CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR DISTRICT 48 TOTAL $30.5 MILLION

Rep. Kitagawa secured funding for schools, other projects, passed measures on key issues

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) earmarked for House District 48 through 2021 include $30.5 million targeting school, library, transportation, and hospital improvements. In addition to securing CIP funds, Representative Lisa Kitagawa (Kāneʻohe, Kahaluʻu, Waiāhole) introduced and was instrumental in passing measures aimed at education, conservation, and homelessness.

"These projects and policies are our tax dollars at work, and it's my job to ensure our community sees these funds and initiatives making a positive difference in their lives," said Rep. Kitagawa.

CIP District 48 funding for fiscal years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021:

Schools

• $525,000 for Benjamin Parker Middle School for a boundary survey, retaining wall replacements, and drainage improvements
• $300,000 and $402,000 for Castle High School to replace stadium light fixtures and resurface the roadway and parking lot, respectively
• $372,000 and $600,000 for Heʻeia Elementary School to upgrade fire alarms and improve campus drainage including Buildings B and C, respectively
• $486,000 for Kahaluʻu Elementary School for a fire alarm upgrade
• $2 million, $1.68 million, and $480,000 for Kapunahala Elementary School for a new portable classroom, ADA transition, and resurfacing the parking lot, respectively
• $110,000 for Pūʻōhala Elementary School to replace the freezer box in Building D

Libraries

• $2.169 million for Kāneʻohe Public Library for upgrades and renovations

Transportation

• $4 million for Waiāhole Bridge replacement

Hospitals

• $17.442 million for Hawaiʻi State Hospital improvements for health, safety, and accessibility

Measures Rep. Kitagawa introduced and/or was instrumental in passing:

DOE funding to be used for classrooms and schools: HB1070 HD1 SD1 CD1 provides that public schools shall not be required to expend school funds to maintain geographically disadvantageous land on or adjacent to school properties. There are currently 137 public schools that have geographical features such as streams or rough terrain; these schools have been required to maintain these lands using school funds which would be better spent on education-related needs. This bill also funds the Hawaiʻi Teachers Standards Board and teacher stipends for the Grow Our Own Teachers initiative.

Plan to make the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve a success: HB1068 HD1 SD2 CD1 appropriates funds for and requires community and organization involvement in the development of a Heʻeia State Park community-based long-range plan for the Heʻeia National Estuarine Research Reserve System. In 2014, Heʻeia was officially nominated as a national estuarine research reserve, becoming part of a network of protected areas along America's coastlines founded on the principle that long-term protection of representative estuaries provides stable platforms for research, education, and management practices that benefit the nation's coasts.

Health, safety, and addressing homelessness at the Hawaiʻi Children's Discovery Center: HCR36 is a resolution that urges the governor's coordinator on homelessness and the City and County of Honolulu to come together and prioritize their homelessness efforts in the area surrounding the Hawaiʻi Children's Discovery by convening a task force.

In addition to the above initiatives, Rep. Kitagawa worked to ensure funding for the Windward Community College Childcare Center director position, the Kāneʻohe Joint Outreach Center, and a State Legacy Land Conservation grant for the Pali to Loʻi Restoration Project.

For more information, visit Rep. Kitagawa's web page.