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AIEA NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD

MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD

MONDAY, MARCH 9, 2009

AIEA LIBRARY CONFERENCE ROOM

CALL TO ORDER: Vice Chair Jane Sugimura called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. with six (6) members present, and announced that there was no quorum present at this time, but reports would be taken. However, no official Board action could be taken without a quorum. Note: This 15 member Board requires eight (8) votes to have a quorum and take official Board action.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Mary Booth, Wilbert Ho, Ron Mobley, George Passmore, Susan Sheldon Jane, Sugimura, Monica Texeira.

MEMBERS ABSENT: Tracy Arakaki, Dave Arakawa, William Clark, Ruby Hargrave, Carl Jacobs, Danielle Lum, Silvia Sugihara, Kelsey Wells.

VACANCIES: None.

GUESTS: Kristine Duong (Office of Representative K. Mark Takai)), Breene Harimoto (Office of Councilmember Gary Okino), Sharleen Oshiro (Office of Councilmember Romy Cachola), Kevin Nesrow (City Department of Refuse), Ken Best (Office of Representative Blake Oshiro), Tracy Burgo (Board of Water Supply), Captain Ray Yamashita and crew (Honolulu Fire Department – Aiea), Debbie Hiramoto (Office of Senator Donna Kim), Sgt. Roger Nitta (Honolulu Police Department, District 3 – Pearl City), Eileen Clarke (Board of Education), Robert Sumitomo (Deputy Director, City Department of Planning and Permitting), David Tanoue (Office of the Mayor/ Director, City Department of Planning and Permitting), Phil Booth, Claire Tamamoto (Aiea Community Association), Suzette Adversalo, Suzanne Jones (Coordinator, City Recycling), Nola J. Frank (Neighborhood Commission Office staff).

ROLL CALL OF BOARD MEMBERS: The roll call of Board members was administered with five (5) members present at this time (Ho, Mobley, Passmore, Sugimura, and Texeira).

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

PUBLIC SERVICE REPORTS:

7:40 p.m. Passmore arrived; 6 members now present.

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD): Captain Yamashita reported:

1. February 2009 statistics: 1 wildland, 1 rubbish, 2 vehicles, 81 medical and 40 miscellaneous calls.
2. Fire Safety Tip:  although cooking at home can be a fun family activity, please ensure care is taken by adhering to the following fire safety tips to avoid accidents in the kitchen. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, cooking fires are the leading cause of house fires and fire injuries nationwide.

• Do not leave cooking food unattended. If you must leave the kitchen even briefly, turn off the heat and take a spoon or oven mitt with you to remind yourself of the food on the stove.
• Do not become distracted attending to children, answering phone calls, watching television, and answering doorbells can have devastating results when the stove is on and unattended.
• Keep ignitable items, such as dishtowels, paper or plastic bags, or curtains at least three feet away from the range top.
• Keep an ABC – rated fire extinguisher near the kitchen, and learn how to use it.

7:35 p.m. Sheldon arrived; seven (7) members now present.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Sgt. Nitta reported: Statistics for February 2009 included 19 auto thefts, 9 auto theft recovery, 18 burglaries, 33  criminal property damage, 1 sex assault, 73 thefts, 58 UEMV (unauthorized entry into motor vehicles), totaling 1,078 (29%) calls out of 5,740 for the district.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) Vice Chair Sugimura congratulated the District 3’s Second Watch Unit 2 who were honored with the quarterly award. 2) A request was made for increase of patrols on Kaonohi Street due to speeding early in the evening and late at night from 8 p.m. on. 3) It was reported a school bus staging every morning about 6:45 a.m. on Halawa Heights Road near Iwa Iwa Street past the first driveway mauka bound, blocking the drivers view plane. 4) Speeding was reported on Kamehameha Highway Ewa bound near the Dixie Grill. 5) Concern was raised about the intersection Moanalua Road and Kaonohi Street Makai bound)  due to the Swap Meet traffic (on Saturdays) turning illegally, ignoring the red lights and blocking the intersection causing a backup of traffic to the bridge on Kaonohi Street. Accidents occur almost every weekend. Follow up with Consolidated will be done and the duties of the special duty officer. It was added that there should a no right turn on red from Moanalua Road (eastbound) turning makai onto Kaonohi Street to enter the Swap Meet entrance

(intersection of Moanalua Road and Kaonohi Street). It was suggested that the lower entrance near KFC be used to keep traffic flowing on Kaonohi Street.

Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Tracy Burgo reported the following:

1. Water Main Breaks – A) February 10 – 99-550 Halawa Heights Road (8-inch cast iron main installed in 1961; B) 98-1850 Nahele Street (8- inch cast iron main installed in 1976); C) 98-1982 Hapaki Street (8-inch ductile iron main installed in 1978).
2. An informational contact card with appropriate phone numbers within BWS was given to Board members. If you are unsure where to call, call BWS at 748-5000.
3. 2nd Annual Decorate an Egg, the Xeriscape Way Easter Workshop – Saturday, April 4, 2009 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Halawa Xeriscape Garden. To register call 748-5319or email tours.hbws.org. Visit www.boardofwatersupply.com for information about other classes available.

Board of Education (BOE) – Eileen Clarke reported:

1. The next BOE community meeting is scheduled for March 10, 2009, Moanalua Elementary School at 6:30 p.m. to discuss issues and concern in greater depth and detail.
2. The P20 Committee (preschool to age 20) has partnerships with different organizations. Periodic meetings are held to discuss how to facilitate kids through the system. The current focus is mathematics. Also under discussion is how to get qualified teachers.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES – FEBRUARY 2009 – Deferred.

TREASURER’S REPORT – Vice Chair Sugimura reported:

• January 2009 – Expenses in the Operating Account was $33.36 leaving a balance of $1,232.49; no expenditures in the Publicity account leaving the balance at $3,063.00; and no Refreshment Account expenditures leaving the balance at $120.
• February 2009 – Operating Account expenditures was $54.93 leaving a balance of $1,177.56; the Publicity Account had no expenditures leaving the balance at $3,063.00; and no Refreshment Account expenditures leaving the balance at $120.no

COMMUNITY CONCERNS – None.

COMMUNITY REPORTS:

Aiea Community Association (ACA) – Claire Tamamoto reported:

1. ACA meetings are held the fourth Monday of each month, 7 p.m. at the Aiea Library Conference room; next meeting March 23.
2. A petition is being circulate in support of non-closure of the Aiea Library due to budget cuts. She said that the library has a good chance on being put on the cutting block. The Head Librarian is finding creative ways to generate income. Aiea Library is the only one owning a plot of land at the old Sugar Mill site. She mentioned that Aiea Library previously did passport photos, which was very successful, but it took up too much of the staff’s time.
3. ACA will be helping the library with their book sale, which is to be held on April 25, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.; deadline for book donations is April 23, 2009.
4. Current library hours are Monday, Tuesday, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursdays from 12 noon to 9 p.m.; and closed Wednesdays and Fridays.
5. The Pearl Harbor Trail clean-up is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2009 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Neil Blaisdell Park is the meeting place. The Lions Club is coordinating the clean-up.
6. The next Aiea High School PTSO meeting at the Administration Conference Room at 5:30 p.m. The PTSO fundraiser at Ige’s raised $30,000.
7. A representative from the State Department of Health will be at the next ACA meeting. A prior meeting was attended by a representative from Care Hawaii and reported that the care home on Kaamilo Street had been temporarily shut down, but re opened with clientele with a lower classification of mental disability.
8. She asked the Board to reconsider their support of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) the proposed care home at 98 -570 Kaamilo Street because it is located at the corner of a loop, night on - street parking is scarce, a bus stop fronting the home and around the bend is another care home across from the one proposed.

Questions, comments, concerns: Vice Chair Sugimura – A) Asked about cuts to the library hours and staffing. Harimoto said current cuts are 10%, but if there are more cuts it would affect the hours of the workers and if cuts are more than 10% there will be significant damage. Tamamoto noted some of the cuts are from previous cuts that were never restored. B) Wanted to know why public libraries do not accept books. Tamamoto was not sure, but noted that it would take time to sort.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS: None.

NEW BUSINESS:

Curbside Recycling Expansion – Suzanne Jones, Recycling Coordinator, presented the following:

1. The pilot recycling program was expanded to 40,000 more homes in November 2008. Phase 2 of the expansion starting on May 4, 2009 will include Waipio Gentry to Halawa, Wahiawa, Whitmore, Waipio Estates, Launani Valley, Kaneohe, and Waimanalo. There will be three carts for sorting – green for grass, tree and hedge trimmings, blue for mixed recyclables such as newspaper, corrugated cardboard, aluminum, glass and plastic (# 1 and #2), and gray for refuse. It will take about two months to distribute all the carts.
2. Additional green carts for green waste and gray carts for non-recyclable refuse are available at no charge to households with high volumes. The high volume households will be monitored.
3. The current twice weekly collection days will remain the same for most households, with a few neighborhoods changing and noted in the brochure attached to the recycling cart at delivery. The new system, one collection day for refuse (gray cart) and the second day is for recycling pickup (alternating weekly between the green and blue carts).
4. Plans are to expand to a new area every six months, with the last expansion being in 2010.
5. A PDF calendar can be found online at www.opala.org.

Path Clinic – No representative was present.

REPORTS BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS:

Representative Blake Oshiro – Ken Best distributed the written report and was available for questions.

Representative K. Mark Takai – Kristine Duong circulated the written report and noted:

Rep. Takai is doing well in Afghanistan, and has been calling and sending emails. The office is working on getting his address to send cards, care boxes, etc. Bill crossover over between the House and Senate takes place this week.

Senator Donna Kim - Debbie Hiramoto distributed the written report and noted: Recommendations from the Council of Revenues will be reported this Thursday, as well as, the crossover of bills.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) Tamamoto – A) Asked where is the transit fund bill in the Ways and Means Committee. Hiramoto – Said that all bills will be heard tomorrow for third reading. B) HB 444, relating to Civil Unions is still held in committee, but was pulled out of committee earlier. Hiramoto will contact Tamamoto.

Councilmember Gary Okino – Breene Harimoto reported: Illegal dumping is an ongoing issue; and people putting out their bulky pick-up items too early (night prior to pick up as instructed). He reminded everyone to be vigilant in reporting suspected illegal dumping.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) Sugimura relayed that on her street there are items placed on the sidewalk that were not there the night before. Harimoto said that it is an island wide problem. Mobley added that a license plate cannot be reported because HPD must witness the violation. He wanted to know who to call when witnessing illegal dumping in other areas and not at the curbside. He reiterated that bulky items must be put out the night before pickup and not before.

Councilmember Romy Cachola – Sharleen Oshiro circulated the written report and was available for questions.

Questions, comments, concerns: Mobley asked when Councilmember Cachola would be visiting this Board. Oshiro replied that he is off-island tonight and did attend a Board meeting when the Mayor did.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s Representative – David Tanoue reported:

1. Introduced Robert Sumitomo, Deputy Director, City Department of Planning and Permitting and his backup as Mayor’s representative.
2. Regarding hiring of additional staff at Halawa District Park, at this current time, part-time staffing has proved adequate to maintain approved operational hours which include public free-play periods and permitted-use times. Although it may seem like there are more people using the gum during this period, their hourly records reveal that the people count who are using the gym show no increase in comparison with the same period in previous years.
3. Last week Mayor Hannemann submitted a $7.8 billion budget, $1.7 billion for Capital Improvement Projects (CIP), $1 billion for rail transit. More budget information can be found on the City’s website.
4. Property tax increases for a single family hope will be about $10.30 per month and $7.00 for condominiums. Directors are taking a five percent cut in pay. Bus rates will increase to $2.25, but senior and disable fares will remain the same.

Questions, comments, concerns: 1) The overall impacts for property tax increases are about $10.30 for single family homes and $7.00 for condominiums. Sugimura noted that last year condominium owners rates were higher that single family dwellings. Tanoue said that single family homes increases are higher.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Parks and Recreation – Chair Ho reported that the Lions Club and AARP did a graffiti paint over at Pearl Harbor Park.

Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) – Chair Mobley reported the next Central RAB meeting is scheduled for March 24, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at Leeward Community College, room PS201 – B.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

·         Liquor License Hearing Notice – April 2, 2009 at 711 Kapiolani Boulevard (Liquor Commission Office) at 4:00 p.m. for applicant 7 Eleven Stores located at 99-236 Moanalua Road, Aiea, HI 96701 for a retail liquor license.

ADJOURNMENT – The meeting adjourned at 8:55 p.m.

Submitted by Nola J. Frank,                                             

Neighborhood Assistant