Question: Around the condominium being built across the Ward Theatres is a huge fence at least 10 feet high. On the wall are plastered photos of the condominiums and large signs advertising the condo sales. On the other hand, the condominium being built across the Blaisdell Arena has nice artwork on the perimeter fence. Doesn’t Hawaii’s anti-billboard law prohibit such eyesores as the fence around the Ward condominium project? Auwe to the developer for this urban blight that we will have to live with during its construction.

Answer: You’ve probably noticed that the signs are no longer up.

Based on your complaint, the city Department of Planning and Permitting issued a "Notice of Violation" to the owner of the property at 1240 Ala Moana Blvd. for 19 "billboard signs" that were erected on the property, said DPP Director George Atta.

The owner, 1118 Ala Moana LLC, was given seven days to remove the signs. An inspection by the city on July 8 revealed that all the prohibited signs had been removed or covered, he said.

The city’s sign regulations can be found in Chapter 21-7 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu — http://www.honolulu.gov/rep/site/ocs/roh/ROH_Chapter_21_art7-9__.pdf.pdf.

Question: I called a state number and couldn’t get an answer after talking to two different people. When someone applies for a care home operator’s license, does the state do a background check on the applicant? If so, how detailed is the check?

Answer: Both state and federal background/criminal history checks are required not only of the applicant, but of anyone who comes in contact with people receiving the services of a care home.

We found a summary of what Hawaii requires on a website maintained by the National Conference on State Legislatures: www.ncsl.org/documents/health/cbcstatesum.pdf.

Among the requirements:

» Sections 346-97 and 346-335 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes require criminal history checks of providers who have direct contact with people receiving services under home- and community-based programs. That includes volunteers and other adults "regularly present" for such services.

» Section 846-2.7 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes gives the state Department of Health the authority to conduct criminal history checks on all prospective employees, providers and volunteers at any home health agency, adult residential care home or other facility/agency operating in a private residence.

» An additional "adult abuse perpetrator check" is made on someone who has direct contact with a client.

» New employees are required to be fingerprinted and subject to a search within five days of beginning employment.

» The department can refuse to use anyone as a service provider if his or her criminal history could pose a risk to the health, welfare and safety of service recipients. No automatically disqualifying crimes are identified.

The state Department of Human Services currently is conducting background checks on home- and community-based programs, senior companion programs and on the 1915(c) waivers (dealing with Medicaid programs), said Keith Ridley, chief of the Department of Health’s Office of Health Care Assurance.

The Health Department also will require background checks on care-home operators and certain employees of health care facilities as part of the state’s health care facilities licensing requirements once administrative rules are finalized, he said.

The rules, "anticipated" to be finalized by the end of the year, will identify the types of crimes that would disqualify someone from being a service provider, Ridley said.

Mahalo

To the dedicated gentleman who removed graffiti from street signs along Komo Mai Drive in Pacific Palisades. We should all be such fine citizens of our community. — Appreciative Pacific Palisades Resident

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Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.