About the Communities of Council District 9

District 9 encompasses the communities of Makakilo, Village Park, Royal Kunia, Waipahu, Waikele, Mililani Town, and a portion of Pearl City near Leeward Community College.  It's people come from all walks of life – from retired sugar plantation and pineapple field workers, to blue collar laborers, to middle class families, to those who need government's help to get by, the people who live, work and play in District 9 cover the full spectrum of life.

Transportation

Some of the significant milestones that Nestor accomplished island-wide and for our district as Chair of the Transportation Committee are:

·          Initiating a funding mechanism that will help to finally bring mass transit to reality;

·          Constructing Transit Centers in Waipahu, Kapolei, and Mililani;

·          Creating critical roadway connections at Manuwai Street and Kama'aha Boulevard (Kapolei), Aiki Street which joins Kupuna Loop and Loa'a Street (Village Park & Waipahu);

·          Improving bus service from Waipahu to Waipio Gentry through Waikele via Route 433; and

Key projects in the planning and/or design stage include:

·          Makakilo Drive secondary access road (construction planned for Federal Fiscal Year 2010);

(Signing of Bill 40, authorizing a GET surcharge for transit)

 (Construction of the new Transit Center in Mililani)

(The new Manuwai St. / Kamaaha Ave. extension, Kapolei)

(Opening of the Aiki Street connector roadway, Waipahu)

Roadway Repair and Resurfacing

Starting with Makakilo Drive in 2004, with the community's support, Nestor has been able to work with the City's Administration to allocate and expend more than $40 million to resurface or repave the following roadways and bridges in our district:

·          Makakilo Drive from the freeway off-ramp to Ala Hoi Street

·          Palahia Street Bridge repair and reconstruction (Makakilo)

·          Kupuna Loop (Village Park)

·          Waipahu area residential streets

·          Lumiaina Street and Paiwa Street (Waikele)

·          Lanikuhana Avenue, Kipapa Drive, Meheula Parkway (Mililani)

·          Waikalani Drive (Waipio Acres)

Key projects in the planning stage include:

·          Makakilo area residential streets

·          Mililani area residential streets, and

(Road repaving crews at work on various jobs in our District)

Pedestrian and Keiki safety

Taking care of our most vulnerable members of our communities has been a priority for Councilmember Garcia.  A few of the safety initiatives that have been enacted include:

·          Safety measures like sidewalks, raised crosswalks, roadway medians, and high visibility school zone signage and markings at Makakilo Elementary, Mauka Lani Elementary (Makakilo), Mililani Waena Elementary, Mililani High, Kipapa Elementary (Mililani), Waipahu Intermediate, Kaleiopu'u Elementary (Village Park), & Waikele Elementary;

·          Better traffic flow design at Makakilo Drive, Lumiaina Street (Waikele), Lumiauau Street (Waikele), and Waikalani Drive (Waipio Acres);

·          Community Traffic Awareness Program (anti-speeding) events with HPD and community associations.

Key projects in the planning stage include:

·          Redesign and repair of the cut rock wall on Waipahu Street in front of Waipahu Elementary, and;

·          Kupuna and keiki traffic safety mentoring program through area schools.

(Improved crosswalks and school zone signage, Makakilo)

 (Sidewalk and road widening, Waikele Road, Waipahu)

(Safety device near Mililani Waena Elementary and Mililani High)

(Community Traffic Awareness Program event)

(Road safety improvements near Waikele Elementary School)

Park Improvements

During his recent tenure as the Council's Parks Committee Chair, Nestor focused on increasing our investments within the parks in our District.  Key projects included:

·          Developing world class tennis complex and aquatics facilities at Central Oahu Regional Park;

·          New lighting at Hans L'Orange Park (Waipahu) to facilitate Winter League Baseball's return to Hawaii;

·          Constructing new or renovating existing park improvements such as parking lots, comfort stations, backstops and dugouts, and/or play apparatus at:

o         Palailai Neighborhood Park (Makakilo)

o         Kapolei Regional Park (new parking lot under construction)

o         Waikele Community Park

o         Central Oahu Regional Park (3 play apparatus)

o         Mililani District Park, Makaunulau Community Park, Kaomaaiku Neighborhood Park, Kuahelani Neighborhood Park, Holanialii Neighborhood Park, Mililani Neighborhood Park, Mililani Town Center Neighborhood Park, Kealohi Neighborhood Park, Noholoa Neighborhood Park, and Hokuahiahi Neighborhood Park  in Mililani, and

o          Melemanu Neighborhood Park (Waipio Acres);

·          Making lighting improvements at Ho'ae'ae Community Park tennis courts (Village Park);

·          Constructing new backstop and dugouts, and ADA accessible walkways at Makakilo Community Park;

·          Undertaking play court resurfacing or reconstruction at Mililani Waena Neighborhood Park, Kipapa Neighborhood Park and Noholoa Neighborhood Park, and;

·          Participating in the Leeward Coast beach park clean up efforts.

Key projects in the planning and/or design stage include:

·          Comfort station(s) at Waipio Peninsula Soccer Complex

·          Parking lot lighting at Waikele Community Park

·          Play court resurfacing at Kuahelani Neighborhood Park

(Palailai Neighborhood Park improvements)

(New backstop and dugouts at Makakilo Community Park)

(Construction of a new Kapolei Regional Park Parking Lot)

(The new skate park at Kapolei Regional Park)

(Painting out graffiti and serving volunteers at Pokai Bay)

(The new Veteran's Aquatic Center at Central Oahu Regional Park)

Quality of Life

Improving our communities requires constant attention to its changing needs.  Nestor's philosophy of creating community partnerships helps our district through the support of various community organizations and events.

·          Sunset on the Plains in Kapolei and Sunset in the Park events in Mililani and Waipahu

·          Oahu Arts Center Night of the Arts

·          Mililani Town Association Anti-Drug Committee

·          Mililani Neighborhood Security Watch Program National Night Out

·          Waipahu High School Athletic Booster Club

·          Taking Action Against Graffiti (Waikele and Waipahu)

·          Graffiti paint outs with Lighthouse Outreach and YMCA in Waipahu, and 50/50skate.com in Kapolei

·          Habitat restoration at Kapakahi Stream and Pouhala Marsh (Waipahu)

·          Independent Living Waipahu, and Mililani School Complex Health and Wellness Fairs

·          Mililani High School Recycling Fundraiser

·          Village Park Community Association and Waikele Community Association Easter Egg Hunts

·          Christmas in Kapolei / Kapolei City Lights Parade, and Mililani Town and Waipahu Christmas Parades

(Waikele's Taking Action Against Graffiti group photo)

(Nestor and US Attorney Ed Kubo at the 4th annual Mililani Neighborhood Security Watch National Night Out)

(The Waikele TAAG Team at work painting out the damages done to our community facilities)

 (Mililani Drug Free elves in the annual Mililani Christmas Parade)