Question: There is a boat that’s been parked on our street in Nuuanu for months. Police have been called but the boat remains there. Would the new city sidewalk property ban ordinance apply in this case? Is there any way for this boat to be removed permanently? The street is narrow, and removing it would help incoming and outgoing traffic.
Answer: As we’ve reported previously, unless a boat or trailer is parked illegally or causing a traffic hazard, no state or city agency has accepted responsibility for it just sitting on the street, no matter how long, although such items are under the jurisdiction of the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.
If the boat is violating a parking or traffic ordinance or creating a hazard, call police at 911.
If it’s not blocking the sidewalk, the new ordinance wouldn’t come into play.
However, the state administration sought "to clarify responsibility for disposing of abandoned vessels within the state and amend the description of an abandoned vessel" through two bills in the Legislature: Senate Bill 2851 and House Bill 2589.
The intent is to transfer responsibility and towing costs to the counties. The Senate bill has since been shelved, but the House bill is still alive, passed out by the House Finance Committee on Thursday.
In testimony submitted to lawmakers, DLNR Chairman William Aila said current laws place the burden of disposing all abandoned vessels on DLNR, regardless of whether they lie abandoned on public lands under another agency’s jurisdiction or on private lands.
He said DLNR has the ability to take boats off reefs but has no equipment or expertise to remove abandoned boats on public streets or other areas.
The proposal is to make DLNR responsible for disposing of only those vessels abandoned on land and water under its jurisdiction.
Dennis Kamimura, administrator of the city Motor Vehicle and Licensing Division, told us the counties all oppose the transfer of responsibility.
In his testimony, Kamimura said the counties are responsible for investigating and removing abandoned and derelict vehicles from public roadways. Since they have access to the registered owner information, they are able to complete the legally required notification and disposal of the towed vehicles. He also said the cost of removal and disposal is funded through the Highway Beautification fund.
If the responsibility is transferred to the counties, he recommended the counties be given access to DLNR’s vessel registration information, as well as an unspecified amount of money to handle the task.
The House bill has been amended to require DLNR to provide the counties with vessel registration or marine document records, but there is no provision for funding.
You can track legislative bills online at www.capitol.hawaii.gov.
Question: I found information about how to opt out of receiving telephone directories at www.yellowpagesoptout.com. Maybe "Kokua Line" readers would find this helpful.
Answer: The website is sponsored by the Local Search Association (formerly the Yellow Pages Association) and the Association of Directory Publishers "because we understand that delivering unwanted directories doesn’t benefit anyone," the association says on its website.
The directories you can opt out of are the Hawaiian Telcom Yellow Pages, the Oahu Business Directory and the Oahu Yellowbook Paradise Pages.
You can also find directory opt-out links, as well as a website to opt out of catalogs, on the city Department of Environmental Services’ website: www.opala.org/solid_waste/archive/Reuse.html.
Mahalo
To the good Samaritan who turned my wallet in to the Aloha Team at Ko Olina after I lost it at the Lagoon 3 parking lot Wednesday afternoon Feb. 8. Live aloha. — Jeff Plumer
