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AIEA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD

DRAFT REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

MONDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2008

AIEA LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Bill Clark called the meeting to order at 7:40 p.m. Note: This fifteen (15) member Board requires eight (8) votes to have a quorum and take action.

MEMBERS PRESENT:  Jane Sugimura, Tracy Arakaki, David Arakawa, Wilbert Ho, Silvia Sugihara, William Clark, Danielle Lum, George Passmore, Ron Mobley, Susan Sheldon (appointed tonight), Mary Booth (appointed tonight).

MEMBERS ABSENT: Ruby Hargrave, Monica Texeira, Carl Jacobs, Ross Lee.

VACANCIES: None.

GUESTS: Amy Tsuneyoshi (BWS), Ken Best (Office of Representative Blake Oshiro), Senator Norman Sakamoto, John Burns, Representative Lynn Finnegan, Captain Vern Enriques, FF K. Ishida, and crew (Honolulu Fire Department – Aiea), Claire Tamamoto (Aiea Community Association), Gary Omori (Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project), Ryan Toyama (Office of Councilmember Romy Cachola), Sgt. Roger Nitta (Honolulu Police Department, District 3 – Pearl City,  Mary Booth, Phil Booth, Susan Sheldon, Suzette Adversalo, Representative K. Mark Takai, Nola J. Frank (Neighborhood Commission Office staff).

ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS: The roll call of Board members was administered with a quorum of eight members present (Sugimura, Arakaki, Ho, Sugihara, Lum, Clark, Passmore, Mobley).

ANNUAL ELECTION OF OFFICERS OF THE BOARD FOR JULY 1, 2008 to JUNE 30, 2009:

Chair – Sugimura moved nominating Clark for chair; Mobley moved to accept the current slate of officers for the July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 term with the exception of Treasurer nominating Sugihara. Passmore moved seconded by Ho closing nominations.

Without objection the current slate of officers were elected for the July 2008-June 2009 term and electing Sugihara as treasurer (Chair – Bill Clark; 1^st Vice Chair – Jane Sugimura; 2^nd Vice Chair Wilbert Ho; 3^rd Vice Chair Ron Mobley; Secretary Monica Texeira; and Treasurer Silvia Sugihara).

Without objection the agenda was taken out of order to 12.2 Notification of vacancies (2) on Neighborhood Board, Sub-district 1 – Halawa, Halawa Heights, Stadium, Halawa Valley, Ford Island.

Chair Clark explained that Mary Booth was previously nominated, but due to lack of Board quorum for several months was unable to fill a vacancy.

Mary Booth volunteered to fill the vacancy in Subdistrict 1. Mobley seconded by Sugimura nominating Mary Booth to fill one vacancy in Subdistrict 1.  By unanimous consent Mary Booth was appointed to fill one vacancy in Subdistrict 1, 8-0-0 (Passmore, Mobley, Sugimura, Clark, Ho, Sugihara, Lum, Arakaki). Booth was administered the oath of office.

Chair Clark asked if there was any one else interested in filling a vacancy in Sub district 1.

Susan Sheldon and Philip Booth both volunteered to fill the other vacancy in Sub district 1. Each nominee gave a brief background about themselves and community interests.

A roll call vote was taken resulting in the order of nomination; Sheldon received 8 votes (Sugimura, Arakaki, Ho, Sugihara, Lum, Passmore, Mobley, Clark) and was appointed to fill the second vacancy in Sub district 1. Sheldon was administered the oath of office (10 members now present).

APPROVAL OF BOARD EXPENDITURES:

Determination of pre-established day of the month to hold regular meetings of the Board – By unanimous consent, the Board will continue to meeting on the second Monday of each month.

Facility Rental (Aiea Library Conference Room at $20 per meeting) – By unanimous consent the Board will continue to use the Aiea Library Conference Room for a meeting place at $20.00 per meeting.

Newsletters/Flyers, videotaping, etc. – By unanimous consent the Publicity Account would be utilized for newsletter/flyers, 10-0-0.

Determination of which months the Board will recess – Chair Clark noted that the Board normally recesses in the month of August and December. With the Revised Neighborhood Plan officially signed, Boards may take three recesses.

Discussion followed: 1) April was suggested for a third recess. 2) A comment made that if the Board has a quorum problem, scheduled recesses should be eliminated. Regarding quorum, why punish people who attend the meetings. 3) It was noted there is nothing from changing a scheduled recess in the future.

7:55 p.m. Arakawa arrived; 11 members now present.

Without objection, the Board will recess in December 2008, 11-0-0.

Chair Clark asked if there were any objection to recess in April 2009. Without objection, the Board will recess in April 2009.

INTRODUCTION OF GUESTS – The guests introduced themselves at this time.

PUBLIC SERVICE REPORTS:

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – FF K. Ishida reported:

1)       Statistics for the month of September 2008 included 3 structure, 3 wildland, 5 rubbish, 1 vehicle, 62 medical, 3 search/rescue and 10 miscellaneous calls.

2)       Fire Safety Tip – When selecting Halloween costumes, ensure they are flame-resistant, made of lightweight fabric, brightly colored, and clearly visible to motorists. Decorate costumes and bags with reflective tape. Keep the length of costumes short to prevent tripping. A natural mask of cosmetics is better than a mask that may restrict breathing or obscure vision. Children should carry flashlights to light their way.

3)       Hurricane Ike's furry with 110-mph winds that seized a Texas coastal community is a reminder that our islands are not immune to nature's storm conditions. The hurricane season extends through the month of December, and HFD encourages every family to take the necessary steps to ensure that your family is prepared in the event of a hurricane. Do you have a survival kit prepared? Do you know the location of your nearest hurricane shelter? Additional information and answers to these questions can be found on the Department of Emergency Management's website at www.honolulu.gov/ocda/.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Sgt. R. Nitta circulated the written report and highlighted:

1)       Statistics for the month of September included 21 auto thefts, 8 auto theft recovery, 12 burglaries, 33 criminal property damage, 68 thefts, 30 U.E.M.V. (unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle), 1,555 calls for service; 6,528 total calls for District 3.

Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Amy Tsuneyoshi reported:

1)       No water main breaks for the month of September.

2)       The Honolulu Board of Water Supply is working to maximize our precious water resources. One way we're doing that is by recycling water. The BWS owns and operates the largest water recycling facility (Honouliuli Water Recycling Facility). Recycled water is essentially wastewater that has been treated to a level suitable for industrial processing, irrigation and other non-potable uses. The Honouliuli Water Recycling Facility produces 12 million gallons of recycled water daily and is used by golf courses and refineries in the Ewa and Kapolei areas. Recycled water is completely safe to touch, but is not for drinking. Recycling water helps to conserve our highest quality water supply for drinking. For more information about water recycling program, visit www.boardofwatersupply.com  or call 478-5041.

Board of Education (BOE) – No representative was present.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES/MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD (2008): Chair Clark asked if there were any corrections/additions to the following minutes/memorandum for the record (May, June, July, September): Mobley noted that no corrections/additions are made to the memorandum for the record.

• May 2008 – Page 4, 1^st bullet, 2^nd sentence should read, "…There is less in the budget than originally budgeted the prior year…"
• September 2008 – No corrections/additions). 

Without objection the minutes of May and September 2008 were accepted as corrected, 11-0-0.

TREASURER'S REPORT (2008) – Chair Clark reported:

1)       May 2008 - Expenditures in the Operating Account was $93.82 leaving the balance at $1,076.31; no expenditures in the Publicity Account leaving the balance at $3,063; no expenditures in the Refreshment Account leaving the balance at $120.

2)       June 2008 – Expenditures in the Operating Account was $130.41 (facility rental, printing, postage) leaving the balance at $945.90; no expenditures in the Publicity Account leaving the balance at $3,063; with no expenditures in the Refreshment Account the balance remains at $120.

3)       July 2008 (new fiscal year) –Operating Account expenditures was $47.53 leaving the balance at $1,472.47; no expenditures in the Publicity Account leaving the balance at $3,063; no expenditures in the Refreshment Account leaving the balance at $120.

4)       August 2008 (Board recessed) – Operating Account expenditures was $31.36 leaving the balance at $1,441.11.

5)  September 2008 – Operating Account expenditures were $49.28 leaving the balance at $1,391.83; the    

Publicity Account had no expenditures leaving the balance at $3,063; with no expenditures the      Refreshment Account remains at $120.

COMMUNITY CONCERNS:

Taiko Drums Noise Concern – A complaint was received regarding fundraising events every Sunday near the Soto Mission with noise from taiko drums from 12:00 to 4:00 p.m. Chair Clark, Vice Chair Sugimura, the pastor, as well as Senator Sakamoto were contacted by a resident. A message received from the pastor was that he is non-committal. A message relayed to the pastor was that the Mediation Center of the Pacific was contacted and agreed to assist the parties involved. Senator Sakamoto noted that the State Department of Health (DOH) was notified about the noise. No further follow up has been done. Chair Clark mentioned that the resident informed him that a representative from DOH would like to access a second floor unit to take noise readings.

Discussion followed: 1) The taiko drum playing is part of the fundraiser. 2) It was mentioned that the church recently had a community day and thinks that the area is being used for drum practice. 3) Follow up will be done.

Parking on Uao Place – Chair Clark reported that complaints were received by HPD regarding illegally parked cars in the cul-de-sac on Uao Place (off Kaonohi St.) three "No Parking" signs in the cul-de-sac are faded and worn. From October 8 to present ten citations were issued. Representative Oshiro's office was notified and suggested a tow zone. Director Wayne Yoshioka of the Department of Transportation Services (DTS) will be notified of the request.

COMMUNITY REPORTS:

Aiea Community Association (ACA) – Claire Tamamoto reported:

1)       The next ACA meeting will be held on Monday, October 27, 2008, Aiea Library Conference Room at 7:00 p.m.

2)       Aiea High School Alumni Fundraiser – Saturday, October 23

3)       October 25, 2003 – "Make a Difference Day" Clean-up, 8:30 a.m., old sugar mill site.

4)       Gateway Park Update – The broken water fixture was repaired, but there is still no water due to secondary problems. It is hopeful that work will be completed by October 25, 2008.

5)       A complaint was received regarding obstruction access to the handicap ramp near the Aiea High School ballpark due to someone hitting the guardrail.

6)       Aiea Christmas Parade, December 13, 2008. Participants and volunteers are welcome.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project – Gary Omori reported:

1)       Economic benefits findings.

2)       Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) will be out early November 2008. The plan review must meet all FDA criteria. Information on availability of the DEIS will be done through the media.

3)       Outreach meetings are being held for different ethnic groups.

4)       Community meetings will be held from 6-8 p.m. at the following locations:

Ψ       October 14, 2008, Holomua Elementary School.

Ψ       October 15, 2008, Manoa Elementary School.

Ψ       October 16, 2008, Waipahu Middle School.

Ψ       October 21, 2008, Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.

Ψ       October 22, 2008, Farrington High School.

Ψ       October 23, 2008, Mililani Waena Elementary School.

5)       For more information visit www.honolulutransit.org.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) A comment made was to bring money now to the state because federal money in the economy is important. 2) An example of the economic benefit was given. 3) The rail is generally based on the Portland rail system.

Pearl Kai Shopping Center (Walgreen's) progress Report – Claire Tamamoto gave the following update:

1)       The site chosen for Walgreen's at the Pearl Kai Shopping Center is in a Special Management Area (SMA) which requires a SMA permit.

2)       A meeting was held in September with the Director of the Department of Planning and Permitting favoring the recommendation by the community to City Council with restrictions, which includes that landscaping plans must be provided.

3)       Upon approval of the SMA, the building permit process could take up to nine months; 12 months for construction; thus about two years until completion of the store.

4)       Due to concern raised regarding the proposed drive-thru pharmacy and the location on the plans was changed to the opposite side of Jiffy Lube.

5)       Per the consultant regarding concerns about delivery trucks, all merchandise would be hand trucked to the store (no large delivery trucks).

6)       A courtesy presentation was made to the Pearl City Neighborhood Board No. 21 Zoning Committee.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) The consultant is Ki Yong Kim. 2) Regarding public hearings mentioned, Tamamoto noted that plans always look good on paper when requirements are satisfied, but businesses do what they want. However, Walgreen's has been more receptive and open to Board and community concerns.

Pearl Harbor Historic Trail – 1) The trail is multi-purpose for joggers, bikers, walkers, etc. with open access.

NEW BUSINESS:

USS Arizona memorial Visitor Center at Pearl Harbor Two-year Renovation Project – No representative was present. This item was deferred until the November meeting.

REPORTS BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS:

Governor Linda Lingle's Representative – Chair Clark announced that Robert Piper was unable to be in attendance this evening.

Representative Mark Takai – Rep. Takai reported:

1)       Distributed a letter of response from State Director of Transportation (DOT), Director Brennon Morioka regarding status of the Halawa Stream Bridgework Project, and a letter from him; noting that the project had hit solid underground material and has extended completion to September 2009.

2)       Kaahele Street (Royal Summit) – Lane striping and modifications were done years ago. Concern was raised if the City would re-evaluate the area and make changes. The City was asked to educate the community and to meet with the Newtown Association. A meeting with the City will be held this week to discuss this matter.

3)       Spoke with Morioka about Kamehameha Highway. Plans are in the process for another Task Force Meeting.

4)       Everyone was encouraged to vote.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) Mobley offered to assist Rep. Takai with the Rec Center. 2) Concern was raised about people at the park for dog obedience classes parking on the roadside near the driving range. In response, the project started 7 years ago and initiated due to public concerns.

Senator Norman Sakamoto – Senator Sakamoto reported:

1)       He continues to chair the Education Committee until November.

2)       The constitutional amendment approved by the voters, change regarding appointment of the U.H. Board of Regents. A committee formed sent a list of 22 names to the Governor of which some were selected and other members held over.

3)       Regarding the Department of Education (DOE) proposed budget cuts, he believes money should go to the schools versus the general funds.

4)       A needed important challenge is getting highly qualified teachers.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) Could DOE money be saved by consolidating schools and better use of resources. A bill on the matter was introduced by Rep. Takumi last year, but vetoed by the Governor; the legislature chose not to override the veto. Other uses of government properties continue to be looked into.

Representative Lynn Finnegan – Rep Finnegan reported:

1)       Participated in the Lt. Governor's Con Con task force relative to costs this summer. The issue is the state's actual cost for a Con Con, and how much to spend. Cost could range from $2 million to $41 million. Is there a need for a Con Con depends on the legislature and how much they can afford to spend?

2)       The five point economic plan relates to the economy, stability, and mobility for the future.

Representative Blake Oshiro – Ken Best circulated the monthly newsletter and was available for questions.

Councilmember Romy Cachola – Ryan Toyomura circulated the written report that included review of the charter questions on the general election ballot.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann's Representative – David Tanoue reported:

1)       The fallen "Dead End" sign on Nalopaka Place was replaced on September 17, 2008.

2)       More information is needed regarding the Aiea Medical Center parking lot before it can be used by employees. There are some discrepancies and getting a permit after the fact is much harder.

3)       Primary election turnout for voting was dismal. Everyone is encouraged to vote. Early voting was announced from October 21 to November 1 at: Honolulu Hale, Kapolei Hale, Aiea Shopping Center (2^nd floor), Windward Mall (near Farrell's) and University of Hawaii Campus Center. Deadline for absentee voting registration is October 28; and noted that would be college students away from home to vote.

Questions, comments, concerns: It was noted that residents surrounding the Aiea Medical Center parking lot construction have concerns. A comment made was that additional parking is needed. A no left turn into the medical facility was requested.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Parks and Recreation – Chair Ho reported that seeds from mangrove at Rainbow Bay Park are starting to sprout. It was noted that Homeland Security removed the mangrove under a special contract last year.

There were no other committee reports.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

• Signing of Revised Neighborhood Plan (RNP) 2008 – Ron Mobley reported that Mayor Hannemann signed the final draft of the RNP 2008 on October 10, 2008.

ADJOURNMENT – The meeting adjourned at 9:19 p.m.

Submitted by,

Nola J. Frank, Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by,

Bill Clark, Chair