Question: I believe the camping fees instituted by Mayor Caldwell are illegal because the City Council approved camping fees in 2011, and those fees are listed in Section 10-2.13 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu. Why are you aiding and abetting this lawlessness on the part of the mayor instead of pointing out that it is the Council that sets the fees and the mayor is not implementing the law?
Answer: The Council-approved fees seem to differ from the ones announced by the mayor in February, but they don’t.
Caldwell announced permit fees of $32 for three-day campsites and $52 for five-day campsites, each permit good for a maximum 10 campers, beginning March 1.
Under Section 10-2.13 of the Revised Ordinances of Honolulu, the fees approved by the Council are $5 per day for campsites holding up to five people, $10 per day for sites holding up to 10 people, $75 per day for sites holding up to 60 people, $125 per day for sites holding up to 100 people and $312.50 per day for sites holding up to 250 people.
While the ordinance calls for $5 a day for five people, the city doesn’t have any sites for only five people.
"All of the city’s campgrounds (excluding the group campgrounds) allow 10 people per site," said Jesse Broder Van Dyke, spokesman for the city administration. "So $5 a day for five people becomes $10 a day for up to 10 people," he said, with an additional $2 administrative fee per booking charged by the Parks Department.
Eight city campgrounds allow camping for three consecutive days, where the permit fee would be $32 per site ($10 each day, plus the $2 administrative fee), and nine allow camping for five consecutive days, where the fee would be $52 per site ($10 each day, plus $2 fee).
If 25 people wanted to camp together at any of those sites, they would have to reserve three adjacent sites and obtain three permits.
Asked what city campground could accommodate 250 people, Broder Van Dyke said there isn’t one.
However, there are four city parks that have campgrounds that can hold 60, 100 or 150 people: Hoomaluhia Botanical Gardens’ Kahua Nui-Makai campground, 60 people; Kokololio Beach Park, 150; Kualoa Beach Park’s "A" campground, 150; and Maili Beach Park, 100.
The fees for "Large Group" camping are being applied per the ordinance, Broder Van Dyke said.
So, it would be $75 per day for Kahua Nui-Makai, $125 per day for Maili and $312.50 per day for the other two campgrounds, plus the $2 administrative fee for each permit.
Users of the Large Group campsites vary by location and season, he said, with Kokololio filled with church groups all summer long; Hoomaluhia hosting a broad range of campers from Scouts to bluegrass aficionados throughout the year; Kualoa hosting Summer Fun campers in season, and family reunions and large cultural events, such as canoe festivals year-round; and Maili having family reunions most weekends.
Free Shredding
AARP Hawaii and Access Information Management are teaming up again to offer free document shredding 9 a.m. to noon April 13 at the company’s Aiea location, 98-736 Moanalua Loop.
You may bring up to four file boxes or bags of old tax forms, bank statements and other sensitive papers per vehicle. You just drive up, drop off and drive away.
Mahalo
To an honest individual.
I forgot my package containing a door lock and knife I had just purchased from City Mill in Waimalu in a cart outside the store in February. When I discovered what happened, I went back to buy the same items, but the clerk gave me my missing package with the lock and knife. Someone had found the package and returned it to the store. I appreciate that person’s honesty. God bless you. — Raquel
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.
