Kauai County Council Meeting Summary Oct 22, 2025

The Kauai County Council convened on October 22, 2025, to address a diverse range of agendas including a ceremonial recognition of local senior athlete achievements, a briefing by federal consultants regarding Washington D.C. legislative activities, and significant deliberation on local traffic ordinances and land use amendments. The session featured robust public comment regarding infrastructure planning and e-bike safety enforcement, leading to a reconsideration of voting procedures on traffic ordinances.

Consent Calendar

• The committee of the whole received and approved the minutes for the Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, and Finance and Economic Development committees from September 3, 2025, with no objections raised.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Lonnie Cycles urged the council to move beyond wish lists and develop concrete, actionable plans for wastewater and potable water infrastructure, stating that federal assistance cannot be secured without formal plans.
• Kurt Bossart expressed strong support for private enterprise and Opportunity Zones to fund critical infrastructure, criticizing the consultants' presentation for focusing on "looking at stuff" rather than action and noting the omission of Opportunity Zones in their federal strategy.
• Helen Percival emphasized the need for education campaigns to help the public adapt to mixed-use roads, noting that shared paths require clear designations to protect seniors (kapuna) and pedestrians from faster-moving devices.
• Rebecca Lee (Prosecuting Attorney) noted that the current bill creates civil infractions which are difficult to enforce against children, suggesting that asset seizure might be more effective but requires criminal statutes to justify.

Discussion Items

• Federal Affairs Briefing (Smith Garson): Consultants provided an update on the federal landscape, noting a pause in competitive grants due to the Trump administration's reviews, the impact of the government shutdown, and the potential rescission of Inflation Reduction Act funds. They confirmed projects for Lima Olao, Kilauea Town Housing, and Waimea Kakeya Shared Use Path are pending in FY26 appropriations.
  • Councilposition on Water Infrastructure: Councilmembers Cowden and Bulosan expressed concern that wastewater, potable water, and solid waste infrastructure were not adequately represented in the lobbying agenda. Director Rayco clarified that while wastewater is included, potable water is often handled through separate state revolving funds. Councilmember Bulosan strongly suggested making the inclusion of water department priorities a condition of the lobbyist contract moving forward.
• Electric Bicycle Ordinance (Bill 2972):
  • The council amended the bill to align the definition of "electric bicycle" with the current state law of 20 mph, excluding higher-speed "Class 3" devices (up to 28 mph) which are now classified as "high-speed electric devices."
  • Councilmember Bulasan's Amendment: An amendment was introduced to prohibit e-bikes on sidewalks. However, following testimony from the Hawaii Bicycling League (Travis Counsel) that state law allows low-speed bikes on sidewalks in residential zones, and police testimony regarding enforcement difficulties with young children, Councilmember Bulasan deferred the amendment to allow for further study and alignment with state law.
  • Reconsideration: Following public pressure and further expert testimony regarding the potential conflict with state law on speed limits, Councilmember Cully moved to reconsider the first amendment. The council voted to revert the speed limit definition from 20 mph back to 28 mph to align with national industry standards and pending state legislation changes.
  • Enforcement Challenges: Police and Prosecutors highlighted the difficulty of enforcing civil infractions against children under 15. Captain Green suggested education and parental liability, while the Prosecutor noted the lack of clear mechanisms for seizing bikes in civil cases.
• Taxi Cab Rates (Bill 2974):
  • Approval was granted to increase the rate for touring and charted taxi services from $60 to $90 per hour to account for rising fuel costs.
• Land Use Amendments:
  • Bill 2962 (Nuimila Project): The bill was referred back to the Planning Commission to reconsider the 30% agricultural worker housing requirement and infrastructure feasibility.
  • Bill 2965 (Kaava Nui): Approved with amendments removing the specific 30% ag worker rental restriction, noting that the project must still comply with the general county affordable housing ordinance.
  • Bill 2966 & 2967: Approved general plan amendments and state land use boundary changes for a parcel in Makaweli.
  • Bill 2968: Approved zoning boundary amendments in Makaweli and Waimea, including an amendment to remove the specific 30% ag worker rental restriction consistent with previous county actions.

Key Outcomes

• Bill 2972 (E-Bikes): Passed as amended to remove the 20 mph restriction, reverting to a 28 mph definition for low-speed electric bicycles to align with industry standards. The amendment prohibiting e-bikes on sidewalks was temporarily withdrawn for further review. The bill was adopted with the motion passing via roll call.
• Bill 2974 (Taxis): Approved to increase touring/charter rates to $90/hour.
• Bill 2962 (Nuimila): Referred back to the Planning Commission for further work on ag-worker housing and infrastructure planning.
• Bill 2965 (Kaava Nui): Approved with amendments eliminating the specific 30% ag-worker rental restriction.
• Bill 2968 (Makaweli/Waimea): Approved with amendments eliminating the specific 30% ag-worker rental restriction.
• Strategic Direction: The Council directed the Managing Director to ensure the Water Department is fully integrated into the federal lobbying agenda and to consider including Council representation in future federal advocacy planning. The Council also expressed a strong desire to see concrete operational plans for wastewater and water infrastructure to facilitate federal funding applications.