The Kauai County Council met on October 15, 2025, at 8:30 a.m. in the Council Chambers. The meeting opened with an invocation and public hearings on two bills (No. 2972 on electric bicycles and No. 2974 on taxicab rates). The agenda included a consent calendar, a briefing on the Po'ipu Road Safety and Mobility Project, several communications requesting approvals, legal documents, claims, a resolution, and four bills for first reading. Key discussions focused on preserving mature trees along Po'ipu Road, accepting a donation to combat the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle, approving funding for affordable housing infrastructure, and advancing a ban on disposable bodyboards.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 12:10 p.m.
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our council meeting today's October 15th. Um, and before we start our official agenda, we would like to invite Bishop Ike Cockett from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to come up and give us some words of wisdom. Sorry. Thank you. Um, Chair Reposo and uh County Council members. Um at this time, I'd just like to uh provide the invocation for this meeting. If we could bow our heads in prayer, our kind and gracious eternal Father in Heaven. We humbly come before thee at the beginning of this county council meeting with gratitude in our hearts for our council members for their willingness to serve our Kauaiohana in this most honorable way. Father, we ask thee to bless each of our council members, bless them with clarity of mind regarding issues as they discern better from best resolutions. Bless them with Christ-like love as they come to decision decisions which benefit all in our community, that they may be able to walk in the shoes of the least of our brothers and yet have a brotherly understanding and love for them. Bless them that they will have health and strength to embark upon this council meeting and complete the work that is presented to them. Father, we ask a special blessing be upon their families, husbands, wives, sons, daughters, as well as their extended families for the love and support they provide, which allows them to serve. Father, at this time I invoke a priesthood blessing by the authority of the Holy Melchizedek priesthood and in the name of Jesus Christ, that this council may always aspire to make the best decisions for the common good of our community, and that this philosophy may always dwell at the forefront of their minds and in their hearts, that they may not simply accommodate and tolerate, but genuinely see, understand, acknowledge council and aloha one to another, that today and throughout this council meeting, they understand the diverse backgrounds that each have, but that as children of God they recognize that we are all one in Jesus Christ is my prayer, and we ask for these blessings humbly in the name in the sacred name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you. Thank you very much. Okay, we have uh two public hearings today. Uh so madam clerk, can we read the notice for bill number 2972, please? Notices hereby given that the Koei County Council will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, October 15, 2025 at 8 30 a.m. or soon thereafter in the council chambers 4396 Rice Street and the historic county building on bill number 2972, a bill for an ordinance amending chapter 16, Koi County Code 1987 as amended relating to the traffic code. This is for e-bicycles. This bill proposes to create necessary definitions for emerging technologies and an accompanying new section to chapter 16. Koi County Code 1987 as amended that addresses electric bicycles and their safe, allowable use on public roads, thereby reducing the frequency and severity of e-bike-related incidents. Chair, we have one piece of written testimony. Thank you. We have anyone in the audience wishing to speak on the e-bike legislation. Seeing none, that public hearing is closed. Can you read the notice for bill number 2974, please? Notice is here by given that the Quake County Council will hold a public hearing on October 15, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. or soon thereafter in the council chambers 4396 Rice Street in the historic county building in Lehue on Bill No. 2974, a bill for an ordinance amending chapter 23, Koi County Code 1987 as amended relating to the regulation of business and trades. This is for taxicab rates for touring or chartered time. This bill proposes to amend chapter 23, Kuwait County Code 1987 as amended by increasing the taxicab rates relating to touring and chartered time. Chair, we have one piece of written testimony for this bill also. Thank you. Is there anyone in the audience wishing to testify on the taxicab bill? Seeing none, this public hearing is closed. With that, I will call the meeting to order. Roll call, please. Councilmember Bolosan. Councilmember Cavallio. Councilmember Cowden should be on her way. Councilmember Holland. Present. Councilmember Kanishiro is excused. Councilmember Kuli is on his way, and Council Chair Pozo. Here. Yeah. For present. Thank you.