Hawaii County Building Codes - The Sequel!

WRITE-MATTERS © 2011

How much public testimony is enough? How many taxpayer dollars is enough? When is redundancy costly, ineffectual and detrimental to the tax paying folk of Hawaii County? 

It was just a year ago so many of us in the Building Industry were working through the same processes. In spring of 2010 the DPW held two public meetings, one in Hilo and one in Kona, to discuss the concerns of those who would be directly impacted by the implementation of the 'then approved' 2006 IECC. Points were all well articulated from the public attendees and except for the newly appointed Building Division head, things were well understood by the various County aficionados present. There was an organized questions and answers with everyone having their opportunity to speak their point of view. What we were told as it all concluded was 'We have heard you. We have your ideas. We will go back and discuss this.' When asked if they would consider a 'coalition' formed from some in the audience the idea was welcomed by the County reps. What happened to all of this?

Taxpayer dollars were spent initially in several County Council meetings, consequential public testimony, heads of many departments within the County's 'building' and 'planning' offices were paid to stand by for testimony and to attend the Council and Public meetings. Some during 'off' hours. One could understand the expenditures in 2010 because it was ostensibly to bring rational thinking to the implementation of a building code that reflects the different environments this island presents in residential design. Imagine the shock to the public when Building Codes, UNCHANGED, were presented to the County Council for approval 2011 and the Council voted to approve!!!! Granted, there are a couple of new council members but the majority of the Council remains the same from 2010 to 2011 and they KNOW what they requested and they KNOW what was done. Why did they not ask questions as to why the CHANGES that they clearly understood needed to be done were not manifest in the Code they voted to approve in 2011? 

As of Wednesday, August 17, the Council has voted to RESCIND its vote to approve. Instead, they want PUBLIC MEETINGS, again!!!! ARE YOU KIDDING? The Council members and Director for DPW, Warren Lee, need to sit down and have a face to face about this ridiculous waste of taxpayer dollars and time. All of the same industry professionals have taken off time, lost dollars themselves in a really recessive economy which has hit the residential construction industry hard, to testify in 2010 and AGAIN to persuade the Council to reconsider the same old bill for all the same reasons in 2011! Such a waste of valuable resources. This work has already been done. The code need only be updated to reflect the reality. This year the whole public has been shown disrespect by tax paid civil servants! It would seem a recalcitrant attitude somewhere along the line is making itself manifest at the cost of the taxpayers. I would suggest at this point the Mayor be besieged with letters of complaint. He is ultimately responsible for the way tax dollars are spent and responsible for the individuals who wield the power to comply with the Council whose clear direction last year was to 'fix' the code to bring it in line with local building needs. The SAFE ROOM was chief among the complaints and was clearly argued as fully unnecessary for East County residential. 

This blog will post the date of the East Hawaii public meeting. In the meantime, please write your council representative and make sure they understand the ramifications of a vote to accept the codes as they are currently written.