KAILUA, KONA, Hawai'i — The Hawai'i County Council is plowing ahead with a "concurrency policy" to better manage road, water and waste needs in the face of rapid growth.

Council members believe it is the first legislation of its type in the state.

The council has resolved to send two sets of competing bills to a planning specialist in the mayor's office to create the strongest, most comprehensive policy.

Guidance is needed to ensure developers adequately plan for roads, water, wastewater, solid waste, parking, police and fire department needs and ensure public facilities are built before or in tandem with private construction.

The council hopes to adopt a policy that will establish minimum standards for public facilities, spell out a public facilities improvement plan, and allow the planning director to review rezonings and subdivisions to ensure they meet the minimum standards.

South Kona Councilwoman Virginia Isbell has introduced bills that create a "concurrency management system," which would ensure that public facilities are expanded concurrently with private development. It also would create a way to identify needed infrastructure and services.

The full council also agreed to resurrect two bills from Kohala Councilman Pete Hoffmann that deal with the growth issue.

Hoffmann was disappointed his bills were killed two weeks ago by the Planning Committee, which preferred to wait for Isbell's efforts.

While some members of the council saw the resultant bickering as "playing politics" ahead of yesterday's primary election, they all recognized the need to keep moving forward.

"We have some momentum right now," said Isbell, who was one of several candidates to make concurrency a campaign issue two years ago.

In the year she has been working on the bills, Isbell sought advice from James Kent Associates, a social ecology and public policy group with offices in Kona, Oregon and Colorado.

In a three-page report, Kent suggested the county create an independent position to implement new programs and avoid overburdening any one existing department.

He also suggested assessing developers' fees up front for an infrastructure trust fund, which would be used to address deficiencies around the island.

The council is expected at its Oct. 4 meeting to refer all the bills to Roy Takemoto for revision. Takemoto, a mayoral assistant with planning experience, already is familiar with the proposals. Planning Director Chris Yuen said the review must be completed within 120 days, although he acknowledged it is only the start of a long process.

Yuen said he is applying concurrency principles to rezoning applications.

Committee members also proposed formation of a committee to work on refining the concurrency legislation.

"We need to bring all the stakeholders to the table," said County Councilman Gary Safarik. "Unless we do, this will be something that we can all only wish for."