Honolulu mayor vetoes bill delaying fire safety compliance

HONOLULU — Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell has vetoed a measure that would have given condominium owners two extra years to comply with a fire safety law.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports a law requiring high-rise buildings to perform fire safety evaluations within three years was enacted earlier this year after a fire raged through the 35-story Marco Polo building in July 2017, causing the deaths of four people.

The law mandates that steps need to be taken to comply with the evaluation within six years.

The city council unanimously passed a bill last week, giving condo owners an extra two years to conduct the evaluations and to implement findings.

Caldwell says the two-year delay is too much time as it increases risk.

The council requires six votes to override the veto.