Council falls one vote short of overriding Alameda veto on code board

A single absence sealed the outcome for Hawaii Island’s builders, homeowners and permit applicants: the County Council fell one vote short of overriding Mayor Kimo Alameda’s veto of Bill 127, keeping a new Construction Code Commission off the books and leaving code policy in existing hands.

The council voted 5-3 to overturn the veto on April 23, but that was not enough to reach the two-thirds threshold required for an override. Chair Holeka Inaba was absent, and his absence mattered because he had backed the bill at second reading and was widely seen as the likely decisive vote. With Alameda’s veto intact, county construction-code decisions will continue to move through the mayor, the County Council and the Department of Public Works without a permanent seven-member advisory board.

Bill 127 had been introduced by Council Members Ashley Kierkiewicz and James Hustace through Communication No. 711 on Jan. 15. The Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit took up the measure Feb. 4, the council passed it on first reading Feb. 18, and members amended it to Draft 3 on March 4 before it reached the veto stage. The proposed commission would have included people with experience in architecture, engineering, electrical work, plumbing, fire protection, building materials, homeowners’ insurance, construction management, trade representation and contracting, along with ex-officio, nonvoting participation from county officials tied to public works, planning, fire and water supply.

Supporters argued the board would help the county keep up with the technical side of modern code updates. In committee, Council Member Rebecca Villegas said past code changes showed the need to balance state updates with economic realities. Council Member Dennis ‘Fresh’ Onishi urged closer coordination with the State Building Code Council and said the county would need travel funding to Oahu and administrative support. Council Member Jenn Kagiwada pushed to add specific expertise in building materials and how those materials are used.

Alameda vetoed the bill on April 2, his second veto as mayor. In his veto message, he said the county already provides administrative support to 36 active boards and commissions, with more than 200 volunteer positions, and argued that a task force would be a better way to pursue the bill’s public-safety goals without adding another permanent layer of administration. Micah Alameda, speaking for the mayor’s office, said the administration supported the bill’s intent and spirit but worried about costs. No public testimony was heard at the override meeting.

The fight over Bill 127 also echoed earlier county debates. A 2020 overhaul consolidated building, plumbing, electrical and energy codes into one framework, and a 2021 council discussion over code changes raised concerns that some requirements could add at least $10,000 to home construction costs. With the veto standing, Hawaii County will keep wrestling with construction standards, safety and affordability through its existing structure, rather than a new board built to do the job.