Direct from Donovan

Highlights of North Shore Tour of Area Bridges and Flooding

As a result of the immense flooding on December 11, 2008 and the damages caused to residences, community leaders, city officials and I toured the area as well as visited problem areas under the city’s jurisdiction. The participants included Kirk Caldwell, Managing Director; Collins Lam, Deputy Director of the Department of Design and Construction; Keoki Miyamoto, Deputy Director of the Department of Emergency Management; Michael Lyons and Jacob Ng, Chair and Vice Chair of the North Shore Neighborhood Board, respectively. The tour also included the Department of Emergency Management’s testing of Haleiwa and Waialua public address voice capability and sirens.

The siren tested the effectiveness of the voice capability of the warning systems and how far the voice warning system could be heard throughout Waialua and Haleiwa. The Department of Emergency Management is in the process of making adjustments to the systems to ensure the health and safety of residents.

The group visited the following bridges, ditches and streams which resulted in the following actions:

• State-Owned Kaukonahua Stream Bridge on Farrington Highway:
• Action: I introduced Resolution 09-127, which urges the state to remove accumulated silt, vegetation and debris from beneath the Farrington Highway Bridge where it crosses Kaukonahua Stream in Waialua.

• Kiapoko Ditch:
• Action: The city noted the drainage ditch needed to be maintained and capacity of the culvert on Waialua Beach Road needs to be increased.

• Mrs. Sumie Tanaka’s home on Haona Street, which is situated along Ki’iki’i Stream:
• Action: City is exploring the possibility of dredging the silt build-up in Ki’iki’i Stream.

• The Haleiwa Road "Long Bridge":
• Action: The city noted the need to remove the silt build up on both banks and under the bridge and dredging of Paukawila Stream.

• Haleiwa Road, fronting Kaiaka Bay Beach Park:
• Action: City needs to study and correct the ponding of water in this area.

• The portion of Pake Ditch which runs parallel to Haleiwa Road:
• Action: The City noted the need for the private landowner to clear and remove debris within the ditch and the need to investigate the private culvert.

• Twin Bridge and Paukawila Stream:
• Action: With the assistance of Mr. Mike Lyons, city officials noted that a system of monitoring the ditches, streamways, and reservoirs that feed into Twin Bridge needs to be developed in order to clear, clean, reinforce stream banks and any other remediation work.

The tour provided City officials an opportunity to visit first-hand the areas affected by the December flooding and determine the appropriate action needs to be taken by the City. We look forward to work closely with the Administration to ensure the bridges, ditches and streams are properly maintained and cleaned by the City, State and private landowners. I also look forward to developing long-term solutions for those projects that require a large amount of city resources and funding so that clear goals and objectives are met as soon as possible.

As Chair of the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety and Services and your area Councilmember, I am deeply concerned about the safety of our residents, especially in times of natural disasters. Should you have any city concerns regarding flooding, please call my Legislative Aide, Reed Matsuura, at 768-5038.