack of progress on the dredging of Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor,” he said in a statement Friday afternoon. “As of today, the state’s contractor, American Marine Corporation, has been unable to get the needed permit from the County of Kaua‘i to dispose of dredged material on the property mauka of the harbor. Despite best efforts from the state Division of Boating of Ocean Recreation, the county has been unable to respond in a timely manner.”

While the county has said that Department of Health approvals would be required for a dewatering site adjacent to the harbor, this is no longer the case as the contractor proposes to transport the dredged material directly to a stockpile area on the mauka site, he said in the release. Thus, the project awaits an approval from the county to utilize the mauka area which according to Eric Yuasa, state engineer at the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation, the DOH permit may not be required.

“The delay has become so serious that I am afraid we may lose American Marine Corporation as the state’s contractor. This would be a tremendous setback, but I believe it can be avoided if the permitting issues are resolved immediately,” Sagum said.

“Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor is an important resource to the boaters of Kaua‘i. It is the “Town Center” of West Kaua‘i,” he said. “This project has dragged on for an inordinate amount of time and the harbor’s structural problems only become compounded due to lack of action. The situation is dire, and I do not want to see the harbor become totally unusable. Kikiaola Small Boat Harbor has needed maintenance dredging for over 50 years.

“I implore all parties to address and resolve this matter with the urgency it deserves.”