Council overrides vetoes on rail authority, landfill fees

DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARADVERTISER.COM

A groundbreaking ceremony was held in February for the rail transit system.

The City Council overrode today four of Mayor Peter Carlisle’s vetoes, including the operating and construction project budgets for the soon-to-be-formed Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
 
The vetoes setup the potential of a court fight, if the administration decides to challenge the override. Carlisle has said a legal challenge would depend on a number of factors.
 
The council also voted to overridde a bill that would authorize the reimbursement of the general and highway funds from the transit fund for money spent on rail prior to 2007, when the transit fund was established.
 
The other bill overridden was a measure reinstating a discount on tipping fees charged to companies that recycle waste and deliver the non-recyclable residue to Waimanalo Gulch landfill.
 
A measure approved earlier this year eliminated an 80 percent tipping fee discount. The new bill reinstates the discount at 50 percent and reduces it to 20 percent over two years, with a report required at that time to determine whether it should continue.

The council also approved a resolution approving Ernie Martin as its new chairman. Martin succeeds Nestor Garcia, who previously announced he would step down from the leadership post.