MAYOR TO SIGN PUBLIC SIDEWALK NUISANCE BILL, BEGIN ENFORCEMENT IN JULY

City Council unanimously passed Bill 7 today

News Release from Office of the Mayor April 18, 2013

Mayor Kirk Caldwell issued the following statement today after the Honolulu City Council passed Bill 7 relating to nuisances on public sidewalks by a vote of 9-0:

I thank the City Council for passing Bill 7 and I look forward to signing it into law.  This sidewalk nuisance bill will help the city keep our public sidewalks open for everyone to use.

I intend to start enforcement in July.  This lead time will allow us to provide direct notice to illegal campers about the new law and allow departments to develop internal procedures to ensure consistent enforcement. 

In the meantime, the city will continue aggressively enforcing the existing Stored Property Ordinance.  I have increased enforcement actions to every two weeks.  Today, Department of Facility Maintenance crews removed and stored items on Kalakaua Ave near the Ala Wai Canal, around Thomas Square, and on Kapiolani near Atkinson.  During recent enforcement actions, the city removed over 10 tons of stored property such as mattresses, pallets, and shopping carts. 

Each enforcement action costs the city about 15 thousand dollars.  Bill 7 will cut that expense in half by eliminating the need to visit locations on two consecutive days.  Every time the city enforces the sidewalk laws our crews are joined by social service providers who offer shelter to those who will accept it, though they generally have few takers.  Bill 7 ultimately seeks to ensure safe public access to our sidewalks for our families, our seniors, and everyone in our community.

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