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PEARL CITY NEIGHBORHOOD BOARD

DRAFT REGULAR MEETING MINUTES

TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2008

HIGHLANDS INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL CAFETERIA

CALL TO ORDER: Chair Albert Fukushima called the meeting to order at 6:32 p.m., with a quorum of eight (8) members present. Note – This 13-member Board requires seven (7) members present to call the meeting to order and seven (7) votes to adopt a motion.

MEMBERS PRESENT: Alfred Coleman (arrived at 6:57 p.m.), Sol Ray Duncan, Albert Fukushima, David Howton, Antoinette Lee, Chris Lum Lee, James Pickard, Sr., Amoreena Rabago, Larry Veray (arrived at 7:01 p.m.), Cruz Vina, Jr.

MEMBERS ABSENT: Stanley Ching.

VACANCIES: There are two (2) vacancies.

GUESTS: Firefighter 1 K. Asato (Honolulu Fire Department); Sgt. R. Nitta (Honolulu Police Department); Michael Hoffman, Jodie Maesaka-Hirata (State Department of Public Safety – Waiawa Correctional Facility); Donahue Fujii (Austin, Tsutsumi and Associates); Lan Yoneda (Board of Water Supply); Manny Cabral (Leeward Community College – Chancellor); Breene Harimoto (State Board of Education); James Propotnick (Governor Linda Lingle's representative – Deputy Director of the State Department of Public Safety); Robert Sato (Councilmember Gary Okino's Office); Senator Clarence Nishihara; Representative K. Mark Takai; Charles Kapua (Aha Kiole Committee); Gary K. Omori (Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project); Kevin Cassel (Olelo Videographer); Jada Antolin, Hazel Asperin, Ray Cooper, Braxton Delos Santos, Briana Delos Santos, Suha Khan, Tyler Lauifi, Aaron Puahala, Greg Rutt, Bill Takeuchi (Pearl City High School); Roger Olegario, Kathy Yoda; Rachel M. Glanstein (Neighborhood Commission Office).

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Duncan led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

RULES, REGULATIONS, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES: Chair Fukushima indicated that smoking is not allowed on school grounds, summarized the time limit policy listed on the agenda and asked government representatives to please limit their oral reports to one subject matter. He invited attendees to take extra copies of the agenda and sign in on the guest list.

FILLING OF TWO (2) VACANT BOARD SEATS: There were no nominations or volunteers to fill the vacancy.

OFFICIAL REPORTS:

Honolulu Fire Department (HFD) – Firefighter 1 K. Asato reported the following information:

1)       April 2008 Statistics – There were 24 structure, 2 wildland, 2 rubbish and 2 vehicle fires; there were 107 medical emergencies, 1 search/rescue and 18 miscellaneous calls.

2)       Fire Safety Tip – The risk of wildland fires increases as summer approaches. Make a 30-foot wide firebreak by clearing vegetation and clutter around all structures. Have an emergency preparedness plan ready in case of emergency evacuation. Consider the need for fire department access.

Honolulu Police Department (HPD) – Sgt. R. Nitta circulated the report and provided the following information:

April / March / February 2008 Statistics: 10 / 6 / 16 auto thefts, 12 / 6 / 7 auto theft recoveries, 18 / 23 / 16 burglaries, 30 / 42 / 33 criminal property damages and 18 / 17 / 20 unauthorized entries into motor vehicles (UEMVs). There were a total of 6,413 / 6,590 / 6,341 calls for service in District 3, with some 1,531 / 1,496 / 1,431 (23.87% / 22.70% / 22.57%) from the Pearl City area.

Mayor Mufi Hannemann’s Representative – Chair Fukushima announced that Isaac Hokama, Mayor Hannemann's representative, had retired from public service, and highlighted the following responses to previous questions:

1)       Bus Stop Near Trinity United Methodist Church – The Oahu Transit Services, Inc. (OTS) bus crew will install a concrete bench at the bus stop on Komo Mai Drive, across from the church. The average daily boarding count for this location was approximately three people on a weekday. A minimum of 30 daily boardings is required to warrant a bus shelter. This bus stop is mostly used to drop off passengers. Therefore, OTS will not be installing another bench or constructing a bus shelter at this location.

2)       Hekaha Street and Moanalua Road Intersection – The City Department of Transportation Services (DTS) investigated and found missing "Do Not Block Intersection" signs for vehicles traveling in the Ewa and Koko Head directions on Moanalua Road and Hekaha Street. DTS will issue a work order to replace the missing signs to help with traffic flow in the area.

3)       Waimano Home Road Skate Park Bus Stop – The OTS bus stop crew will install a concrete bench at the bus stop on Waimano Home Road, fronting the skate park.

4)       Kuahaka Street and Kaweloka Street Bus Stop – OTS found that approximately 21 people board the bus from this location on a weekday, which is less than the minimum requirement of 30 people to install a shelter. Therefore, OTS will not be constructing a bus shelter at this location. However, if there is a significant increase in the number of boardings at this site, reevaluation may be requested.

5)       Highlands Intermediate School Bus Stop – The bus stop on Hoolaulea Street down from Highlands Intermediate School was inspected on May 7, 2008. Many of the slats have been broken off of the bus shelter, and there were no loose slats left. Some of the screws from the missing slats remain between the posts of the bus shelter, but are not a hazard to the public; however, the screws will be removed anyway.

6)       Letters to the City Department of Transportation Services (DTS) – The Board is still awaiting responses to three letters sent to Wayne Yoshioka, Director of DTS. DTS will determine the status and respond.

7)       Hoolaulea Street Boulder – On Hoolaulea Street, near the intersection with Hoolawa Street, there is a large boulder protruding from the ground that could be dangerous. This concern was referred from the City Department of Facility Maintenance (DFM) to the City Department of Planning and Permitting (DPP); an inspector will be sent to investigate, and if appropriate, citations may be issued to the property owner.

8)       Hoolaulea Street and Hoolawa Place Intersection – A crosswalk was requested for the Hoolaulea Street and Hoolawa Place intersection, near the boulder location listed above, since many children cross there and many motorists speed there. DTS will investigate and report to the Board by October 2008.

9)       City Department of Emergency Management (DEM) – The Board has yet to receive an official response to the Board's requesting occasional updates. DEM Deputy Director Peter Hirai did call Lum Lee's cell phone on April 25, 2008, left a message, but did not receive a call back.

10)   Funded Projects Lost in City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) – Approved and funded projects seem to "get lost" in DDC when they go there for design. The Board requested a priority list of the City's improvement projects with DDC. The Board needs to identify specific projects; Chair Fukushima referred the matter to the Legislative and Capital Improvement Programs (LCIP) committee.

PRESENTATIONS:

Awarding of Certificates [1] – This agenda item was deferred, without objection, until the arrival of the awardees.

Waiawa Correctional Facility (WCF) Renovation of Temporary Program Structures – Chair Fukushima noted that the draft Environmental Assessment (EA) was issued on May 8, 2008, and the support of the Board is requested. Michael Hoffman and Jodie Maesaka-Hirata distributed a handout and gave an overview on the WCF project:

Overview – WCF wants to acquire temporary program structures with mobile restrooms. Beneficial impacts would include: (a) contributions toward fulfilling the State Department of Public Safety's (PSD) mission to provide a safe, secure, healthy, humane, social, and physical environment for inmates and staff; (b) the addition of lower-level custody beds; and (c) the provision of additional program space. Inmates would be provided with the appropriate level of service so that they can progress more efficiently and effectively through the corrections system. A Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is anticipated. The funding for the structures has already been appropriated, and funds are only needed now to erect the structures.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       WCF Training Programs – The training includes such programs as workforce development, education, apprenticeships, life skill training, substance abuse relapse prevention and support, etc. The goal is to provide inmates with skills that help them to reintegrate into the community, so that they may break the prison cycle.

2)       Facilities – The WCF is on the grounds of a former military installation, and so is well defended. Currently there are only some small "classrooms", which is not enough space for the training programs. The temporary structures will be built on the WCF property itself.

3)       Timetable – The purchasing for the project must be done by October 2008.

Coleman arrived at 6:57 p.m.; nine (9) members present.

4)       Population Concerns – The population cap for the training programs is 334 inmates; if the cap is not reached with just Waiawa inmates, then more inmates may be accepted into the programs from other facilities. More water will not be required to sustain any extra inmates.

5)       Job Logistics – Any inmates accepted into the programs from other facilities must return to their facilities at night. Corrections officers will escort inmates to and from the bus lines for any work-release programs.

Veray arrived at 7:01 p.m.; 10 members present.

Pickard moved, and Lee seconded, that the Board submit a letter to the State Department of Public Safety endorsing implementation of this program (for training prison inmates) as part of the input for the draft Environmental Assessment, which was ADOPTED, 10-0-0 (Aye: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina).

Awarding of Certificates [2] – Publicity/Refreshment committee (PR) Chair Lee presented the following people with certificates of recognition and acknowledgement for their accomplishments:

1)       Suha Khan – Pearl City High School (PCHS) senior Suha Khan won a journalism award.

2)       Gregory Rutt – The Oahu Interscholastic Athletic (OIA) Western Division Coach of the Year, Gregory Rutt, has helped the Boys’ Wrestling Team win the OIA Western Division title for the last five consecutive years.

3)       Cedric Yogi, Mike Lee, Jamie Dixon, Steve Ching and John Lum – Cedric Yogi was a head coach of the successful Boys’ Wrestling Team, and Mike Lee, Jamie Dixon, Steve Ching and John Lum were assistant coaches.

4)       PCHS Boys' Wrestling Team Members – The team, which has both boys and girls, has won the OIA Western Division title for the last five consecutive years: Jada Antolin, Hazel Asperin, Ray Cooper, Braxton Delos Santos, Briana Delos Santos, Tyler Lauifi, Christian Pavo (absent), Aaron Puahala and Bill Takeuchi.

A brief recess was taken from 7:13 p.m. to 7:14 p.m., for picture-taking.

The following two agenda items were swapped, without objection, to make it easier for the consultant to report.

Pearl City Wal-Mart / Sam's Club Gas Station Update – Donahue Fujii conveyed the following updates:

1)       Sam’s Club Gas Station and Phase IV, 1A (Mikolu Street Widening) – These projects have been bid and the contractor will be selected in the next week. The Mikolu Street widening could be finished by the end of 2008, with the gas station opening at the end of 2009.

2)       Post Office Area Improvements – The creation of a new right turn lane heading Ewa-bound on Kamehameha Highway onto Acacia Road by the Post Office, along with driveway improvements to the Post Office, should be completed by Spring 2009.

Pearl City Gateway Update – Mr. Fujii relayed the following information:

1)       Construction Details – At the Pearl City Gateway area, west of the Wal-Mart site, the four existing warehouses have been demolished. Royal Contracting is starting on the mass grading work, and the grading should be done by the end of July 2008. The Gateway opening is set for 2009.

2)       Tenants and Available Space – The confirmed tenants are Long’s Drugs, CST Auto Parts, PetCo, Babies R Us, and there is still some available space, including a restaurant pad, two retail pads, two unclassified pads and a fast food pad.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       Dust Concerns – Residents in the area are concerned about the dust; it was suggested that signs with a hotline number to call be posted.

2)       Future Tenants – Mr. Fujii will keep the Board updated on future tenants.

COMMUNITY REPORTS:

Board of Water Supply (BWS) – Lan Yoneda distributed handouts relating to water rates, leak checks, and a bill adjustment, and presented the following information:

1)       Main Break Report – There was one eight-inch main break on April 1, 2008 at 879 Hoomaemae Street.

2)       Power Cost Adjustment to Water Bill – Beginning July 1, 2008, a new item will be added to the water bill, due to the rising cost of fuel. The adjustment will be 9.4 cents per every 1,000 gallons of water used, which is an average of $1.22 per month, per household. A bill stuffer will be sent out in May or June.

3)       Detect-A-Leak Week – The BWS launches their 2008 Annual Detect-A-Leak Week from June 1 to June 7, 2008, as a way to urge customers to check for and fix leaks in their plumbing. Toilet leak detection tablets are free for pickup at any City Mill, Satellite City Hall, and in the BWS lobby on Beretania Street. Customers may enter to win a free home leak check at www.boardofwatersupply.com.

4)       Water Rate Increase – There will also be a small water rate increase on July 1, 2008, as provided by Resolution No. 766, which was effective May 15, 2006.

Leeward Community College (LCC) – Chancellor Manny Cabral detailed the following updates:

1)       Articulation Agreements – LCC’s Associate in Arts in Teaching (AAT) program signed articulation agreements on May 6, 2008, with both the University of Hawaii (UH) West Oahu and UH Manoa. This Memorandum of Agreement will allow teacher education students to continue a smooth and predictable transition to either campus to pursue a baccalaureate degree.

2)       Permanent Chancellor – Manny Cabral was selected as permanent LCC chancellor, pending final approval by the UH Board of Regents at the May 30, 2008 meeting in Kapolei.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       LCC Second Access Road – Since the release of the FONSI on the LCC Second Access Road, the onus is on UH to gain a commitment from the State and/or the city to build and repair any access road. Efforts on this project will continue.

2)       Summer Sessions – The first six-week summer session started today, May 27, 2008. The second session begins after July 4, 2008. The enrollment in summer sessions has been increasing every year.

Board of Education (BOE) – Breene Harimoto circulated the BOE Highlights, and reported the following information:

1)       State Department of Education (DOE) Budget – The legislature cut DOE’s budget by $10 million, and the Budget Committee will figure out next Monday, June 2, 2008, how to implement the budget cuts. Two possibilities are cutting programs and/or increasing fees. The BOE is looking at changing the administrative rules to allow a shorter process for the BOE to change the bus fees or distance, since the bus costs have increased exponentially. One goal is to increase the health of students by promoting walking. The BOE does want to streamline its operations and become more efficient; in addition, they will study how to best use DOE facilities.

2)       Facilities Alignment Commission (FAC) – The legislature passed a bill for the FAC to determine which elementary schools to close or consolidate with other schools. Pearl City is an area being considered. However, Governor Linda Lingle has not yet signed the bill, and the deadline is July 8, 2008.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       FAC Recommendations for Schools – The FAC will come up with recommendations about possible school closures or consolidations, and if they are approved by the legislature, then the BOE has no choice in the matter. Mr. Harimoto will copy the Board on his testimony to Gov. Lingle; he feels that the BOE deserves some time to see the results of their recent years of their decisions on how to best use DOE facilities.

2)       Evacuation Centers – Mr. Harimoto will follow up on locations of hurricane evacuation centers.

RESIDENTS’ CONCERNS:

Central Pacific Bank (CPB) Community Service Projects – Chair Fukushima referred the matter of CPB community service projects to the P/R committee. P/R Chair Lee plans to meet with CPB representatives soon.

ELECTED OFFICIALS:

Governor Linda Lingle‘s Representative – James Propotnick distributed the Governor's Neighborhood Board Update, and delivered the following information:

1)       Honolulu Highly Ranked – On a report ranking the 100 best cities in the U.S., Honolulu was ranked the number one city to raise children. Honolulu County is unique with its Neighborhood Board (NB) system; most states don’t have an easy forum for residents to talk directly to their legislators.

2)       Bill to Encourage Biofuel Production – Gov. Lingle signed House Bill 3179 (HB 3179) into law, which will make it easier for biofuel producers to directly lease public lands, and is part of the administration’s Hawaii Clean Energy Initiative (a partnership between the State and the U.S. Department of Energy).

3)       Bill to Protect Against Identity Theft – Gov. Lingle signed Senate Bill 3092 (SB 3092) into law to provide Hawaii residents with additional protection against identity theft. Public records will now only contain the last four digits of an individual’s social security number.

4)       Bill Review Process – Gov. Lingle’s bill review process is underway; she has until July 8, 2008 to sign, veto or let a bill become a law without her signature. Contact her at governor.lingle@hawaii.gov with any suggestions about pending bills.

5)       Complaints – Call or write Gov. Lingle’s office with any complaints.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

Unreleased Funds – The Governor starts with a budget that estimates the amount to be collected in taxes. If the legislature passes more bills than there is money to fund them, the Governor may not be able to release the funds. Tax revenue is not as high now as it was in previous years. The Governor is not allowed to spend more money than is available. If monies are not released by the Governor for projects, then those involved need to go back to the legislature and the Governor and re-justify the need for the funds. Gov. Lingle will not raid the “rainy day” fund to provide monies for projects.

Councilmember Gary Okino – Robert Sato circulated the report and touched on the following items:

1)       Council Bill 80 (2006) Relating to Transit Technology – On April 16, 2008 the Council was unable to reach a decision on the transit technology and Bill 80 did not pass. At the special Council meeting on April 23, 2008, the Council entertained a motion to reconsider the previous vote; however, the motion to reconsider failed. As previously announced by Mayor Hannemann, the City’s Department of Transportation Services (DTS) will move forward with the planning, preliminary engineering, and conducting an Environmental Impact Study (EIS) on the transit project using steel wheel on steel rail as the technology for the system.

2)       Budget Bills – Bill 17 (2008), Bill 18 (2008) and Bill 19 (2008) are the legislative, operating and capital improvement budget bills for the fiscal year 2009. It’s anticipated that these bills will be on the June 4, 2008 Council meeting agenda for passage on third reading.

3)       Hoomaemae Street Resurfacing – Councilmember Okino amended the budget to include money in the bulk fund for the resurfacing of Hoomaemae Street.

4)       Manana Neighborhood Park – Funding for the comfort station and pool work is still in the budget, and Councilmember Okino added $150,000 to the bulk fund to resurface courts (although this money could be designated to be used elsewhere in another park).

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

Transit Stations – Mr. Sato will follow up on the possible locations of transit stations on the Public Infrastructure Map (PIM) in the Pearl City area.

Senator Clarence Nishihara – Sen. Nishihara distributed his report and imparted the following information:

1)       LCC Second Access Road – Sen. Nishihara spoke with the Director of the State Department of Transportation (DOT) and they are looking at connecting the road up to the parking lot; however, it would require the removal of some parking spaces. The rail transit proposals have paused this project for now, since that area may change. The road would serve both the City and the State, so it’s still a viable project.

2)       Fiscal Year 2009 Budget – The 2008 legislature passed a $10.7 billion budget for the fiscal year 2009, which is a decrease of over $44 million from the amount requested by Gov. Lingle. The legislature deemed it wise to assume a cautious economic rate of growth, with a lowered projected growth rate of 3.5%.

3)       Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Appropriations – Despite the tight budget, the following Pearl City CIPs received funding: (a) Lehua Elementary School received $800,000 for a new parking lot; (b) Pearl City Elementary School received $2 million for renovation and library expansion; and (c) Kamehameha Highway received $5 million for land and construction for traffic improvements.

Sen. David Ige – No representative present.

Representative Roy Takumi – No representative present.

Rep. K. Mark Takai – Rep. Takai emphasized the following points:

1)       Legislature Adjourned – The 2008 legislature completed business and adjourned on May 1, 2008.

2)       Closure/Consolidation of Schools – The State now educates 10,000 fewer students than 10 years ago, and there are 358 excess classrooms island-wide. The reason is that certain areas have seen exponential growth while other areas have seen a decrease in growth. The FAC must look at everything, without involving politics. There hasn’t been a school closure in over 20 years. The idea is more about reinventing facility usage than about closure, although there are four elementary schools within two miles in Pearl City. There were only seven legislators that voted against the creation of the FAC.

Questions, comments and concerns followed:

1)       Pearl City Schools – Pearl City schools received high ratings in the last Honolulu magazine. Momilani Elementary School, which was ranked number one, has many “difficult” students from other parts of the island. When the school was on the closure list, many good arguments against closure were made, and enrollment was boosted, helping to save the school from closure. Research shows that smaller schools succeed more with students, but the ideal size has not yet been calculated.

2)       Facilities Alignment Commission (FAC) – The FAC, which is supported by the Chamber of Commerce, may not include legislators; however, the legislature will still have the final yes or no on the schools on the list, without the ability to modify the recommendations. About 13 to 15 complex areas may be affected.

COMMUNITY INPUT:

Pearl City Community Association (PCCA); Manana Community Association (MCA) – No updates provided.

Pacific Palisades Community Association (PPCA) – Howton reported that the reorganization of the PPCA Board is ongoing; and the Board grieves the passing of long-time dedicated member Osame Kobayashi.

Pearl City Foundation (PCF) – Mr. Harimoto indicated that the Summer Intersession Program begins June 6, 2008 and is still accepting registrations.

APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 22, 2008 REGULAR MEETING MINUTES: The April 22, 2008 Regular Meeting minutes were APPROVED AS CIRCULATED by UNANIMOUS CONSENT (10-0-0) (Aye: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina).

APRIL 2008 TREASURER'S REPORT: The April 2008 Treasurer's Report, which was mailed with the May 2008 regular meeting agenda, was filed.

COMMITTEE REFERRALS FOR ACTION/DEFERRAL:

Executive – Chair Fukushima introduced the following items:

1)       Election of Board Officers – Terms for newly elected Board officers run from June 1, 2008 to May 31, 2009. The committees provided a slate of nominees for office. Seven (7) votes are required to elect an officer.

a)       Chair: The two nominees were Fukushima and Pickard. Votes for Fukushima were, 2-0-8 (Aye: Duncan, Fukushima; Abstain: Coleman, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina). Pickard was ELECTED Chair, 8-0-2 (Aye: Coleman, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina; Abstain: Duncan, Fukushima).

b)       Vice-Chair: The two nominees were Vina and Lum Lee.

i)    The first round of votes were Vina, 6-0-4 (Aye: Coleman, Fukushima, Howton, Lum Lee, Pickard, Veray; Abstain: Duncan, Lum Lee, Rabago, Vina) and Lum Lee 4-0-6 (Aye: Duncan, Lum Lee, Rabago, Vina; Abstain: Coleman, Fukushima, Howton, Lum Lee, Pickard, Veray).

ii)    In the second round of voting, Vina was UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED Vice-Chair, 10-0-0 (Aye: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina).

c)       Secretary/Treasurer: The nominee was Lum Lee. Lum Lee was ELECTED Secretary/Treasurer by UNANIMOUS CONSENT (10-0-0) (Aye: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina).

d)       Other Officers: The new Chair will appoint a Parliamentarian and/or a Sergeant at Arms.

e)       Review of Board Minutes – Howton will continue to review the minutes.

2)       Formulation of Revised Permitted Interaction Groups (PIG) Listing – Rabago noted that the Sunshine Law (Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 92) may be changed due to HB 2730, and the listing should be revised anyway due to new Board members.

3)       Opening and Closure of Board Meeting Site – Vina suggested that the opening and closure of the meeting site be addressed at the next committee meeting.

Health, Education and Welfare (HEW) – HEW Chair Lum Lee offered the following information:

1)       Proposal for Monthly Notification Report by the City Department of Emergency Management (DEM) – DEM took over a month to respond to the Board’s letter sent on February 28, 2008, and the response indicated only that meeting attendance would be too taxing for DEM staff. Subsequently, any DEM presentations must now wait on the Conference of Chairs planned by the Neighborhood Commission Office (NCO).

2)       Legislative Town Meeting on Disaster Preparedness – The town meeting was geared toward hurricane preparedness, although some other disasters were briefly discussed.

3)       Ratification of Letter Sent Regarding Pearl City Base Yard Dewatering Facility – A letter was sent on May 21, 2008 to the State Department of Transportation (DOT) regarding the draft EA for the Pearl City Base Yard Dewatering Facility. The two key issues of the letter were: (a) use of 2nd Street by senior citizens could be dangerous with DOT vehicle trips to and from the facility; and (b) noise generated from construction vehicles and DOT trucks may be disruptive to students at Lehua Elementary School or to attendees of the Pearl City Hongwanji Mission. DOT representatives were invited to the June committee and Board meetings. The deadline came before the Board meeting, so the letter must be ratified.

HEW Chair Lum Lee moved, on behalf of the HEW committee, to ratify the letter sent to the State Department of Transportation (regarding the dewatering facility), which was ADOPTED UNANIMOUSLY, 10-0-0 (Aye: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina).

4)       Proposed Special HEW Committee Meeting – This item will be deferred until next month. Veray added that the HEW committee is thinking of creating a subcommittee on disaster preparedness.

Traffic and Transportation (TT) – TT Chair Vina specified the following information:

1)       Oahu Metropolitan Planning Organization (OMPO) Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) – The OMPO CAC met on May 21, 2008, included a presentation on harbor fortifications and the Oahu Regional Transportation Plan (ORTP) 2035 was discussed. A subcommittee may be created to investigate and report on the ORTP 2035.

2)       Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project (HHCTCP) – Mayor Hannemann is moving forward with the steel wheel on steel rail transit technology. The PIM revisions to designate the transit corridor, stations, and corporation yards are at the preliminary engineering stage.

3)       Transit Oriented Development (TOD) Regarding Commuter Stations – It’s important how the stations will look to and fit in with the community.

4)       Separate Traffic Signal Phasing of Left Turns on Moanalua Road at Hoolaulea Street – Correspondence was received from DTS informing the Board that DTS will be addressing the issue in June 2008; the Board made this request in November 2007.

5)       No Left Turn Proposal for Westbound Traffic on Hoomalu Street into Puu Poni Street – In the same letter as above, DTS stated that this project is not feasible at this time.

6)       Extension of Left Turn Mauka-bound Lane on Waimano Home Road into Kuala Street – In the same letter as item no. 4, DTS will address the issue in June 2008.

7)       Bicycle Master Plan (BMP) – Vina and Pickard attended the BMP implementation workshop held recently at Kapolei Hale, which defined two plans, one for the City and one for the State. TT Chair Vina recommended one overall plan, and changing the name of the Honolulu BMP to the Oahu BMP.

Development, Plan and Zoning (DPZ) – DPZ Chair Pickard summarized the following information:

1)       Status of Development for Remaining Manana Warehouse Properties – There is one empty lot left at the Manana Village Center, and the owners still have not responded to DPZ Chair Pickard’s phone calls.

2)       Participation in Pearl Harbor Restoration Advisory Board (RAB) – Both DPZ Chair Pickard and Vina have submitted their application to participate in the Pearl Harbor RAB, but haven’t yet received confirmation.

Legislative and Capital Improvement Programs (LCIP) – LCIP Chair Rabago circulated a report and mentioned the following:

1)       Sunshine Law Legislation – HB 2730 relating to the legal requirements for NB meetings, prescribes the procedure to be followed, such as the information that may be included in the written public notice, the information that the Board may receive on a matter, quorum requirements, and the discussion and decision-making process. HB 2730 was passed by the legislature and then transmitted to Gov. Lingle on May 5, 2008; she has until July 8, 2008 to sign, veto, or let the bill become law without her signature.

2)       Pearl City Public Library (PCPL) Expansion of Parking Lot and ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Renovations; Fiscal Year 2009 Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) Input – These items will remain in the LCIP committee and will be included in the overall City and State budget report.

3)       2007 Draft Neighborhood Plan (NP) – The revised NP has been adopted by the Neighborhood Commission and the document is now awaiting approval from the City’s Corporation Counsel (COR).

4)       Approved CIPs for Pearl City in Priority Listing of the City Department of Design and Construction (DDC) – The 2007/2008 City and State CIP requests as well as the Operating/Repair and Maintenance budget report will be complied and distributed next month.

Publicity/Refreshments (PR) – PR Chair Lee supplied the following information:

1)       Certificates of Recognition and Acknowledgement – The following were mentioned as possible awardees: (a) baseball team; (b) two women nominated by their insurance company; (c) PCHS Judo Team; (d) PCHS valedictorian; and (e) Pearl City Highlands Elementary School (“Peaches”) on its 50th anniversary.

2)       Email Newsletter / NB#21 Website – Acting Chair Fukushima indicated that articles for the newsletter need to be submitted by committee chairs to Coleman soon, so the newsletter may be sent out by August 2008. Coleman suggested alternating Board pictures with pictures of local kids on the Board’s website.

3)       Approval of Refreshment and Publicity Expenditures –

a)       Refreshment Expenditure Approval: The expenditure of $49.75 for refreshments was APPROVED by UNANIMOUS CONSENT (10-0-0) (Aye: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina).

b)       Publicity Expenditure Approval: The expenditure of $53.37 for certificates was APPROVED by UNANIMOUS CONSENT (10-0-0) (Aye: Coleman, Duncan, Fukushima, Howton, Lee, Lum Lee, Pickard, Rabago, Veray, Vina).

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

1)       Bulky Trash Pickup – In order to keep Pearl City looking great, residents are asked to put out their bulky trash for pickup only right before the day of pickup; go to www.opala.org to see when bulky pickup is.

2)       Outgoing Chair – Acting Chair Fukushima congratulated Pickard on his election to Chair.

3)       Incoming Chair – Pickard thanked Acting Chair Fukushima for his 31 years of service to the Board, his encouragement of citizen participation, and his ability to listen well to community concerns. He expressed his hope that Acting Chair Fukushima would continue to advise him and the Board, and humbly thanked the Board for electing him to Chair.

4)       Next Committee Meetings – The next committee meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, 2008, at 7:00 p.m., at the Highlands Intermediate School Cafeteria.

5)       Next Board Meeting – The next regular Board meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2008, 6:30 p.m., at the Highlands Intermediate School Cafeteria.

ADJOURNMENT: The meeting adjourned at 9:02 p.m.

Submitted by:

Rachel M. Glanstein, Neighborhood Assistant

Reviewed by:

David Howton, Reviewer of Board Minutes

James Pickard, Sr., Chair