LIHU‘E — An oversight in the final version of the Lydgate camping ordinance, which took more than six years to be approved, prompted the Kaua‘i County Council to revisit the rules once again. The council six months ago had voted
LIHU‘E — An oversight in the final version of the Lydgate camping ordinance, which took more than six years to be approved, prompted the Kaua‘i County Council to revisit the rules once again.
The council six months ago had voted against a portable-toilet requirement for large groups using the pavilion at Lydgate campgrounds, but somehow the final bill still had such requirement.
Wednesday’s council meeting put an end to the oversight.
After heated discussion in June, July and August on whether to mandate large groups to bring portable bathrooms to the campgrounds, the council on Sept. 7 approved on a 5-2 vote the final version of the bill — first introduced in 2005.
Before the council gave the final vote on the bill, it rejected on a 3-4 vote an amendment introduced by Councilman Dickie Chang, requiring that groups renting the pavilion bring one portable toilet for every 50 campers. Some council members didn’t support the amendment based on financial burden to local groups and a potential redundancy of additional amenities.
However, when the final version of the ordinance was sent to Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. for his signature, the document had the following language:
“For every 100 or more campers, the permit shall require the installation, at the permitees’ expense, of two portable toilets at a location designated on a map to be issued with the permit. The permitee shall cause the removal of the portable toilets when the permit expires.”
Carvalho signed the bill sometime in September, and 60 days later the campgrounds were supposed to open to the public. The portable-toilet requirement passed along with the bill, despite the council’s rejection.
Six months later the council finally corrected the mistake.
Wednesday’s vote removed the aforementioned portion out of the ordinance.
