BY COUNCIL MEMBER TOM BERG – Today, the City Council of Honolulu convened and passed several important measures.
I would like to share with you three important issues. Double click COUNCIL agenda for August 17, 2011.
1. TRANSPORTATION
We will no longer stand still and merely talk about the need for a secondary access road to serve the Waianae Coast, but rather demand the road be built. I have introduced BILL049 (11) that upon passage, would take 35% of the city’s highway fund/gas tax revenues and dedicate that source of monies each year to be applied to the pursuit of building this new road until completed. It does to not raise taxes.
Residents in our district have paid taxes for decades to provide multiple roads to serve other communities on our island and now it’s our turn. This BILL starts the process and was passed at the Council meeting today – First Reading. I will need your support in the near future at committee level to get this BILL eventually passed for Final Reading – hopefully by the end of this year. Stay tuned.
2. ILLEGAL ENCAMPMENT
We cannot stand still and allow the illegal encampment to thrive and grow surrounding the beaches within the Makaha area. The Governor’s 90 day plan to “address” homelessness has not reached our shores. The U.S. Army has provided free running water to serve the illegal encampment and I need your input. If I request to have the water shut off, good people in dire straits who are really hurting as is will suffer even more hardship.
Yet, the health conditions and environmental degradation of the area impacted by the homeless encampment cannot be condoned and permitted- for they are trespassing, squatters on public land, turning the beach into a serious health issue. I made a YouTube to illustrate the conditions. Click BEACH
3. WAIANAE COAST
We have the proposed extension- 15 more years of operations- for the Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill upon us being advanced by the Mayor’s Administration of which we must defeat …and also come to a consensus on BILL 50(11) to define and approve future development for the Waianae Coast. Bill 50 passed today- at First Reading (bills need to go through three readings at the council level and pass Final Reading before being sent to the Mayor for approval). Please continue to visit my website for updates-www.councilmanberg.com
A short article on the landfill published in the West Oahu Islander recently covers one of my solutions- Resolution 11-100 Please see informative Midweek Article.
MAHALO
Tom Berg
City Councilman – District 1
Phone 768-5001 – Fax 768-5011
Email tberg@honolulu.gov