In last leg of his second term, Kauai mayor looks back at county’s successes

LIHUE (HawaiiNewsNow) - As he prepares for the final 11 months in office, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami reflected on the strides made while leading the county, and also talked about his final priorities in a one-on-one interview Friday.

Mayor Kawakami began his first of two terms in 2018 and has taken pride in leading the county of Kauai ever since.

“We came in saying we want to get back to the basics,” he said. “Like we want to focus on road resurfacing. We want to improve government process, and reinvent what the process at the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is like, instead of standing hours in line, we wanted to modernize the system.”

From the get-go, infrastructure has been a top focus of his administration, as they worked to improve roads, aging bridges, and provide expanded bike lane access along busy streets.

“We used to get so many complaints about roads. And we still do, but it’s lessened tremendously,” he said.

Kawakami also praised their work building affordable housing.

“The county became the biggest developer of affordable housing,” he said. “We had some big land acquisitions out in Kilauea, Waimea, and we continue to strive to provide housing options.

While he and his team have focused on a number of infrastructure projects around the island, they also begun significant upgrades to the Vidinha Stadium. It’s something he says is a worthwhile investment for the island’s young athletes.

“We still have work with the bleacher stands, with the announcers booth, and of course, we are making improvements with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility as well,” he said.

The $28 million total project will result in regulation track, soccer, and football fields, opening up the possibility for Kauai to host state competitions, giving the island more economic boosts.

For the final 11 months in office, he’s focused on laying the groundwork for projects to continue, like bringing the east side’s multi-use path out west.

“It’s a lengthy process,” Kawakami said. “We’re not gonna be able to complete all of these projects by the time that we leave, but we want to make sure that the foundation is laid for the next administration to really get going on them.”

Mayor Kawakami also said he isn’t ruling out a possible run for a state office in the future.
While this journey has shaped him, he added he’s striving to be a better person every day, as he nears the end of his term. He also said he was most proud of his dedicated team who have reshaped the idea of public service.

“I hope we did an ok job, but whether we did good, bad, fell short, or accomplished, from the bottom of our hearts, we’re very thankful and will be forever grateful,” Kawakami said.