Bill > HR89

This Resolution requests the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA), a state agency responsible for regulating businesses and consumer protection, to establish a working group to address the governance of housing subdivisions in the Puna District of Hawaii County. This action is prompted by long-standing issues stemming from subdivisions approved in the 1960s that did not require homeowner's associations (HOAs) to manage shared roads and infrastructure. The lack of such associations has led to roads falling into disrepair, hindering emergency services and causing disputes among landowners who voluntarily try to maintain them. The working group, composed of representatives from the legislature, the county mayor's office, the DCCA's Real Estate Branch, community association organizations, and community stakeholders, is tasked with reviewing existing DCCA procedures for condominium associations to see how they can be adapted for these subdivisions. They are also to recommend procedures and rules for establishing governing entities, including basic bylaws for notice, voting, and governance, and must submit a report with findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature by a specific date.