With at least one loose boulder still perched above his Kalihi neighborhood, Keola Cachola made his first foray to the state Capitol on Monday in search of a sympathetic ear — and $250,000 to clear a hillside after two large boulders rumbled down and damaged homes Thursday night.
"We need action now, the sooner the better," said Cachola, a 30-year-old fiber-optics splicer. "We’re just waiting for somebody to release the money."
State Rep. John Mizuno, who represents Kalihi, said he made a "handshake deal" Monday with Department of Land and Natural Resources Director William Aila to use $250,000 out of the DLNR budget to remove loose boulders above Kula Kolea Place — as long as Mizuno can promise to replenish the $250,000 from somewhere else in the state budget.
"Bill Aila is the hero here," Mizuno said. "I am completely on the hook. I need to produce."
Aila did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.
State Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, who also represents Kalihi Valley and serves on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, said, "We can replenish $250,000. I’m going to move to replenish it. … Right now we have residents with homes where possibly more boulders can come rolling down. That’s my first concern."
Mizuno hopes the money can be released this week and that the work to remove boulders can begin within a week or so.
But, Kim said, "government doesn’t have all of the resources to address all of the long-term problems of boulders. We’re going to have to look at how we get the private property owners to be proactive in dealing with some of the issues."
No one was injured Thursday night, but three homes were damaged and nine homes were evacuated.
Consultants hired by DLNR determined that the boulders originated on private land jointly owned by the Church of Christ of the Redeemed of the Lord and William and Shirley Jacinto of Maui, who apparently don’t have the money to clear the area, Mizuno said.
Based on previous efforts to remove loose boulders from other hillsides, Mizuno estimates that the boulders above Kula Kolea Place can be removed for less than $250,000.
But Mizuno hopes the next legislative session can take on bills that will look at the bigger problem of property owners’ liability when boulders fall onto homes.
"We may need some kind of mandatory liability insurance for private property owners," Mizuno said.
Mizuno took Cachola and other Kalihi residents to meet with Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s staff Monday to see whether Abercrombie will invoke Act 76, which allows him to direct state employees to enter private property to address hazardous situations — and release $250,000 for the project.
"After learning of the incident last week, Gov. Abercrombie expressed major concern for the residents in the area," Abercrombie spokeswoman Donalyn Dela Cruz said. "The administration is currently seeking assurance from the Legislature that possible funding, which is (in) the budget now, could be used to stabilize the situation in Kalihi and that such funds be replaced."
