WHEREAS, Hawaii is one of the most beautiful places on earth as an isle paradise centered in the Pacific Ocean; and

WHEREAS, Hawaii's beauty as a State is a direct result of its vast visual impacts and views, mauka to makai; and

WHEREAS, in its past, Hawaii suffered from a unique form of pollution, visual pollution, which over time has been eradicated by the assistance of active public groups such as the Outdoor Circle, whose mission is "to protect and preserve Hawaii's scenic environment;" and

WHEREAS, this pollution was the overabundance of billboards and other visually displeasing advertisements that greatly impacted Hawaii's visual beauty; and

WHEREAS, at present, Hawaii suffers from the negative visual impact from the over abundance, redundancy, and lack of oversight of road signage throughout the State; and

WHEREAS, road sign placement, size, and appearance is regulated by federal law and includes signs for use in situations including regulatory signs, warning signs, guide signs, informational signs, and others; and

WHEREAS, certain road signs, namely informational and guide signs, may be placed at the discretion of the authority with jurisdiction over the roadway; and

WHEREAS, in one instance, there is photographic proof of the unnecessary and redundancy of road sign placement in the State where up to six "NO PARKING" signs are used to regulate the street parking of less than one block of roadway when one such sign and red curb paint would be legally sufficient; and

WHEREAS, there is evidence to suggest that the discretionary nature of road sign placement in the State and county jurisdictions lacks proper oversight, including incidences where guide signs are summarily placed upon request of residents or businesses in the community without a thorough analysis as to the sign's need or impact; and

WHEREAS, incidences also include where warning or informational signs are placed as the result of lawsuits where reasonable drivers should know of the condition present if the vehicle were operated in a reasonable manner; and

WHEREAS, groups such as the Outdoor Circle are desirous, ready, willing, and able to assist and partner with the public sector to analyze current signage and future placement of signs to assure the best interest of Hawaii's beauty; and

WHEREAS, the Outdoor Circle, and other members of the private sector, if partnered with the public authorities with jurisdiction over sign placement, could provide the Legislature and other interested persons with feedback as to how signs are used in the State and whether there is an issue with the overuse of signs; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-third Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2006, that the Department of Transportation, the County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services, representatives from the Outdoor Circle, and any other participants that these organizations deem necessary, form a public/private joint taskforce to conduct an audit of the use, placement, and necessity of road signs throughout the island of O'ahu; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this audit be carried out by the joint taskforce of both public and private representatives with the purpose of analyzing the need for any sign when balanced against the social welfare of maintaining Hawaii's natural visual beauty; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint taskforce is requested to hold hearings and receive other public input about signs that may be offensive to Hawaii's beauty and conduct other means to receive information about problem signs; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint taskforce conduct its analysis and provide a report recommending to the Department of Transportation and the County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services what signs are unnecessary, redundant, or offensive to the visual pleasure of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint taskforce, after creating this report, is requested to present its findings to the Department of the Attorney General and the Department of the Corporation Counsel, respectively, for consultation as to whether there is any increased liability as a result of the recommendations of the joint taskforce; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that once it has been agreed by members of the joint taskforce that a sign is either redundant, unnecessary, or offensive and it may be removed with the consent of the government's legal advisors, the joint taskforce is requested to remove such signs or in the alternative, erect a sign or notice arrangement that results in less negative visual impact, including the use of curb markings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint taskforce is requested to report its findings, recommendations, and actions to the Legislature twenty days before the convening of the Regular Session of 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Director of Transportation, the Director of Transportation Services for the County of Honolulu, and the President of the Outdoor Circle.

Report Title:

DOT; DTS; Outdoor Circle; Road Sign Joint Taskforce