(BIVN) – The Hawaiʻi County Council is considering new legislation to address what Kona residents are calling a dire parking situation in Kailua Village.

Kona’s councilmember Rebecca Villegas has introduced Bill 132, which would add a new article to the Hawaiʻi County Code, regulating parking rates at private parking facilities in Kailua Village.

From Section 1 of Bill 132:

Unregulated and excessive parking fees threaten to harm the public by limiting residents’ access to local businesses, deterring visitors, and creating barriers to shoreline access. These impacts undermine the vitality of the local businesses at the heart of West Hawai`i’ s tourism industry and erode the small-town feel and charm of historic Kailua Village. Implementing fair and reasonable regulations on parking rates at paid parking facilities in Kailua Village will promote accessibility and preserve the welcoming, community-oriented atmosphere that residents and visitors value. The purpose of this ordinance is to establish consumer protections by regulating the business practices of private parking facilities within Kailua Village, including rates that may be charged.

Many testifiers spoke in favor of the bill during Tuesday’s meeting of the Council’s Policy Committee on Public Works and Mass Transit.

The council postponed taking any action on the bill, opting to first hear the opinion of Corporation Counsel. The bill will again be heard at the March 17th committee meeting in Kona.