HAR §15-215-83. Completeness review

(a) Purpose. The purpose of the completeness review is to determine whether or not all required information is provided in a permit application. A completeness review shall not constitute a decision as to whether an application complies with the provisions of the rules. (b) Applicability. This section applies to all permit applications provided for in these rules. (c) Application materials. No application may be deemed complete unless all of the information required by forms published by the authority and required for proper assessment of the request is included and all filing fees, where applicable, have been paid. The executive director shall ensure that application materials are made available in hardcopy format at the [HCDA] authority's office and electronically via the internet. 215-102 (d) Jurisdiction. All applications shall be reviewed by the executive director or designee for completeness. At the time of proposed filing and fee payment, the executive director may reject any application that omits information required by forms published by the [HCDA.] authority or required for proper assessment of the request as determined in the executive directorʻs sole discretion. Once accepted for filing, the executive director's final determination on completeness of an application is appealable to the authority pursuant to section 15- 215-86 (appeals). (e) Commencement of time limit for application decision. Whenever the rules establish a time period for processing an application, such time period does not commence until the executive director has issued a certificate of completeness. (f) Multiple permit approvals. When a proposed project requires more than one permit approval, the [developer] applicant shall apply for all such permit approvals concurrently. (g) Completeness review process: (1) The executive director shall provide a written determination on the completeness review within forty-five [business] working days of receipt of the permit application, excluding all State holidays. If a permit is deemed complete, the executive director shall issue a certificate of completeness. If the application is determined not to be complete, the executive director's determination shall specify those parts of the application that are incomplete and shall indicate [the manner in which] how they can be made complete, including a list and thorough description of the specific information needed to complete the application; (2) If the application requires review by any other local, state, or federal agency or entity, the executive director may require the written comments from such agency or entity prior to deeming the application complete, and until such time that the executive director receives all such 215-103 comments, the forty-five day period shall be tolled; (3) Upon receipt of any application that has been resubmitted, a new forty-five day period shall begin, during which period the executive director shall determine the completeness of the application; (4) If the applicant contests the executive director's determination of an incomplete application, the applicant may appeal the executive director's determination to the authority pursuant to section 15-215-86, (appeals). If the authority does not render a decision on the appeal within sixty working days after submittal of the requisite appeal form and filing fee, the application with the submitted materials shall be deemed complete for the purposes of this section; and (5) Nothing in this section precludes a [developer] applicant and the executive director from mutually agreeing to an extension of any time limit provided by this section. (h) Time limits. A certificate of completeness is deemed issued if the executive director fails to act within the time period required for completeness review. Automatic approvals, however, do not apply if an applicant submits an application for an incorrect permit type. In computing time periods of this section, the day upon which the application was submitted is not to be included. Further, the last day is to be included unless it is not a business day, in which event the period runs until the next business day that is not a State holiday. (i) Information requests. After the executive director issues a certificate of completeness or deemed as complete per [this section,] section 15-215-83 (completeness review), the executive director or authority may, in the course of processing the application, request the developer to clarify, amplify, correct, or otherwise supplement the information required for the application, if such would be required by the decision-maker to render a final determination on the merits. [Eff 10/27/12; am 215-104 and comp ] (Auth: HRS §§206E-4, 206E- 5, 206E-7) (Imp: HRS §§206E-4, 206E-5, 206E-7)