The proposed rule amendments are needed to allow the Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation to:

imore effectively manage motor vehicle parking within the state small boat harbors and related facilities;

iprovide additional security that will be a requirement of a parking management permit;

iincrease fees to provide additional funds to improve state boating facilities;

ifund other boating program activities; and

icomply with HRS 91-5(a) requiring revision and compilation of rules every 10 years.

"The input we receive from the public will be valuable as we work to standardize parking rules statewide as part of our ongoing effort to improve management of all of our boating facilities, including providing enhanced parking services," said Laura H. Thielen, DLNR chairwoman, who noted that the current parking rules are specific only to the Ala Wai and Lahaina small boat harbors.

"We believe that the proposed changes are reasonable and equitable, and would help the state better manage boating facilities, improve services and generate additional funds that can be used to make much needed improvements at small boat harbors around the state," she said.

The hearings schedule is:

O'ahu – 6-8 p.m., Wednesday, Jefferson Elementary School cafeteria, 324 Kapahulu Ave.

Hawai'i – 5:30 – 7 p.m., Wednesday, Waimea Senior Center, 67-1199 Mamalahoa Highway, Kamuela

Kaua'i – 1-3 p.m., Dec. 22, Wilcox Elementary School Cafeteria, 4319 Hardy Street, Lihu'e

Lana'i – 5-8 p.m., Dec. 27, Lana'i Public and School Library, Fraser Avenue, Lana'i City;

Maui – 5-7 p.m., Dec. 28, Lahaina Intermediate School Cafeteria, 871 Lahainaluna Road, Lahaina.

All interested parties are invited to attend and to present their views on the proposed amendments, either orally or in writing.

Written statements may be submitted at the public hearing or to the chairperson up to one week following the last public hearing date.

DLNR held three public meetings earlier this year with users of the Ala Wai harbor area to begin a dialogue on a range of possible options for addressing parking problems that include: activities taking place at the harbor after hours, and the amount of parking being taken up by non-harbor users such as construction workers and employees in the surrounding area, which reduces the parking available for recreational users.

Based on public feedback at the meetings, and to incorporate and balance as many concerns as possible raised by the various user groups, an amended plan for parking rule changes at the Ala Wai small boat harbor currently proposes to:

1) dedicate the helipad area, approximately 130 parking stalls, as free parking for recreational and harbor users;

2) continue to provide permit parking with rate increase from approximately $1.67 a month to $25 a month, which is equivalent to the City and County employee rates; and

3) open the remaining stalls in the harbor to the public at County rates managed by a parking management company.