HOUSE FINANCE COMMITTEE VISITS KAUAʻI

KAUAʻI  – This week, members of the House Finance Committee, led by Chair Chris Todd and the Kauaʻi delegation consisting of Speaker Nadine K. Nakamura, House Majority Floor Leader Dee Morikawa, and Representative Luke A. Evslin, visited the Garden Isle to view firsthand several projects and programs supported by the Legislature. During the site visit, committee members met with stakeholders to learn about community needs and identify key priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

Here are some highlights of the site visits, which took place from September 8 – 9, 2025:

Kīlauea Community Agricultural Farm

Located on Kauaʻi’s North Shore, the 75-acre Kīlauea Community Agricultural Farm serves thousands of residents and aims to increase food security, preserve rural character, and foster agriculturally based economic development on Kauaʻi. The farm also supports efforts to provide youth with meaningful jobs and skills in agriculture.

Kīlauea Community Agricultural Farm is stewarded by ‘Āina Ho’okupu o Kīlauea, a non-profit organization focused on island food security and building a healthy, stable, and balanced local agricultural economy. Their long-term vision is to develop the site into a regional agricultural park and food shed, as outlined in a master plan commissioned by the County of Kauaʻi in 2008.

The House Committee on Finance visited the farm, where Yoshite L’Hote, Executive Director of ‘Āina Ho’okupu o Kīlauea, led a tour, shared the farm’s operations, and outlined its mission to provide food for the community.

Coconut Marketplace Mobility Hub

The Coconut Marketplace Mobility Hub (CMMH) is the first of four planned transportation hubs for Kauaʻi, designed to ease congestion, expand mobility options, and advance clean transportation goals. Supported by funding from the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority and the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, and developed with input from local businesses, the visitor industry, and the community, the hub will include an airport shuttle, multi-modal services, and an information center.

The project’s priority goals are to:

·         Reduce traffic congestion

·         Operate a shuttle system from the airport to Coconut Marketplace

·         Complete pedestrian and bike improvements

·         Re-introduce car sharing

·         Install wayfaring signage

Lawmakers met with CMMH organizers to discuss the vision for the mobility hub and explore strategies to reach priority goals and enhance access for both residents and visitors across the state, by potentially implementing a similar model.

Kōkeʻe State Park – Waimea Canyon & Kalalau Lookout

At Kōkeʻe State Park, the Department of Land and Natural Resources (DLNR) briefed the committee on past and ongoing capital improvement projects (CIP).

The Waimea Canyon and Kōkeʻe State Park region has received numerous road improvement CIP funding over the past 15 years and has also been a beneficiary of years of statewide lump sum allocations to support state park infrastructure and grounds maintenance, improvements, hazard mitigation, and cultural preservation.

While the region has benefited from years of lump-sum allocations, DLNR emphasized the need for urgent repairs to the park’s aging water system, including maintaining adequate water pressure, and systemic water issues affecting residents, visitors, and staff.

Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital

Kauaʻi Veterans Memorial Hospital is a full-service critical access hospital in Waimea providing a full range of healthcare services including 24-hour emergency care, general surgery, intensive care, family and internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, and pediatric services.

The House Finance Committee had an opportunity to visit the hospital's facilities and hear the status of ongoing projects. In recent years, investments from the Legislature included over $7.5 million in funding towards a CT scanner, a 3D mammography machine, and the modernization of its facilities. Some highlights of the recent improvements include a new waiting room, upgraded machinery, an enhanced lobby, and repaved parking. Hospital leaders also shared plans for future improvements to enhance care for West Kauaʻi residents.

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