Categorized | Government, News

North Hawaii to receive nearly one-half billion in CIP funds

MEDIA RELEASE

Residents of the new North Hawaii Senate District 4 were assured they will receive a larger share back of the General Excise Taxes (GET) and Transient Accommodation Taxes (TAT) that this community generates as a result of the passage on final reading of the 2014 Legislature’s supplemental budget bill, according to Sen. Malama Solomon.

With the passage of this biennium budget (HB 1700 CD1), Senate District 4 will receive close to a half-billion dollars in Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) — $380M in the first year of the biennium and $100M in this, the second year of the biennium budget, Solomon said.

District 4 includes Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikaloa, Puako, Kawaihae and North Kona.

“Up until these past three years, our large district has not received back a fair share of the revenue it generates. After more than 15 years of serious neglect, coupled with population growth and shifting economic and community priorities, our District’s public facilities – schools, parks, agricultural infrastructure, roads and hospitals – are aging and some are in alarming disrepair,” Solomon said.

“I am very grateful that we were able to secure the support of Senate and House colleagues to fund repairs and, in some cases, make dramatic improvements that will both create short term construction employment, and also enhance quality of life, protect the environment, and address serious health, safety and social needs,” she said.

Highlights of CIP funding to District 4 include:

AGRICULTURE & FOOD SELF RELIANCE

$1.7M — Waimea Irrigation System Improvements
$1M — Lower Hamakua Ditch Watershed Project
$3.5M — Waimea Homestead Community Agricultural Park (Waimea Nui)

EDUCATION

$9.89M — Waimea Middle School (construction and equipment for a 9-Classroom Science- Technology Building)

$1,7M — Kanu O Ka Aina Learning ‘Ohana (construction of a new community recreation center emergency shelter that would double as a school-community cafeteria and recreation center)

$2M — Honokaa Elementary School (construction of student drop off and parking area)

$2M — Honokaa High School (athletic facility improvements)

$300,000 — Kealakehe High School (construction of an all-weather and synthetic track)

UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT HILO

$33M — College of Pharmacy (a new instructional facility)

$2.5M — Astronomy (modernization and repair of 2.2 meter telescope on Mauna Kea)

$500,000 — College of Agricultural, Forestry and Natural Resource Management (establish the Hilo International Flight Training Center)

HAWAIIAN HOMELANDS

$60,000 Kailapa Community Association in Kawaihae (plan for a resource center)

HUMAN SERVICES

$250,000 — The Food Basket, Inc. (repairs and maintenance)

HEALTH

$1M — West Hawaii Community Health Center

LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS

$200,000 — Hawaii Island Humane Society (construction of the Hawaii Island Animal Community Center)

LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

$3M — Puu Waawaa Structure Improvements and Dam Compliance

$8M — Waimea District/Regional Park Plans (A 1:1 match with the County of Hawaii)

TRANSPORTATION

$1.9M — Kona International Airport at Keahole (south ramp taxiway and ramp improvements)

$500,000 — Hilo Harbor (modifications to improve navigational safety and operational efficiencies)

$2M — Waiaka Stream Bridge replacement and realignment at Kawaihae Road

$2M — Highway 130 and Homestead Road intersection improvements

$1M — Saddle Road Extension from the Hilo terminus to the Queen Kaahumanu Highway

$1M — Sidewalk Improvements to Mamane Street in Honokaa

$1M — Traffic Operational Improvements to existing intersections and highway facilities

Mamalahoa Highway

$6.2M — Drainage improvements by Puu Waawaa Ranch Road

$4.5M — Drainage improvements at Kawa

$810,000 — Rehabilitation or replacement of Hilea Stream Bridge

Belt Road

$500,000 — Rehabilitation or Replacement of Pahoehoe Stream Bridge

$4.9M — Drainage improvements by Hakalau Bridge

$1.3M — Rehabilitation or replacement of Ninole Bridge

DEFENSE

$2M — Youth Challenge Academy (upgrade and renovation of Keaukaha Military Reservation)

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

 

Quantcast