Hawaii House Bill HR11

Hawaii 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 3/14/25
• Report Pass: 3/25/25
• Refer: 3/25/25

Caption

Urging The Hawaii Housing Finance And Development Corporation To Continue Working With The City And County Of Honolulu To Efficiently Transfer The Roads Within The Villages Of Kapolei To The City And County Of Honolulu.

Summary

H.R. 11 is a House Resolution urging the Hawaii Housing Finance and Development Corporation (HHFDC) to keep working with the City and County of Honolulu to transfer the roads in the Villages of Kapolei to city ownership. The resolution explains that the roads were built by the State in the 1990s, were not initially built to city standards, and therefore were not accepted by the City and County of Honolulu when the State first tried to dedicate them. HHFDC has since assumed responsibility for maintenance and has already completed an initial phase of improvements. The resolution describes an ongoing agreement between HHFDC and the City and County of Honolulu under which the City would accept the roads once they are brought up to applicable standards, including sidewalk reconstruction, utility pole replacement, catch basin work, and other infrastructure upgrades. It also notes that the remaining work is estimated to cost about $100 million, which has led the parties to discuss an alternative transfer arrangement involving a cash payment to the City instead of completing all physical improvements. The resolution urges the agencies to complete the transfer by December 31, 2025.

Impact

This measure does not change statutory law; it is a nonbinding resolution expressing the House’s support for a negotiated transfer of public roads from state responsibility to city responsibility. Its practical effect is to encourage HHFDC and the City and County of Honolulu to finalize a road dedication arrangement for the Villages of Kapolei, potentially shifting long-term maintenance and ownership obligations to the City and County of Honolulu and resolving a long-running infrastructure dispute. It may also influence how HHFDC allocates funds for road improvements or a settlement payment, but it does not itself authorize or compel a transfer.

Sentiment

The overall sentiment reflected in the resolution is supportive and pragmatic. The bill frames the transfer as a way to efficiently resolve an existing infrastructure and maintenance issue, and the inclusion of a target completion date suggests a desire for timely action. No committee testimony or vote record is provided, so there is no recorded opposition or formal legislative debate in the available materials.

Contention

The main point of contention is the condition of the roads and who should bear the cost of bringing them up to city standards. The City and County of Honolulu previously refused dedication because the roads did not meet applicable standards, while HHFDC has already spent about $15 million on improvements and faces an estimated $100 million more to complete the work. A second issue is whether the transfer should occur only after full reconstruction or whether the City should accept the roads in their current condition in exchange for a cash payment, with the parties discussing figures of $60 million and HHFDC authority to offer $40 million. These cost and responsibility questions are central to the resolution’s purpose.