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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit 11th Session - March 3, 2026

County Council & Committees — Tuesday, March 3, 2026

BodyHawaii County, Hawaii

SessionCounty Council & Committees

DateTuesday, March 3, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 51:24

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:06

I'm your vice chair.

0:07

Aloha, welcome to the 11th session of the Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit.

0:11

My name is James Hussis, your chair and presiding officer for today's meeting.

0:15

It is 10 33.

0:17

We are in the Hilo Council Chambers, joined by Councilmembers Galimba, Khadili Kleinfelder, Inaba, Onishi, Kirkowitz, and Kagiwada.

0:27

In our Kona Chambers, we have Councilmember Viegas.

0:31

And Councilmember Kimball will join us shortly.

0:35

With that, Mr.

0:36

Klerk, do we have any testimony for today's meeting?

0:40

Thank you so much, Chair.

0:42

Noting that we do have testifiers here in the Gilo chamber as well as via Zoom and in your Kona chambers.

0:48

What we'll do is we'll start with our Zoom testifier, then we'll transition to Kona for their testifiers, and we'll close it out here in the Gilo chamber.

0:56

So with that being said, Chair, your first testifier is Noelle Lindenman testifying on Bill 132.

1:02

Noelle, when you're ready to begin, if you could unmute, introduce yourself.

1:06

You'll have three minutes.

1:08

Okay.

1:08

Aloha County Council.

1:10

My name is Noelle Lindenman and I live in Kailuakona.

1:13

I am testifying in support of Bill 132.

1:16

I have seen the parking lots off Ali E Drive go from full to empty over the last few years.

1:21

And with that, I have seen restaurants and retail no longer have weights or lines to serve people.

1:26

Specific examples of this are in Coconut Grove, where I used to have trouble finding a parking spot, and now I never do.

1:32

I used to have to wait for Gecko Girls for 20 minutes or over 30 minutes for a table at Fosters.

1:37

I feel this only impacts our community negatively by requiring people to pay so much for parking that they'd rather not come downtown at all.

1:44

If there are no people downtown, visitors or local residents, how can we have any local businesses that survive?

1:51

These local businesses keep money here on the island.

1:54

It's all cyclical.

1:55

If all that is wanted is large chain businesses that funny funnel money off the island, the parking costs can stay how they are.

2:02

Seems fine.

2:03

I don't prefer that.

2:05

This bill keeps parking costs at a reasonable level and would support our local businesses.

2:09

As it stands now, many local residents who want to support local businesses have no desire to come downtown.

2:15

If consumer protections uh for parking aren't put into place, who is to say that other parking lot owners won't support that won't put their own excessive costs on parking in other towns on the island.

2:25

Please support Bill 132.

2:27

Uh Mahalo for this opportunity to testify.

2:30

Thank you so much for your testimony.

2:32

With that, we can transition to Kona.

2:34

Scott, with all your testifiers, please.

2:37

Thank you, Reddy.

2:38

Yeah, this morning we've got Jeff Foster to be followed by uh Chris Fried.

2:44

Both in support of Bill 132.

2:46

Jeff, go ahead and state your name for the record and proceed.

2:48

You'll have three minutes.

2:51

Uh Jeffrey Foster.

2:55

Umloha Chair and County Council members.

2:58

My name is Jeff Foster.

2:59

I'm a small business owner in the Kailoa Village.

3:02

Employee local residents whose livelihoods depend on a vibrant, accessible uh town centers.

3:09

Kona Town is a village, not a large city.

3:13

Its charm, walkability, and shoreline access are what makes it special.

3:18

Parking policy directly affects whether the village thrives or slowly erodes.

3:30

At the same time, parking in Kailoa Village is not just about vehicles, it's about economic access.

3:39

Uh sorry, for a small business.

3:42

Uh operating on narrow margins, even smaller reductions in short-term foot traffic can uh meaningfully affect revenue, employment hours, and tax contributions.

3:58

I appreciate the intent behind Bill 132.

4:02

Unregulated or excessive parking practices can create barriers to local businesses, shoreline access, and community events.

4:10

Under Hawaii County, land use regulations, commercial developments must demonstrate adequate off-street parking to support their uh approved uses.

4:19

That requirement exists because parking availability is essential to public access and economic viability.

4:27

As the bill moves forward, I respectfully encourage the council to ensure that parking practices remain aligned with that purpose, uh providing meaningful access to business and community spaces.

4:39

Clarity is also important when facilities are signed as public parking, but operate as private fee structured lots.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Parking Management█████████████████████████████████████████████78%

Procedural████████14%

Economic Development█████8%

Summary of Proceedings

Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit 11th Session - March 3, 2026

The Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit held its 11th session on March 3, 2026, at 10:33 AM in the Hilo Council Chambers, with members also joining from Kona chambers. The meeting, chaired by Councilmember James Hussis, focused primarily on Bill 132, which would regulate parking rates at private parking facilities in Kailua Village. After extensive public testimony and discussion, the committee voted to postpone the bill to its March 17 meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

Noelle Lindenman (Kailua Kona) testified in support of Bill 132, stating that parking fees have driven away customers, hurt local businesses, and reduced foot traffic downtown. She noted that parking lots that were once full are now empty, and restaurants no longer have waits.
Jeff Foster (Kailua Kona small business owner) supported the bill, emphasizing that parking policy directly affects economic access and that excessive parking fees harm small businesses, revenue, and employment.
Chris Fried (former small business owner) testified in support, describing how his family lost $30,000 over 15 months and was forced to close their shop on Ali‘i Drive due to paid parking. He stated, "You failed us already," but urged the council to help others still struggling.
J. Berg (visitor) supported the bill, saying that parking greed has ruined Kailua Kona and that signage is confusing, especially for older visitors without cell phones.
Julie Zemelis (Kailua Kona resident) strongly supported the bill, arguing that private parking operators use surge pricing and lack transparency, which erodes trust and drives away residents and visitors. She stated that the bill does not constitute a taking.
Elena Wiley supported the bill, emphasizing the need for posted pricing and transparency. She noted that employees of small businesses struggle to find affordable parking and that hiring is difficult due to the parking issue.
Caitlin Ziemless (Kailua Kona resident, age 24) supported the bill, stating that unpredictable parking costs make her and her peers avoid downtown, hurting small businesses.
John Hill (resident since 1999) supported the bill, describing how the parking situation has caused him and his family to avoid Ali‘i Drive, leading to lost spending and a negative atmosphere.
Jasmine Crusat (small business owner, real estate, and certified parking professional) testified in strong opposition to Bill 132, arguing it is an unconstitutional overreach, imposes price controls on private property, and would harm businesses. She urged the council to slow down and engage stakeholders.
Mel Finkenberg (resident) supported the bill, stating that visitors have stopped coming to Kona due to parking costs, and that the decline of Ali‘i Drive is a result of greed.

Discussion Items

Bill 132 – Paid Parking Facilities in Kailua Village: Councilmember Viegas, the bill's introducer, thanked the community and apologized to Chris Fried for the delay. She stated that the bill is a starting point, with intentionally low initial caps ($2/hour), and is open to negotiation. She criticized parking operators for surge pricing, lack of signage, and what she called "greed."
Corporation Counsel: Deputy Corporation Counsel Sinclair Salis Ferguson reported that preliminary research had been conducted but requested more time to submit a written opinion. The committee entered executive session to discuss this matter.
Public Works and Building Division: Director and Acting Building Chief Aaron Spielman clarified that signage in Kailua Village is regulated by the Kailua Village Design Commission (KVDC) and requires building permits. Enforcement is complaint-based. The department does not oversee private parking lot pricing.
Councilmember Discussion: Councilmembers expressed support for the bill's intent but raised questions about enforcement, signage, and the role of county commissions. Councilmember Kleinfelder suggested that future development approvals should consider parking requirements to avoid reliance on private paid parking.

Key Outcomes

The committee voted to postpone Bill 132 to the March 17, 2026 committee meeting. The motion was made by Councilmember O‘Nishi, seconded by Councilmember Viegas, and passed unanimously (9-0).
The committee adjourned at 11:44 AM.

Meeting Transcript

I'm your vice chair. Aloha, welcome to the 11th session of the Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit. My name is James Hussis, your chair and presiding officer for today's meeting. It is 10 33. We are in the Hilo Council Chambers, joined by Councilmembers Galimba, Khadili Kleinfelder, Inaba, Onishi, Kirkowitz, and Kagiwada. In our Kona Chambers, we have Councilmember Viegas. And Councilmember Kimball will join us shortly. With that, Mr. Klerk, do we have any testimony for today's meeting? Thank you so much, Chair. Noting that we do have testifiers here in the Gilo chamber as well as via Zoom and in your Kona chambers. What we'll do is we'll start with our Zoom testifier, then we'll transition to Kona for their testifiers, and we'll close it out here in the Gilo chamber. So with that being said, Chair, your first testifier is Noelle Lindenman testifying on Bill 132. Noelle, when you're ready to begin, if you could unmute, introduce yourself. You'll have three minutes. Okay. Aloha County Council. My name is Noelle Lindenman and I live in Kailuakona. I am testifying in support of Bill 132. I have seen the parking lots off Ali E Drive go from full to empty over the last few years. And with that, I have seen restaurants and retail no longer have weights or lines to serve people. Specific examples of this are in Coconut Grove, where I used to have trouble finding a parking spot, and now I never do. I used to have to wait for Gecko Girls for 20 minutes or over 30 minutes for a table at Fosters. I feel this only impacts our community negatively by requiring people to pay so much for parking that they'd rather not come downtown at all. If there are no people downtown, visitors or local residents, how can we have any local businesses that survive? These local businesses keep money here on the island. It's all cyclical. If all that is wanted is large chain businesses that funny funnel money off the island, the parking costs can stay how they are. Seems fine. I don't prefer that. This bill keeps parking costs at a reasonable level and would support our local businesses. As it stands now, many local residents who want to support local businesses have no desire to come downtown. If consumer protections uh for parking aren't put into place, who is to say that other parking lot owners won't support that won't put their own excessive costs on parking in other towns on the island. Please support Bill 132. Uh Mahalo for this opportunity to testify. Thank you so much for your testimony. With that, we can transition to Kona. Scott, with all your testifiers, please. Thank you, Reddy. Yeah, this morning we've got Jeff Foster to be followed by uh Chris Fried. Both in support of Bill 132. Jeff, go ahead and state your name for the record and proceed. You'll have three minutes. Uh Jeffrey Foster. Umloha Chair and County Council members. My name is Jeff Foster. I'm a small business owner in the Kailoa Village. Employee local residents whose livelihoods depend on a vibrant, accessible uh town centers. Kona Town is a village, not a large city. Its charm, walkability, and shoreline access are what makes it special.

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