Printable version (copy and paste into browser):
http://www.honolulu.gov/nco/nb12/09/12200901Min.PDF
Nuuanu/Punchbowl Neighborhood Board
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD (Draft)
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2009
PAUOA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAFETERIA
CALL TO ORDER: Chair Jack Schweigert called the meeting to order at 7:15 p.m. with no quorum of seven (7) members present. Note – This 15-member Board requires eight (8) votes to have a quorum and take action.
MEMBERS PRESENT: James Bannan, Jay Fidell, Audrey Hidano, Paula Kurashige, James Marn, Philip Nerney, and Jack Schweigert.
MEMBERS ABSENT: Mason Aiona (notified), Richard Carreira, John Harrison, Wendy Ogawa, and Sylvia Young.
VACANCIES: There are three (3) vacancies – two (2) in Sub district 1 and one (1) in Sub district 2.
GUESTS: Capt. John Yoshimoto (Honolulu Fire Department); Sgt. Lloyd Pabaluz (Honolulu Police Department – District 1); Sgt. David Yomes (Honolulu Police Department – District 5); Russell Takara (Mayor Mufi Hannemann's Representative – City Department of Design and Construction, Director); Councilman Rod Tam; Shawn Hamamoto (Councilmember Rod Tam’s office); Iris Oda (BWS); Mark Bennett (Governor Linda Lingle's Representative – Attorney General); Representative Sylvia Luke, Colette Devou (Representative Corrine Ching’s office); Gabriel Ma, Nicole Hori, Lily Miyahira, Cherylene Hidano, Wayne Kitaura, James Tek Yoon, Tony Clapes, Bud and Cindy Johnstone, Fern Clark, Cynthia Wong, Dave Kozula, Paul Eyre, Scott Yamada, Al Canopin Jr. and Ivy Yeung (Neighborhood Commission Office).
PUBLIC SAFETY REPORTS:
Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – Capt. John Yoshimoto provided the following information:
· October 2008 Statistics – There was 8 structure fire, 2 rubbish, 1 vehicle, 32 medical emergencies, and 14 miscellaneous calls.
· Fire Safety Tip – Ensure that your smoke alarms are functioning properly by testing them regularly in the presence of all household members. As a result of a smoke alarm and a parent’s quick response, a child’s life was saved. The child was unable to escape from the room where the fire originated; however, the parent told Fire Investigators that upon hearing the smoke alarm, she went to the room to investigate and was able to save her child.
· Kurashige asked if Capt Yamada had retired. Capt. Yoshimoto replied that he had indeed retired on Dec. 31, 2008. Kurashige asked Capt. Yoshimoto to relay the board’s best wishes and congratulations to him. Capt. Yoshimoto agreed to do so.
Honolulu Police Department (HPD District 5) – Sgt. Lloyd Pabaluz distributed the report and highlighted the following:
· December 2008 Statistics – There were 4 assaults, 7 burglaries, 0 drug offenses, 2 driving under the influence (DUI), 2 family offenses (abuse or terroristic threatening of a family member), 1 graffiti, 24 motor vehicle collisions (MVC), 2 motor vehicle theft (MVT), 4 property damages, 1 robbery, 1 sex offense, 3 thefts, and 17i unauthorized entries into a motor vehicle (UEMV).
Questions, comments and concerns followed:
· Sgt. Pabaluz commented that the amount of UEMV spiked upwards during the month of December. Chair Schweigert asked if this was due to the holiday season and Sgt. Pabaluz replied in the affirmative. Almost all beats see an increase in UEMV offenses during the holiday season.
· Kurashige reported that a white Chevrolet has been parking on Wood Street at 5:00 am on Thursdays and Fridays. When the Neighborhood Security Watch approached the vehicle the driver asked them if they had a quarter for him to use to make a phone call because his car broke down. When told that they would get a cell phone for him to use he drove away. Sgt. Yomes said that he would notify the graveyard shift to be on the lookout for that vehicle.
· Kurashige reported some residents informed her that a bench in Nuuanu Elementary School was stolen and that the thieves may be some skateboarders seen loitering in the area. The residents also said that they called 911 to report the theft but no one responded to their call. She also said that a bench was stolen from Pauoa Elementary School. Sgt. Yomes took note of the details and said that he would follow up. He also emphasized that if someone calls 911 to report a crime and no one responds to please call again. It is not acceptable for an officer not be sent to a 911 call. You need not be identified if you don’t wish to be.
· Kurashige reported that she had begun to organize a Citizen’s Patrol group. The group had their first meeting in December, 2008 with 27 people attending. When she contacted Officer Mata to find out what to do next she was told that since her case was closed why was she continuing to organize? She was not clear what this meant. Sgt. Yomes promised to investigate this and get back to her within the week.
· Sgt. Yomes responded to Fidell’s question from the November, 2008 board meeting about what people in the community can do to prevent their property from being burglarized. Sgt. Yomes said that anyone can call 529-3351 which is the community affairs section of HPD. They have a program where they can send someone from the department who will walk the property with the owner and show them things that can be done to “burglar –proof” their property.
FILLING OF VACANCIES: There were no nominations or volunteers.
COMMUNITY CONCERNS/ELECTED OFFICIALS:
Residents’ Concerns:
Mr. Wayne Kitaura, a resident who lives on Namokueha Street conveyed to the board his concern that Namokueha Street needs to be repaired and/or repaved.
- There are potholes, uneven surfaces, and bare spots where the concrete base is visible.
- He has lived on that street for over 50 years and cannot remember a time when the street was paved or repaired. The only paving he can remember was when the Board of Water Supply paved a 30’x30’ section after digging up the street to do some repair work.
- Mr. James Tek Yoon, a recreation director and resident of Namokueha Street echoed Mr. Kitaura’s observations on the condition of Namokueha Street. He has seen children fall while walking or riding on the street and skinning their knees and elbows.
- Chairman Schweigert thanked both Mr. Kitaura and Mr. Tek Yoon for bringing this issue to the attention of the board.
Kurashige reported that a river that is on 38 Wood Street is not being cleaned even though it is City and County of Honolulu property. She gave Mr. Takara a paper with the Tax Map Key number so the location can be verified. Mr. Takara accepted the paper with the information and said he will investigate.
Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s Representative – Russell Takara and detailed these responses to previous questions:
- Regarding Fidell’s request for a schedule for repaving roads with the NB #12 area – Lusitana Street from School Street to Pauoa Road is scheduled to start repaving around spring of 2009. Pauoa Road from Lusitana Street to Nuuanu Avenue is scheduled to start repaving in February of 2009. Dowsett area and upper Nuuanu area streets are schedule to be done sometime this summer pending availability of funds. School Street from Lusitana Street to Liliha Avenue will be done sometime in the fiscal year 2009-2010 pending availability of funds.
- Regarding Fidell’s question about how often are roads paved and the sequence of funding – The City and County of Honolulu maintains 376 miles of major roadways and 930 miles of minor roadways. Major roadways are essentially on bus routes and include cross town streets, arterial streets and collector streets in subdivisions. All other roadways, such as residential streets, are considered minor roadways. The Division of Road Maintenance inspects all City owned and maintained roadways island wide to determine the roadway’s pavement condition. All those determined to be in need of repair are flagged for contract rehabilitation. Minor roadways in need of resurfacing are scheduled to be done by an in-house resurfacing crew. Based on experience major roadways should be resurfaced every 10 years and minor roadways every 15 years. Due to insufficient funds provided for contract and in-house surfacing during 1990’s and 2000’s the department was unable to maintain this schedule and numerous roadways island wide are in need of repair and resurfacing.
Fidell and Hidano asked questions pertaining to the Pavement Management System’s schedule and priority for paving and/or rehabilitating streets and the funding mechanism for them. They wanted to know how the schedule is affected if a particular area’s roads are planned for work but funds are not available. Chair Schweigert requested that Takara arrange for someone from DFM who is familiar with the Pavement Management System attend the next meeting and explain how the system works and to respond to questions about it. Takara agreed to do so.
Fidell commented that he noticed the material under the asphalt pavement on Kimo Street is concrete. Since concrete is a much stronger material than asphalt he asked if it would be cost-effective to repair the concrete base underneath and allow the vehicles to travel on that instead of putting a couple of inches of asphalt on top of it and allowing the asphalt to quickly wear down. He also feels that 10 or 15 years is too long between pavings. He also asked if the schedule for repaving/rehabilitation on the Pavement Management System can be accessed online by the general public.
Fidell asked if work that is performed by different agencies on the same street is coordinated so that the work that each agency performs does not interfere with each other.
- Regarding Bannan’s question about how long is the normal appeals process for real property taxes from the time of filing to decision – Each appraiser is assigned an area of responsibility. If there are an excessive number of appeals filed in an area or there is a turnover in the assigned appraiser, it will create a backlog of appeals. Typically, an appeal will be heard within 18 months after it is filed. However, there are a handful of areas where we are 3 to 4 years behind.
- Regarding Bannan’s question about having to file an appeal each year or do the results from previous appeals carry over once it is approved – Each assessment, appeal, and appeal decision is made independently of one another. The outcome of one appeal does not automatically carry over to subsequent years, and each year must be filed separately. An appraiser may consider arguments presented in an appeal in determining future assessments.
- Regarding the bad pavement at the intersection of Nuuanu Pali Drive and Kimo Drive due to inadequate trench repair from a water main break. – A contractor will permanently repave the road area affected by the water main break on or before January 10, 2009. Until then, the BWS sent a crew to fix the temporary repaving job that was done.
- Regarding Fidell’s comment that the pipe was broken in a second area that wasn’t repaired – According to BWS the whole section of pipe that was broken was repaired.
Fidell asserts that the second section of pipe was not repaired based on conversations he had with workers at the site and his own observation. Chair Schweigert asked Takara to report Fidell’s comments to the BWS and find out if the second section of pipe was indeed repaired. Takara agreed to do so.
- Regarding Fidell’s question if BWS had filled in the lily pond – No. BWS has not filled in the pond. Before making any final decision about the Nuuanu Lily pond, BWS will come to the Neighborhood Board for feedback.
Someone reported that the water flow seems to have been diverted so that the pond is dry. Kurashige verified someone’s account that the crayfish that live in the pond are dead. Chair Schweigert asked Takara to find out if BWS diverted the water flow into the Lily Pond. If they did so it is his opinion that they reneged on a promise to inform the Neighborhood Board of any decision they make concerning the Lily Pond. Takara agreed to contact BWS and find out.
Takara passed out copies of notes that were taken by the Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP) at a meeting with developer (Laumaka, LLC) about the rock fall issue. Takara reported that on January 7, 2009 while grading activity was taking place on the Kamaaina Drive extension a boulder got loose from the grading site and struck a downslope house. On January 8, 2009 DPP issued a Notice of Noncompliance (NON) to the developer to stop all grading/grubbing/stockpiling/trenching work and to protect abutting properties from rockfall. The NON also requested that a geotechnical engineer conduct a site inspection for the rockfall situation and report its findings. DPP received a letter from Laumaka, LLC on January 14, 2009 apologizing for the incident. It also mentioned that they met with their insurance carrier and that the carrier was in the process of addressing the incident. The letter also included two letters from the geotechnical consultant, dated January 9 and 14, 2009. The letter said that the developer will place additional personnel at the jobsite to “observe all grading operations to immediately identify any potential hazards and stop work for corrective action”. The developer has installed a wooden fence with steel pickets and chain link fencing. DPP is considering the developer’s request to resume work, as the incident has been deemed as an industrial accident and the developer has taken remedial action and responsibility for it. DPP has also received a letter from the Nuuanu Valley Association and is working on a response. Takara informed everyone that he is prepared to receive questions about the incident and will take back to DPP those that he can’t answer for a response.
- Nerdney said to Takara that it was made clear that the community wanted to have someone from DPP at the meeting to hear answer their questions and hear their comments. Having to address these things through an intermediary instead of directly to a DPP employee shows a lack of respect, courage, and concern on the part of DPP to everyone at the meeting. He wants Takara to communicate his extreme displeasure to DPP.
- Dr. Ma asked what the terms of a “Notice of Non-Compliance” letter are and when a response to the Nuuanu Valley Association letter be expected.
- Johnstone wanted to know where exactly where the “wooden fence with steel pickets and chain link fencing will be built on the property. Another resident asked why this precaution wasn’t taken earlier? She feels that safety does not seem to be a high priority.
- A resident asked if DPP oversees the design phase of a project to ensure that all aspects of the project fall within the rules and regulations of the permits. Takara replied that the developer is responsible for obtaining the approvals for the permits they need to obtain from various departments. Another resident asked who is responsible for ensuring that the developer is complying with the terms of the permits?
- A resident asked if the measures outlined in the handout to protect the residents from future rock falls (wooden fence with steel pickets and chain link fencing) is satisfactory to DPP. She feels that this may not be sufficient.
- A resident commented that the water run-off into Nuuanu Stream is of a different quality than years ago. It used to be clean enough that he used to play in it when he was a child. Now he notices that the water is dirty brown with a lot of muck. He questioned if the development is the reason the water quality is so poor.
- Someone referred to the DPP notes and asked if the geotechnical engineer who is to conduct a site inspection for the rock fall situation will be employed or retained by Laumaka, LLC or DPP. She feels that it would be improper to have the geotechnical engineer paid for by Laumaka, LLC. She said it would be like a fox watching the hen house.
- Hidano expressed her disappointment with the lack of professionalism exhibited by DPP in the handout because the document was not on letterhead, not dated, and did not contain the signature of someone to purport that the information contained is true and correct.
- Bannon asked Takara to inform DPP that choosing not to attend the board meeting and answering questions may lead to a lawsuit.
- Chair Schweigert summarized the discussion by saying that it is obvious many of the questions brought up by residents and board members cannot be answered satisfactorily by Takara because he is not an employee of DPP. Chair Schweigert asked Takara to communicate that it is essential that someone from DPP attend the next board meeting to dialogue with the residents about their concerns. He also instructed Takara to ask DPP not to allow work to continue on the project until the board is satisfied that everyone’s concerns have been addressed. Takara agreed to do so.
Another resident noticed a city crew cutting the grass and performing maintenance on an area on
Councilmember Rod Tam – Passed out his newsletter and highlighted the following:
- He is the Chairman of the Zoning Committee and a member of the Budget, Transportation & Planning, Public Safety & Service, and Executive Matters & Affairs committees.
- Resolution 08-261, which amends the route of the Mass Transit train by replacing
- Bill 67 (2008) which prohibits certain uses of electronic devices while driving was passed out of committee and now goes before the full council for third and final reading on January 28, 2009. Tam said that he is planning to vote against it because of HPD’s position that the bill is unenforceable. He tried to amend the bill by asking his colleagues to ban any electronic device held in a driver’s hand while driving but they chose not to accept his version.
- As a result of the Dowsett rock fall Tam has decided to re-introduce Resolution 06-087 which asks the DPP to recommend appropriate standards for mountainside land where development is proposed.
- Kurashige asked how the hearing today on the Bed and Breakfast bill went. Tam replied that he supports restricting or eliminating bed and breakfasts by legalizing them and then imposing regulations and oversight.
BWS – Iris Oda
- Chair Schweigert asked Oda if the BWS has diverted the water that flows into the Lily Pond. She replied that does not know but will find out. She also acknowledged that the BWs will inform the board of any plans that affect the Lily Ponds but also mentioned that they can divert the flow of water into the pond.
Governor Lingle’s Representative – Attorney General Mark Bennett passed out a report and highlighted:
- In response to a question from the last board meeting about
.
- In response to a question from the last board meeting about the Governor’s Economic 5-Point Plan Bennett passed out a handout.
Senator Carol Fukunaga: Senator Fukunaga’s newsletter was passed out.
Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland: Senator Chun-Oakland’s newsletter was passed out.
Representative Sylvia Luke:
· Luke shared that going into this year’s session the legislators will be wrestling with a projected $1.8 billion shortfall. As a result they are going to be looking at a variety of solutions some of which she is personally opposed to such as taking away tax credits, increasing taxes, legalizing gambling, and raiding special funds such as the hurricane relief fund.
Representative Corinne Ching: Representative Ching’s report was passed out.
Craigside Retirement Residence Update: Emmet White shared that they hope to begin construction on July 1, 2009.
Al Canopin announced that he is Patrick Shinn’s representative. He also said that he has heard everyone’s questions and is aware of the issues brought up tonight. He will be sharing them with Mr. Shinn this week.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
· The Board will recess in December and the next regular Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20, 2009 at the Pauoa Elementary School Cafeteria at 7:15 pm.
· The City Transportation Advisory website is www.driveakamai.org. The City Pothole Report Hotline is 768-7777.
· Abandoned Vehicle Hotline is 733-2530 / 24-hour Line is 532-7700 x250.
· HPD Graffiti Hotline is 529-3222.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
Submitted by:
Peter Salbiejo
Neighborhood Assistant